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Refugees and Responsibility

日本語訳 |  français

by Akio Matsumura

In his welcoming remarks at the United Nations General Assembly, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon drew attention to the plight of refugees fleeing Syria and the political and humanitarian challenges of and responsibilities for Europe’s leaders and citizens as more and more people seek safe haven. More than 4 million have fled Syria since 2011, and that number grows as you include those from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries where it is safer to flee than stay put.

Southern and Eastern Europe — Greece, Italy, Hungary, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia,  Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Poland, Germany – the countries who bear the large share of the burden on the receiving end, are no strangers to conflict, revolution, or dramatic change.

A September New York Times editorial asks Eastern Europe to remember its own past:

Even as Europe’s greatest refugee emergency since World War II grew more acute, prompting Germany and some other nations to temporarily shut their borders, European Union interior ministers failed on Monday to agree on even a limited mandatory distribution of refugees for resettlement among member states.

That tragic reaction was all the more shameful because those most adamantly opposed to quotas were some Eastern European countries that recently basked in and richly benefited from the embrace of their Western neighbors.

The Central and Eastern Europeans were not alone in their resistance, and there are explanations for their reaction. Most of the countries that were liberated from the Soviet yoke 25 years ago are still poorer than their neighbors and have not shed a sense of victimhood; many have never had large numbers of people from distant parts of the world on their lands; and many have only a limited familiarity with the crises of the Middle East.
… Continue reading
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Sacrifice and Spiritual Law: Solutions for Fukushima

Japanese (日本語 ), German and French

by Akio Matsumura

“Thirty seconds into what may ultimately be regarded as one of the defining speeches of his career, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slowly raised his hands chest high, then spread them out sideways in a gesture of confidence.
“Let me assure you,” he said, addressing members of the International Olympic Committee on Sept. 7. “The situation is under control.”
The prime minister was attempting to convince his audience in Buenos Aires that the multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, initiated by tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, should not be a cause of concern for Tokyo hosting the Summer Olympic Games in 2020.
The nuclear accident, he said, “has never done and will never do any damage to Tokyo.” (Jun Hongo, The Japan Times)

Prime Minister Abe’s brash confidence is not supported by the news of flagging cleanup efforts at reactors 1, 2, 3, and 4. In fact, the volume of stories of unanticipated but ongoing mechanical failures and worker mistakes can be hard to follow. What do we do with figures like “400,000 becquerels per liter” or 1,533 spent fuel assemblies?  And any attempt at understanding is further complicated by the limited reliability of the information, an issue that could be resolved by true independent assessment on a wide range of technical issues, such as hydrology and mechanical and electrical engineering.

The fundamental question remains the same: what will be the outcome at Fukushima?… Continue reading

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A Most Optimistic Man: Challenging Complacency

By Akio Matsumura


The United States and Japan are both plagued by suicide.  Many people are taking their own lives out of a sense of isolation and loneliness.  Although the circumstances for the two cases are distinct, the challenge to both countries–overcoming complacency–is the same.

A few weeks ago someone called my cell phone and started speaking to me in Japanese. I answered in Japanese but knew it was foreigner’s voice.  The person on the other end said he had studied Japanese for five years at a high school in Australia.  We continued talking, mixing Japanese and English, and laughed. This short conversation let me forget a moment that I was talking to a person with no arms or legs. It was Mr. Nick Vujicic. On the phone, we planned to meet at his friend’s apartment in Central Park West.  He arrived, rolled his wheelchair into the lobby, and we chose a quiet, private place to chat. His staff lifted him out of the wheel chair and into a chair at the table. They placed his iPhone before him and left, leaving us alone to meet.  I wondered how Nick would let his staff know when our meeting ended.

After we spoke for an hour and a half, he slid his nose across the screen of the iPhone to unlock it.  He called his staff and asked them to bring a camera so that we could take a photograph together. I told Nick I was amazed to see him handle the phone so fluidly.… Continue reading

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“Sat Paul, Do you disagree with me?” Learning globally to act locally

Read in Japanese (日本語 )

by Akio Matsumura

The media coverage over the U.S. health care debate throughout the last month has been extraordinary.  Put aside your thoughts on the outcome—the coverage helped viewers become more familiar with U.S. politicians and the U.S. political process.  And many were left disappointed.  The deep rift that splits American politics invites bitterness and disappointment at all levels.
As I have had the pleasure of meeting with so many politicians, in and out of the U.S., in my thirty five years at the UN and other international organizations, I would like to share my perspective on the potential power of our elected leaders.   I think I can paint a more hopeful picture than the one we are witness to currently.

Politicians share a host of characteristics.  First, their sensitivity to and engagement of broad population groups is important.  It is why they are elected.  Second, they promote ideas and opinions with a success that other sectors struggle to match.  Their goals are threefold: to build consensus, foster action, and finally succeed with legislative implementation. Particularly impressive is their ability to transcend tough challenges—whether they are daily hurdles or national referendums.  Here, I find their dynamic spirit of sympathy to be invaluable.  Politicians can identify and sympathize with another person; bureaucrats find this very difficult.

My wife Maki and I had the great pleasure of welcoming so many political leaders to our small apartment in New York.  Through these visits and long-lasting friendships I have been fortunate to glean many insights from the political world.… Continue reading

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Global Hip Hop: Music for Expression

Hip hop is music that has been around in the US for 40 years, but is taking on new shapes and forms as it sprouts in different regions of the world. Check these out: hip hop for freedom of expression and even a way to fight extremism by spreading positive messages to youth.

African Underground: Hip Hop in Senegal

 

  • I Love Hip Hop in Morocco: I spoke on the telephone with Josh Ashen, the creator of I Love Hip Hop in Morocco almost 3 years ago while I was planning my own trip to research music/social movements in Morocco.  I saw this film at a festival in NY and was hooked.  Check it out.

The bottom line of these videos is that music is an incredible way to spread culture, religion, and political messages, either within a group of people, or beyond, to a new group.  Hip Hop is a growing global form of communication.   Go check out Hip Hop for Social Change on Facebook or email at tuftshiphop@gmail.com

-Chris… Continue reading

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Peace as Process: Religious Interpretation and Political Compromise

By Akio Matsumura

At the Kremlin in Moscow in 1990 I learned a life changing lesson, watching those Jewish in attendance, all prominent leaders, pray to attend during the Sabbath. For those who are not familiar with Jewish tradition, the Sabbath is a weekly day of rest, lasting from Friday to Saturday evening, with the timing depending on the time of year. Observation and remembrance of the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments. I’ve mentioned this story in my blog before, on September 1, 2008 and Inauguration day, January 20, 2009 and received many responses. People have continually expressed deep surprise that we were able to transcend the religious tradition and have everyone in attendance at the closing ceremony. Although the story itself is extraordinary, it is the lesson that is most important.

Our global world is experiencing a battle of ideologies—of cultures. As these cultures grow, spread, and become more interconnected, more confrontations arise between them. Over the years I have stressed the importance of approaching each issue from a practical and spiritual perspective, encouraging effective change to be made while keeping long term ideals in mind. Many ideologies and values, especially in religion and politics, are not shared cross-culturally because of their self-contained traditional barriers. So how in this case, were the rabbis able to transcend their religious barrier? Why was the meeting able to go on?

If we had planned the closing ceremony originally for Friday night, the Jewish participants would not have attended. If I had bluntly ignored their important religious tradition, I would have been disrespecting them, and the situation would have gone awry.… Continue reading

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Breaking Barriers

During the winter of 1990 the Global Forum that Akio coordinated took place in Moscow, Russia, with the final ceremony being held in the Kremlin. A great thing happened that day that showed much promise for cultures coming together and allowing sacrifices for the whole to move forward. There were threats announced that day on many Baltic states, and President Gorbachev had to call an unexpected meeting in the Kremlin during the time scheduled for the final ceremonies of the Forum. The Forum was able to bear with these scheduling changes, but had to move their ceremonies until later that evening. Coincidentally, it was pushed into the Sabbath, and so the Jewish members of the Forum suddenly had a challenge to face. With much behind-the-scenes scrambling, the meeting went forth and Akio and President Gorbachev, among others, decided that indeed sacrifices would have to be made by all in order to close the ceremonies. Many of the Jewish attendees, including the rabbi members and even Carl Sagan prayed together in the basement of the Kremlin to welcome the Sabbath into a cold building with an entirely different focus by nature. The colossal adjustments of the rabbis allowed the procession to go forth and the ceremonies closed with a tremendous speech by President Gorbachev and others, urging in the modern environmental movement with all stunned by the power of the sacrifice and adjustments that had been made to keep the meeting scheduled. Great political and religious figures both bowed their heads in the name of cooperation and each made sacrifices in order to allow the whole group to meet.… Continue reading