The Goi Peace Forum

On Thursday, November 23th, I attended the Goi Foundation Peace Forum held in Tokyo. The Forum was the culmination of a three day conference that brought 80 youth (16-35) from 28 countries to meet and discuss this year's theme: Creating a New Civilization.
The forum itself was divided into three parts. First, an award ceremony giving the 2006 Goi Peace Foundation award to Simple Velocity author Duane Elgin. Secondly, winners of the Goi Foundations annual speech contest presented their speeches. Thirdly, the youth participating in the conference gave presentations of their work and joined in a panel discussion with Masami Saionji (Chairperson, Goi Peace Foundation) and Hiroo Saionji (President, Goi Peace Foundation).
Unfortunately, I lost my notebook filled with notes of the forum itself but I had a friend participating in the three day conference and she snuck me into the reception afterwards. At the reception, I met with youth all consciously creating a more peaceful vision of the world. To find more about the Goi Peace Foundaiton check out this link.

Reflecting on my first term at ICU

Wow, it’s hard to believe that a whole term has passed already in two and half months. I’m not quite use to terms being over so quickly, it feels like I’ve barely gotten into the subject and now it’s time for something new but perhaps it’s appropriate for graduate school. I’m looking into possible ideas for my thesis. One idea I am considering is about the meaning of home when it comes to refugees.

Particularly, I was interested in looking at the Palestinian refugee issue. When I visited Jordan this past spring, I met with people who had never been to Palestine yet called it there home? Why are they so attached to this place they've never set foot on? Is it so deep within the psyche of the palestinian that they must return to this "home" and not really build roots in Jordan or wherever else they have settled?

I also was interested in looking at the conflict in the Balkans. This last year I worked on a documentary that highlighted the still current ethnic conflict in Kosovo. I observed how much these people were attached to their "home" because they ancestors had live there for 200 years or so. they were unwilling to start their new lives and accept their circumstances even if it meant that their children would get stoned on the way to school or that they lived in constant fear for their lives.

Very interesting. I can see a whole film coming out of this project, which is exciting but one thing I can observed that this film would only make a statement and offer no solution. And I ask myself why am I in this program? I believe that my hope is to offer some kind of solution, or to highlight some work that is being done.

Maybe there is some NGO working to reduce the identity/attachment with home?
Alright, I’m going to do some research on that. If you have any suggestions let me know
love,
Megumi

Rotary Weekend Retreat

Hey, these are photos from the Rotary Weekend retreat taken in the begining of October. It was a wondeful experience to connect with people in my program dedicated to creating peace.

click on the photo for more photos.

Sometimes we need reminders..

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory ofGod that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

we unconsciously give other peoplepermission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,

Our presence automatically liberates others.

-Marianne Williamson

October 25th- Rotary Peace Forum

I am helping to organize the upcoming Rotary Peace Forum at ICU on the Oct. 25th.

Watch the Film:
The Last Atomic Bomb (92 min)
The Last Atomic Bomb interweaves the still controversial U.S. decision to use the bomb, censorship in the U.S. and Japan of the bomb or its effects, discrimination against survivors by other Japanese, buildup of nuclear weapons during the Cold War, the anti-nuclear movement, and today’s nuclear proliferation issues.



Meet the Filmmaker:
Kathleen Sullivan Ph.D
Co-Producer and Nuclear Disarmament Educator who has been engaged in the nuclear issue for the last 20 years.

Date: Wednesday, October 25th
Time: 7pm-9:30pm
Place: ERB II Room 301

"Peace Begins with Me and You" at the Artivist Film Festival

Hi, my film will be screening on November 10th @ around 4pm at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood.



“ARTIVIST” is the 1st international Film Festival dedicated to addressing Human Rights, Children's Advocacy, Environmental Preservation, and Animal Rights. Its mission is to strengthen the voice of international activist artists - "Artivists" - while raising public awareness for social global causes.

Peace Studies 101

Woah! The workload for class is getting pretty intense. I hope to be able at the very least share with you the presentation/papers that I will be working on.
As for now, I'd like to introduce you to my Peace Studies I Class:

As the basics of Peace Studies, most of our reading will come from "Approaches to Peace" Edited by David P. Barash. The book is divided into six chapters that we will be covering through the course of the fall term.


1. Approaches to War

2. Building "Negative Peace"

3. Building "Positive Peace"

4. Nonviolence

5. Religious Inspiration

6.Peace Movements


In the books introduction, Barash writes,
" Despite the enormous ills of our planet, there is reason to believe that our most pressing problem is not hunger, disease, poverty, social inequity, overpopulation, or environmental degradation, but rather he violence that human beings commit and threaten to commit against others... ...Consider the deep irony of a planet, beset with desperate crises, whose inhabitants nonetheless spend their time and energies fighting with each other, thereby making things even worse... ...It is indeed paradoxical that in a time of unique danger and difficulty, the inhabitants of planet Earth waste their time, resources, and energy--as well as their lives--fighting among themselves and/or preparing to do so."