Heart of Asia
By Seisuke Okuno, President, Foundation for Welfare and Education of Asian People
It has been 14 years since the Foundation for Wel- fare & Education of Asian People was established in December, 1969. During this time, as the world and Japan continued to pile up its history, the Foundation has also accumulated many footprints in its history.
However, the basic philosophy of this Foundation's establishment, which made the late Mr.Takechiyo Matsuda, former Chairman, decide to found this agency in order to assist the Vietnamese orphans and fatherless families after visiting Vietnam during the Vietnamese war, con- tinues to carry out many vital activities.
The various projects such as the building of a voca- tional training center for Vietnamese orphans in Vietnam, sending subsidies to welfare institutions in many Asian countries, inviting workers who were engaged with social welfare services in Asian cnontries to Japan, operating refugee resettlement centers as entrusted by the Japanese Government as well as the operation of a refugee recep- tion center, also consigned by the Japanese Government, were carried out by this Foundation with careful con- sideration of the situation in each country concerned and it will continue to undertake the same kinds of projects in the future.
What enabled us to accomplish these projects was the support of a Japanese society who understood the philosophy and objectives of our Foundation. I would like to take this opportunity in expressing our gratitude for your understanding and close cooperatio.
Asia is an area which has a special importortance to our country. Needless to say that without the reliability of the Asian countries, it would be slightly more difficult to establish a reliable relationship with the world.
Japan has now established its status as one of the economically big countries of the world. However, if w turn aside our eyes from where we stand and pursue what is only for our own benefit, it is apparent that we loose the trust of the world and would become obnoxious to the world.
In the beginning, Japan was pointed out as slow in giving its assistance to the Indo-Chinese refugees; how- ever, it is now receiving high appreciation from the Governments of ASEAN countries and also from inter- national organizations for its monetary cooperation as well as voluntary assistance activities.
It has been 3 years since the foundation, accepting the request from the government, established the Refugee Resettlement Headquarters in order to promote the reset- tlement of Indo-Chiness refugees in Japan, and opend the Resettlement Promotion Centers in Himeji and Yamato cities. During this period the number of Indo-Chinese refugees who have settled in this country under assistance and warm cooperation of the people of Japan is already about 1,300.
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The resettlement of these refugees into Japanese society requires great effort and decision for both the refugees and the Japanese people who accept, as it exists the difficult factors such as cultural differences as to our basic ideas.
Japan will experience various aspects of an inter- national society in the future. We cannot contribute to the peace and prosperity of the world unless considera- tion is given to the heart of the Asian people who are our closest neighbors. The world will evaluate Japan as "Japan in the world" after evaluating Japan's approach to "Japan in Asia".
A selfish and haughty way of life will never be accepted by a joint cooperative international society. We hope to be able to continue the good exchange with Asian countries through social welfare activities so as not to loose the heart of Asia, and hope to help promote a good status as a member of an international society.
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