In Search for Invisible Value
Reiko Kato, President Meguro UNESCO Association
In the May issue of the Ministry of Education & Science Bulletin
entitled Special Edition for the 50th Anniversary of Japan's Entry into
UNESCO, many people including Mr. Ikuo Hirayama, President of the National
UNESCO Committee in Japan, and Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, Secretary-General
of UNESCO express their hopes.
As you may already know about Mr. Matsuura's activities explained in
the last edition of our Short News, Mr. Matsuura explained in this Bulletin
that "although UNESCO is an international organization, its characteristics
are that of a worldwide network of 182 official national UNESCO committees
and 6,000 private UNESCO associations or clubs all over the world."
He listed UNESCO's five programs of top priority: @basic education, Amultiplicity
of cultures, Bscience technology and ethics, Cwater and environment,
Dcorrection of information disparities. I may add that the Meguro UNESCO
Association is mentioned in this Edition.
Among the other articles that caught my attention, Mr. Akira Miyoshi,
in a round-table talk on how to advance UNESCO activities, said, "trying
to let people understand invisible value is the way to let people understand
UNESCO in the 21st century" and that "it is very difficult but
it is important." Mr. Miyoshi is a composer, President of Tokyo Culture
Hall, and a member of the National UNESCO Committee in Japan. Last year
he composed a UNESCO song called "Wind" at the request of Suginami
UNESCO Association. The basis of UNESCO activities is sympathy of minds
among people. Mr. Miyoshi is right at pointing out that without the invisible
thing that is mind there will be no UNESCO activities.
At the 48th general meeting of Meguro UNESCO Association, Mr. Nobuo Miyazawa,
Chairperson of Meguro City Assembly, and Mr. Yoshiteru Kato, Deputy Chief
of City Education gave us words of encouragement. "Meguro City Assembly
members of UNESCO may be formed," said Mr. Miyazawa and Mr. Kato said,
"The City is trying to help Meguro UNESCO Association attain an independent
office space."
At the general meeting Ms. Matsuura acted as master of ceremonies and
Mr. Yukio Okusawa as chairperson. The Board members were reelected and
the officers were elected for the coming year.
I was elected to presidency for another term of two years. I feel honored
for the heavy responsibilities. I wish to express my appreciation to the
retiring Board members and humbly request the new members for kind support.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Japan's entry into UNESCO many events
will take place under a slogan "Activating the UNESCO Movement for
the Coming 50 years" this year. The Educational Board of Tokyo Metropolis
and other organizations will undertake their programs from this summer.
Meguro UNESCO Association will start the "Youth Retreat" this
summer, followed by cooperation with the "World Heritage Exhibition,"
(ref. P.43), "UNESCO Peace Concert 2001" and other programs aimed
at sending information to the younger generations. Please feel free to
participate in any of these programs.
UNESCO Peace Concert 2001-a family concert-From
September 29, Sunday, 2001, 3:00 p.m.
Meguro City Hall (Meguroku Kookaido)
Amadeus Ensemble Tokyo,
Chamber music by Nobuhiko Asaeda and 11 NHK symphony members
Familiar pieces of Mozart, Vivardi, Bach |
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