The season has come when hydrangeas bloom in various colors and gardenias spread their fragrance. This is the 51st year since Japan was admitted to UNESCO. Many people may know that as a result of mounting non-governmental movements supporting UNESCO after the Second World War in Japan, Japan was admitted to UNESCO 5 years ahead of her joining the United Nations, marking her first step in returning to the international society.
　The birth of UNESCO must have given a ray of hope in people’s minds of the then devastated world after the war. It was in Japan that the first non-governmental UNESCO movement started. Having learned of the creation of UNESCO in 1945, Mr. Mitsutomo Doi, one of the founders of the Sendai UNESCO Co-operating Association, sent a message to the Secretary-General of UNESCO at its Paris head office. It was the first message announcing to the world the start of a non-governmental UNESCO movement in Japan. Similar non-governmental movements followed not only in other places in Japan but also outside Japan, amounting to 5,000 associations or clubs in 118 countries at the moment. These are encouraging figures, but disputes and wars have not ceased as yet.
　The Meguro UNESCO Association held its 49th general assembly at Moriya Kyoiku Kaikan, Meguro, on May 25, and the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan its 58th general assembly in Kobe on May 31. I believe that both are faced with big problems to tackle in the next year. The Meguro UNESCO Association will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2 years. Thanks to Meguro City, its Board of Education and those concerned, we will have our own independent office on the campus of the Gohongi Primary School this autumn. It has been our long-held wish and we are truly thankful. At this opportunity, I believe that we must be reminded of the ideals of UNESCO movements and examine our present activities in the light of these ideals.
　We among ourselves must exchange our ideas on how the movements should develop and strengthen our organizations. In more concrete terms, we must exchange ideas on the organizations and policies of our secretariat and committees, and put any conclusion of these exchanges into practice step by step. I would like to ask every member to cooperate in various forms and to make efforts to expand our membership. I feel indebted to all members for their daily cooperation. Let us move a step forward again on the basis of our original ideals