No.204-4
Annual programs
1. UNESCO International Cultural Exchange Lectures (public lectures)
@@@a. UNESCO cultural lectures (five times a year) (commissioned by
Meguro Board of Education)
b. Language courses (three courses per year, 15
classes per course) (commissioned by Meguro Board of Education)
2.
Language classes for members, held all year (objective: language acquisition and
the promotion of UNESCO activities).
3. Participation in training sessions (organized by National Federation
of UNESCO Associations in Japan, Tokyo Liaison Council of UNESCO Associations,
Meguro International Friendship Association, etc.)
Language Courses and students
About 60 students on the Chinese and Spanish courses (1.b above).
About 110 students in ten classes for English, French, Italian, Chinese,
and Korean (2 above).
Cultural lectures held last year
The gReport on World Heritage - from Spainh was very popular, and in response to the feedback, we would like to continue the program. We hope many people will join in the cultural lectures this year too. @Volunteers are wanted. Please let us know if you are interested in helping us. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@Yoshio Shimizu, chairperson of Training Program Committee
Fifty-Year-Old UNESCO UNESCO School Administration Committee
Meguro UNESCO Association celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year. That means a lot to us all. gFifty yearsh is easy to say, but in reality it is a very long time. When I think of the efforts extended by our forerunners to maintain and develop the Association, I cannot but admire them.
Any other year, I would look back on the year just past and express a hope for the New Year. However, at this point in time, I am not in the mood to take up my pen, finding myself unable to come up with words to say. In the face of the recent state of affairs in the world, as well as a corresponding surge of conservatism in Japan, I hesitate to say gHappy New Yearh.
The Preamble to the UNESCO Constitution says, g ignorance of each other's ways and lives has been a common cause, throughout the history of mankind, of that suspicion and mistrust between the peoples of the world through which their differences have all too often broken into warh, and ga peace based exclusively upon the political and economic arrangements of governments would not be a peace which could secure the unanimous, lasting and sincere support of the peoples of the worldh. It also says that the State Parties to this Constitution, for these reasons, believe in full and equal opportunities in education for all.
UNESCO School is somewhat unique in UNESCO activities. It is exclusively for families of war-displaced people living in the Higashi-ga-oka apartment house. They came back to Japan from China, after being left behind in their infancy at the end of Second World War by their Japanese relatives. Recently, the number of students in UNESCO School has decreased as more and more residents moved elsewhere and no new occupants taken in. This has been a result of a recent welfare-facility-reorganization/maintenance program put in place by the government. Returneesf families have various conditions at home, and some are well motivated while others are not. However, we believe that an opportunity to study should always be provided. I think this program should be kept up until nobody wishes to study on our program.
Education is just one aspect of the Constitution. I think this fiftieth anniversary gives us an opportunity to read, take to heart and think about the Constitution.
Takashi Saitou, chairperson of UNESCO School Administration Committee