The Original Ideal

The 50th Anniversary of Meguro UNESCO Association was celebrated in the Persimmon Hall on a fine day.

At first I would like to express my gratitude to the guests of honor, speakers, the people who cooperated in the recitation of children’s poems, and those who came to join the celebration. I must also mention that we received many messages of celebration from people who could not come to the site. All of them reminded me of the importance of history and the bond which unites people.

I still remember vividly every scene of the celebration day including the performance of janggu, a traditional Korean drum, and the opening declaration by two young members. Out of 190 UNESCO member nations, people from more than 120 nations joined in activities of our Association, and youth from 63 nations participated in our youth activities, which we showed by displaying 63 national flags on the stage. They remind us of the fact that the activities of our Association are supported by people not only of Meguro City but also of Japan and the rest of the world.

The mission statement starts with the sentence “In order that we could contribute to the benefits not only of the people in Meguro City but also across the whole world we are determined to found the Meguro UNESCO Association to work together for the following purposes:” and ends with the sentence “It is our wish to cooperate with UNESCO, to form an organization of people who love freedom, justice and peace in Meguro on the basis of the UNESCO spirit, to make humble contribution to the elevation of cultural level of the Meguro city, and make a bright society.” Now 50 years after the creation of the Association, the mission statement still shows the essence of UNESCO spirit.

 Now that our application for a NPO legal person was approved, a new page was opened in the history of the Meguro UNESCO Association. We learned from our precursors “the importance of humbly taking a step forward.“ I would like to continue our works to build the new generation in line with the UNESCO spirit. I would like to ask every member of the Association always to go back to the original ideal. Let all of us, regardless of ages and nationalities, steadily start steps again, keeping in mind the passions and courage of the creators and followers of the Association.