Lecture: The Next Generation’s Vision for Peace and Pathways to Implementation
Speaker: Mr. Tadashi Toda
On Saturday, December 2, 2023, the “Yokohama Peace Symposium for Fiscal Year 2023” was held at the Yokohama City Hall Atrium. The theme of the symposium was “The Next Generation’s Vision for Peace and Pathways to Implementation.” Mr. Tadashi Toda, Founder and CEO of Forum2050, delivered a lecture.
The lecture was held in an open classroom format, where Mr. Toda, who has extensive experience in the field of international cooperation, raised questions and facilitated a discussion among nine junior high school students from the city. The students actively engaged in the discussion and presented their own thoughts and ideas.
Each junior high school student grappled with the issue in their own way and considered how they could contribute to addressing it.
While the time was limited, it can be said that the first step towards “international understanding education” was taken.
■An opportunity to share thoughts on “peace” with experts
The City of Yokohama, which established the International Affairs Bureau, has been promoting initiatives since last year to raise awareness of international peace among people of all generations, especially young people, with the theme of “Thinking about what we can do for peace and taking action.” This project was held as a collaborative project with the Yokohama Media Business Research Institute (YMBL), which was established in 2018 by three companies: The Kanagawa Shimbun, TV Kanagawa, and tvk Communications.
This project is designed to empower the next generation, with Mr. Toda, who is well-versed in the world, including conflict zones, and who is passionate about connecting the present to the future.
■Dialogue with Children: Mr. Toda’s Questions
The lecture, which was held in an open-class format, began with the presentation of two thought-provoking questions:
“What can be divided endlessly without diminishing?”
“What do you do with someone you love and care about?”
The speaker, Ms. Marie-Louise Uwimana, who experienced the Rwandan civil war and genocide and is currently the Chair of the NGO “Association for Rwandan Education,” shared her harrowing experiences in Rwanda.
Mr. Toda then used slides to explain events that took place in Rwanda, Cambodia, Palestine, Somalia, and other countries.
He posed the following challenging question:
“What would you do if you were ordered to kill someone?”
While the question may have seemed extreme to the students, it served as a stark reminder of the realities of conflict in the world and the importance of addressing these issues.
Mr. Toda’s message to the students was:
“There is no right or wrong answer. What matters is that you continue to question, discuss, and engage with each other.”
After the lecture, nine participating middle school students gave presentations on what they learned from the event and what actions they felt they could take.
The students shared their unique perspectives and insights, drawing on their own experiences to reflect on what they could do to address the issue of peace.
Despite coming from the same generation and living in the same city of Yokohama, the students’ presentations were all unique, highlighting the importance of recognizing individual differences as a key step towards fostering “understanding of diversity” and “international understanding.”
Here are some additional details you may want to include:
The specific statistics that were presented on food self-sufficiency, energy, international cooperation, school lunches, and IT human resources.
The specific methods that were used to encourage student participation in the discussion.
The specific actions that the students proposed taking to promote peace.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
※Forum 2050 Website：https://forum2050.com/
※Forum 2050 Contact Information：info@forum2050.com
■Speaker Profile: Takao Toda
- Representative, NPO Forum2050
- Specially Appointed Professor, Meiji University
- Former Senior Advisor, JICA
Mr. Toda has dedicated 37 years to international cooperation at JICA, holding various positions including Deputy Chief Representative in the United States, Director of the Peacebuilding Support Division, Director of the Human Security Group, Chief Representative in Bangladesh, Director of the Human Development Department, Senior Advisor, and Special Advisor to the President.
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Forum2050 operates under the concept of ‘Children of the World: Each Child’s Vision for the Future Shapes Humanity’s Destiny,’ collaborating with businesses, schools, educational institutions, and others. Together with children, we create opportunities for them to contemplate peace and development in the future human society, fostering partnerships.
