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Newsletter 13 (June 2014)

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Newsletter 13 (June 2014) June 2014 - Volume 6 - Issue 2 June 2014 - Volume 6 - Issue 2 国際基督教大学ロータリー平和センター ニューズレター ICU Rotary Peace Center Newsletter Rotary Peace Center Staff Director: Masaki Ina Associate Director: Giorgio Shani G.S. Office Manager: Masako Mitsunaga Coordinator: Satoko Ohno Contact Information: Rotary Peace Center International Christian University 3-10-2 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8585 Tel: +81 422 33 3681 Fax: +81 422 33 3688 [email protected] http://subsite.icu.ac.jp/rotary/ Index In this issue: 2 - Trailblazing Events 4 - Preparing For Peace 5 - Experiential Learning Reflections 7 - Meet The Families of Class XII Fellows 10 - Class XI Thesis Summaries 15 - Class XII AFE Placements 16 - Gratitude and Appreciation from Class XII 1 Trailblazing Events ICU Celebrates First Ever Black History Month by Nixon Nembaware Being an International University, ICU brings together students and Faculty members of various backgrounds and races. It is thus a suitable place to cultivate understanding of different cultures and heritages. This was the thinking that Rotary Peace Fellow Class XII had in mind when they partnered with the Social Science Research Institute to celebrate the first ever Black History Month commemoration at ICU. Two main events were lined up, first was a dialogue with Dr. Mohau Pheko, Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa to Japan who visited our campus to give an open lecture on the legacy of ‘Nelson Mandela’ and the history of black people in South Africa. Second was a dialogue with Ms. Judith Exavier, Ambassador of the Republic of Haiti to Japan. She talked of the history of the black people in the Caribbean Island and linked the history of slavery to what prospects lie ahead for black people the world over. After their presentations, the ambassadors had discussions with students and answered several questions. In her response to a question by one student about Mandela, Ambassador Pheko said ““Mandela was just human like you and me, some of those things are myths that have developed over time and that’s common for people of a public life like Mandela’s. Let me tell you, he was human like you and me, with all the human flaws, but he achieved a lot for South Africa and for the world and that stands out more.” By commemorating the Black History Month, ICU joined many institutions, organizations and communities throughout the world who in February every year celebrate the history of the people of African descent. February is dedicated to honoring the memories of their ancestors, their struggles and their victories. The 2014 celebrations were especially unique because of the Golden Jubilee of Civil Rights Movement in America and the passing on of Nelson Mandela, a gallant black icon who led a determined fight against Apartheid in South Africa. This is a giant step for this Liberal Arts University, which fosters human rights and promotes diversity in its variant forms. ICU is located in Tokyo, one of the largest metropolitan cities of the world with a large population of people of African descent who live, study, and work here. Spring Mediation Training Comes to ICU by Claire Doran As a Rotary Peace Fellow in Tokyo, I keep a curious gaze on culturally how people communicate and manage conflict in their daily routines. There are such communication quirks as politely refusing without actually ever using the word “no.” Public safety and awareness warning signs are designed and illustrated with cartoons to invoke a sense of empathy for the environment or community in general. These gentle nudges towards a strong sense of local responsibility are very different from the direct communication styles I am used to! I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to offer this mediation training as a cultural exchange, in return for all of my learning from the experience of living here. As a community mediator, I finally had an opportunity to share my passion by offering a 40-hour Basic Mediation certification training to students and faculty through the International Christian University Rotary Peace Center. Mediation is a process where a neutral third party (called a mediator) facilitates communication and helps parties in conflict create and reach an acceptable resolution. The certification was offered through the Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center (APADRC) in Los Angeles, California where I serve as Training Director and developed the curriculum. Our course has a unique focus on multicultural competency and focuses on students’ personal reflection and learning through online and in-person training. For example, students learn their conflict management styles from Competitive Sharks to Avoiding Turtles, and learn about the benefits and pitfalls of their styles. We also teach practical listening and speaking techniques and practice these during full-length 3hr mediation role plays on the last day. We certified 11 students and staff from a wide range of backgrounds, from journalists to professionals in the international development. Thank you to Rotary and the ICU Rotary Peace Center for making opportunities in peacebuilding like this a possibility! 2 Trailblazing Events First Ever Production of the Vagina Monologues at ICU by Sana Saeed “One in three women on the planet will be raped or beaten in her lifetime” - onebillionrising.org On Monday, February 17 2014 Rotary Peace Fellows and ICU students came together to host a production of the first ever Vagina Monologues on the ICU Campus and in the Mitaka area. The Vagina Monologues is a play written by Eve Ensler based on two hundred interviews of women across about their experiences in life connected to being a woman. Many of the interviews touched upon on different areas of life such as some women being victims of rape or domestic violence, and other areas where women and girls were dealing with coming to terms with their sexuality and body. We were honored to be given permission by Eve Ensler’s organization, V Day, to perform the trademarked play at ICU. The night of the performance was buzzing with excitement, we had a full house of about sixty people in attendance for the one-night show. The diverse international cast, some of whom were from Waseda University and the United Nations University, gave excellent emotional performances that resonated with the multi-lingual audience. We also were lucky to have some performances in Japanese. After the show we had an intimate dialogue with the audience to process some of the jarring monologues and to look deeper into the women’s issues that were bought to light. Many of the Japanese students in the audience hadn’t heard about the Vagina Monologues before and were thrilled to have been able to make the performance. In the end, the feedback from both faculty, students at ICU and from other unviersities was that the play was a success in bringing attention to difficult women’s issues today- and that it should be an annual performance at ICU. We also were happy that people gave suggested donations totaling in 25,000 Yen, during the night of the performance. All donations went to HELP a women’s shelter in Tokyo, which provides services to both refugee women and victims of domestic violence. I want to thank the whole cast of the production for their trust, support and enthusiasm! Additionally I want to give a HUGE thanks to Satoko-san of the Rotary Peace Center for helping this play become a reality at ICU with her support and guidance. I would also like to thank ICU faculty members Kazuko Tanaka and Kana Takamatsu (who is now retired from ICU), for both of their support . Lastly, I would like to thank Shoko-san, whose diplomatic help led to us being able to book a room for the perfomance. We’re looking forward to doing it all over again next year! Community Based Female Sexuality Course Offered by Rotary Peace Fellow by Michelle Aldridge During the spring quarter at ICU a new course was added to the schedule thanks to Rotary Peace Fellow Claire Doran. Working with ICU’s Center for Gender Studies Claire brought the course FemSex from UC Berkeley to ICU. This is the first time the course has been offered in Japan and for many Rotary Peace Fellows. FemSex is not only a course, but a safe space that encourages students to explore topics such as empowerment, anatomy, gender based violence, and power and privilege. The course also relates to peacebuilding as gender equality and LGBTQ rights become important topics all around the world. For many students this is the first time they are able to speak openly about these topics and explore how their our cultures construct gender norms. There are diverse opinions shared from classmates from around the world so students are challenged to exchange different ideas about gender, sexuality, and the role they play in our communities and personal lives. Having a non-credit, community based course offered by a Rotary Peace Fellow reflects how much we all hope to share our knowledge and make the most of our roles as fellows. A big thank you to Claire for bringing the course to ICU and to all of the students who bring an open mind to class. Bridging Theatre and Peace in Theatre of the Oppressed Workshop by Claire Doran A unique and innovative workshop for community based education using theatrical form took place at ICU coordinated by Rotary Peace Fellows. Theater of the Oppressed (TO) is a model of community-based theater developed by Nobel Peace Prize nominee Augusto Boal. First started in Brazil, Boal’s native country, it has been practiced around the world for over 40 years. During this ICU workshop, students particularly explored the power dynamics and challenges of language in the classroom, a unique issue for ICU where classes are offered in English and Japanese.
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