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UPF-Japan Celebrates UN Day
Written by UPF-Japan
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Tokyo, Japan—Seventy years ago, on October 24, 1945, less than two months after World War II had ended, the United Nations was formally established by the allied powers with the hope that it would preserve international peace. Since 1948, this date has been celebrated as UN Day.
On October 17, 2015, UPF-Japan organized an event in Tokyo to commemorate this year’s UN Day. Approximately 50 friends and guests of UPF, including politicians, diplomats and representatives of non-governmental organizations attended the celebration.
Mr. Masayoshi Kajikuri, who was recently appointed as the new secretary general of UPF-Japan, spoke on the topic of the family and expressed his conviction that the ideal of peace can be achieved through the family.
While Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his government have been focused on economic recovery, national security and education, Mr. Kajikuri pointed out that Japan now has to address its “dwindling birth rate and aging population, as well as revitalize its local communities.” “In order to help the country overcome these imminent challenges, UPF and its Council of Ambassadors for Peace need to examine and strengthen the fundamentals of the family,” he said.
The event also celebrated the various cultures and civilizations in our world. Mr. Seiji Hinata, a former ambassador of Japan to Morocco, gave a unique presentation on Morocco’s history, culture and environment, using music from a local religious chorus and animations—and also diffused essences from rose flowers from the country.
The veteran diplomat encouraged the participants to have as many direct encounters as possible with foreign cultures and religions.
The UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), an initiative that was established to improve cross-cultural relations between diverse nations and communities, was highlighted by Mr. Yoshihiro Yamazaki, a senior researcher of the Institute for Peace Policies, a think tank headquartered in Tokyo.
Mr. Yamazaki said he believes a number of international conflicts and cross-cultural tensions have occurred because an alliance of civilizations has not existed.
The protracted conflict between the Jewish and Arab peoples; the West's averse responses to the Islamic revolution in Iran and to the subsequent Islam-related radicalism; and the current stand-off between the West and Russia, even after two decades of efforts to cooperate through the G8, were some examples he cited.
He said since its founding in 2005, the UNAOC has helped different civilizations overcome emerging extremism in their areas through dialogue.
Mr. Yamazaki said that UPF-International had officially partnered with the UNAOC in February this year.
A discussion followed in which the participants considered how to implement the UNAOC’s programs in local communities.
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