|
We were able to successfully get extra information from interviews with
people who are very informed about the subject of peace, democracy, and the
constitutions. Here is the response from a Professor, at a local university, who is a teacher of
Japanese History. The sentences in bold are the
questions we asked him.
In your perspective, how would you define peace in a
country?
Is peace simply the absence of war? I think peace demands something more; it
is a positive attempt to bring about social justice and advance human rights—in
international relations, in domestic politics (how a society treats minorities,
women, children, etc), and in dealings with the environment.
How do you think the United States (Japan) is
keeping peace in their country? (Please somehow include the constitution, past
events, and current events).
Both the United States and Japan have fine constitutions with many guarantees
of civil and political rights. The problem is realizing these fine ideals. The
United States suffers from many inequalities, perhaps exacerbated by large gaps
between the rich and the poor. There are persistent racial problems and
religious divides. Peace is maintained by the rule of law and the use of the
courts. Japan, despite having a more homogenous population, has its range of
social problems: the burakumin, the Zainichi Koreans, undocumented workers,
homeless people, etc. The court system has been used successfully to preserve
peace within society; in the 1960s and 1970s the victims of four major
industrial pollution incidents used the courts to their advantage. Still,
compared with the United States, Japan relies less on enforcing the provisions
of the Constitution than it does with efforts to 1) seek compromise and 2)
appeal to morality. Right now the Japanese Ministry of Education is considering
revision in the 1947 Basic Law of Education to change the emphasis on “the
promotion of individualism” to an new (old?) emphasis on instilling morality
and patriotism in the minds of the young. I think most people will agree that
Japan has been more successful than the United States at maintaining peace in
society. Article 9 of the Constitution (currently under attack) prohibits Japan
from maintaining an army of aggression; other provisions in the Constitution
provide guarantees of peace within Japanese society – and they are working.
Japan has a low crime rate and outwardly is a safe and peaceful society. But
(sorry to argue in circles) we should not forget the sort of problems I
mentioned above: the burakumin, etc. You probably know that women have much less
job security than men – and receive less pay for the same work. Indeed some
people say that Japan is an economic superpower, but in terms of respect for
human rights, it is still a developing country. Look up references to Japan in
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, of the in the US State Department
report of Human Rights.
What role does the government (specifically
democracy) play in keeping peace?
Here is where the US really is remarkably different from Japan. Of course
much depends on the definition given to democracy, but if we go beyond the
institutional workings of the parliaments and representative assemblies, and
consider the role played by “people on the street,” then the role played by
NGOs and by mass demonstrations and petition campaigns, etc.. in the United
States is really impressive. There is some of this in Japan. Look, for example,
at the website of “Give Peace a Chance” on the internet: http://give-peace-a-chance.jp/eng/index.html
But if we confine the answer to governments, then the answer becomes less
clear. The Bush administration thinks that war is the way to bring about peace
and the Koizumi administration, despite Article 9 in the constitution, is
willing to go along. As far as I can see, neither the US nor Japan are doing
enough to ensure a peaceful world – but this is in terms of my definition of
peace.
As members of society, and as experts in a certain
field, what do you think are the essential steps you should take in order to
maintain peace?
Education is perhaps the best means to bring about peace. We need to know
more about other countries, other societies, other peoples, other religions,
other ways of thinking – and we need to be trained to respect differences and
diversity and the human rights of others. Second we need to practice peace in
our daily lives. I am a great believer in grassroots movements and in the slogan
“think globally, act locally.” Finally, I urge you and others to express
your opinions. As Fukuzawa Yukichi said in his classic “An Encouragement of
Learning” (Gakumon no Susume) (1874), despotisms exist only in societies were
the people remain uneducated so don’t blame the governments, encourage
education. Study and think for yourself and don’t assume that government
leaders have all the answers.
|
