Online Seminar Series

Beyond the Crisis

Finally, to look ahead at what lies beyond the pandemic, I would like to pick up comments by the speakers that stand out in my memory.

We should be conscious of the fact that Japan is a member of Asia, enjoy the diversity as we make new friends and build the future with the young energy of Asia. (Takenaka)
It's important to share Japan's successes and failures with the rest of Asia. We should respect the processes of finding solutions to problems within the context of each community in Asia. The country-level model is too broad. (Tone)
Hubs for information and new ideas are shifting from Tokyo to cities in Asia like Singapore and Hong Kong. Rather than waiting for people to come, we should go out to these places and actively exchange and consume information and ideas. (Fujitani)
In the past, Japan has contributed to community building in Asia by: 1) being a peaceful nation, 2) soft power of Japanese culture, 3) ODA, and 4) peacebuilding and human security. In the future, we look forward to Japan's contribution in the area of 5) environmental protection. (Lam)

When you protect yourself, you protect others and people in other countries, and vice versa. When you protect foreigners and others from infection, in the end, you protect yourself. (Mohamad)
An important way to address what is happening is for governments to take citizens into confidence and share with them their ideas. Small things that a government does to treat all citizens with respect will help control the pandemic. (Butalia)
The role of intellectuals and artists is to use the power of words and present different points of view. When people are uncertain about what actions they should take, people who present alternative views and provide guidance can be valuable. Also, the present time should be viewed as a good time to make new friends. (Oguma)
As limitations that governments have and possibilities for civil society became more visible during these times, people in communities are helping each other and religious donations are providing relief to the poor. Government and civil society should share roles and promote further cooperation. (Horiba)

We hope that this project will serve as an opportunity for people to reflect on the importance of crossing borders to build empathic connections.