BEYOND Tomorrow Tohoku Future Leaders Summit 2013

Movie

Report（PDF）

High School Students

BEYOND Tomorrow Tohoku Future Fellows Program Participants (Fellows)

BEYOND Tomorrow College Scholarship Program Participants (Scholars)

Policy Advisors

Experts

I feel that not having any physical reminders of the disaster is problematic. Tohoku does not have anything like Hiroshima’s A-Bomb Dome that serves as a peace memorial. Without any physical reminders of the disaster, what will be left in 50 or 100 years? We have a mission to confront the disaster and communicate it to future generations. In order to do this, we will need some symbolic remnant of the disaster.

Something I learned from the interviews was that victims of the disaster don’t necessarily hold the same opinions. Some say that we should take the views of local residents into consideration and some say we shouldn’t. Merely absorbing all the local opinions doesn’t seem like the best thing to do. Realistically, it is very difficult to incorporate all the opinions. Perhaps we shouldn’t leave all the decisions to politicians but consider leaving local residents some room to make their own decisions.

In order to reach a consensus on a certain matter, you must have an ownership in that matter. The most important thing is that the people of a community choose their own life. When involving them, you must have a thorough discussion. People who come to help can only play a facilitating role. People already have the potential to stand on their own feet. Your role as facilitators is to speed up the process if even by a little.

Everyone is focusing too much on “conveying” the information. What’s important is what comes before the “conveying.” People are interested in what you think about the disaster on March 11th and what kind of things you are truly committed to. They will ask what you are doing besides “conveying,” which seems much more important.

There are perhaps many adults who believe that “The government will do it” or “Corporations will do it,” while very few actually think “We should do it.” If high school students take the initiative to solve societal issues, that will inspire adults. Everyone hopes future generations will live better than the current generation, so by being proactive, the next generation will inspire the adults. This may be your biggest advantage.

Unlike in the U.S., in Japan, there is no legal framework for civil participation in constructing coastal levee, so it is difficult to reflect the opinions of the citizens in the policy. When constructing coastal levee, we cannot wait five or ten years for citizens to come to a consensus as the coastal levee is something that involves people’s lives. The result is that the government takes a top-down approach in advancing the construction plans. The status quo in Japan is that it is difficult to wait for citizens to form a consensus. But since there are many examples in the world where the participation of citizens are properly taken into consideration, it is possible that the Japanese system will move in the direction as well.

While this Summit is a first step for those of you from Tohoku to play a role in its recovery, it also requires cooperation from all of Japan. Furthermore, I believe that it is important to think a step ahead and consider what kind of support you could seek from the international community, thus approaching recovery with a broad perspective. While doing so, I imagine that you will grow and come up with even better ideas for the recovery of Tohoku.

Today, as this is the Tohoku Future Leaders Summit, you are leaders. From now on, I want you all to go through even more challenging experiences as leaders. Being a leader is challenging, but you will be able to become leaders precisely because you have overcome some very painful experiences. I would like you to remember the idea that “adversity makes great leaders,” the founding idea of BEYOND Tomorrow.

Leaders face risks all the time, and there is always some argument against a course of action. Leaders must contain the opposing arguments and manage the risks while keeping the team together. Gorbachev once said that “All reformers are unhappy”. Whenever you try to do something that hasn’t been done, you will always run into a lot of criticism and skepticism. If you blaze a new trail, nobody is going to care who did so. People will just use that trail as if it had been there all along. That is the leader and the reformer. I want you all to hold your heads high and become that kind of leader.

Until recently, I kept on living filled with regrets about my mother’s death. But thanks to BEYOND, I’ve come to believe that instead of chasing things that are not there, I need to appreciate the things that exist now and to continue believing in the things that are to come.

Shun Sato Miyagi Agricultural High School

This is a completely unexpected development for me compared to two years ago. With the opportunities I was given, I have been able to involve myself in society so much more.

Minori Endo Sophomore, School of Business Administration, Ishinomaki Senshu University (Ishinomaki Kita High School graduate) Masahide Chiba Freshman, Faculty of Policy Management (Ofunato High School graduate)