1999 World Conference and Scientists' Meeting on Prohibition of Atomic and Hydrogen Bomb
"Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons/Human Rights/Peace Education---the Role of Scientists"
The above Conference was held at Shizuoka University on August 2, where 141 participants from 20 prefectures attended. Following the welcome speech by Prof. Sato (President of Shizuoka Univ.) and opening remarks by Prof. Hayashi (chair of executive committee), they had three sessions and two special lectures which based on current status of nuclear weapons and damage. The participants raised questions about the role of scientists in abolishing nuclear weapons, and had exciting and meaningful discussions. Shizuoka is the city in Japan that had produced the victims suffering from the radioactive fallout due to a hydrogen bomb test at the Bikini Atolls. Therefore press and media such as Shizuoka Shimbun (newspaper), Mainichi Shimbun, Chunichi Shimbun, Shimbun Akahata, Kyodo News and Shizuoka Asahi TV reported this conference with great interests.
Prof. Yoichi Torihata (Director of Secretariat, Exective Committee for 12th Conference) expressed the following impression. I was very much interested in the idea that cooperation between scientists and social movements against the concealment by the power was important, since the fallout-bombing damage infringed upon human rights. It was pointed out that the lack of research on the concealed documents of the damage of the crew on the Daigo Fukuryu Maru who suffered from the fallout at the Bikini Atolls. In the meantime the reports of a Russian participant and Prof. Asai made me recognize the importance of peaceful resolution of international disputes and the risk of new strategy of the United States - order maintenance with force.
THE 10th National Symposium of Female Researchers' Problems held
The above symposium was held in Tokyo, on August 21. This symposium has been held at intervals of two -- five years since 1975 marking "the UN 10 years of women" as an opportunity. This time, to realize the main theme entitled "To establish collaboratively science and technology in the 21st century regardless of sex", it was expected that male participants actively took part in memorial address, panelists, and chair. Remarkably they reached a third of all participants.
In the morning, Prof. Toshitani (Tokyo Economics Univ., ex-vice president of the Science Council of Japan) gave a commemorative lecture "gender equality and scientists", in which he pointed out the path from female suffrage and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, to the Fundamental Law on Gender Equality. He raised the relevant problems referring to the worldwide and historical stream. He also showed that the consciousness of human rights have globally been proceeding, whereas risk management-related bills have been coercively rammed, thus favorable and adverse winds are conflicting in promoting gender equality society, and it is necessary to elucidate the problems proper to female researchers and sciences.
Subsequently several reports were given: the points at issue in the transform of national institutes into independently managed agency, status dismissal in Kanagawa Prefectural Foreign Language College, sexual harassment in university, experiences among different generations of female researchers.
In the afternoon a discussion under the same theme was performed with the panelists: Prof. Inou (the JSA committee of science and technological policy), Prof. Imoto (the JSA committee of university problems), Prof. Ikegami (the JSA committee of studying scientists' rights problems), who respectively reported "how to prospect the science and technology in the 21st century", "university problem and women" and "around the rights of female researchers". The discussion made clear that national science and technical policies determined with the aim to become a major (military) power share the loss on to weak people. In relation to employment, promotion, administration, and family responsibility etc., positive and constructive opinions and suggestions were expressed. In order to promote gender equality it feels necessary to argue the problems frequently and separately considering male opinions sometime confess their real intention.
ACTIVITIES OF RESEARCH COMMITTEES AND GROUPS
The JSA headquarters organize a number of research committees and groups undertaken
on a nationwide scale, which are encouraging the members across th country
SYMPOSIUM TO EDIT THE DOCUMENTS ON RIGHTS OF SCIENTISTS HELD
The JSA committee of studying scientists' rights problems has held several symposia to edit the document on rights of scientists. The latest one was held on August 14 with the title "Historical and theoretical consideration on the basis of scientists and related problems".
For the first theme "The essence of science and the characteristics of today's science", Dr. Ohmori (committee member) reported on "The distortion in natural science". He pointed out that people cannot have the consciousness on the dependence of human on nature and cannot consider the relation between individuals and society under the extreme development of the material civilization. Next, Dr. Nakamoto (JSA executive council member) talked on "The characteristics and prospects of the modern science and thought". He pointed out that the pragmatism and analytical philosophy are essentially agnostic, and criticized that they do not approve the presence of the objective world and the greatness of human being.
For the second topic "The changes and characteristics of the policy on science and technology in Japan after the World War II", Mr. Nomura talked the meaning of the establishment of the council for science and technology in the government after the war, and reviewed the reports of the council. He pointed out that their reports strongly reflected the requests by industry, although the basic researches are partly emphasized.
For the third theme "The historical consideration on the academic freedom and the autonomy of universities", Prof. Igasaki (committee member) criticized the present policy which waters down the academic freedom such as the new university management bills recently enacted and the transference of national universities to independently managed agencies which is now controversial. He emphasized the importance of the movement to get the autonomy of universities before and after the war.
These reports were followed by an active discussion. There were many opinions and questions. These will be made best use of in the edition of the documents on rights of scientists.
DISTRICTS AND BRANCHES' ACTIVITIES
The JSA consisits of 47 branches which are grouped into 9 districts, and they are independently
and/or cooperatively carrying out their activities in addition to the headquarters' ones
1) MEETING "ON CIRCUMSTANCES IN CREATION OF NEW INDUSTRIES AND ITS INFLUENCE ON COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES"
On June 19 the JSA Aichi branch held the above meeting, inviting Prof. Otsuki as a lecturer, who had been working at Government Industrial Research Institute and became a professor at Hannan University in 1997. According to him, the present Japan cannot find new leading industries instead of automobile and electronic industries which have promoted high economic growth as leaders of Japanese economy in the 1970's. In the world of big business the plan of dreadful restructure is going on under the slogan "In order to create new industries". For example, such companies as Fujitsu and NEC make staffs create venture businesses, and take over only successful businesses, namely, when staffs cannot achieve success, they have to be expelled from their business. In Japan industry is tremendously powerful, so that government is at an industry's beck and call. At an industry's request, now national colleges and universities will be transformed to independently managed agencies. In every respect Japanese policy of science and technology gives preferential treatment to branches which are able to contribute industries, while basic sciences will be emaciated.
2) REGULAR MEETING FOR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS "ETHICS OF MEDICAL CARE AND FUSION OF THE EASTERN-WESTERN MEDICINE-RECENT TREND IN THE USA AND GERMANY" HELD IN KYOTO
The Kyoto branch held the 4th regular meeting for individual members who are not belonging to a certain chapter on July 31 in Kyoto City. Dr. Itai (Kyoto Univ.) was invited to give a seminar entitled above.
The basic concept of the modern western medicine is to pick out only a disease from a sick person and cure it with medical treatment of laboratory work. This has been contributing to develop precise theory and high technology for medical science. On the other hand, it has been criticized that the western medicine causes dehumanization. This motivated to give birth to "bioethics" (ethics of life and/or ethics of medical care) as a new academic discipline in the USA in the 1970s. The approach to resolve ethics issues surrounding the modern medical care is neither "following type of approach" that the eastern traditional medical care follows the western medical care and is absorbed into it, nor "rivaling type of approach" that the eastern one rivals the western one and finds its own way. The approach would be "complementing type of approach" that the eastern one complements the western one fully` and pursue a possible solution. He explained his recognition of present state of medical care and actual examples that the eastern traditional medical care can give the answer to these issues.
When we seek a life style in harmony with nature and a cure in itself, it is indispensable to encourage the development of medical science based on viewing comprehensively the philosophy of health. For that he emphasized the importance of power of natural cure as one example of some.
After his presentation, they made enthusiastic discussion.
CONTRIBUTION
WE REJECT THE PLAN OF TRANSFORMING NATIONAL UNIVERSITY INTO INDEPENDENTLY MANAGED AGENCY
In October of 1997, the Liberal Democratic Party's administrative reform council decided that all the national institutes should be transformed into independently managed agencies, which will make them give priority to cost saving, economic efficiency and market-orienting research. The reform council said that the financial management of those agencies should be based on the principles of company accounting, which will inevitably kick out all the basic researches necessary for the very scientific development. In addition, the council simultaneously announced that the possibility of transforming national universities into independently managed agencies or privatized systems should also be studied. Those in favor of transforming national institutes and universities into agencies argued that such a form of management would free the institutes of the governmental influence, and give them operational freedom and free and independent research activity. However, the actual case would completely be opposite - there is no freedom under the governmental control.
The utilization of science and technology in the 29th century brought about massacre in war, business supremacy, environmental destruction and energy crisis. Necessary in the 21st century is to synthesize natural, human and social sciences, and establish cultural diversity, with a mind to freedom, justice, happiness and responsibility as keywords. The governmental scientific policy results in an obstacle to scientific progress in the coming century, which should be solved by the governmental responsibility.
On the other hand, the University Council (UC) published a report on October 26, 1998, entitled "A vision of universities in the 21st century and reform measure - To be distinctive universities in a competitive environment". It contains many problematic points for the future university education. In case of transforming the university system, the administration should be divided into tow organs, executive and deliberative, and the outsiders' evaluation system should be introduced. The report substantially aims to introduce competition principle, economic efficiency and cost saving into university. It neglects the opinions of students and teachers who wish to promote the autonomous reformation of universities as duty for the nation.
On March 9 of 1999, the government passed a so-called new university administration bill that amended the School Education Act and the like (four Acts). The bill is to give a legal guarantee for realizing the above UC Report and to help transform all the national university into the independently managed agencies. This is basically opposite to the international stance of education as follows. The recent UNESCO's documents on "Recommendation on status of teachers in higher education" and " World declaration on higher education for the 21st century" declare that education is the base for achieving human rights and democracy, and sustainable development and peace, for which all the governments are basically responsible.
The Ministry of Education held a nationwide convention on September 20 of 1999, in which all the national university presidents and head officials participated, disclosed that the government abolished the state-run system of national university and transformed all the 99 universities into respective independently managed agencies. It seems that those agencies are temporary organizations to university privatization. The Ministry's plan for transforming national university into agency is as follows. 1) An express provision is necessary for all the agency system including its organization, management and control. 2) An international level of education and research should necessarily be realized on the basis of independence, self-support and self-responsibility. 3) Since the independently managed agency system is part of the administrative organizations and supported by public finance, the presence of the governmental administration power must necessarily be required. In order to realize the governmental presence, the following four points are necessary. a) The competent minister(s) orders all the agencies to set a goal of task for the limited term (5 years), on the basis of which an agency's proposal for the limited term must be approved in advance. b) When the competent minister(s) approves the proposal, it is a prerequisite to flexibly use a budget for the contents of the proposal. c) A committee to be situated in the competent minister(s)'s office critically evaluates the results of the proposal for the limited term. d) When the term of the proposal ends, the competent minister(s) makes a critical decision whether or not the proposal should necessarily be continued in the next term. In a negative case such an agency no longer exits. 4) The Ministry of Education wishes to set up a final express provision as early as the year 2000 to transform all the universities into agencies as soon as possible.
A number of organizations are against the plan of the Ministry of Education. If accepted the plan, we are to admit the road "national university --> independently managed agency --> privatized organization". Performing competitive and effective management in university would produce "university enterprise and academic business". All the national universities are necessary for giving the people higher education and culture to achieve the world sustainability. Education should be carried out as a farsighted program, for which the government therefore be principally responsible. (Contributed by S. YUASA)
ARTICLES OF "JOURNAL OF JAPANESE SCIENTISTS"
The Journal of Japanese Scientists or NIHON NO KAGAKUSHA (in Japanese) covering all the
scientific fields is monthly published and distributed to all the members and other readers
Vol.34(No.9)(1999)
[Title-page message]
Yasukawa E.: New landmarks in the period of change
[Special issue: Present situation of the theory of nation-state and its criticism]
Kitamura M.: On nation-state
Miyachi M.: How to discuss "nation-state"
Mochida Y.: The criticism of the German nation-state and the points at issue
Iwai T.: Notes on deconstruction of nation-state
[Colloquy]
Kurita Y.: The era of "globalization ": A view from the Middle East
Maeda A.: Fundamental perspective of juvenile justice
Suzuki A.: The issue of house adaptation and how to approach to it
Itoigawa J.: Expo2005 AICHI again - Its planning and nature conservation
Vol.34(No.10)(1999)
[Title-page message]
Miyamura M.: Basic law on agriculture and agricultural science
[Special issue: Thinking of alternative medicine]
Atsumi K.: Current status of complementary and alternative medicine
Hatai B.: Integrated medical care in the 21st century - Toward the establishment of a health oriented science
Cyong J.-C.: The government policy and medical education for alternative medicine in Japan
Orimo H.: Medical services for the elderly in the aging society
[Colloquy]
Noguchi M.: Thinking of the alternative medicine - Through my experience of investigation on kampo herbal - medicine
[General]
Kuramochi T.: Acts to give effect to the guidelines for U.S.-Japan defense cooperation being in contrast with the Constitution of Japan
Masuda K.: Revolution for sustainable architectural structure
Kanazawa A.: Expectation and concerns for innovated guardian system
Vol.34(No.11)(1999)
[Title-page message]
Yasuno M.: Abolition of nuclear weapons, again
[Special issue: Culture of peace-toward the International Year 2000 for a Culture of Peace]
Ito T.: International year for a culture of peace
Fujita H.: The culture of peace in Japan and the culture of violence
Sugita A.: Changing a culture of war and violence into a culture of peace and nonviolence -- Perspective of peace psychology
Kasuno S.: Culture of peace and cultural movement in Japan
[Colloquy]
Anzai I.: What has been achieved and is to be done by the Japanese museums for peace?
[General]
JSA Committee for the Study of Education for Peace and Disarmament: The fifth national survey of peace studies in Japanese universities
Tateishi Y.: Urban redevelopment and neighborhood organization in America
Takahata S.: Biodiversity protection in the Shihoro parkway construction project