WSD Global Human Rights Summit 2015 (5)

  In an ending statement, Cohen illustrated how difficult it is to properly rescue the victims and finally solve the problem., explaining the case where young girls were once rescued from a brothel and taken to a police station overnight, but the next morning they were taken to another brothel. This teaches us a lesson that we need more and more proper and systematic ways in rescuing the victims without fail.

Panelists greet the audience at the conference.

WSD

(source: THE JAPAN TIMES, Decemer.22, 2015)
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/2015/12/22/special-supplements/global-human-summit/

WSD Global Human Rights Summit 2015 (4)

  Ong Keng Yong, the chairman of the Human Rights resource Center and former secretary-general of ASEAN said that the governments and security  authorities of all ASEAN nations, inlcuding foreign affairs ministries, prefectural governrnment offices, police customs and coast guards, need to coordinate to monitor and control the global problem related to the human trafficking.

 Ian Thorpe, the Australian Olympic legend in swimming race who won five gold medals with three silvers and one bronze, has been publicly known as a human rights activist. He also joined the summmit. In the afternoon sessions, he proposed the four basic principles of fighting human trafficking or the "Four Ps." They are: the prevention of the illicit trade, the prosecution of those committing the crime, the protection of the victims, and the partnership between concerned authorities. He said these four elements are like the legs of the chair which cannot be stable even with just one leg missing.

  Shaymala Alagendra, a defense counsel at the International Criminal Court pointed out the other side of the problem. Some of the U.N. peacekeepers dispatched to African countries, Haiti and Cambodia, are reported to have committed crimes inlcuding rape, sexual abuse, and other illicit deeds leading to the violation of the human rights of the local people.   



(source: THE JAPAN TIMES, Decemer.22, 2015)
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/2015/12/22/special-supplements/global-human-summit/

   

WSD Global Human Rights Summit 2015 (3)

 The afternoon session was open to the public.  The panelists discussed the definition of human trafficking and the causes of the problem. 

 David Carden, a former U.S. ambassador to ASEAN, appealed to as much as 1,200 audience, saying  that the root cause of the problem is a lack of resources necessary to make a living, and that these resources include food, water, land electricity, health care and education. In most cases, the victims had been under unbearable living conditions so that they could not have a choice but to look for 'another life'.  However, they were deprived of their minimum requirements for living by those involved in the trafficking, and the latter are among the culprits in human trafficking., he added. 

 Surakiart Sathiranthai, former deputy  prime minister and former minister of foreign affairs of Thailand, agreed on Carden's view and said that victims of the illegal deeds are always "the most vulnerable, the youngest and women and girls, " and that human trafficking and poverty are intertwined, and just one government cannot be enough to disband the secret connections spread over numerous countries. He added that "It requires intergovernmental cooperation, but it is of course no easy task."




(source: THE JAPAN TIMES, Decemer.22, 2015)
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/2015/12/22/special-supplements/global-human-summit/

  

WSD Global Human Rights Summit 2015 (2)

  According to David Cohen, director of the WSD Handa Center, explained to the audience that  Human trafficking is now found spreading in almost all countries in the world. Human traffickers captivate or kidnapp innocent men and women in a certain country, then they deliver them through other countries, and finally,  send them to the destination countries. However, at present, no reliable data of such illegal deeds have been made, so it is the problem, he continued.

 Then, the Walk Free Foundation, an Australian organization issuing "Annual Slavery Index" published an estimate of nearly 36 million people in modern-day slavery, and the International Labor Organization said in 2012 that about 21 million people worldwide are under forced labor. They also said that there is no accurate data of the victims, so they cannot say anything for certain.



(source: THE JAPAN TIMES, Decemer.22, 2015)
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/2015/12/22/special-supplements/global-human-summit/

  

WSD Global Human Rights Summit 2015 (1)

 The Global Human Rights Summit was held in Tokyo, on Dec.13, organized by Worldwide Support for Development (WSD)., and co-organized by the Human Rights Resource Center and the WSD Handa Center for Human Rights and International Justice at Stanford University. 
 The aim of the summit was to raise global awareness to combat human trafficking. On that day, experts, learned men in the various fields including legislators, lawyers, human rights activists and former ambassadors and government officials of ASEAN members and other countries, joined the summit.
 Valerie Amos, the director of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London as well as the undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator at the U.N., said in a panel discussion at the summit, "Modern-day slavery is a multibillion dollar industry and it's a big business...Every country is affected by modern-day slavery in some way."
 The panel discussion held in the morning and others in the afternoon were presided over by Dr.Haruhisa Handa, 

World Support Development Chairman Dr.Haruhisa Handa
addresses the audience
at the WSD Global Human Rights Summit
in Japan, held in Tokyo on Dec.13.

WSD

(source: THE JAPAN TIMES, Decemer.22, 2015)
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/2015/12/22/special-supplements/global-human-summit/

The 2nd 'Blazing Autumn People's Concert' (6)

 Following an intermission, the orchestra reappeared along with amateur chorus members of TAF (Tokyo Art Foundation) . The chorus group was established 21 years ago, and has been awarded a gold prize three times at an International Choir Competition in China.
 Backed by them, Dr.Handa and the other four invited singers took turns singing 18 songs, and "Hallelujah" from "Messiah."
 Finally, Dr.Handa asked the audience to stand up, and the chorus group sang "Hallelujah" as an encore to wrap up the concert.

(source: THE JAPAN TIMES, November.24, 2015)

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2015/11/24/general/world-opera-singers-delight-new-national-theatre/#.VnDG-3zUjIV

The 2nd 'Blazing Autumn People's Concert' (5)

  Then, Longmuir appeared again on the stage to sing "La Donna e mobile"(The woman is fickle) from "Rigoletto," and Ferris and Gore followed to perform their singing with "Seguidilla" from "Carmen" and "Sempre Libera"(Always free) from "La Traviata."
  Finally, Onuki, clad in a white kimono,  concluded the opera portion of the concert with Japanese opera "Yuzuru." She  filled the concert hall with her clear and crisp soprano voice when singing an aria, "Sayonara."
  After the stage setting was changed and the orchestra took a break, a piano was setting at the center of the stage and Dr.Handa and Onuki staged again  a total of 12 Japanese folk songs and nursery rhymes including "Momiji"(Maple leaves) , "Tsuki no Sabaku"(The desert of the moon), "Oborozukiyo"(Misty moon), and "Akebono"(Dragonfiles). 
  In the end, the two sang together "Hana"(A flower) and "Furusato"(Hometown) , which were quite polular in Japan. 

Dr.Handa, together with opera singers and orchestra members
greet the audience.
IFAC

(source: THE JAPAN TIMES, November.24, 2015)
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2015/11/24/general/world-opera-singers-delight-new-national-theatre/#.VnDG-3zUjIV