On May 22nd, I participated in a session report meeting. Three students from my seminar and I received an invitation to participate as Waseda University students studying about Africa in Assistant Professor Kataoka Sadaharu’s seminar at the School of International Liberal Studies. This meeting was held to report to Prime Minister Fukuda on the activities of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers in Africa. The main topic was young people’s views on the relationship between Japan and.
Mrs. Ogata Sadako, the President of JICA, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, was also present at the meeting. First of all, the volunteers reported on their individual activities: they helped street children obtain some career experience and taught some engineering at the same time; they also taught math and science in Ethiopia.

Next, the Prime Minister asked each Waseda University student some questions about the relationship between Africa and Japan. In my case, I answered that government-initiated international cooperation tended to be one-way support. I think now we have to think more seriously about having a partnership from the field of business and getting nongovernmental enterprises to invest. That way, both can yield benefit.

Prime Minister Fukuda listened sincerely to our voices and replied that he would try to develop the idea at the International Conference on African Development and at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit. Mrs. Ogata said that she was happy to see young people with an interest in Africa, and was looking forward to further developments.
Now I am hoping that the Japanese government will not only develop specific policies and activities that reach “developed Africa” but will also bring out the leadership of those in office. Breakthroughs at these two big events would be an advancement of Japan’s position in the international community.

I thought also of activities that students can do. Of course, we have to obtain more knowledge and develop an interest in Africa. We should also try to make a place to allow interaction and communication, such as through an African festival, and by holding symposiums. I want to exploit the things I learned through the seminar and the human networks I have become involved with, engaging myself positively with African affairs and acting as a cultural bridge between Japan and African countries.

TICAD: Tokyo International Conference on African Development