JASC 62 Opening Ceremony

On July 23, the entire American delegation of the 62nd Japan-America Student Conference (JASC) met for the first time in person at Earlham College in Indiana.  Drawn from all across the United States, the delegates were eager to meet and talk to each other and prepare for JASC.  Over the next three days, the American delegates bonded through icebreakers and team building activities, held their first round table discussions, and prepared omiyagi (gifts) to welcome the Japanese delegates on July 26.

Knowing that the Japadeles would have a long journey to arrive at the “crossroads of American” in the town of Richmond, Indiana the Amedeles had something special in store for the Japadeles when they arrived.  After settling and checking in, the American Executive Committee members (AECs) led the Japadeles on a tour of the cozy, beautiful Earlham campus dormitory.  Upon entering Earlham’s Goddard Auditorium at Carpenter Hall, the opening notes of the JASC song, composed by JASC alumni and passed down year after year, rained downed from above as Amedeles pleasantly surprised the Japadeles.  With that, the two delegations met for the first time and started building connections that will last for years to come.

The JASC Opening Ceremony on July 27 was an impressive event with distinguished guests and alumni from all over the Midwest.  This was made possible by so many local supporters of JASC, especially JASC National Advisory Committee member Professor Gary De Coker and ISC Board of Directors member Mr. Larry Ingraham (JASC 26).  Earlham College Provost Nelson Bingham welcomed the delegation to campus. The Honorable Consul General George Hisaeda, Consul General of Japan at Chicago honored JASC with closing remarks and support for the program.  Two Japanese alumni, Mr. Shoichi Nakase (JASC 8 & 9) and Mr. Tatsumi Otaka (JASC 16) flew all the way from Japan to join the ceremony and meet new ISC Executive Director Ms. Sarah Thompson. A reception with speakers and guests from the Wayne Country Chamber of Commerce followed the event and delegates enjoyed the opportunity to interact with wonderful JASC supporters and alumni.

On July 29 the delegation enjoyed a special tour of the Honda plant in Indiana. Japanese and American students had a rare opportunity to tour the facility and speak to heads of the plant.

ISC announces the 62nd JASC Delegation.

62nd Japan-America Student Conference
Brochure

Theme: To Understand, To Unite, To Act: Continuous Evolution through Integrated Perspectives

        In line with the 50 year anniversary of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, the 62nd Japan-America Student Conference seeks to reevaluate the strategic alliance with respect to globalizing society.  Looking both inward to domestic issues, as well as outward to international debates, we will strive to address various topics where bilateral cooperation will be able to shape the entire world.

         By fostering a warm, open environment for dialogue, we will generate opportunities for leadership for all delegates that take the initiative to draw attention to issues that they are interested in.  Tying together diverse backgrounds, experiences, and attitudes is vital for the success of group discussions and the development of individual perspectives.  Establishing a lasting commitment to the ideas produced during the conference has the potential to create an impetus for change, even beyond the 62nd Japan America Student Conference.  

62nd JASC Roundtables

Empowering Today's Youth: Overcoming Challenges in Society

Historically, student activism has played a major role on social, cultural or political levels. Activism allows the younger generation a means of shaping society. For millions of American and Japanese students this activism comes in the forms of volunteering, protesting and a number of other activities. Currently however, there is a malaise in the drive behind this activism. Although there are students who choose to participate there are still many who lack the drive to engage in shaping society. The focus of this roundtable will be examining, discussing and ultimately rethinking the impact the younger generation leaves on society through activism, whether it is in the United States, Japan, or globally. In addition, we will also focus on the question of mandatory volunteerism in the United States or the practice of making community service a compulsory requirement for schools. The roundtable will also look at different forms of activism globally and will confront the current way that students are active in the world around them and find ways to both promote this behavior and find purpose behind their action.

Revitalizing Education

Education is the tool by which the future leaders of society are molded.  It is important more than ever in our globalizing world where more countries are developing and a greater competition is emerging.  This round table will examine the current education systems, methods, and goals in both Japan and America.  We will question whether the goals of education are being met for both individuals and for the society as a whole and how best to improve education.  Through our discussions we will try to discover how best to revitalize education.  In the present day, education lacks the inspiration and stimulation to instillinnovation in young minds.  Teaching is now carried out in a systematic method that can be viewed as monotonous.  Education should be more than evaluations; it should be a means to develop individual character so that students will challenge themselves with the need and want for self improvement.  This is a concern for both the United States and Japan, but it has especially been a popular issue discussed in Japan.  However, there is also a big achievement gap between students who are provided with enough resources and others who lack the tools to meet established standards.  In the U.S. there is the No Child Left Behind policy, yet it is far from achieving the goal.  It is important to address these problems through not only the context of the U.S. and Japan but also thinking about how we can best learn from each other.

Security, Military and Peace: the US and Japan

What does the US seek in an ally today? Japan and the United States have been close allies since the forging of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security half a century ago. However, in the midst of the current US campaign against terrorism, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the rise of China in East Asia and the threat of nuclear powers developing in Iran and North Korea, what is the current role of the Japan-US Alliance in dealing with global issues? As a military partner, to what extent can Japan– a nation with a “peace constitution” restricting its military activities– actually cooperate with the US? This roundtable seeks to explore these questions and examine the current state of the US-Japan Alliance as well as what the future of the alliance holds for the two nations.  During this period following a change in leadership in both the US and Japan, perhaps more than ever, it is necessary for us to consider how these two economic superpowers and long-time global partners can cooperate in the future. From a basic awareness of the US-Japan relationship, we hope that roundtable members will develop a sense of concern for the issues surrounding it and ultimately form and express their own opinions on them.

Social Entrepreneurship: The Power to Transform

Social Entrepreneurs address large scale social issues by acting as the agents of community transformation. Over the last twenty years these entrepreneurs have become more and more popular in Asia. Some innovative concepts, such as the Nobel Prize winning Grameen Bank have initiated both economic and social infrastructure changes in developing nations. They have sought the opportunity to creatively reform industries so that they advance collective human needs. However, envisioning and exercising a humanitarian project is much harder than proclaiming the goal. Firstly, what factors have encouraged the rising popularity of Social Entrepreneurship, especially in Asia and America? How do entrepreneurs recognize and solve these social problems? How do they utilize a combination of factors such as profit, social gain and governmental policy to create sustainable improvements? And in what ways can these ventures deeply impact the social structure of a community and become increasingly significant in the 21st century? In this roundtable, we will try to explore these questions by researching case studies of American and Japanese social entrepreneurs and understanding the practice and power of social entrepreneurship more deeply.

Spreading Environmental Awareness in Industrial Developing Nations

The demand for eco-technologies and environmentally friendly methods in developing nations is almost nonexistent. Such nations generally place more immediate economic problems ahead of their environmental health. However, the environmental crisis is a worldwide problem that must be combated with a worldwide solution. Although environmental awareness has increased globally over the past century, citizens of industrial developing nations remain generally uninformed to ecological issues. In order to promote the environment as a priority, we can employ the tools of education, press, and technological advancement. As key leaders in the global economy and technological capabilities, Japan and the United States have a large role in facilitating this process. By combining the perspectives of science, government, business, and media, we can rouse an ongoing sense of awareness in the citizens of developing nations. The United States, Japan, and other developed nations are instrumental in spreading awareness and implementing solutions in these countries. In this roundtable, we will focus on discovering and devising an effective means of cultivating ecological awareness so that further measures can be taken towards improving environmental health.

Sustainable Regionalism: How Can Urban Cities and Local Communities Coexist?

    Urban cities and local communities create the dynamics of the country and ultimately define the country itself. Due to globalization and constant changes in economy, politics, and cultures, the relationship between the urban cities and local communities has been changing. Japan faces a wave of merger of small towns as the central government attempts to distribute its power to local governments to create a more efficient national system. The US bases itself on separate states with independent regulations. By analyzing the urban and local systems, this roundtable will assess different perceptions and roles of urban cities and local communities in Japan and the US. The discussions will also focus on community building and revitalization of local areas and compare them with urban communities. How can local communities sustain their traditional values and characteristics and still adapt to a globalizing world? What is the sustainable balance between central and local power?

The Role of National Identity in Globalizing Society
 
Is nationalism necessary in our globalizing society? Does it facilitate or hinder globalization? In history, opposed identities have often played major roles in the formation of conflicts. The internment of Japanese Americans and the Nanjing Massacre are some examples of strong national identities leading to xenophobic violence. Yet in recent years, there have been movements towards the strengthening of national identities. The Japanese Parliament changing the Basic Education Law to encourage the teaching of patriotism in compulsory children's education, is one such example. This raises many questions as to the role of patriotism to a country, and to the pluralistic society. Throughout this conference, this roundtable will examine how identities are formed and maintained, as well as the differences between patriotism and nationalism. Additionally, delegates will analyze how national identities can lead to conflicts in order to better understand how diverse identities can coexist. The diverse backgrounds and opinions of students from various fields of study, who are interested in discussing the movements of globalization and nationalism, are greatly welcomed.

For a closer look at some of the activities we will have, click here.

Visit our Leadership page to meet our 2010 Student Executive Committee .