Business and Human Rights -The Value of a Prosperous Society-"

B2 Saya Miyoshi    

On 26th July, A lecture was held by Mr. Michihiro TANABE from the International Labour Organization (ILO). The subject of the lecture was "Business and Human Rights -The Value of a Prosperous Society," and it was open to students who took Professor Fujii's international law class, Fujii seminar, and others. Mr. Tanabe currently works for ILO, and he used to work in various organizations, such as the certified NPO organization ADRA Japan, the Secretariat of the International Peace Cooperation Headquarters, the Cabinet Office, the Government of Japan, and the United Nations Development Programme.

Now, I will explain the content of the lecture. First, Mr. Tanabe gave a lecture about Business and Human Rights. In the lecture, he described the fundamental knowledge of ILO, the relationship between business and human rights, and the messages given to the participants. He emphasized that when we think about human rights issues, we must remember that people constantly suffer behind them. I am also learning about human rights issues through the Fujii seminar, so I was impressed by Mr. Tanabe's words.

Personally, I have long been interested in human rights issues in terms of business. Specifically, people nowadays often utilize the Internet to purchase clothes from fast fashion brands overseas. Most people do not know that it causes serious human rights issues for people who are involved in labor. I have wondered about the situation in which most Japanese do not care about human rights issues overseas, and only care about their interests. As Mr. Tanabe mentioned in this lecture, only one person cannot solve business and human rights issues, so it is important to be inclusive of people from different backgrounds. This includes all of us, the audience, who have a crucial role to play in addressing these issues. Further, he advised participants about their careers. In career development, it is essential to take action as soon as possible since it is made to your own advantage. How you feel and how fast you learn depends on your goals and who you want to be, so finding goals and role models is important too. These lead to enriching your life in the future.

Next, Mr. Kakeru KIKUCHI, a second-year master's student belonging to the Fujii seminar, presented about "International NGO Initiatives in Japan". He worked with Save the Children Japan as an internship program for about two and a half years. In his presentation, he described Save the Children Japan and his experiences in the Emergency and recovery support team for children and caregivers in domestic disasters and the Social awareness team where he used to work. In the Social awareness team, he was involved in policy recommendations to members of parliament. He negotiated directly with lawmakers, and his opinions were introduced into policy. Since the Japanese government does not provide much money for education in emergency humanitarian aid, his team proposed the ECW, a fund specializing in education during crises, and finally got approximately 400 million yen contributed after four years of work. This addresses underlying and structural factors of the problem that cannot be solved by field activities alone. From these experiences in Save the Children Japan, he could feel his efforts are contributing toward solving the problem and learn how Japanese NGOs are making efforts in the field of international cooperation.

After that, Ms. Haruka YOKOI, a third-year undergraduate student, and Ms. Ouka YOSHIDA, a second-year undergraduate student, gave comments and asked questions about the lectures to Mr. Tanabe and Mr. Kikuchi. The questions concerned companies that engage in excessive human rights violations and the difficulties of establishing human rights due diligence and whistle-blower systems. Mr. Tanabe and Mr. Kikuchi responded politely to their questions in a limited time.

The title of Mr. Tanabe's lecture was "Business and Human Rights -The Value of a Prosperous Society." He mentioned that many companies' mission is to maximize profits without considering human rights issues. However, human resources are the most valuable management resource, so we should not forget to respect "human rights" first. Eventually, it increases the value of the company.

Through this lecture, I learned a lot about human rights issues regarding business, and I appreciate this opportunity to deepen my understanding of this topic. I would like to contribute to solving radical problems related to human rights in the future. This lecture has not only deepened my understanding but also inspired me to take action. It was an important opportunity for me to think about my own career development and I would like to work under such circumstances so that I can approach the root of the problem in the future.

Once again, I would like to thank Mr. Tanabe, Mr. Kikuchi, Professor Fujii, and all others involved in this lecture. Your insights and experiences have been invaluable in shaping our understanding of human rights issues in business. I would also like to acknowledge the thoughtful questions and comments from the audience, which enriched our discussion. I look forward to seeing Mr. Tanabe again in the future, after I have acquired further expertise and grown more. Thank you all for this enriching experience!

The Workshop on International Human Rights of the Children in Open Campus Summer 2024

B2 Taisho Ito

On 20 July 2024, the workshop on the International human rights of the child was held on the Open day of Utsunomiya University. The workshop on international human rights of children is a workshop for high school students organized by the International Peace and Human Rights/Humanitarian Law Study Group and the Utsunomiya International Peace and Justice (UIPJ). It is held about two or three times a year. In this workshop, high school students who are the subjects of children's rights are asked to think about the impact of conflicts on children, consider what kind of support is necessary to protect their children's rights and envision a city where their rights are protected.

Firstly, Miyu Suzuki, a third-year undergraduate student belonging to the Fujii seminar, introduced the International Peace and Human Rights/Humanitarian Law Study Group, and Hitomi Hanatsuka and Tokiwa Takahashi, third-year undergraduate students belonging to the Fujii seminar, introduced the group previous training camps in Netherlands and Ethiopia. The participants, who were high school students, were very interested in the group's activities. They listened to the introduction with great interest, and it was a good reference for them to choose their career coerces.

It's worth noting that a record-breaking 22 high school students actively participated in this workshop, making it the largest number ever. At the start of the workshop, we invited the participants to watch an introductory video to familiarize themselves with the workshop's content and the rights of children. The video, packed with useful information for the upcoming activities, was watched with great enthusiasm as the participants took notes, showing their active engagement.

Next, participants took on the role of employees of a human rights organization. They engaged in a role-play to raise funds for activities to promote community development based on children's rights in a hypothetical country where children's rights are at stake due to the outbreak of armed conflict. They formed groups and negotiated with investors, played by university students and staff, to obtain funds for community development. In the negotiations, participants are required to emphasize the importance of children's rights based on a scenario, explaining the need for funds, what specific projects they plan to implement, and what effects they expect when they are implemented. In this role play, participants explained the importance of children's rights to the funders in various creative ways and engaged in activities to obtain funds from the funders. For example, one team worked on negotiations efficiently by sharing roles with their teammates. Through this activity, the participants realized the difficulty of negotiating and obtaining funds while having fun at the same time.

Next, we conducted a community development activity. Referring to the "List of Example Projects" that we had prepared, which listed which projects needed how much funding and how much they needed, participants chose to build facilities related to children's rights or hire experts for the protection of children's rights within the funds they obtained from investors. Since funds are limited, participants must prioritize the projects they deem necessary. Furthermore, from this year's workshop, we introduced a project that allows participants to add facilities and services to their design to better reflect the flexible ideas of high school students in the conception of community development. Given the limited funds available, participants had to choose facilities and services that would protect children's rights through trial and error. University student staff gave participants advice and answered questions about community development.

The participants then presented their ideas for the city in groups. The characteristics of the cities varied from group to group and reflected their flexible ideas. For example, one of the projects listed in the "List of Project Examples" was to build a "school" as an integrated middle and high school, thereby saving construction costs and enhancing children's education and health. Another project that was not included in the list of example projects was to build an "underground shelter" near the school so that the school could be evacuated quickly in the event of an attack. Participants could learn new perspectives and ideas from other teams' ideas through the presentations. Furthermore, many of the community development ideas they came up with were ones we would never have thought of, so it was also a learning experience for the university students. After the presentation of ideas, three teams that were particularly successful in protecting children's rights were announced and given Utsunomiya University goods as prizes.

This workshop was not just about discussing the problems faced by children worldwide, but also about empowering the participants to think critically and come up with solutions. The post-workshop session, where they could interact with university students about life and entrance exams, was an added bonus, providing them with valuable insights for their future. I believe this workshop was a significant step in their journey toward understanding human rights and developing their problem-solving skills.

Once again, I would like to thank the participants, Professor Fujii, and all others involved in this workshop. We will continue to organize such workshops in the future to help children understand their human rights and strengthen their problem-solving skills.

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The Japan Society for International Development 2024 Spring Conference

B2 Ouka Yoshida

On 15 June 2024, The Japan Society For International Development was held at Utsunomiya University. We, the Fujii Seminar, played a part in the management. On the day, sessions were held on different development-related themes, and many researchers gave presentations. After all the sessions were over, a plenary session was held in the hall. The work of the Centre for Multicultural Public Sphere at Utsunomiya University was explained, and as part of this, International Peace and Human Rights / Humanitarian Law Study Group was also presented. It was entitled ' Interactive Teaching for International Human Resource Development: Theory and Practice of International Humanitarian Law'. After Professor Fujii's explanation, the seniors of the Fujii Seminar, Mr. Kakeru Kikuchi, Ms. Yukari Hagiya, Mr. Atila Nasier, Ms. Ayaka Sakakibara, and Ms. Reona Fukuhara, gave their presentations. This article explains the plenary.

Professor Fujii introduced the study group's activities and talked about its philosophy. He explained, "I want to differentiate themselves by showing experiences and results that cannot be obtained by paying money." I visited Ethiopia in March this year and visited organizations such as the AU and UN. This experience allowed me to reconfirm my own goals and interests. Listening to the professor's philosophy strengthened my desire to study in the Fujii Seminar.

This was followed by student presentations by Mr. Kikuchi, Ms. Hagiya, Mr. Atilla, Ms. Sakakibara, and Ms. Fukuhara. They spoke mainly about self-introduction, university studies, and future career development.

First, Mr. Kikuchi explained his internship at Save the Children Japan. He learns about international law, attends lectures by experts, and then uses and experiences what they learn through his internship. He explained that this experience led him to growth.

Ms. Hagiya shared her experiences through IHL competitions and the internship at UNHCR. She spoke about how " The usual is no longer the usual" in conflict. She spoke of her desire to build a career on the global stage through her studies in international law.

Mr. Attila explained his reflections and sense of crisis during university life in relation to his career development. He said that he had been introverted in his studies at university, but through Professor Fujii's classes and seminars, he decided to pursue a career in international cooperation boldly.

Ms. Sakakibara spoke about her experience in international humanitarian law competitions and the importance of comprehensive learning. She is working as a researcher in the Embassy of Japan in Angola and belongs to an economic department, which is different from her field of interest. She explained the importance of paying attention to a variety of news to understand the situation of one country, even if it is not about the field she is interested in.

Ms. Fukuhara shared her experience in international law, including the UIPJ activities and participating in Moot Court competitions, as well as her experience as an intern at international organizations and researcher of the Mission of Japan to the African Union. She explained that these experiences enabled her to develop her ability to negotiate with flexibility, research and analysis skills. As for her future career, she concluded by saying that she would like to become a practitioner who can build a "bridge between theory and practice (in the field)".

Through the Fujii Seminar plenary, I have developed an even greater admiration for seniors. Having seniors nearby who are my target in this way makes me feel every day that I have been able to enter an excellent seminar. This feeling has become even stronger through this plenary.

I have also reaffirmed my determination to build a career in international cooperation. Listening to the seniors' presentations, I was able to think concretely about how experiences through the Fujii seminar will be meaningful in building my career. I am also firmly determined to further my knowledge of international humanitarian law through various activities and to use this knowledge in practice to contribute to the international field in the future.