Peace Studies Association of Okinawa established to promote the restructuring of peace education

December 5, 2011 Ryukyu Shimpo

On December 4, the inaugural meeting of the Peace Studies Association of Japan, Okinawa Research Council, otherwise known as the Peace Studies Association of Okinawa, was held at Okinawa University. The Association was established to restructure peace education and strengthen links among scholars, teachers, and civic associations conducting research on peace-related issues in Okinawa.

While there is a growing interest in issues related to the relocation and return of the Futenma Air Station and the screening of school textbooks that described events that occurred in the Yaeyama Islands, some people suggest that interest in peace education is waning. The Association intends to collaborate with educators in schools, universities and community-based organizations to support and cultivate peace education practitioners and young researchers, and hopes to help revitalize the peace movement in Okinawa.

Professor Hiroshi Nakachi, who specializes in administrative law and is currently the vice-president of Okinawa University, was appointed as the president of the Association. The president and the Association’s head office will be rotated annually among universities in Okinawa, and a conference will be held once a year.

At the meeting, Nakachi said, “Dealing with peace studies is something that teachers and researchers of Okinawa must do. We need to think about how we can widen the networks involved in these studies and reach to more schools. Let’s work hard together on this.”

(English translation by T&CT, Shinako Oyakawa and Mark Ealey)

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