Australia-Japan Forum: Our Role in the Region

On the occasion of the 2006 Australia-Japan Year of Exchange, the Japan Foundation, Sydney and Macquarie University present the Japan-Australia Forum 2006, a series of fascinating forums examining the regional contributions of our two countries. The Forum will kick-off with its inaugural session on Monday 15 May, 2006, at the Crystal Palace, Luna Park, Sydney. Forum sessions feature a high profile speaker from each nation, including Australia’s General Peter Cosgrove, and Yasushi Akashi, former UN Under-Secretary-General of Humanitarian Affairs.

Each speaker will present their perspectives on different aspects of the overall theme, What Role Should We Play in Our Region?, and interact with the audience in Sydney, as well as the audience in Tokyo, linked by live videoconference to Waseda University’s International Conference Centre. The four forums cover, Diplomacy, Peacemaking, Humanitarian Aid and Media Responsibility.

Japan and Australia are both active and committed members of the Asia-Pacific region. Keenly aware of the importance of their contributions to the region, both countries have, over the years, made significant efforts to assist regional stability and the welfare of its people. Surprisingly, however, the full extent of the remarkable contributions made by both countries is not well known.

Dr Misuzu Hanihara Chow, Director of Macquarie’s Japanese Studies Centre, is the pioneer and co-organiser of this innovative forum. Dr Chow believes that our two countries have an inherent responsibility to the Asia-Pacific Region. She is concerned by the lack of awareness of the extent of Australian humanitarian contributions, or of the fact that Japan was the largest donor in the region for 10 years.

Mr Wakao Koike, the Japan Foundation, Sydney’s new Deputy Director and co-organiser of the Japan-Australia Forum, said, “knowledge about Australia-Japan relations tends to be limited to bilateral dialogue. I hope the Forum will provide an opportunity for both Australians and Japanese to consider the international role of our two countries from the wider perspective of the Asia-Pacific region”.

The Japan-Australia Forum 2006 aims to review the regional contributions made by Japan and Australia, examine the effectiveness of these contributions, and consider future developments. “Australia and Japan have the capacity to help and to contribute. But instead of an ad hoc contribution, we should think about making a more considered and coordinated contribution to the region,” says Dr Chow.

The Australia-Japan Forum is a joint initiative of the Macquarie University Japanese Studies Centre and the Japan Foundation, Sydney, and is supported by the Consulate-General of Japan in Sydney.

Session 1 – Monday, 15 May 2006 Session 2 – Tuesday, 4 July 2006
Session 3 – Monday, 11 September 2006 Session 4 – Monday, 6 November 2006

For all media enquiries, please contact Helen at the Japan Foundation, Sydney on 02 8239 0058

Comments

[SlipImmiletut]

Make peace, not war!

[exTemyAsymn]

Never trust anyone who says money is no object.

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