A Sustainable Human Development Strategy in Somaliland

Have you ever heard of a college called Tokyo international University in Somaliland? This is an example of unique international assistance to a less economically developed country. 

Whenever a developed country supports less economically developed one, it usually provides infrastructure, shelters and primary education. However, the 25 year-old Japanese guy, who initiated the establishment of this university, had a different point of view. He concerned particularly with the importance of human developement. His idea was that young people with graduate degrees would be entrepreneurs and generate job opportunities for those with less educational qualifications. His innovative idea came as the establishment of Tokyo International University in Somaliland in which there was no graduate schools.

I find this strategy very innovative and effective. Development in infrastructure and supply of humanitarian aids are not sustainable as a country becomes more dependent on these supports. In the end, people within a country have to support themselves, which requires a high level of education and skills. But primary education is not enough. It is a tertiary and further education that makes leaders of a country. Therefore, in terms of sustainability, I think establishment of Tokyo International University is long-living and will initiate the human development in Somaliland.

We Need Lenses to Understand the Past

           I recently found out that "History" in a textbook could not tell everything. For example, my dad told me his personal experience when he was one of the Vietnamese boat people. His "history" is enormous that I always realize how much I can be proud of myself being his son.

            However, a history textbook summarizes my dad's history with only one sentence. It only says ,"After the Vietnam War, there were many refugees from Saigon called "Boat People", who immigrated to other countries.". This concise but superficial sentence does not give any insight about how these people suffered from the situation.

            I think we need both "History in a textbook" and "Personal History" whenever we try to understand the past. History in a textbook tells the overview of a situation; personal history tells a more focused and emotional response to a situation. Therefore, I think we always need different lenses to focus on different objects: a country, society, community or a person. 

Can North Korea be the Next?

            Recently, the United States and Cuba started working to re-establish their diplomatic relations. It seems that this initiative leads to looser economic sanctions and more foreign investment in Cuba.

            When I was looking at this news, I was thinking of Japan and North Korea. North Korea abducted several Japanese people over the decades. Some of them already died and some of them may be alive. We don`t know.

            If North Korea discharges these Japanese people, Japan can start re-establishing its diplomacy with North Korea. North Korea is economically, politically and socially isolated. Thus, it is crucial for North Korea to establish relations with neighboring countries other than China. I think it will take more than a decade to loosen the tensions between Japan and North Korea, but there has to be a different approach which both of countries should take.

Is the Japanese Politics really Effective?

Japan's snap election ended with the Liberal Democratic Party's landslide victory. The coalition exceeds 2/3 of seats in the Parliament, meaning the Liberal Democratic Party and other small parties can pass a legislation without worries. Prime Minister Abe regards the result of election as "a message from our citizens that Abe's Economics should keep going forward".

Even though I personally like Abe's Economics, I am not very sure about whether politics in Japan effectively works. Unlike the US, Japan has only one powerful party(Liberal Democratic Party). However, this does not mean the party has absolute supports from citizens, but means "There is no other party that citizens want to vote for."

Sometimes this situation can be effective in that many legislations are passed without complexities and disagreements. However, it means there is no competition among political parties, indicating Liberal Democratic Party might be reluctant to implement more thoughtful and effective policies.

Is Snap General Election Always Waste of Tax?

              Mr.Abe, the prime minister of Japan, called the snap general election several weeks ago because the GDP of Japan in recent months was lower than expected and the cabinet wanted to ensure the voice of citizens.

              I hear lots of complaints about this call. These opponents claim that snap general election will cost so much tax expenditure which Japan can use for other social benefits and that all the ongoing bills have to be thrown away, which will be time-consuming.

              Nevertheless, I still promote the snap general election. Even though it takes time and money, reflecting citizens' opinions is more important than anything else. There have been many controversial issues in Japan such as whether increasing VAT or not, so why do not we give our own voice and votes? I think this is the time when we can take advantage of democracy.

A National Anthem and its Meaning

Today, my younger brother talked about the Vietnamese national anthem. While discussing it, I found the difference between Japanese and Vietnamese anthem.

The hidden meaning in the Japanese national anthem is "to live longer". I find this theme very interesting because the government wants to emphasize longer life during the time of imperialism.

In contrast, the theme in the Vietnamese national anthem is quite obvious. The song starts with "Soldiers of Vietnam. March Onward.". Which clearly indicates military strength of Vietnam. Even though it refers to the country and its people as a whole, military theme is definitely included in this anthem.

If you look for your country's anthem, you may find the history of your country!