Let’s try the quiz!

FY 2017

Kokoro-no-Hibiki

Which of the following is the correct
description of SDGs?

１

It stands for Sustainable Development Goals, which declare that no one
should be left behind.

２

SDGs consist of eight goals and 21 targets.

３

SDGs are goals established in 2001 mainly for developing countries.

Sakai City Human Rights Education
Promotion Council Newsletter

Vol.

39

Let a culture of human rights bloom from Sakai City!

* Hint: Please read the article on p. 2.

Counseling for LGBT-related issues is provided on Wednesdays:
Human Rights Hotline available

Sakai City offers a free telephone counseling service to those with various human rights-related
problems through its Human Rights Hotline. On Wednesday, the counseling service is available
for LGBT and other sexual minority persons, and their family members and friends.
Human Rights Hotline

072-228-7364

Counseling hours: From 09:00 to noon and from 13:00 to 17:00
Monday through Friday (excluding national holidays,
year-end, and New Year holidays)(Application for counseling service closes at 16:30.
One counseling session lasts approx. 30 minutes.)* On Wednesdays, counseling is offered for LGBTand other sexual diversity issues.
* If you prefer in-person counseling, make an
appointment via the Human Rights Hotline.
* All information you give is confidential.

Sakai Safe City Program
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of

LGBT(L) Lesbian
Female homosexual(G) Gay
Male homosexual(B) Bisexual
Person who is sexually attracted
to both men and women(T) Transgender
Person who emotionally andpsychologically feels that theirgender does not correspond with
their sex at birth* There are a variety of sexual
identities other than LGBT.

Women (UN Women) has been leading an initiative to call on theworld’s cities to develop model approaches to prevent and reduce sexual harassment and other forms ofsexual violence towards women and girls in public spaces such as roads and parks, with the ultimate goalof sharing model approaches with cities around the world.

Table of Contents

P. 1 .......... What is the Sakai City Human Rights Education
Promotion Council?
P. 2 .......... Creating a Society Where No One Is Left Behind (Reportfrom Citizens’ Forum for Human Rights Protection)
P. 3 .......... Thinking about Human Rights in Terms of Multiple
Discrimination (Report from
Comprehensive Workshop)
Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion
P. 4 .......... Human Rights and Community
Council (HREPC) is promoting its grass-roots humanDevelopment (Report from Community
Human Rights Promotion Committee
rights campaign through various events such as
Workshop)
Ward Residents’ Festivals. HREPC will carry out
Pp. 5–6 ... Residents’ Essays – Award-Winningvarious programs also in FY 2018, and looks forward
Entries from the “My Human Rights
Message” Essay Contest
to many citizens participating in them.
P. 7 .......... Human Rights Quiz etc.

In December 2013, Sakai City became the first Japanese city to join this initiative, and has since beenpromoting Sakai Safe City Program to create a safe living environment for women, children and all citizens.
印

Answer: 1 (2: SDGs consist of 17 goals and 169 targets. 3: This is the description of Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs).)

Editor and Publisher: Sakai City Human
Rights Education Promotion Council(Published in March 2018)
Human Rights Promotion Division, Sakai City Government, 3-1
Minamikawara-machi, Sakai-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture
TEL: (072) 228-7420 FAX: (072) 228-8070
URL: http://www.jinkenkyo.jp (in Japanese only)What Isthe Sakai City Human Rights Education
Promotion Council (HREPC/Jinkenkyo)?

We welcome yourparticipation in our
activities.

The Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council is a civicorganization that was established in July 1979 with the aim ofcreating a bright, comfortable society, free from all forms of
discrimination, not least Buraku discrimination.
Through its educational activities, the HREPC drives a grass-roots
human rights campaign aimed at building a peaceful and prosperous
society where the human rights of all people are respected.
Chair: Naohiro Kanamaru

The 39th Citizens’ Forum for Human Rights Protection (December 2, 2017)

Lecturer: Dr. Kiyoko Ikegami
Chair of the Board at NGO Plan International Japan, and Professor at Nagasaki
University School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health

SDGs stands for Sustainable Development Goals, which are global goals set
for the period from 2016 to 2030, adopted at the United Nations Summit in
September 2015.
SDGs consist of 17 goals and 169 targets to realize a sustainable world,and declare that no one in the world should be left behind.

Do you think it’s too hard to understand what SDGs are? It’s not.

Member organizations and groups
Sakai City Education Association
Sakai City Women’s Group for Social Rehabilitation
Sakai City Association for Sound Growth of Children
Sakai City Support Group for Foreign Residents’
EducationFederation of Sakai City Residents’ Associations
Sakai City Social Education Committee
Sakai City Women’s Association
Sakai City Federation of Private Kindergartens
NPO Sakai Federation of Disabled People’s
Organizations
Sakai City Liaison Council of Instructors for Youth
Sakai City Human Rights Education and ResearchSociety
Sakai City Agricultural Cooperative
Sakai City PTA Federation
Sakai City Association of Childcare Organizations
Sakai City Welfare Association for Single-Mother
Families and Widows
NPO Sakai Federation of Private Educational andChildcare Institutions
Sakai City Federation of Child Welfare Commissioners
Sakai Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Sakai City Association of Principals of Municipal
Schools
Sakai City Federation of Senior Residents’ Clubs
District Committee of the Sakai City Human Rights
Commissioners’ Association
Sakai District Committee of Administrative Counselors
Sakai City Liaison Council of Probation Officers
Sakai City Council of Social Welfare
Osaka Prefectural Association of Vocational Schools
Sakai Branch, Osaka Prefectural Headquarters of
Liberal Dowa Association
Principals’ Association of Osaka Prefectural Schools
in 8 zones of the 4th School District
Semboku Sumai Center, West Japan Branch, UR
Community Inc.
Sakai Branch, Osaka Prefectural Federation of the
Buraku Liberation League
Business Members Committee, Sakai City Human
Rights Education Promotion Council
Religious Groups Committee, Sakai City Human
Rights Education Promotion Council
International Youth Sakai Committee, Sakai City
Human Rights Education Promotion Council

Creating a Society Where No One Is Left Behind

Directors of the Council
Chair:

Naohiro Kanamaru (Business Members Committee of the Council)

Vice Chair: Teruo Kubo (Federation of Sakai City Residents’ Associations)
Vice Chair: Noriko Yamaguchi (Sakai City Women’s Association)
Vice Chair: Akira Hashimoto (Sakai City PTA Federation)
Vice Chair: Tadashi Shiramoto (Sakai City Association of Childcare Organizations)
Vice Chair: Yutaka Kasai (Sakai City Association of Principals of Municipal
Schools)

Vice Chair: Rieko Nakata (Sakai Branch, Osaka Prefectural Federation of the
Buraku Liberation League)

Vice Chair: Seiji Yoshimura (Religious Groups Committee of the Council)
Treasurer: Setsuko Hattori (Sakai City Women’s Group for Social Rehabilitation)

Our SDGs

Even small steps can make a difference
to the world.

What are SDGs?
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
GOALs- Share the spirit of mottainai (a senseof regret for whatever is wasted) with
community members to contribute to
the creation of a sustainable society- Create an environment where womenand children can be active membersof the community- Maintain personal relationships in thecommunity

Treasurer: Mitsuko Ogura (District Committee of the Sakai City Human Rights
Commissioners’ Association)

Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council Newsletter “Kokoro-no-Hibiki” Vol. 39

Band ofindividuals withintellectual
disabilities

Salsa GumTape gives a mini live performance.

Salsa Gumtape is a professional rock band based in Atsugi City in
Kanagawa Prefecture. Its members are individuals with intellectual
disabilities. Originally, they enjoyed making rhythms using handmade
drums: plastic buckets on which packaging tape (or “gum tape” inJapanese) is put, which explains the name of this band.
Their performance with dynamic and rhythmical sounds of plastic
buckets filled the hall with enthusiasm, uniting performers and audience
alike – both with and without disabilities.
* Salsa is a new type of rhythm-based Latin music,
which combines Cuban music with jazzy elements.

*

International Youth Sakai (IYS) members report their activities.
Three IYS members made a presentation titled “Tour that gave us new insights” to report theirexperience in this year’s youth visit to Taiwan.
At IYS, we encourage members to reflect on what they have learned through the tour, further
deepen the insights gained through this experience, and share their learning with the community
through various activities. We will continue efforts to instill in young people human rights-oriented
mindsets, global perspectives, and respect for peace and human rights so that they will be able to
make meaningful contributions to the good of society.

** Among the 17 goals of SDGs, the ones most relevant to the events shown above are indicated. Can you think of other goals that are relevant to the events?
Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council Newsletter “Kokoro-no-Hibiki” Vol. 39

Thinking about Human Rights in Terms of Multiple Discrimination

Community Human Rights Promotion Committee Workshops Held in FY 2017

Report from the symposium at the 2017 Comprehensive Workshop
On August 17, 2017, a symposium titled “Thinking about human rights in terms of multiple
discrimination” was held at Sun Square Sakai.

* Who are the members of the Community Human Rights Promotion Committee?
Representatives and members of the Community Human Rights Promotion Committee belong to the Human Rights Education Promotion
Council. The members are recommended by community representatives of the Federation of Sakai City Residents’ Associations fromamong officials of community residents’ joint associations, presidents of unit residents’ associations, members of various organizations inschool districts, and people who are enthusiastic about human rights education activities in individual school districts.

“multipleion” mean?
discriminat

What does

During FY 2017, Community Human Rights Promotion Committee Workshops were held on the dates shown below
and addressed the following themes. Many committee members made time to attend the workshops, which is highly
appreciated.

Multiple discrimination is any act of discrimination based on a combinationof two or more discriminatory attributes. For example, being a woman andhaving a disability could be viewed as two discriminatory attributes, and they
do not simply combine, but multiply and make her life all the more difficult.
Cases of multiple discrimination seldom receive attention because
cases require careful handling for the sake of privacy. Therefore, there arevery few statistical data that tell us the realities of multiple discrimination.
Persons discriminated against and those around them tend to endure
the situation and accept that, for example, being a woman and having adisability can be grounds of discrimination. Thus, such a situation is barely
recognized as a social problem.

Dates

Nishi Ward

Oct. 27 (Fri.)

Dowa issue(Executive Director, NPO
Kurashizukuri Network Kitashiba)

Dr. Hideki Yamamoto

Mihara Ward Oct. 30 (Mon.)(Member, Osaka Prefectural
Branch of the Association of
People with Dementia and Their
Family Members, and doctor)

Elder rights

Three special committees established in FY 2017 have started to work to address various humanrights-related issues by launching more far-reaching programs and educational activities than everbefore.

[Sakai City Women’s Center](Representative of Executive Board,
NPO Center for Supporting Womenand Children: Women’s Net Kobe)

Mr. Keisuke Ikegaya

Kita Ward

Nov. 6 (Mon.)

Sakai Ward

Oct. 31 (Tue.)Naka Ward

The center will be renamed Sakai City
Gender Equality Center on April 1, 2018.

Ms. Reiko Masai

Higashi Ward Nov. 7 (Tue.)

Special Committees[Sakai City Human Rights
and Friendship Center]

Lecturers

Women’s rights

Ms. Rieko Nakata (Chief, Sakai Branch, Osaka Prefectural Federation of the
Buraku Liberation League)
Ms. Takako Oda (President, NPO Sakai Federation of Disabled People’s
Organizations)Dr. Setsuko Lee (Professor, Graduate School of Human Health Science,
University of Nagasaki Siebold Campus)
Coordinator: Ms. Noriko Yamaguchi (Chair, Sakai City Women’s Association)

Special Committee on
Human Rights of Women and Children

ThemesMinami Ward Oct. 19 (Thu.)

Panelists:

Special Committee
on Dowa Issues

Every year between October and November a workshop on human rights is held in each of Sakai City’s
seven wards. The workshops are attended by members of the Community Human Rights Promotion
Committee as well as the general public.

Special Committee on
Human Rights of Persons with
Disabilities and Elderly Persons[Sakai City Health and Welfare Plaza]Nov. 28 (Tue.)Dr. Kayoko ItoChildren’s rights(Professor, School of Social
Welfare and Education, College of
Health and Human Sciences,
Osaka Prefecture University)

Brief report
Ms. Masai spoke about issues
relating to women’s rights that may
arise at times of disaster, referring toactual cases.
Mr. Ikegaya gave a speech
centering on the efforts underway in
the Kitashiba district in Minoh City
towards human rights protection
and community development.
Dr. Yamamoto discussed what weshould know when offering support
to people with dementia from a
doctor’s perspective.
Dr. Ito spoke about child abuse andother issues relating to children’s
rights.

We look forward to participation of many people in the next year’s workshops, too.

Educational panels are displayedin the Ward Residents’ Festivals.

During each Ward Residents’ Festival, the Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council(HREPC) displayed panels in its booth to educate citizens on human rights issues.
These displays were a great success this year as in past years, thanks to the cooperation of local
residents’ associations.
Visitors to the HREPC booth took much interest in the

The committee organized a study
tour to the Henomatsu Human
Rights History Museum andfieldwork to learn about thehistory and current realities ofhuman rights issues in Sakai City.

The committee organized a study
tour to the center to learn about thehistory of women empowerment
activities in Sakai City.

Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council Newsletter “Kokoro-no-Hibiki” Vol. 39

The committee offered a venue for citizens
to interact with persons with disabilities
under the motto “Let’s be friends,”
assisted by the Information Center for
Persons with Visual and Hearing
Impairments and the Support Center for
Persons with Developmental Disorders at
the Health and Welfare Plaza.

panels and some even asked questions to the staff.
HREPC will continue efforts to raise awareness ofhuman rights among citizens through various educational
programs, and looks forward to participation of many people
in such programs.

Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council Newsletter “Kokoro-no-Hibiki” Vol. 39

Essay Contest
“My
Human
h
t
8
3
Rights Message”– Award-winning entries –My Contribution to Society(Second-year elementary school student)
I had grown my hair down to my waist, but recently I cut
my hair above my shoulders for hair donation.
Hair donation means donating hair to make wigs for
persons who have lost hair due to illness, and hair to be
donated should be at least 30 cm long.
I first donated my hair when I was in the final year ofkindergarten. My hair was at my waist and my mom
suggested I donate my hair to someone in need. I could
imagine how sad it would be to lose hair due to illness.
I liked my long hair very much, so when I had myhair cut, my eyes were full of tears. But at the same time,
I felt happy that my hair would be useful to someone.
When I had my hair cut, the hairstylist said to me“Thank you. You are a good girl.” Then I decided to growmy hair and donate my hair again.
In the summer vacation in the second year atelementary school, my hair finally grew down to my
waist, and I could donate my hair for the second time. I
was very happy.
I am just a little girl and what I can do is limited. But
I want to do things in my unique way, and hair donationis one such thing.
The next time I can donate my hair is when I am in
the fifth year of elementary school. By that time, I hope I
will grow to be a more attractive person.

Creating a Society Where All Individuals
Are Accepted for Who They Are (Adult)
I am a junior high school teacher. One lunch break, when I
was eating the lunch I had brought from home in the school
nurse’s office, a student came up to me and asked me “Whatis in your lunch box?” We talked about lunch for a while andwhen I said that my husband prepares lunch every day, thestudent said, in an accusatory voice tone, “It should be yourresponsibility. You are a woman, right?” In my family, myhusband has been in charge of preparing lunch – he started
doing this even before we married – and he also shares otherhousehold responsibilities with me. For example, it is my role
to prepare supper, while it is my husband’s role to wash
dishes. When I said so, the student seemed bewildered andreturned to the classroom.
It was surprising that I was told to behave like a woman
by a 13-year-old child, and I began wondering at what age weare instilled with stereotypical gender roles. I then reflected on
my past, and brought back some painful memories.
My parents always expected me to behave like a girl, but
I could not live up to their expectations. My playmates were
mostly boys, and I was interested only in sorts of things thatwere considered to be “what boys do” twenty years ago,such as video gaming and wrestling. For me, therefore, being
told to “behave like a girl” was like a curse.
The more I was told to behave like a girl, the more I felt
as if my individuality had been denied. I also felt as if I waslabeled “not a girl,” because I was unable to behave like a girl.
I was so sick of being told to behave like a girl that I evenwished that I had been born a boy.
One day, when I was studying at university to become ateacher, I met an elementary-school-age child, who was a girlphysically, but who lived her life behaving like a boy. What was
surprising to me was that her classmates accepted her for
who she was quite naturally. No one asked her “Why don’t
you behave like a girl?” She was quite comfortable in theclassroom and all the children enjoyed school life. As I spenttime with them, I learned from them the importance of
creating an environment that allows us to be our true selves,
breaking free from gender stereotypes.
I have been working as a teacher for more than ten
years. Throughout these years, I have always been mindful of
one thing when interacting with children: to accept children as
they are, and not make them conform to stereotypicalimages.
I think if we are to create a society where each person is
accepted for who they are; we should be able to, among
other things, offer opportunities for children to feel the comfort
of being accepted for being who they are. To make myhumble contribution to creating such a society, I will continue
efforts with children towards creating a classroom
environment that allows children to be their true selves.

Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council Newsletter “Kokoro-no-Hibiki” Vol. 39

What I Thought Upon Receipt of Peaches(Second year junior high school student)

Pale-pink fresh peaches arrived again this year. They were sent by
my grandmother who lives in Fukushima Prefecture. Every year, shesends seasonal fruits of Fukushima Prefecture – strawberries,
cherries, apples and grapes. They are all fresh, high-quality andsweet, and taste exceptionally good. She has sent the gift
continuously for 14 years since I was born, except for a few years
during which Fukushima Prefecture was exposed to higher-level
radiation following the nuclear power plant accident triggered by theearthquake.
Today, the decontamination work has made significant
progress, and agricultural products of Fukushima Prefecture havebeen scientifically proven to be safe to eat after strict inspections.
Though export and domestic demands for Fukushima’s agricultural
products have been gradually increasing, many consumers still feel
reluctant to purchase them and some countries have maintained aban on importing them. Fukushima Prefecture is suffering reputational
damage still now. I can see some reason why people doubt the safetyof these products, but their safety is proven based on scientificevidence. Consumers should have a correct understanding of what isgoing on in Fukushima Prefecture, get rid of their prejudices, andpromote and support the reconstruction of Fukushima, I think.
Last autumn, a case of a boy having been bullied in schoolcame to light. The boy was evacuated to Yokohama from Fukushima
after the nuclear power plant accident when he was in the second
year of elementary school, and soon after transferring to a school in
Yokohama, he became the victim of bullying: He was called“bacteria,” subjected to violence, and threatened with demands formoney. In his note, he wrote: “I considered killing myself again andagain, but when I thought of the many people who were killed in theearthquake, I was determined to endure the hardship and live.” Thisboy, who is the same age as I, had to endure the difficulty alone withno one to discuss his problems with. Imagining how painful his days
must have been, I feel very sorry for him and glad that he has survived
the hardship. Though he was in a weak position at school, I think heis strong in mind.
After this case came to surface, similar cases of bullying werereported one after another in various parts of Japan. In some cases,
children who were evacuated from Fukushima Prefecture were told
by classmates “Don’t come near to us and don’t infect us withradiation” or “People of Fukushima are responsible for the explosionof the nuclear power plant.” The idea that radiation is infectious issimply absurd, and only ignorant people can say such nonsense. I am
totally sick of such ignorance. Children who were evacuated from
Fukushima were not to blame for anything. They just happened to livein the area hit by the great earthquake, and they had to leave theirhometown due to the nuclear power plant accident. They must havefelt very uneasy and anxious when starting new lives in unfamiliar
places among unknown people. I can’t understand how anyone
could be so mean to them. Everyone has the right to live a normal life,
but these children were deprived of this right. This is simply
unforgivable.
If we have the correct understanding of facts; accept; respectand empathize with others; and have good self-control, then theworld will be free from bullying and discrimination. I am determined toact that way at all times, especially because cases of bullying anddiscrimination seem to be increasing recently.

Do I Really Want to Have a Child?

(Second-year student on an advanced course at a special support school)
Honestly, I have not been much attracted to the idea of We have an acquaintance with a little child in our
having a child of my own. If I get pregnant, I may want to neighborhood, and whenever my parents see the child, theygive birth, but I don’t think I can raise a child myself. This is gladly speak to the child. They look so happy doing so that
because I am hearing impaired, and the likelihood of my I imagine how glad they would be if I had a child, hopefully achild having the same disability is high. In fact, there is a term healthy child without hearing impairment and any other“deaf family,” which means all the family members being disabilities. While I want to make my parents happy, I don’t
hearing impaired. If my child is hearing impaired, he or she want them to repeat the difficulties they have experienced in
may have to live a hard life and experience difficulties in raising us, and I am torn between these feelings. Am I selfish
obtaining understanding from people without hearing to feel that way?
My mother has always been caring and attentive to us,
impairment, just as I have. If this is the case, I am not sure I
and I want to know what she thinks of us. My mothercan give sufficient support to the child.
On the other hand, what if my child doesn’t have doesn’t have hearing impairment, and she always looks
hearing impairment? How should I explain my disability to squarely at us and patiently speaks to us until wethe child, and how can I make him or her understand my understand what she is saying. She never pities us for our
difficulties? I think there will be a lot of problems in impairment, and she has treated us sometimes strictly andcommunicating with my child. In either case, I suffer from sometimes gently. Whenever I felt sad or frustrated because
anxiety, so I may choose to live my life without having a child. of my impairment, I soon go to my mother and discuss my
But how will my parents feel if I choose a childless life? problem with her and seek her advice.
Thinking of my parents who have raised me and my two
If I should have a child in the future, I want to support
brothers, all with hearing impairments, I feel a bit sorry for my child just as my mother has supported me. So, mom,them if they never have a chance to meet any grandchild. allow me to rely on you for a little while longer.

Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council Newsletter “Kokoro-no-Hibiki” Vol. 39