Younes El Shalwi / ICRCNEWSLETTER

Issue No.14

ICRC NEWSLETTER- CONTENTS Column
World Field News
* South Sudan* Iraq1
2

Feature : Regional Media Conference in Manila 4
Historical Relationship between Japan and the ICRC

6The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement* Tuko Pamoja – 'We are Together'* RC/RC Representatives Visit Northeast Japan

7

Updates from ICRC Tokyo* 'OUR WORLD AT WAR' Exhibition Held Again!
* Message from an Intern

8

By Yoshinobu Nagamine
Head of Office
Dear readers,
Never say never. Who would have expectedthat this year would have been such aturbulent one? The Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement was challenged by the enormous
task of dealing with the human consequencesof the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11
March 2011 as well as the array of riots andarmed conflicts which erupted in various Arabcountries known as the "Arab Spring". Morethan ever, the Red Cross has proven to be arelevant humanitarian actor as symbolized
by the Ishinomaki Red Cross hospital whichbecame the city's lifeline after the tsunami, orthe aid delivered to the ravaged city of Misrata,
Libya as shown in the picture above.

NEWSLETTER

However, not many people know of the Red
Cross' diplomatic initiatives aimed at enhancing
humanitarian values and action in times ofnatural disasters and armed conflict. The 31st
International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Conference, which will take place in Geneva
from 28th November to 1st December 2011,is the largest platform for such humanitarian
dialogue to take place. Drawing together
the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
throughout the world, State representatives andthe ICRC, the Conference convenes every four
years to discuss the most pressing humanitarian
issues of concern. This year, protection of
medical missions, the threat of nuclear disasteror legal protection for victims of armed conflictare all timely topics which will be discussed inview of recent events.
Further with regard to diplomatic efforts, theICRC's office in Tokyo recently had the privilege
to organize, together with the Japanese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a roundtable in
Kyoto participated by 14 East and Southeast
Asian countries to discuss aspects relative to theinterpretation and application of the Geneva
Conventions' Additional Protocols of 1977. The
Protocols are a set of rules mostly designed forthe protection of civilians in international andnon-international conflicts. The leadership roleof Japan in encouraging other Asian countries
to become parties to the Additional Protocols
was relevant in light of its own accession tothese legal instruments in 2004.
Next year’s major event is the ICRC’s Donor
Support Group meeting in May 2012 which
will be held in Japan and for the first time inAsia. The meeting will be attended by the mostimportant donors to the ICRC, where they
will discuss concepts and policies related tohumanitarian work. In order to broaden the
ICRC's funding basis, the meeting will also seek
to mobilize new potential donors to contributeto the ICRC. This is not only important for the
stable funding of ICRC operations but any
increased support will also serve to confirm
acceptance of the universal values as enshrinedin humanitarian law. Japan continues to play animportant role in this regard.
Another humanitarian context of interest to
the Japanese public will be South Sudan, notleast because of the impending dispatch of PKO
members to this newly-born country. The ICRC
has been operating in South Sudan since 1986
and its more than 100 staff (recently joined by
one Japanese delegate) continue to assist those
who suffer from the aftermath of conflict. The
ICRC will thus seek to draw attention to thehumanitarian needs of the country and region.
To meet the unexpected, work on two fronts
are needed: assistance and protection activities
under most precarious conditions as well as
diplomatic talk in elegant suits. Both activities
go hand in hand, neither being able to sustain
without the other. Thus, those in the Red Cross
and Red Crescent Movement need to be able to
do both and to be prepared at all times.
Sirte, Lybia.
An ICRC team visited the city to assess the situation.

I. Edelstein / ICRC

Jonglei State, South Sudan. Herders round up their cattle for vaccination of bacterial infections before the beginning of rainy season.

World Field News

Field activities conducted out of 80 operations worldwide

the whole population with limited access todeclared, was overwhelming – you could
The Republic of South Sudan really
health care, education and even drinking water.
sense that history was in the making. I

The Humanitarian Challenges of a New StateIn July 2011, the Republic of South Sudan
became a country in its own right – theyoungest in the world. Daniel Duvillard, head of
ICRC operations in the 'Horn of Africa', speaksof the challenges this momentous event hascreated.

The Potential of the New State and its Challenges
9 July, the day when independence was

The ICRC and South Sudan

The Activities and the History of ICRC in South Sudan

History
The ICRC started working in today's South
Sudan in 1984. In 2010, it increased its presencein the country by reinforcing offices in Wau (tothe north-west) and Malakal (to the north-east)in order to be able to operate more effectively.
To some extent, these facts make it easier for us
to carry out our work in the country.
Most of the members of the current
government are very familiar with the ICRC,
having come across us repeatedly during thelast war. They are, on the whole, positive about2

found it moving to see an entire population
reach out for peace in their country. Sadly,
we have not seen any sign of that peaceyet: the country, especially the border area,
is still plagued with internal conflict. These,
coupled with tribal warfare in the eastern area,
have forced thousands to flee their homes.
Also, there are tens of thousands of South
Sudanese who, recently returned from thenorth, now need help starting a new life. In
addition, public services are lacking, leaving

Humanitarian organizations have an importantrole to play at this time, as the new government
is not yet at a point where it can completely
fulfil its responsibilities in this regard. There aremany such organizations operating in South
Sudan – over 130 working in health care alone,
and more or less the same number again
working in the water sector. The population
is familiar with them, but I think people havehigher expectations of the government. The
government, meanwhile, has limited capacities

our work and are very grateful for all we did atthat time, particularly in terms of health care.
They remember our hospitals, such as the one in
Lokichokio, north-east Kenya, where we treatedthe injuries of various Sudan People's Liberation
Army (SPLA) members. As a result, we have noneed to lay new foundations, but the natureof our relationship with the government will
nonetheless have to change somewhat. Since
its members were the leaders of what once wasthe armed opposition, we will perhaps need toremind it of its increased obligations towards
the South Sudanese population.

household items, tools and seed; ensuring
access to clean water, caring for the sickand wounded, and providing rehabilitation
services for disabled people. The organization
also reunites family members separated byviolence and promotes respect for international
humanitarian law, including training for the
SPLA. Furthermore, the ICRC is helping to build
up the capabilities of the newly establishedSouth Sudan Red Cross and will continue toprovide support, to develop a partnership foraddressing humanitarian needs.

Current activities
The ICRC continues to promote the protectionof civilians, preserving livelihoods by supplying

The ICRC in South Sudan currently has around220 staff working in the country, including
delegation in Juba, and two offices in Wau andMalakal.

Both Emergency and Long-term Aid Are Needed
The ICRC will continue to work mainly within
the scope of its mandate, which is to respondas quickly and as effectively as possible topressing needs brought on by armed conflictand other situations of violence. We now havea permanent presence at Malakal hospital andin addition, we have put together a surgicalteam that can work as a mobile unit, taking its

Iraq

The ICRC Delivering More Aid Where It Is Needed Most

While the security situation in Iraq has slowly
but steadily improved, there are many
humanitarian needs that still have to be met.
The ICRC has been improving its ability to do so,and Iraq is its second largest operation. Magne
Barth, the outgoing head of the ICRC delegationin Iraq, explains the situation.
"The level of violence linked to the conflict isslowly decreasing, but its cost remains highin terms of civilian casualties. Meanwhile, thepolitical process is still facing a lot of obstacles.
The ICRC is expanding its humanitarian activities
cautiously but deliberately. Our priority at the
ICRC is to remain focussed on the areas andpeople most affected by the conflict and otherviolence. Furthermore, our work in behalf ofdetainees will continue to focus on conditionsof detention and issues of treatment."
The issue of missing persons also continues toservices wherever needed. The team recently
joined forces with Médécins Sans Frontières totreat dozens of people who had been injured ina string of particularly bloody attacks in Jonglei
state, the eastern part of South Sudan.
Obviously, we have to think of the long term
too. We are already running a number of small
programmes to support food production, suchas distributions of seed and farming tools, andcattle vaccinations.

ThailandThailand has experienced its worst floods
in decades, with more than two-thirds ofthe country affected. The ICRC has assisted
30,000 prisoners, providing them with muchneeded supplies and is also working withthe prison authorities to help evacuateddetainees let their relatives know where theyare.

As a country in its own right, South Sudan
can now join international treaties. The ICRC,
as an organization relating to international
humanitarian law, will help the new government
to sign up.

be one of priorities. More than 20 years after
the end of the Gulf War, hundreds of families
are still waiting for news of their loved ones.
The Tripartite Commission decided to further
strengthen the process of gathering informationon the possible location of burial sites. They
agreed on the need to establish a concrete planof action concerning future excavations in both
Iraq and Kuwait.
As he leaves Iraq after two years, he concludes
ICRC's work in Iraq as follows. "As the country
develops its great economic potential, theICRC has scaled back and focused its assistanceservices. Nevertheless, we will continue toreach out to vulnerable groups and areas, andto provide the authorities with technical advice
on how essential services can be improved.
Dialogue with the various authorities is goodand continues to develop. Being present on the
ground is necessary to be able to help efficiently.
The contex t is complex and sometimes
dangerous owing to the armed conflict andother violence. Nonetheless, it is still possible tocarry out humanitarian activities there."

ICRC

and probably expects more support fromhumanitarian organizations. I believe thegovernment must create a framework within
which these organizations can operate. The
organizations, in turn, must make sure theiractivities are helping to build the capacities of
the new State.

Thailand. Delivering dry foods, torches and antimosquito sprays with Thai Red Cross Society.

Israel
On 18 October, an Israeli soldier who wasbeen detained in Gaza and 477 Palestinians
who have been captured in Israeli placesof detention were all released. The ICRC
welcomes the event and at the same time,
it regrets that repeated requests made overthe past five years for access to Israeli soldier
were uniformly rejected and that hundredsof families of Palestinians from Gaza held in
Israeli places of detention were prevented
from visiting their detained relatives.

Libya
On 22 November, the ICRC and the Libyan
Red Crescent Society have launched a threeweek radio campaign to raise awarenessof the risks of explosive remnants of war
among the population. With the situation
seriously contaminated by such devices,dozens of civilians have been killed or
maimed in October.

Central African Republic
The ICRC has brought aid to around athousand families who were seriously
affected by the clashes between two armed
groups in the city of Bria in September.
In partnership with the Central African
Red Cross Society, the ICRC is distributing
essential items, chlorinating some 50 wells,
and is now repairing seven water pumps asof 10 November.

Ed Ou / Getty Images

Colombia
In the afternoon of 17 October, a 10-year-old
girl was handed over to the ICRC in a ruralpart of Arauca department, after 18 days incaptivity. The ICRC was requested by both
the girl's family and the armed abductors totake part in the release operation.

Kirkuk, Iraq. A woman feeds a cow that was donated to her by the ICRC as a micro-economic initiatives programme. During a picnic near the Iranian border in 2001, she stepped on a landmine and lost a leg.
3Regional Media Conference for Southeast and East Asia

Feature "Reporting on Violence and Emergencies", October 2011, Manila

F. Escuredo / ICRC

putting forward the importance of having sucha support system in the organization. Regarding
social media such as Twitter or Facebook, manyof the participants said "It takes much time toconfirm and report the information; meanwhilepeople can easily and rapidly upload it throughthe internet." Recognizing the threat of the 'new
media', the journalists present highlighted the
difficulties of maintaining influence, as well as
struggling between reliability and promptnessof news.

50 journalists from major media of 9 countries in the Asia and Pacific region gathered in Manila

The media, which has the power to influence
key stakeholders, also has a role to play inaddressing humanitarian concerns in society.
Between 13th to 14th October 2011, theICRC held a conference in Manila, the capitalof the Philippines, inviting 50 senior media
professionals from nine countries in the Asia
and Pacific Region. The participants discussed
reports covering conflict or disaster areas andthe role of the media during humanitariancrises.
The conference consisted of three sessions, eachfeaturing the following panel presentations on

experiences during dangerous assignments oron specific issues, followed by discussions by allparticipants.
Panel 1 featured animated discussions on
responsible and ethical reporting by the media.
Some participants raised how important it
was for the media to recognize the impact it
has on society: "Sensational reports from themedia can sometimes worsen the situation".
"To avoid such problems, it is necessary to
work as a team which will organize, validate
and research the information that the reporter
had obtained from the field," said participants,

The Manila Declarationwww.jrc.or.jp/ICRC→

Events and Seminars→

The Manila Declaration

Panel 2 focused on coverage of children andvictims of conflicts and 'the facts which are
not reported.' Some participants pointed out
the problem of today's journalism: "In termsof value of the news, we should look into
the problems hidden behind it in addition to
figures and situations." Others appealed for thenecessity of forming standards/guidelines onreporting about children, since journalists havea mandate as a mouthpiece of the 'voiceless'and therefore have an opportunity to appeal
for the rights of children.
The theme of the last panel was the protection
and safety of journalists, and reporting under
threat of radioactive contamination andbiohazards. A panelist from Japan, Hidetoshi
Fujisawa, the Senior Chief Correspondent of
NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation, presented
a summary of journalism concerning the tragicearthquake which hit Japan. "The media wascriticized for reporting the facts received fromthe Tokyo Electric Power Company and thegovernment just as it was. It was true that we
had no other independent reliable source of
information. In addition, there was no one who
could explain what was going on in the atomic
reactor of the nuclear power station at thattime." He continued, "With this in mind, it isessential to train journalists with the expertiseto translate technical terms spoken by experts
into understandable terms for the population."
Speaking about the safety of journalists, heshowed the dilemma for the media to keep thebalance of ensuring the safety of reporters andresponding to the expectations of the public
in wanting for more information. He suggested
to share information on reporting during
dangerous assignments no matter which media
they belong to, and to establish some sort oftraining for journalists, including those working
freelance. He requested the ICRC to facilitate
this kind of information sharing among all
media organizations.
The Regional Media Conference for Southeast
and E as t A sia ende d w i th the 'M anila
Declaration' signed by all the participants (seethe original text on the left).

4Voices from the Japanese participants
Senior Chief Correspondent,
NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation
The most important thing in reporting on natural
disasters is to save peoples' lives and to minimize
its impact as much as possible through news,
especially by breaking news. In order to achieve
that, I would like to reinforce the importanceof everyday training in reporting on disasters,
assuming various scenarios possible. Anotherpoint I wanted to emphasize is that we should
put priority on the safety of the reporter, since
we can not accomplish the mission of reporting
without ensuring his/her safety. Confirming
the importance of awareness and training forjournalists in case of a mission in dangerous
areas and noting the same recognition among
the media and humanitarian organizations, madethe Manila Conference fruitful.

However, their objectives are not the same.
Relief workers must support people in need.
Journalists must report the situation of conflicts
and disasters." It reminded me that each group
has its own role and both of them can help thevictims either directly or indirectly by achieving
their objectives. In that regard, it would be easy
for relief organizations such as the Red Cross
and the media to establish partnerships andtherefore it indeed can be said that 'They are on
the same ship.'
Another address which stood out in my memory
was from a journalist from Al Jazeera English.
She said that we should not take the new media
as our competitor, but something which helps
to develop our own observation skills. I am inagreement with her positive stance towards
the coexistence of the new media and us. The
keywords are 'competition' and 'cooperation.'

The words from Mr. Phillipe Stoll of the ICRC
impressed me a lot; "During disasters, relief
workers and journalists share the same ship.

As a journalist who has been involved in foreign
affairs reporting for a long time, I consider two
points essential when reporting on humanitarian

Yoshinori FUKUSHIMA,

being done in other Asian countries.

Deputy Foreign News Editor,
Mainichi Shimbun
Journalism in Asia, specifically in terms of wars
and conflicts, can present us with a point ofview different from that of the West, whichtends to be self-righteous. On the other hand,
the willingness to monitor or investigate theauthorities is fairly low in Asia, compared to theWestern or Israeli media. This may be becauseof the Asian cultural tradition of respecting
harmony.
How can we achieve a balance between
the responsibility of the media to report on
situations of conflicts and natural disasters,
and the avoidance of unexpected risks anddangers? This was my major concern to discusswith colleagues from various countries in Asia.
Mainichi-Shimbun, which I work for, prepares ahandbook for reporters assigned to cover areasof wars, conflicts, nuclear power plant accidents
and earthquakes. I also wanted to know what isissues in conflict areas around the world, andwhich are relevant to Japan. One is 'sympathy'
as a human being. We should not be selfish; weshould have sympathy and think of others as if itwere our own problem. The other point I would
like to express is the awareness that all things
and all people are inter-related in the global
world. A humanitarian crisis in any country is not
only their internal problem. To raise awarenessthat such a crisis can economically, politically, andsocially affect surrounding countries, or even thewhole world, is a significant role for the media.

I was in sympathy with an Indonesian reporter,
who related instances where reporters havebeen attacked in conflict areas because of theirreligion. I also had such experiences in Iraq andPalestine. This is because the risk in the field candepend on the nationality or the ethnicity ofreporters. Though I understand it is challenging,the issue of how respective countries view
foreign politics carries risks for journalists in thefield of conflicts, and thus should be watched
continuously. At the group discussion, I asked,
rather provocatively, if there are any wars which
are worth reporting on at the risk of journalists'
lives. The answer I got from an Australianjournalist who has rich experience in reportingon wars impressed me: "The journalist must staysafe in any situation. He can never accomplish
his mission to report if he dies."
In the Manila Declaration, the need for media
to maintain its neutrality and transparency
in reporting on wars, conflicts and natural

Hotline for Journalists

ICRC

Hidetoshi FUJISAWA,

Mr. Fujisawa introducing reports on the Great East Japan Earthquake

disasters was reinforced. It was good that we
could discuss the importance of focusing on
the victims and those who are most vulnerable.
I learned a lot in terms of the guidelines
prepared by the respective countries in caseof missions to conflict or disaster-affectedareas, and that they differ depending on the
country. I was deeply impressed by the factthat in Australia, they have a national guideline
based on frameworks put forward by various
media companies. Since in any country there
is a potential risk that competition amongst
national media organizations might result in
lower priority given to the safety of journalists, I
hope that we in Japan can learn from this.
- Mr. Fukushima went to the Democratic
Republic of Congo af ter the Manila
Conference, and reported on humanitariancrisis and activities of the ICRC in the country.
The interview related to the mission in DRC is
on page 8.

The ICRC operates a hotline enabling journalists, theirfamilies and the media organizations they work for.

ICRC

Tel : +41 79 217 32 85 (24 hours/day) / E-mail : press@icrc.org

Mr. Fukushima talking on the coexistence of traditional with social media and lessons learned from the earthquake

What the ICRC can do
Disappearance : seek to obtain information from the parties to the conflict and any other source.
Captivity or detention : request permission for an ICRC delegate to visit the journalist, accompanied by adoctor if necessary. Once the detaining authorities have confirmed the journalist’s capture, arrest or death,pass the information on to his/her family. The ICRC can also pass on the information to the authorities oforigin and press association(s) concerned, but only if the family agrees.
When the journalist is released : repatriate him/her if no other intermediary is available.

5Historical Relationship between Japan and the ICRC
A new historical series about Japan-ICRC relationship

The Japanese government allowed Dr. Fritz
Paravicini, who was the Head of the ICRC
delegation in Japan, to visit detention facilities.
Preparing for the visit of Paravicini, the JapaneseArmy and the Japanese Red Cross Society
developed a reception manual, which showeda highly cooperative attitude of the Japaneseside. In those days, the top diplomatic priority
for the Japanese government was to request
major western powers to abolish unequal
treaties with the country. Japan was therefore
keen to be seen as a "civilized country", acountry equal to the Western major powers.
For that reason, Japan’s effort in treating POWs
in a humanitarian way in accordance with theHague Conventions can be regarded as a wayof showing the Western great powers thatJapan had become a civilized country, meetinginternational standards.

Treating POWs as human being
Surprisingly, the German POWs received theirwages from the Japanese government. This was
based on an international treaty requiring thatthe country which captured POWs is required
to provide the soldiers with wages equivalent
to what is usually paid in that country basedon their ranks. For example, a German captainwould receive the same wage as a Japanesecaptain did. However, for the lower ranking
soldiers who were paid much less, it was difficult

activities, a variety of activities were carriedout such as making whisky, brandy, and soaps,
printing, constructing bridges, farming westernvegetables and dying clothes.

The first international friendly
soccer game in Japan
In some detention facilities, the POWs wereallowed to play sports such as track and field,
swimming and, most noteworthy, soccer.
Although soccer was not a popular sport at thetime, the first international friendly match washeld rather unexpectedly between German
POWs and a Japanese team. In January 1919,
the German prisoners’ soccer team in Ninoshimadetention facility in Hiroshima prefecture held
the first international friendship match against
the Japanese team, which was composed of
students from several high schools and juniorhigh schools. The result was “the complete
victory of the German prisoners" team that did
not allow the Japanese students' team to makeeven a goal.

POWs in Bando detention playing the symphony

The first Symphony No.9 performance
took place in a detention facility
With permission by each head of detention,
POWs conducted a variety of cultural activities.
Among many episodes of cultural exchange
between POWs and local people in Japan, oneof the most popular one is the first performanceof Beethoven's Symphony No.9 and Symphony
No.5 in Japan, which took place in the Bandou
detention facility in Tokushima. This event
was later made into the movie "Baruto no
Rakuen", telling how POWs lived their life in thedetention.

In the Ninoshima detention facility, soccer
grew so popular that even a second team wasfounded. As written in the preceding issue, Karl
Juchheim, the founder of Juchheim Co., Ltd
which now has many branches in Japan, wasalso a keeper of a soccer team in the detention
facility where he was detained.
End

Music activities were also popular in the
Kurume detention facility in Fukuoka. The"Symphony Orchester", which consisted of 40
members held a regular concert every month,
totaling in 41 performances. Other than music

JRCS

As written in the last newsletter, in the timeof World War 1, there were approximately
5,000 prisoners of war (POWs), which weremainly composed of German soldiers. They
were placed in detention centers throughout
Japan. According to the report of the time, thecondition of detention facilities in Japan was
relatively well and prisoners were given a wide
range of freedom.

to buy even the essential goods for life. They
thus heavily depended on money and valuablesfrom their relatives and friends back home, forwhich the ICRC played a vital role in transfer.
The goods collected by the ICRC’s Central
Agency for POWs in Geneva were then sent to
The Committee for POWs established by theJapanese Red Cross Society, and to the POWs
through the cooperation with the JapaneseImperial Information Office of POWs. With
this financial support from their families andfriends abroad, soldiers could buy alcohol andcigarettes and enjoy them with other prisoners.

DIJ

Treatment of POWs in Japan
during World War I

A monument placed at the site of Bando detention shows the presence of the Red Cross
Reference : Compiled and Translated by Shiro Okawa "Oubeijin Horyo to Sekijuji Katsudo – Paravicini Hakase no Fukken" Ronso-sha. 2005
Takehiko Seto "Chintao kara kita Heishitachi – Daiichiji Sekaitaisen to Doitsuhei Furyo no Jitsuzo" Dogaku-sha. 2006
Hiroshi Tomita "Bando Furyo Shuyojo – Nichidoku Senso to Zainichi Doitsu Furyo" Hosei University Press. 1991 Tadamasa Fukiura "Horyo no Bunmeishi" Shincho-sensho. 1990
Shoichiro Yokota "Daiku 'Hajimete' Monogatari" Sakuhoku-sha. 2002 Nippon Sekijujisha Kikanshi "Hakuai" No.331 December, 1914 Nippon Sekijujisha Kikanshi "Hakuai" No.392 December, 1919
1863 E stablishment of the International Committee forRelief to the Wounded1877 t he battles of the Southwestern Rebellion
Establishment of Philanthropic Society

1864 Signing on the First Geneva Convention

1886 S igning of the Secomd Geneva Convention

1867 The first Red Cross International Conference Paris

1887 Renamed JRCS Joined in ICRC

1941 the Pacific War
1942 E stablishment of representative office of ICRC in
Japan

World Expo

1894 Japanese-Sino War

1871 Iwakura Mission

1904 Japanese-Russo War

1873 V ienna World Expo Meeting of Iwakura Mission

1914 World War 1

1949 Establishment of Four Geneva Conventions

and Moynier, the Chairman of the International

1919 Establishment of IFRC

1953 Accedence of Japan to four Geneva Conventions

Committee for Relief to the Wounded.

1920 Three JRCS nurses receive prized Nightingale

1977 Establishment of two Protocols

1876 R enamed the International Committee of Red
Cross

Medal
1931 Manchurian Incident
1937 Sino-Japanese War

6

1939 World War 2

1945 A tomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki War’send2004 Accedence of Japan to two Protocols
2009 Establishment of Japan Office of ICRCThe Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
Activities of/with the Japanese Red Cross Society & the International Federation of RC/RC

the situation was no less serious even though
the Tana river flows through it. The water was
hardly used due to the lack of agriculturalexperience amongst the local population, mostof whom are nomads. In addition, the river ishome to crocodiles. To address this problem,
Kenya Red Cross Society has implemented a
mid-long term project where the river is used
for irrigation in addition to agricultural training
provided for the residents. The result has been
greening of the desert, i.e. repeated harvests ofbananas, papayas, tomatoes and green peppers.

"It is important that the people themselves take charge to make a change in the community," a JRC staff says.

Tuko Pamoja – 'We are Together'In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake
which occurred in March 2011, some ten billion
yen from countries around the world was sent
to the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) for
its relief fund. Reconstruction activities in theaffected areas have now begun.
However, there are many people worldwide
who remain affected by conflicts or continue
to live with little hope because of disasters,
poverty and the like. 'The Overseas Helping
Hand campaign', which was launched in 1983
by NHK and the JRCS, believes that it is now ourturn to portray our heartfelt support by taking
action. In 2011, the campaign started on 1st
December, ending on the 25th the same month.
NHK was in Kenya, which is one of the receiving
countries, in order to report how the funds
raised by the campaign were used.

Greening of the Desert
In eastern Africa, it has hardly rained since theend of 2010 and the region is suffering its worst
drought in 60 years. In the Garissa district, some
six hours away by car from the capital Nairobi,

Red Cross and Red Crescent Representatives Visit Northeast Japan"We are glad if our support has helped you."Around 25 representatives of international Red
Cross and Red Crescent (RCRC) Societies visited
Japan at the end of October. The objective wasto assess the reconstruction activities of the
JRCS in devastated areas, a large part of which
had benefited from the relief aid donated byforeign countries through the RCRC Movement.
Visits were made to several devastated areas
in Iwate Prefecture, Northeast Japan, after abriefing on the overall activities of the JRCS.

How is Your Work?
The RCR C representatives also had an
oppor tunity to par ticipate in a 'Nordic
Walking' event held on 1st November near the

temporary housing area in Miyako city, Iwate
prefecture. Organised by JRCS volunteers, thisevent provided an opportunity for the residents
to get to know each other as well as enhancetheir health. "Nordic Walking gets people tostretch and also relaxes them. With happy
smiles on their face, people can gain the power
to make a step forward", explained Mr. Fujita,
who took on the role of an instructor.
After the event, one of the participants
invited the representatives to her temporary
house. There they discussed the current living
conditions, such as what life is like in temporary
housing, and also situations of employment.

Despite the fact that people take droughts andfloods nothing unusual, the understanding ofhealthcare and hygiene are surely rooted in theregion thanks to IHOP. The fund from Japan isthus used for these disaster affected people andhealthcare assistance, as well as for the people
affected by the armed conflicts.

The RCRC representatives noted how touched
the residents were by the JRCS's activities andinterest, and said that they would share theirexperiences with others in their respective
countries who had contributed to the relief
fund.

JRCS

JRCS

Healthcare Roots in the Region
In Garba Tulla District, 500km north-east of
Nairobi, the whole land is so dry that it is almost
desert-like. Coupled with inadequate healthcare
services, the mortality of children under five
years old is 30 times as high as that of Japan. A
JRCS project called 'Integrated Health Outreach
Project (IHOP)' was launched to redress thissituation by improving the healthcare systemand standards of hygiene in the region. At thesame time, training for healthcare workers
was initiated in line with the focus to build
local capacity. 87 healthcare workers and Red
Cross volunteers have already undergone thistraining. In fact, through IHOP, JRCS has been
sending staff to this area since August 2008.

RCRC representatives participating in the 'Nordic Walking'7

Updates
From
ICRC Tokyo

The ICRC's photo exhibition entitled 'OUR
WORLD AT WAR', held in 2009 to commemorate
the 150th anniversary of the Red Cross, will
be put on display again hosted by the JRCS
Kanagawa Chapter. The exhibition is a collectionof 40 photographs taken by five cameramen,
focusing on the ICRC's humanitarian activities
in areas of armed conflict. Eight countries
were featured (Afghanistan, Colombia, theDemocratic Republic of Congo, Georgia,
Lebanon, Liberia, Haiti and the Philippines).
These photos are meant as reminders that there
are unceasing conflicts still in the world andthat, even in such circumstances, there exists
untiring efforts to help people in anguish.

Interview with Mr. Fukushima continued
from page 5
Q: Right after the Manila Conference, you went
to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) andcovered the humanitarian issues in the country.
A: What made a significant impression onme the most was meeting those who had
been raped presumably by the armed forces.
Such crimes were committed to terrorise theresidents and demonstrate power. The victims
were traumatized, especially those who became
infected with AIDS through the rapes, forcing
them to abandon and leave their hometown.
I felt that the ICRC’s activities are regarded highly
and that the ICRC delegates are accepted by the
local community as being trustworthy. The main
reason for this seems to me that the ICRC strictly
keeps to its neutral stance.
Q: What can Japan contribute to the DRC?

OUR WORLD AT WAR - People to survive War
Date :
20th Dec (Tue) - 26th (Mon)Time :
11:00-19:00 (open 12:00 on the 1st day, close 17:00 on last day)
Venue :
M
 inato Mirai Gallery A and C (Queens Square Yokohama, Queen Moll, 2F)
Admission :Free
Organizer and Contact :		Japanese Red Cross Society Kanagawa Chapter		
Tel: 045-681-2123
		
http://www.kanagawa.jrc.or.jp/

the conflict areas such as the ICRC. The activities
could be limited to 'support and care' for the
residents in anguish and not directly focusing on
the main factors of conflicts, although this is a
responsibility for all the international community
to tackle. On this point, Japan’s support could
be related to its specialties such as training of
local police officers.
It’s understandable for Japanese to become
inward-look ing rather than to consider
humanitarian risks abroad when they feel
uncertainty in their own lives. In order to attract
people’s attention in Japan, it is necessary toshow the relation between each humanitarian
issue and Japan/Japanese. When we consider
how important it is for Japan, with its limited
natural resources, to build a good relationshipwith the richly-endowed DRC, especially during
times of emergency, it is natural to come up
with the idea that we need to solve the problem
in the DRC urgently. From the viewpoint ofInternational Humanitarian Law, it is also
important that Japanese never allow any humanrights violations among the parties to a conflict.

Message from an intern
Hello, I’m Yamanaka, a communication intern at
the Tokyo Office. I would like to provide a little
information about the general tasks of interns.
At present, six interns are working in the Tokyo
Office in fields of communication, researchand translation. Each Intern’s position varies
from college students and business people
to retirees. As a communication intern, I was
involved in the production of this newsletter.
The Tokyo Office often receives visitors fromthe head office in Geneva and the regionaldelegation in Kuala Lumpur. I now havevaluable experience what it is like to work in aninternational organization. I hope to continue
to contribute towards international cooperation
by making use of this experience in the ICRCTokyo Office.

Mr. Fukushima’s report on DRC was serialized
for 3 days, 29th November to 1st December inthe morning edition of Mainichi-Shinbun.
ICRC

A: There may be more ways to support womenand children, who are the worst victims affectedby conflicts. I think Japan should consider
increasing its operations through strengthening
cooperation with the organizations working in

Ron Haviv / VII'OUR WORLD AT WAR'
EXHIBITION HELD AGAIN!

ICRC Tokyo Office
Toranomon40MT Bldg. 6F, 5-13-1 Toranomon
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001 Japan
TEL : +81(0)3-6459-0750 / FAX : +81(0)3-6459-0751
Website : http://www.jrc.or.jp/ICRC/

Preparation for events and sending out newsletters arealso part of the interns' tasks.