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Red Cross Tokyo Office starts small to communicate a large global task to a 'peaceful' nation

Making Japan aware of human aid

By CHIHO IUCHI

Staff writer

For more than 150 years, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Geneva-based humanitarian organization, has been protecting human lives and dignity through activities, such as ensuring access to food, water and health care; visiting detainees; and reuniting families, in conflict-torn areas around the world.

Young leaders: (From left) Yoshinobu Nagamine, the head of the ICRC Tokyo Office, Michiko Suzuki, the administrator and chancellery, Hitomi Makabe, the communication officer, and Daisuke Shibasaki, the political officer, make up the team.

The ICRC Tokyo Office opened in February 2009, the first time in 60 years since the organization was active in Japan from 1942 to 1949 during and post-World War II.

"In recent years, the ICRC has focused on Asia and it recognizes that Japan is one of the strategic locations from which to analyze world affairs, rather than looking at things filtered by a Western point of view," said Yoshinobu Nagamine, 32, the head of the Tokyo Office. "Our major mission in Tokyo is to raise awareness of international humanitarian support activities among the larger public in Japan and to strengthen ties with various Japanese institutions, including ministries, the Japanese Red Cross and the media."

Due to his father's job, Nagamine lived abroad most of his life, including in France, the United States and Switzerland, where he learned three languages — German, French and English.

Also, his time in Europe has made him feel close to the countries in conflicts, according to Nagamine. "Actually, many refugees came from Yugoslavia to Switzerland in my youth."

Nagamine's vision to work in human aid fields in developing countries took sharper focus when he was inspired by a lecture by a former delegate of the ICRC, during his student days in Geneva. Several years later, he was accepted as the first Japanese delegate of the ICRC.

Yoshinobu Nagamine, the head of the ICRC Tokyo Office

For the moment, there are only three Japanese among around 1,500 ICRC delegates, half of whom are composed of non-Swiss members, according to Nagamine.

"One of the difficulties for potential Japanese candidates is that English and French abilities are required to pass the employment test," he explained. "We suggested that the ICRC headquarters should omit the French exams for Japanese candidates this year." This resulted in more than 120 applications and hopefully there will be five new Japanese delegates by the end of this year, according to Nagamine.

During his first two years as an ICRC delegate, Nagamine was sent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Afghanistan, where he faced dangers, including the threat of suicide bombers.

"We go through special training in Geneva before being dispatched," said Nagamine. "But of course, the reality is quite different."

After his mission in Afghanistan, Nagamine was assigned to the task of setting up the Tokyo Office. "It is rare within the ICRC to become a country representative at such a young age," said Nagamine. "But I was the only delegate who could speak Japanese at that time. Being supported by talented field officers, I am learning a lot while carrying out our mission."

One such officer, Hitomi Makabe, had been active as a journalist before joining the ICRC Tokyo Office as a communication officer. She studied journalism in the United States from 1989 to 1993 and worked for various media, including an industrial journal, a TV station, a webnews site and a monthly news magazine.

Hitomi Makabe, the communication officer

"Ever since I was impressed by the recorded speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during my studies in the U.S., I have dreamed about conveying such strong messages from a humanitarian organization," said Makabe. "But before sending messages from inside, I wanted to look at things from the outside as a journalist."

According to Makabe, it was just after she visited the International Red Cross and Red Crescent museum in Geneva, that she was told by a friend that the ICRC would open an office in Tokyo. Human networks led her to get a call from Nagamine, who was preparing for the new office.

The two share the difficulties of publicizing ICRC activities in Japan.

"It is not easy to pass on the importance of human aid in a 'peaceful nation' like Japan," said Nagamine.

Makabe talked about the lack of links with the general public as the ICRC is not supported by private sponsorship but by government funds of the member countries of the Geneva Convention. So the targets of ICRC activity reports have been government ministries, politicians, international law scholars and the media, according to her.

"But if we are to involve the Japanese government further as a strategic partner of the ICRC, it is necessary to raise awareness among the Japanese people," Makabe said. "Living in Japan at 'peace' and far from troubled areas, we Japanese, at least, need to be able to imagine what it is like for people who do suffer somewhere in the world."

At the meeting

Makabe adds: "So we are suggesting that ICRC headquarters let us also target the general public. What I can do best is to inform more people about the situations in the conflict-torn areas through our bulletins and websites."

Nagamine, who has dedicated himself to establishing the Tokyo Office for two years, said that he would work again in troubled areas after his term in Tokyo ends.

"Within the job at the ICRC, there are field-based activities, working with people in need, as well as diplomatic missions analyzing international affairs and conveying messages," Nagamine said. "I think it is necessary to approach the task from both sides."

For more information, visit www.jrc.or.jp/ICRC

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