This paper was written to describe the human rights education programs of the Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Research Institute for the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Human Rights Education in Bangkok from November 10-12. This paper is accompanied by two additional materials for the explanation of the Buraku issues and complementary paper by Ms. Mariko Akuzawa, who is going to attend the meeting as our representative.
1. Foreword
When one looks at the current situation of human rights in Japan and the world at the beginning of the 21st Century, one notices that the expectation on human rights education is extremely high.
The Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Research Institute (BLHRRI), which was established in August 1968 in Osaka, Japan, has conducted activities in many areas. Its activities emphasize Dowa education (n. 1), raising awareness on Buraku issues, and human rights education and human rights awareness-raising.
This paper attempts to give an outline on our efforts and our future challenges. Two additional materials for the explanation of the Buraku issues and complementary paper by Ms. Mariko Akuzawa accompany this paper.
(n.1) Dowa education is an administrative term for education for the purpose of eliminating discrimination against Buraku people. It aims at ensuring the right to education for children in Buraku communities, and promotion of the correct understanding of the Buraku issue.
The term Dowa literally consists of two Chinese characters. One means “same” and the other means “harmony”. It therefore began to be used to foster harmony between Buraku people and non-Buraku people. “Dowa” has been widely used as official government term to refer to administrative policies and services related to Buraku issues.
2. Introduction of the Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Research Institute (n.2)
(1) History
The Institute was established in August 1968, in Osaka, Japan as a research body for the elimination of all discrimination, particularly those against Buraku people, and the establishment of human rights. Leaders of the Buraku liberation movement, researchers on Buraku issues, people in the local governments who had been involved in the efforts to solve the Buraku issues participated in its establishment.
It started as a voluntary organization, but in December 1974, it became an incorporated body under the jurisdiction of the Osaka Prefecture Education Committee.
As of end March 2002, it has 808 individual members and 422 organizational members.
Professor Sueo Murakoshi, Honorary Professor of Osaka City University is the President, Kenzo Tomonaga(Institute staff) is the Director, and the Institute has a staff of 20.
It maintains friendly relations with organizations such as Buraku Liberation League, International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), and the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center (HURIGHTS OSAKA).
(n.2) For a brief introduction, relatively comprehensive information, and much more information of the BLHRRI, see Appendix 1, Additional Material 1 and 2, and the website of the BLHRRI (http://blhrri.org/index_e.htm) respectively.
(2) Main Activities
The following is the 6 main areas of activities of BLHRRI
- Investigation and Research
Study groups and project teams are set up for each areas, such as history, current situations, education, awareness-raising, administration, activism, and theories, to continue investigation, research and policy proposal activities. The outcome of these are published in the “Buraku Kaiho Kenkyu”(bimonthly publication) and reports.
- Collection and Provision of Books/Materials
Books and materials on all forms of discrimination including Buraku issues are collected to be provided to the broad public, including Osaka Prefecture residents. The number of books/materials is at present approximately 100,000.
- Organization of Study Courses, Human Resource Development
Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Lecture Courses (4 times annually), Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Summer Courses, Human Rights Awareness-Raising Research Meetings, Human Rights and Dowa Issues Lecture Courses for People Working for Corporations (once annually each) are organized to develop leaders in various fields. The Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Lecture Course is held for people in local governments and companies working in Buraku and human rights issues, as well as Buraku liberation activists. The Course will be in its 30th year in 2004, and has had a total of 3,000 participants.
- Editing/ Sales of Publications, Production/ Sales of Videos
Monthly magazine, “Human Rights” (10,000 issues), “Human Rights Yearbook,” and other books (approximately 10 per year) are edited and published. A video teaching material on Buraku and human rights issues is produced each year.
- International Exchange
A bimonthly newsletter in English (Buraku Liberation News) is issued. We also maintain links with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNESCO, Gyeongsang National University in South Korea, State Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China, and the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN).
- Public Relations
“Kenkyusho Tsushin (Institute Communications)” is issued monthly for members, to report mainly on our research activities. We also set up a website to introduce our overall activities regularly. The website, http://blhrri.org includes sites in English.
3. The UN Decade for Human Rights Education and the Institute
The Institute considers the UN Decade for Human Rights Education as being extremely significant, and has taken following initiatives pursuant to the Decade. In particular, in September 2000, which was the mid-term for the Decade, we drafted our own plan of action, and have continued our efforts to put it into effect.
The main activities are as follows.
(1) Investigation and Research
- Project Meetings on Human Rights Education and Human Rights Awareness-Raising
We established a human rights education and human rights awareness-raising project team within the whole Institute, and continued research and studies on topics of importance. (21 meetings have been held since May 1997 to October 2003.) It has approximately 20 members consisting of researchers, teachers, local government staff, grass roots human rights education activists. It has drafted a human rights education and human rights awareness-raising promotion law as well as initiated proposal activities on the need for a second UN Decade based on the evaluation of the first Decade.
- Feature in the journal “Buraku Kaiho Kenkyu”
Our bimonthly journal “Buraku Kaiho Kenkyu” has taken up the UN Decade from an expert point of view to introduce the Decade, as well as assess and clarify the issues involved.
- Introduction in the “Human Rights Yearbook”
In the “Human Rights Yearbook” published annually, the trends and activities in the year under the UN Decade is introduced and analyzed. It introduces for example, that as of end March 2002, not only the national level, but 39 prefectures out of 47, and 500 cities, towns and villages out of 3200 at the local level have established promotion headquarters under the UN Decade and adopted their plans of action.
It also reports on the human rights situation of minorities, which is one of the focus issues under the UN Decade. These include not just people of Buraku descent, but women, children, children born of unmarried parents, elderly, people with disabilities, people in Okinawa, Ainu people, migrant workers and their families, HIV positive people, people with Hansen’s disease, people detained under criminal procedures, human rights violations in immigration detention centers, suspects under criminal procedures, sexual minorities, homeless people, and resident Koreans.
(2) Collection and Provision of Books/Materials
- Collection of Related Books/Materials
We systematically collect books and materials related to the UN Decade.
- Creation of a Special Exhibition Corner
A corner of the Library is set aside for books/ materials related to the UN Decade for public perusal.
- Creation of a Catalogue
A catalogue of books/ materials related to the Decade was compiled and introduced in our publications and website.
(3) Organization of Courses/ Human Resource Development
- Including the Decade in the Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Lecture Course
Lectures on the “Significance and Challenges of the UN Decade for Human Rights Education” are included in the Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Lecture Courses.
- Including the Decade in the Topics of Human Rights Awareness-Raising Research Meetings and Working Groups
The Decade is selected as one of the topics of the Human Rights Awareness-Raising Research Meeting held annually, with 3,000 participants from all over the country.
- Including the Decade in the Topics for Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Summer Course
The Decade is selected as one of the topics for the Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Summer Course held annually, with 2,000 participants from the Kinki area.
(4) Editing/ Sales of Publications, Production/ Sales of Videos
- Editing/ Sales of Books, Booklets
Collection of materials and books related the UN Decade are edited and published.
- Feature in Monthly Magazine “Human Rights”
The Decade is taken up systematically in the monthly magazine “Human Rights.”
(5) International Exchange
- Systematic Translation and Publication of UN and other Documents
UN resolutions and plans of action related to the UN Decade is translated into Japanese and published.
- Organization of Study Meetings and other Events with Overseas Guests Including Those from the UN (in cooperation with other organizations)
On the occasion of the Human Rights Week in December, study meetings and lectures are held with overseas and UN guests. This initiative is done in cooperation with the Osaka Liaison Conference for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (n.3), of which the Institute acts as the Secretariat. For example, in November 1998, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration, we organized an Asia-Pacific Human Rights Education Conference and adopted the Osaka Declaration (n.4).
(n.3) For a brief introduction of the Osaka Liaison Conference for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights see Appendix 2.
(n.4) For the Osaka Declaration adopted in November 1998 see Appendix 3.
4. Results and Future Challenges
(1) Results
- We have been able to introduce the UN Decade systematically and to urge various actors including local governments to take initiative under the Decade.
- The Law on the Promotion of Human Rights Education and Human Rights Awareness-Raising (n. 5) was adopted in December 2000, and we were able to conduct studies and make policy proposals during its drafting. We also made critical analysis of the national Basic Plan, as well as its annual report and issue proposals.
- Taking into account the efforts made in Japan for Dowa education and awareness- raising on Buraku issues, as well as learning from the human rights education advocated by the UN, we were able to begin creating human rights education and human rights awareness-raising in Japan.
(n.5) For the Law on the Promotion of Human Rights Education and Human Rights Awareness Raising see Appendix 4.
(2) Future Challenges
- Strengthening lobbying the Japanese government, the UN and others for the second Decade for Human Rights Education, taking into account the evaluation of the first Decade.
- Strengthening efforts so that initiatives will be taken related to the Decade in Japan and in other places in the world, in all places and all areas.(Filling in the vacuums)
- Strengthening efforts to contribute to the promotion of human rights education among people working with public authority. Training material and curriculum creation and development for that purpose is necessary.
- Strengthening efforts to contribute to the promotion of human rights education at the grass roots level.
- Strengthening efforts to contribute to the promotion of human rights education in private companies, religious organizations and the media.
- Strengthening efforts related to human rights education to combat specific discrimination and human rights violation.
- Strengthening efforts to develop human rights education into creating communities which respect human rights.
- Studying and issuing policy proposals to clarify the relation between Dowa education and awareness raising on Dowa issues and human rights education and awareness raising.
- Evaluation of the first plan of action and elaboration of the second plan of action by the Institute. (The first draft of the second plan of action has been submitted to the Institute Board Meeting held on October 19 this year. It should be finalized this December.)
5. In Closing
On December 10 and 11 this year, the Osaka Assembly for the 55th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Osaka Symposium will be held. (n.6)
The Assembly and Symposium are organized by the Osaka Liaison Conference for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and its main objective is to raise public opinion for a second UN Decade for Human Rights Education taking into account the first Decade.
Four guests from overseas as well as others from Japan will be invited, and the Institute, acting as its Secretariat is committed to do everything to make the events a success.
(n.6) For the outline of the 55th Anniversary Assembly and Osaka Symposium see Appendix 5, for the Keynote proposal see Appendix 6.
Additional Material 1 and 2
