International forum on telling live lessons from disasters
Background:
In many of those areas struck by disasters, various activities and initiatives are in place to remember and convey the stories of survival. Those have been undertaken through various mediums, transmitted through: oral story-telling, films, images, artefacts, monuments and or artistic works. Such activities substantiate and communicate local histories and experiences; deepening our understanding of the bonds between ourselves and the meaning of the co-existence with nature, and reminding us of the importance of life. Sharing such stories also increases our awareness of protecting the environment, while strengthening reconstruction efforts and generating a sense of solidarity. This preserving and disseminating of real live stories and lessons from the experiences of disasters, or "Live Lesson Telling", is an invaluable activity even for the larger society as a whole.
Unfortunately, the significance of such activities is not recognized enough as a means of education and reconstruction. On the one hand, there are many individuals who are committed to communicating the stories and lessons of disasters; but, on the other hand, networks or systems are still weak to unite these people and to facilitate mutual learning. Further research is also needed to examine the ways in which the stories and lessons are compiled and transmitted.
With this in mind, "The International Forum on Telling Live Lessons from Disasters" will be held from 20-22 March 2010 in Kobe, Japan, where powerful memories of the Hanshin-Awaji Great Earthquake still endure. Organized by: The Implementation Committee of the "International Forum on Telling Live Lessons from Disasters" (see member list below) and co-organized by: The Japan Foundation Center fot Global Partnership, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), The Hyogo International Center, The Yomiuri Shimbun, The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial - Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution (DRI)and the National Museum of Ethnology. Assisted by: The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, the Hyogo Prefecture Conference for Promoting the Day of Safety.
The objectives of the forum are to: strengthen exchange and mutual learning between those committed to Live Lesson Telling activities around the world; widely appeal for the importance and continuation of such initiatives; examine the significance and process of Live Lesson Telling; and promote the continual implementation of Live Lesson Telling activities on a global scale, with the aim of strengthening the prevention and mitigation of disasters in the future. The presentations and exhibited materials will be collected and compiled for redistribution.