|
Community
Building in East Asia
 |
|
The
international conference on community building
|
|
In May, Soka
University and American University cosponsored a three-day
international conference on "The Changing Security and
Economic Environment and Implications for Community Building
in East Asia" at the Washington Hilton & Towers in
Washington, D.C., U.S.A. The conference was based on ideas
contained in SGI President Daisaku Ikeda's annual peace
proposals on the issue of peace in Northeast Asia.
The aim of this two-phase joint project between Soka
University and American University is to hold in-depth
discussions on community building in East Asia. Phase I, the
recent conference in Washington, D.C., invited 10
international scholars from countries and areas within East
Asia, including China, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan
and Hong Kong, together with around 20 Washington-based
scholars. Phase II will be held at Soka University of America,
Orange County, California, in October 2001.
On May 17, the conference began with a welcome luncheon and
greetings by Louis Goodman, dean of the School of
International Service, American University. The participants
spent the afternoon touring American University and the White
House. On the 18th, Nathaniel Thayer of Johns Hopkins
University gave the keynote speech titled "The United
States and East Asia." Five sessions followed, focusing
on economy, security and community building in East Asia. Each
session had three presenters and offered an opportunity for
wide-ranging discussion.
Participants noted that the most effective community building
is not seeking drastic change in institutional frameworks but
gradually building trust and solidarity among ordinary
citizens, while promoting a variety of exchanges on a
grassroots level. Conference cochair Quansheng Zhao, professor
at the American University School of International Service,
thanked all the participants for contributing to bringing the
realization of proposals for peace in this key region one step
nearer.
|
