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日本をよくする提言から多様性を高める主張、ギャップイヤー文化構築提案まで、
多種才々なイノベーター達のエッセイ集

「キリバス共和国のボランティアから帰国した私」中島さんCIMG0309s.jpg


※Japanese followed by English Translation


中島拓也 
Precious Earth Project


太平洋上に浮かぶ国キリバス
 以前、タイとカンボジアに行った経験がある。裕福な日本人からお金をもらうために必死に「ものごい」をする子供達は当時はホントに衝撃だった。たくさんの外人観光客の中で、特に日本人に群がるのは何故だろ?

 「日本人が優しいから、お金をくれる」と仲良くなった現地の少年が言った。


金じゃない大事なものを学べたような気がする
 ところが、キリバスも本当に貧しい国なのに"ものごい"がいなかった。
先輩ボランティアの方が言ってた「バックパッカーで70カ国近く回ったけど、こんな国は初めてだ、"貧しい国=不幸"って考え方は間違ってるのかもね」

 「金はいらない」とは言えない、自分で店を持つことが前からの目標だし、やるからには繁盛させたいし、それにお金がついてきて、ほしい物が買えて。だけど人が忘れちゃいけない、金じゃない大事なものをあの国で少し学べたような気がした。


あと半世紀で消えてなくなる国
 キリバスは海面上昇であと50年で沈むと言われる国だ。
本当に温暖化って起こってるの? ただの地球の循環過程なんじゃないの? って意見も多いし、自分も色んな本を読んだけど、どっち派とも言えない。でも「もし今起きてる海面上昇が温暖化とは関係ない」って結論が出たとして、そしたらそれで見殺し?


 キリバスのように、高波のたびに、子供を抱えて逃げてる人々はどーなるんだ?
 3秒にサッカー場一個分の森林が伐採されてる現実はどーなるんだ?
 消えていくサンゴ礁はどうなるんだろ?
 日本で魚の産地がどんどん変化しているのはなんでだろ?(海温や海流の変化?)
 春と秋の期間がやったら短くなってる気がするのはなんでだろ?


 温暖化がもし人間の過ちじゃないとしても、環境活動の促進によって経済優先のゴリゴリな世界の動きが、少しでも穏やかになるなら、すごくよいことだと思う。


日本で思うこと
 帰国して、目に入る情景にいまだに「?ハテナマーク」が頭を行き交ってる。
 高速から見えるコンクリートジャングル、

 スーパーに並ぶ無限な食材、
 人々のよそよそしさ、
 レストランでの食い残しの皿、
 ケツを勝手に洗ってくれるトイレ、
 オートロックのマンション、

 寒い中で旗を振り続ける交通整理アルバイトのおじいちゃん、
 子供のいなさ、
 夜景のきれいさ、

 「これが自分が生きてきた愛する日本なのか...」

 他国に行ってやっと少し分かった 「日本」っていう国
 身近にありすぎて見えなかった 「日本」っていう国
 そんでもって、そこに暮らす「日本人」っていう人々


 残業代出なくても会社のために仕事します!!ってのが日本人の仕事への美徳みたいになってると思う。自分もそーだし。だから日本はここまで成長できた。 
 
 日本に住んでた経験がある外人の友達に言われた 「日本人はアリだ!」。
 成長してる時はアリでいい。でもここまで成熟した日本、今までのように成長することはない。必死こいても結果になりにくいのが、これからの日本。そりゃ病む人急増するわ、そんでまた自殺者が増えて...

 たーくさん問題があるのに、何も知らなかった自分がほんとに恐ろしい。

 でもひとつ、大事なことに気づけた。


0→1
 それは「ゼロ」を「イチ」にすることだと思う。「イチ」にすれば可能性は無限。でも「ゼロ」は一生「ゼロ」。その自分の「ゼロ」を気づくために大事なのは「知る」こと、そして自分の「ゼロ」に気づいたなら、「イチ」にするために行動する。

 この経験を生かして、また次の夢へと走っていきます。

中島"たくそん"拓也 
Twitter: @tky2k
Precious Earth Project: http://pre-e-pro.com/   
キリバス活動時のブログ: http://ameblo.jp/canballz/


【JGAPメモ】
 キリバス共和国は、太平洋上に位置するギルバート諸島、フェニックス諸島等を領土とする国家で、英連邦加盟国である。キリバスは33の環礁からなり、赤道付近に350万km²にも渡って散らばっている。そのために世界第3位に相当する広大な排他的経済水域を有している。世界で最も早く日付が変わる国でもある。

海抜の低い環礁が多いために、キリバスは近年の海面上昇で、国土の半数以上は水没の危機にある。アノテ・トン大統領は、2007年8月に讀賣新聞のインタビューで、もはやキリバスの水没は免れないと明言、全国民の他国への移住計画を発表した。大統領は、熟練労働者としての移住のため、キリバスでの職業訓練支援を日本、アメリカ、オーストラリアなどに呼びかけている。(出所:ウィキペディア)


Returning From Volunteering Activities in Republic Of Kiribati
Takuya NAKAJIMA


Republic of Kiribati, the Islands in the Pacific
I have visited Thailand and Cambodia before. At that time, I was very shocked to see the children begging from wealthy Japanese to obtain money. I wondered why they gathered especially around Japanese people, amongst many foreign tourists.
A boy I met there who became friendly told me, "The Japanese are so kind, they give us money."


It seems I could learn something important, not but money
However, when I went to Kiribati, I did not see any begging there although it is an extremely poor country. A senior volunteer told me,
"Although I have travelled to around seventy countries, this is the first time I have come to such a country. The idea that a poor country is equal to an unhappy country might be wrong".
I can't assert that I don't need money. I have had a dream to own my shop for long time and I want to make it prosper. In doing so, I can earn money and buy what I want to. However, it seemed I could learn in that country something important. I learned many things in this country I must never forget, regardless of money.


The Country That May Disappear Within Half a Century
It is a possibility that the Republic of Kiribati may disappear within 50 years due to the rising sea level.
There are also many opinions regarding if global warming is really happening or whether the effects are only one of the processes of the cycle of the Earth. Although I read many books, I cannot determine the pros and cons of this problem. However, if it is concluded that there is no relationship between the rising sea levels and global warming, do we still ignore this problem?

What will become of the people who run away from the tidal waves with their children in their arms, like the people of Kiribati?
Do you not pay attention to the fact that an area of forest the size of a soccer stadium is cut down every three seconds?
What about the disappearing shelves of coral?
Why are the fish production areas gradually changing? Is it because of climate change or change in marine currents?
Have you not noticed the span of spring and autumn getting shorter?

Even if global warming is not derived from human activity, it would seem more positive that this economic-preceded and competitive world would change in a calmer and more humane way.


What I consider in Japan
After returning to Japan, I always become skeptical or have questions about the environment I can visualise in this country.

Concrete jungles seen from the highways,
Far too much food stocked in supermarkets,
Leftover food and waste in restaurants.
Multi-functional toilet seats,
Automatic locking systems in buildings,

Elderly people who working as Traffic Control persons even in cold weather,
Seeing no children in the town,
The beauty of the night scene,

This is the country of Japan, where I was born and live, which I love.

Japan, is a country, of which I could not learn any more by visiting foreign countries.
Japan, is a country, which when too close is hard for me to notice.
Japanese, are the people, who live their lives there.

There seems to be a virtue for working where people continue to work even when they cannot get overtime money, and I do this too. I think this is why Japan could become as developed as it is now.

A foreign friend who had lived in Japan told me "The Japanese are like working ants!"
I don't care, it's fine to work like ants when this country develops, however, Japan, now a mature country, will never develop as it has experienced before. It has now become harder to produce results even if we endure and work hard. Considering these conditions, it's quite natural that the number of people will increase, who suffer mental illness or depression, which unfortunately has become the cause of an increase in suicide.

There are many, many problems in this country. Moreover, I am afraid that I do not know of them at all.

However, I have noticed one important thing.

From "zero" to "one"
What I noticed was the importance of making something progress from "zero" to "one". If there are no possibilities, there will be no possibilities forever. However, if you make even one possibility, it will create limitless possibilities. It is important to "know more" in order to notice "zero", and when I notice it, I make action to change it into "one".

I go forward with this valuable experience.


Note: about Republic of Kiribati
The Republic of Kiribati is on the Pacific Ocean, whose territories are mainly Gilbert Islands and Phoenix Islands. Republic of Kiribati is affiliated with Commonwealth of Nations. This country contains 33 atolls and the islands scatter around 3.5 million km2, near the equator. Thus, it has the third largest EEZ (economic exclusive zone) of all countries. This country faces the earliest date change in the world.

Most of atolls have low ASL (above sea level). Because of the recent rise of sea levels, this country faces the problem that half of the territories are at risk of being submerged.

On August 2007, Anote Tong, the president of Kiribati, made an announcement regarding the inability to avoid submergence and the plan to migrate all people to other countries. He also appealed for professional training support from Japan, USA, Australia and other countries to migrate the people as proficient workers. (From Wikipedia)

(Translated by Tatsuya YABUUCHI,A Visiting Fellow at the Gap Year Institute of JGAP)

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