Friday, November 13, 2009
President Obama in Japan
I watched American president Obama making a speech on US-Japan and Asia relationships. He repeatedly talked about mutual respects and cooperation which are necessary for a better world in the future.
President Obama insisted that no one nation can solve the world problems by itself. The cooperation is the key to the success for the world and America itself. Unilateral days are gone, and he seems to know that to get every word-player together, depending on forces does not work, but following laws does.
9/11 family members welcome, criticize civilian trials
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/13/911families.reaction/index.html
I do hope the trials will bring the US back to the sense of justice and back to a responsible player in the world for a better future.
I watched American president Obama making a speech on US-Japan and Asia relationships. He repeatedly talked about mutual respects and cooperation which are necessary for a better world in the future.
President Obama insisted that no one nation can solve the world problems by itself. The cooperation is the key to the success for the world and America itself. Unilateral days are gone, and he seems to know that to get every word-player together, depending on forces does not work, but following laws does.
9/11 family members welcome, criticize civilian trials
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/13/911families.reaction/index.html
I do hope the trials will bring the US back to the sense of justice and back to a responsible player in the world for a better future.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Troops out now!
I watched on the news that more and more Americans are wanting their troops out from Afghanistan. I do hope it will happen in the very near future.
How many young American men and women were killed in Afghanistan?
How many innocent civilians and children of Afghanistan were killed in the battles?
What are American troops fighting for?
Who committed the attack on September 11th in 2001?
Were they from Afghanistan?
It is never too late to think twice on how to make the world a safer place.
I watched on the news that more and more Americans are wanting their troops out from Afghanistan. I do hope it will happen in the very near future.
How many young American men and women were killed in Afghanistan?
How many innocent civilians and children of Afghanistan were killed in the battles?
What are American troops fighting for?
Who committed the attack on September 11th in 2001?
Were they from Afghanistan?
It is never too late to think twice on how to make the world a safer place.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The solo exhibition: The original drawings of Flowers and Bombs
The drawings of Flowers and Bombs are to be exhibited in Itami, Hyogo, Japan. This is the third exhibition, and as the author and drawers of Flowers and Bombs, I really appreciate the love and compassion of all the visitors and supporters toward a chain of hope for making a more peaceful world.
The solo exhibition: The original drawings of Flowers and Bombs
September 1, 2009 -- September 27, 2009 Closed on Mondays
at Crossroad Cafe
Open Tue. - Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Flowers and Bombs' 6th gathering for peace
On September 19, 2009 from 6 p.m.
At Crossroad Cafe
Admission: 1500 yen
Lecturer: Shibuki Maeda
Shibuki Maeda, a camerawoman and an active peacemaker who helped people dig wells in Afghanistan.
Monday, December 22, 2008
The solo exhibition: The original drawings of Flowers and Bombs
The drawings of Flowers and Bombs were very simply drawn with pencils and eraser in two days by the author who had not drawn anything since finishing art class in junior high school. Naive but somehow peacefully moving is the comments given by most of the visitors at the exhibition held in Ashiya, 2008.
As the author and drawers of Flowers and Bombs, I really appreciate the comments and their love and compassion toward a chain of hope for making a more peaceful world. I also thank everybody for making this exhibition happen in 2009 again.
The solo exhibition: The original drawings of Flowers and Bombs
January 6, 2009 -- January 20, 2009 Open daily 12:00 - 20:00
Fair Trade & Art Space Liaison (on the north of Hankyu Okamoto station)
Workshops (Admission free)
January 10, 13:00 ~ Learn art balloons and be a peace activator
January 18, 13:00 ~ Express your hope for peace in Art
The photo: An newspaper article about the exhibition held in Ashiya(Mainichi Shinbun Sep. 13th 2008).
Sunday, November 16, 2008
A Rainbow Soldier
I met a man with an incredibly strong-will. He was a former Iraqi soldier, and now working hard to rebuild his hometown Ramadi, Iraq. Even though he lost his brother, cousins and many friends because of the US invasion, he would not use his anger to retaliate the US, but to rebuild Iraq.
I have been asking for help to change the chain of violence into a chain of hope. And he has been working in Iraq to change the violence into hope! What a man!
This is his third visit to Japan to let Japanese people know the REAL situation in Iraq. I am so grateful that I had a chance to meet him again and talk with him about the project he is now working on to rebuild Ramadi. Very good news is that Ramadi has been in order since US army left last year, and the tribal leaders has held good control of the area. Only few battles took place last one and a half years.
He is now working hard with his friends to help homeless widows and children. I promised that I would continue to donate to his project.
He is a calm and wise man. But it does not mean that he lived a happy life in Iraq. He came through so a hard situation and his country's future is still unclear.
I wish him peace and harmony in his hometown,
and I do hope to see him again as a friend of those working to realize a peaceful world.
His English blog
I R A Q - M A I L ~ THE VOICE FROM RAMADI ~
I met a man with an incredibly strong-will. He was a former Iraqi soldier, and now working hard to rebuild his hometown Ramadi, Iraq. Even though he lost his brother, cousins and many friends because of the US invasion, he would not use his anger to retaliate the US, but to rebuild Iraq.
I have been asking for help to change the chain of violence into a chain of hope. And he has been working in Iraq to change the violence into hope! What a man!
This is his third visit to Japan to let Japanese people know the REAL situation in Iraq. I am so grateful that I had a chance to meet him again and talk with him about the project he is now working on to rebuild Ramadi. Very good news is that Ramadi has been in order since US army left last year, and the tribal leaders has held good control of the area. Only few battles took place last one and a half years.
He is now working hard with his friends to help homeless widows and children. I promised that I would continue to donate to his project.
He is a calm and wise man. But it does not mean that he lived a happy life in Iraq. He came through so a hard situation and his country's future is still unclear.
I wish him peace and harmony in his hometown,
and I do hope to see him again as a friend of those working to realize a peaceful world.
His English blog
I R A Q - M A I L ~ THE VOICE FROM RAMADI ~
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
You did it!!
Yes, you did it.
My American friends,
You have made history!
Yes, we can!
We can make the world much better and more peaceful,
when we keep the faith and get together.
You made it clear.
And "Change has come!"
At this historical night,
Let me share a poem sent by an American friend of mine.
O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.
Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!
O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!
Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!
Langston Hughes
Yes, you did it.
My American friends,
You have made history!
Yes, we can!
We can make the world much better and more peaceful,
when we keep the faith and get together.
You made it clear.
And "Change has come!"
At this historical night,
Let me share a poem sent by an American friend of mine.
O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.
Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!
O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!
Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!
Langston Hughes
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Ghosts in Kabul
Can you imagine how your life could be in Afghanistan?
Childhood memories full of war and sorrow.
Dead bodies all around.
Ghosts in Kabul is a collection of pictures painted by children in Afghanistan.
The first exhibition in the US is to be held in New York this autumn.
Please go and see the ghosts, and you will know the truth of war on terror.
Ghosts in Kabul
11/14/2008 - 1/3/2009
@ ISE Cultural Foundation
555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
TEL : 212-925-1649
FAX : 212-226-9362
For more information: Like Water Press
