Mirror Sites:
CSUDH - Habermas - UWP

Caliifornia State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Created: September 29, 2001
Latest Update: September 29, 2001
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

What has happened?
By Eiko Yamazaki, Soka University, Japan

What has happened?

Copyright: Eiko Yamazaki and Jeanne Curran and Susan R. Takata and Individual Authors: September 2001.
"Fair use" encouraged.

• Eiko's Painting
• "This is Eiko."

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On Sunday, September 30, 2001, Eiko Yamazaki wrote:

Subject: This is Eiko

Dear Jeanne, Hello. This is Eiko Yamazaki, introduced by Dr. Urbain. I'm very honored to correspond and to make a network with you!

As you know, I'm a student of Soka University and taking Dr. Urbain's Art and Peace class.

jeanne's comment:

Dr. Urbain's class was the stimulus for the Transcend Art and Peace Website.

My major is sociology, and I'm studying sociology of religion right now, but I'm very interested in international relations. I'm very interested in UN and NGO works! Recently I had a chance to attend a lecture given by a German member of UNICEF (I'm sorry, I don't know how to spell her name in English. She's 83, but very energetic!!), and I learnt many things from her, and I really got into this organization of helping children and protecting their rights. My future plans are not very certain, but I'm thinking of working with some organization like this one, where I can contribute to world peace for people to live happily.

To introduce myself a little bit, I was born in London and lived there when I was 0-6 (years old) and 12-16 (years old), and I also lived in Milan when I was 8-12 (years old).

On my last stay in London, I was able to make many Jewish friends, and I was actually living where many Jewish people were living. So I was able to learn about their religion and culture a little bit. However, I realise now that I didn't know much about the history of Israel until the recent tragedy in New York. I was very ashamed of this illiteracy. Now I'm starting to learn the history and also the present situation in the Middle East that is very much related to what happened.

jeanne's comment:

Eiko, Many of us are tragically illiterate about the affairs of the Middle East. We are all learning together now.

I think that one of the few things that I can do is to create any form of art to express my feeling and my commitment to peace. Also, I may teach children that any kind of violence is wrong. I really think that education is very important for creating a peaceful future, and for that, now we need to teach young children who are going to construct in a future society what is right and what is wrong.

Right now I'm thinking very seriously about the tragic happening in New York on September 11 and trying to understand the root (or origin) of this problem. I'm also trying to find what is the best way to solve the problem for myself and what I can do to help. I was very shocked when I heard the new in the first place. Then I became angry, but then I realized that it is not a time to act by only our own feelings anymore. We need to be more discreet. So, I started to think about what is making the terrorists do such a thing and how we could stop them. Now, I'm trying to make art to express my feelings, to challenge those people who are becoming too emotional or taking actions that can harm innocent others, and to express "peace" by art work.

I have seen the picture of "Little Red Hen" and read the 2 stories. I really liked the story written by Laura. I wasn't really sure what I was expected to do. So I would like to make a poem for this picture and will send it soon.

p.s. For the "Art and Peace" class here, I've made a picture to express my feeling and also to question people to make them think about what is happening right now. I'm going to write a poem or an essay about this picture to describe it. I would like to send it to you when I get it done.

jeanne's comment:

We look forward to sharing it on the site, Eiko.

I'll talk to you soon.
Thank you.

Eiko Yamazaki

On Saturday, September 29, 2001, jeanne responded:

Eiko,

We are delighted to welcome you to Dear Habermas. We are all concerned at our lack of knowledge about the Middle East and about our recognition that vengeance will not still the agony. We are all struggling to understand and to find that which we can effectively contribute to healing.

I know that many of our students will want to share with you. And now, with your contribution having arrived, we have a whole exhibit of Dear Habermas art to challenge our imaginary.

We all look forward to hearing from you again soon.
love and peace, jeanne