Sophia Magazine vol.4 / WINTER 2016

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say no and 30% will say they are not sure. So it can often be a headache for policymakers to tackle these issues. U: In order to continue this positive trend, I believe that ed-ucation has a key role to play in promoting and celebrating diversity. This provides a great opportunity for universities, including Sophia. What should we do?H: Courses are of course important, but also, when you wel-come refugee students on your campus, your students can in-teract with the refugees and learn about their lives, ordeals and dreams. That will broaden the students’ horizons, and teach them tolerance and respect.U: What is your personal message to the students and faculty of Sophia?H: We only live once. For us who are financially secure and have opportunities, this is not so obvious. But there are peo-ple whose time is running out, and some who already do not have a future. You must think about what you can do. There is no contribution too small. For some, it will be welcoming refugees into their communities. Other people may be able to spare 2,000 yen every month to send to UNHCR or our part-ners. And others may have spare time and be able to join one of the NGOs which support refugees. U: Sophia University’s motto is very pertinent to this idea: “Men and Women for Others, with Others.” Thank you so much for speaking with me today.H: Thank you very much. It was a pleasure.put in place asylum procedures and protection policies for refugees and humanitarian status holders. We are actively en-gaged in discussions with the authorities on how to deal with some very particular challenges Japan’s asylum system is cur-rently facing.U: But is this an issue that only money can solve?H: Certainly not, but financial support to UNHCR and other humanitarian and development actors is important. A few years ago, Japan also started to accept refugees for resettle-ment in the country and has recently announced its invitation to 150 Syrian students to complete their university studies in Japan over the next five years. These programmes are most welcome and will hopefully become the beginning of larger such initiatives.U: Exactly. I think the tide is beginning to shift. For example, in Gunma Prefecture there are 200 stateless Rohingya refu-gees from Myanmar who are integrated in a local community, work and pay taxes, and they have a mosque. Communities are becoming more accepting.H: Yes, at the local level, communities are setting new ex-amples for welcoming and integrating refugees. I believe that refugees who come here and are committed to learning the basics of the Japanese language, and working hard, will find a home here. We need more examples of successfully inte-grated refugees and of communities welcoming them. I have spoken with government officials at various levels, and many have positive attitudes. But I think it is still in an uncertain phase. If you go out to the street and ask people about accept-ing more refugees, maybe 30% will say we should, 30% will What Education Can Do28Cooperation

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