This coming Autumn of 2023, the Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC) will celebrate its 50th anniversary. 
It all began when volunteer members from “Japan Peace for Vietnam Committee (Beheiren)” started the publication of the English Journal “AMPO” in 1969. Since then, PARC has tackled issues such as economic globalization, what was then articulated as “North-South Problems”, and tradeoffs of environmental destruction and development, together with our allies most prominently in Asia, through research, advocacy and communication.
PARC prides itself in not setting limits to its scope of activities. Rather, we strive to connect multitudes of people, movements, and information as an actively engaged medium. In an era where NGOs are expected to demonstrate increasing levels of unique expertise, PARC remains unapologetic in its universalist approach and utilizing diversity to challenge social issues.
On this occasion where PARC celebrates its 50th anniversary, we hope to analyze the core of our modern day social challenges by bringing together diverse perspectives, and also to seek new threads that may lead to solutions through engaged dialogues with our allies, both old and new, domestic and global.
 
*Participation will be made available for international participants via Zoom for Plenary Session 1 and Breakout Session A).
 
** Solidarity Donations can be made from the following form:
https://www.parc50th.parc-jp.org/en/product-page/parc-50th-anniversary-solidarity-fund
 
<Tentative Program>  all times are in JST (GMT+09:00)
Part 1. Plenary 13:30-15:00
Economic globalization accelerated especially from the late 1980s has concentrated wealth and power to a handful while exacerbating inequalities across the globe. Meanwhile, Neoliberalist policies have shunned the institutional role of nation-states, and strengthened modern day kleptocracy. As a result, democracy is being undermined in front of our very eyes. Furthermore, we are in the midst of continuous war and conflict, and the threat of annihilation by nuclear weaponry remains one of our largest risks after decades of peoples’ resistance.
In this session, we seek to analyze the current situation of our world, and shed light on what undercurrents connect the various symptoms we face.
*Simultaneous Interpretation
 
Keynote Speaker: Shoko Uchida (Co-President, PARC)
 
Respondant:
Tomoko Ako (Tokyo University / Board member, PARC)
Takaki Imai (Executive Director, Japan International Volunteer Center)
Francis Koh-Wah LOH (former President, Aliran <a multiethnic human rights and alternative development NGO>)
Lau Kin Chi (Lingnan University / Co-Chair, Asia Regional Exchange for New Alternatives <ARENA>)
 
Moderator:
Chikako Nakayama (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies / Board member, PARC)
 
Part2. Breakout Sessions 15:10-16:30
A) Building International Solidarity of the Oppressed: Fukushima and the Global South
Moderator: Masaaki Ohashi (President, Japan Civil Society Network on SDGs / Co-President, PARC)
Panelists: 
Seiju Sugeno (Former President, Fukushima Organic Farmers Network)
Lau Kin Chi (Lingnan University / Co-Chair, Asia Regional Exchange for New Alternatives <ARENA>)
Natalie Lowrey (Aid Watch)
*Simultaneous Interpretation
 
B) Building bottom up from our Communities: Securing Food and Care through Solidarity Economy
Moderator: Kota Oguchi (Chiba University of Commerce / Board member, PARC)
Panelists: 
Naoya Matsudaira (President, AM-NET)
Satoko Hatta (Coordinator, Ogawamachi Domestic Migration Support Center at Ogawamachi)
 
C) Fighting Backlash and Forging Alliances: Gender, Diversity, Human Rights and Democracy
Moderator: Masaki Inaba (Executive Director, Africa Japan Forum / Board member, PARC)
Panelists: 
Ippei Torii (Co-President, Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan)
Tomoko Ako (Tokyo University / Board member, PARC)
Shoko Uchida (Co-President, PARC)
 
Part 3. Plenary 16:50-19:20
Moderators:
Shigeru Tanaka (Executive Director, PARC)
Koichi Takagi (Rikkyo University / Board member, PARC)
A) Report back from breakout sessions (20 min each)
B) Open dialogue on identifying hope and forging alliances
 
Reception 19:30-20:30
 
Venue: Rengo Hall at Tokyo + Zoom
Participation fee:
-Domestic participants: 1500JPY for domestic participants (non-invited guests and non-members of PARC)
-International participants: free of charge
 
Contact: Shigeru Tanaka (Executive Director, PARC) at alter@parc-jp.org
 
This event is co-organized by the following hosts:
Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC)
CCRD-CS, Lingnan University   岭南大学文化研究及发展中心生态文化部
Global University for Sustainability   全球大学
 
***For those planning to attend the event in person in Tokyo, we are planning to organize a community visit in Fukushima from Aug. 31st to Sep. 2. The trip will include visits to organic farming communities, "hard-to-return" neighborhoods, and solidarity action against the release of radioactive processed water into the Pacific. If you intend to attend this visit, please contact PARC secretariat and plan your trip to arrive in Tokyo by August 30th.