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Raising awareness of refugees

17 Comments

Miss Japan, Sari Nakazawa, center, poses for a photograph with Jordanian women at the Red Crescent hospital in Amman, Jordan on Thursday, on the first stop of a week-long visit to the Hashemite kingdom. As the current Miss Japan, the 23-year-old Nakazawa hopes to raise awareness of refugees around the world back home in Japan after her tour. Japan has rarely accepted Syrians, but pledged $1.6 billion to the refugee crisis at last year's donors meeting in London.

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@Sensato

humanitarian reasons, not self interest, should be the yardstick used in deciding whether or not to accept refugees.

I agree, and of course our legal obligations. But there are obviously issues with identifying genuine refugees and respecting democracy when most people are against doing anything beyond our minimum legal obligations. There are only difficult choices to make here.

it is important to recognize the self-interest positives as well, particularly when detractors are listing nothing but the self-interest negatives.

Yes, I can't deny that self interest does seem to play a part. It wasn't a surprise that Germany was willing to open its doors when you realise that they face a more serious demographic decline than most other European countries. I just think the benefits are too uncertain to promise anything to the public. It's also really unfair to the refugees to burden them with high public expectations, which they obviously have no obligation to fulfill. Afterall, if the war in Syria ends next month, all the refugees might pack their bags, write a nice thank you note, and head back home. If that best case scenario happens, I can actually imagine some people blaming the refugees for failing to saving the economy or reverse population decline!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

no no no. Europe has been destroyed forever because of migrants and refugees

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

I know you mean well Sensato but there's actually a danger in what you're doing. By framing the refugee issue in terms other than strictly compassion and humanity, people are quickly going to turn against all refugees when the benefits you are promising don't materialise. It's perverse for people to start thinking about what advantages they might get from refugees.

@M3M3M3

Well said. Thumbs up for that. I agree, humanitarian reasons, not self interest, should be the yardstick used in deciding whether or not to accept refugees.

That said, financial burden and other self-interest negatives are the reasons most often cited against taking in refugees. To give a true picture, it is important to recognize the self-interest positives as well, particularly when detractors are listing nothing but the self-interest negatives.

Acceptance of refugees is a polarized issue, and few are willing to recognize both the negatives and the positives.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

awareness for what? What does Japan has anything to do with refugees, or syria ? this is ridiculous

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Don't follow the mistakes of western Europe. Don't have any part of it, Japan.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

As the current Miss Japan, the 23-year-old Nakazawa hopes to raise awareness of refugees around the world back home in Japan after her tour.

An editorial column at The Guardian beckons.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Nice bit of virtue signaling. By all means, Japan, send some money overseas to help the refugees in their own country or the nearest safe place, but don't import trouble like Europe is doing.

For all Japan's faults, at least it has the guts to preserve its own identity instead of becoming some multicultural melting pot that displaces its own people and culture.

6 ( +11 / -5 )

M3M3M3SEP. 02, 2016 - 08:56AM JST

I know you mean well Sensato but there's actually a danger in what you're doing. By framing the refugee issue in terms other than strictly compassion and humanity, people are quickly going to turn against all refugees when the benefits you are promising don't materialise. It's perverse for people to start thinking about what advantages they might get from refugees. Refugees are a massive burden to the state that hosts them, that's why we had to sign an international convention to grant them basic rights and protections.

Yes, but not everything we do must be motivated by our own benefits. Ever heard of 'compassion for your fellow man/woman'? Sheesh.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Syrian refugee families have proven to be excellent neighbors in countries where they have settled, and have potential to revitalize and greatly benefit small towns in Japan that are otherwise withering away to extinction.

by spending the pocket money that we give them...

There is no economic argument that supports taking in refugees. If there was, the Red Cross and UNHCR would be pushing it non-stop. They aren't.

I know you mean well Sensato but there's actually a danger in what you're doing. By framing the refugee issue in terms other than strictly compassion and humanity, people are quickly going to turn against all refugees when the benefits you are promising don't materialise. It's perverse for people to start thinking about what advantages they might get from refugees. Refugees are a massive burden to the state that hosts them, that's why we had to sign an international convention to grant them basic rights and protections.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

In most cases, Syrian refugee families have proven to be excellent neighbors in countries where they have settled, and have potential to revitalize and greatly benefit small towns in Japan that are otherwise withering away to extinction.

A number of villages in Europe are welcoming these refugees with open arms because they have found this to be the case. Below is one such uplifting example involving the small Italian village of Camini.

Syrian refugees revive Italian village of Camini (2:14): <www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/syrian-refugees-revive-italian-village-camini-160830065301496.html>

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

Got my click!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Perfect. Bring them here so they can help re-populate the masses then get gov. subsidies and handouts.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

YubaruSEP. 02, 2016 - 06:58AM JST Nice photo op, BUT it would be even nicer for Japan to accept more of these women and children who are left without spouses or a life as refugees in Japan. Dont just throw money at the problem as Japan is known to typically do, but help them get their lives back! Give them a future!

They don't have to come to Japan to have a future. The Japanese government is already doing a great job donating $1.6 billion to help them in the refugees camps and better their lives in the countries where they belong.

9 ( +14 / -5 )

But these women are Jordanian, so they are not refugees. It was just a photo op with women in hijabs.

15 ( +15 / -0 )

Nice photo op, BUT it would be even nicer for Japan to accept more of these women and children who are left without spouses or a life as refugees in Japan. Dont just throw money at the problem as Japan is known to typically do, but help them get their lives back! Give them a future!

-9 ( +9 / -18 )

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