2014 International Conference

Daniel Broudy, OCU

This November 1 & 2, Jon Mitchell, journalist and lecturer at Tokyo Institute of Technology, will visit Okinawa to deliver a keynote address for the forthcoming Agent Orange and the Politics of Poisons conference.

Joining the effort to develop fruitful public discussions of the lingering effects of Agent Orange and other chemicals are Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, President of Da Nang Association of Victims of Agent Orange (DAVA) and Mr. Phan Thanh Tien, Vice President of DAVA. Ms. Mayu Ino, President of the NGO Seed to Table will also repot on the effects of Agent Orange on people in Ben Tre Province. Dr. Masami Mel Kawamura, Director of Citizens’ Network for Biodiversity in Okinawa, will join with journalist Ms. Natusko Shimabukuro and Mr. Hideki Yoshikawa to lead a discussion of Agent Orange impacts on Okinawa and to screen the documentary film Defoliated Island. Dr. Kunitoshi Sakurai will also be present to deliver a talk on the remediation of land formerly under the control of the US military in Korea and Japan.

These presenters, among others from Okinawa, Canada, the United States, India, and Indonesia, will discuss the extraordinary efforts of common people to challenge ongoing injustices, to question official stories, and to hold responsible parties accountable to the law.

Organizers from Okinawa Christian University look forward to seeing widespread participation from scholars, journalists, and a concerned public.

For more information, contact Daniel Broudy or Makoto Arakaki at politics.poisons@gmail.com or visit the conference site hosted at the Campus tab on OCU Gazette.

The Call for Papers for this conference can be accessed at Okinawa Christian University's official homepage in either or English or Japanese. Please visit the site by clicking here and scroll down to the date 14.05.07.