I’m writing this while on holiday in Greece; however, it’s not about it but on Ljubljana – the capital of Slovenia.
I know little about eastern and central European countries and their people, so I’ve made it my priority to visit at least one of these places every summer. My last month’s holiday in Ljubljana was relaxing and eye-opening in many ways. Slovenes are friendly and accommodating. The hotel where we stayed didn’t only allow us to use their locker for our bags after we had checked out but offered us unlimited tea. These were the exact words of its male receptionist “You’re still our guests and feel free to use our facilities till you depart from our city”.
I took every opportunity to mingle with the locals and be a traveller rather than as a tourist. The more I learnt about them, the more I became interested in their history and culture and able to empathise with them.
It’s fine to talk about the advantages of international travelling when you have the means to do so; however, for many families this occasion remains a dream. Where’s Ljubljana? Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia in central Europe and has borders with Italy, Hungary, Austria and Croatia. The Roman Empire controlled Slovenia for nearly 1,000 years; most of it was under the Habsburg rule (Austria) in the mid-14th century and 1918. The state of Slovenia was formed in 1945 as part of Yugoslavia; gained its independence in June 1991; and today, it is a member of the European Union and NATO.
The Slovenian independence war in 1991 lasted 10 days, which was the fifth short war in the world’s history. [The shortest was the Anglo-Zanzibar War in 1896 when the British Royal Navy defeated the Sultan of Zanzibar in East Africa that lasted in 38 minutes. (cf ''The Top Ten Shortest Wars'', The Independent, seen on 04/08/19). With a population of just over 2 two million, Slovenia is the most industrialised and westernised among other less developed parts of former Yugoslavia.
I wanted to be a traveller while in Ljubljana, but I was really more of a tourist than the former. I carried a camera and map at all times (By choice, my mobile has never have Internet connection), and sometimes asked for information from shop attendants and hotel staff in English instead of trying to learn phrases in Slovene. Except for a long walk at the scenic and green Lake Bled, I only ventured in the city and landmarks.
I would have loved to explore the less-visited areas and interact more with locals (i.e. being a traveller) but managed only to have a chat with a fellow restaurant patron, who happened to be the brother of the restaurateur. Though our conversation was limited to food and tourism because of my zero-knowledge of Slovene and his basic English, I found it informative. According to him, the majority of Ljubljana’s residents are tourists and temporary inhabitants, which is an economic necessity and fun for him and his family as they’re able to practise their English and meet people from many parts of the world.
I took buses and trams to move around but also went on guided tours for convenience. So, I suppose I was a tourist; but, I would like to think that I was a traveller. I knew how I could have been a traveller. However, I wasn’t in the mood to go to places where locals hang around after work and when it’s dark. I could have had more conversations with Slovene people of all ages about their culture and country yet I did not because of lack of time squeezing in everything in four days before heading home. Most workers, like me, just need a vacation or a relaxing trip to wind down or recharge before starting the year.
Were you a tourist or traveller last summer? How can we be more respectful and acculturated tourists (i.e. travellers)?
I visited Okinawa last month. Okinawa hosts 74 % of the U.S. bases on 0.6 % of the land. Despite overwhelming opposition, the Japanese government is taking the lead in efforts to build a new U.S. military base in Henoko Bay, emphasizing the deterrence value of the U.S. bases in Japan. Our policy makers want to proceed with the construction "shuku shuku to (calmly and solemnly)."
It is shockingly mindless and undemocratic to disregard the Okinawans' will. Here are some of useful websites on anti-U.S. base acitivities and protests (see the Japanese version – four of eleven sites are in English).
辺野古(新基地阻止)基金
[[http:tamutamu2011.kuronowish.com/sosikikin.htm|Tamu Tamu @ Kuro no wish]]
Economics of U.S. base redevelopment sway Okinawa mindset
[[http:www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/17/national/politics-diplomacy/economics-u-s-base-redevelopment-sway-okinawa-mindset/#.VWg8NFIppf6|Japan Times Journal]]
Looking at Flaws in the Henoko Landfill Permit Process from the Standpoint of the Right to Self-determination
"Hiroshima and Nagasaki Censored" par Kiyoko Horiba
Au Japon, les misères de la guerre, les raids aériens et les bombes atomiques ont souvent été évoqués alors que d'autres aspects, en particulier la mémoire des crimes de guerre, ont été quasiment passés sous silence au cours des dernières années.
Parmi les jeunes Japonais, nombreux sont ceux qui peuvent avoir entendu parler du daihonéi happyou ou "bourrage de crânes" de la propagande militaire mais ne presque rien savoir du système de censure imposé par les forces d'occupation après la guerre ou même ignorer que le Japon ne se classe que 67ème sur 180 au World Press Freedom Index 2018 (72ème l'an dernier).
C'est pourquoi j'aimerais attirer l'attention des gens sur notre histoire. Voici un lien vers le magnifique ouvrage de la poétesse Kiyoko Horiba intitulé Hiroshima and Nagasaki Censored qui a été publié cette année par Meiji Gakuin University (International Peace Research Institute).
N'hésitez pas à partager ce document avec autant de personnes que possible. Merci d'avance.
[[http:www.meijigakuin.ac.jp/~prime/en/publication/201803minami/|Hiroshima and Nagasaki Censored]] par Kiyoko Horiba
Accès Direct
[[http:mswwres.meijigakuin.ac.jp/~prime/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/minami15.pdf#page=50&zoom=auto|pour lire en anglais]] (p. 50, format PDF)
[[http:mswwres.meijigakuin.ac.jp/~prime/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/minami15.pdf#page=4&zoom=auto|pour lire en japonais]] (p. 4, format PDF)
eResearch: Strategies to model and monitor human development
Cette présentation, "eResearch: Strategies to model and monitor human development", a été faite par Sachié Mizohata de l'Université Paris Descartes et Raynald Jadoul du Centre de Recherche Public Henri Tudor au groupe de travail intitulé “Twenty Years of Human Development: The past and the future of the Human Development Index.” Ce workshop s'est tenu sous les auspices conjoints du Von Hugel Institute, du Capability and Sustainability Network de l'Univertité de Cambridge et du Programme de Développement des Nations Unies (UNDP)/Bureau du Rapport de Développement Humain (HDRO) à l'Université de Cambridge, les 28-29 Janvier 2010. http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2010/events/Résumé
Les notions de qualité de vie et de bien-être humain sont très contestées et leurs définitions ne font pas l'unanimité. Alors que l'AC est saluée comme un nouveau regard en la matière, les chercheurs ont montré que les défis liés à l'opérationalisation de cette nouvelle approche sont nombreux. Nous démontrons comment nous avons utilisé une approche novatrice orientée vers les technologies de l'information et de la communication, appelée eResearch qui alimentée par des modèles adéquats et supportée par des structures organisationnelles inspirées des enquête à très grande échelle tels PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) et PIAAC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies), peut surmonter bien des obstacles inhérents à l'évaluation des capabilités et du bien-être. En ce sens, ce document peut apporter une contribution méthodologique majeure en ce domaine. Sur base du même modèle que PISA et PIAAC et utilisant leurs paramètres d'organisation, nous suggérons qu'une entreprise collective à grande échelle devrait rallier tous les infrastructures multinationales et nationales matures tels que les l'ONU, l'OCDE, les institutions nationales, les ONG, etc., pour former un consortium sous la supervision conjointe du Programme de Développement des Nations Unies et de l'OCDE afin de mettre en place un projet d'évaluation du développement humain. Ce projet pourrait être nommé PIHDA (Programme for the International Human Development Assessment).See the whole presentation...
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