Intellectual exchange is a value network

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‘I submit that Academic Exchange is a Value Network, thus, cooperation (concord on standards, joint marketing) is truly the way for the Asean University Network, the University of the Philippines System, the Global Thursday Forum, and the Seoul-based History NGO Forum for Peace in East Asia.’

EVEN as a squad of Chinese teenagers are jailed for killing Mao

(https://ph.yahoo.com/news/att/cm/group-teens-detained-burying-man-120623427.html), hundreds of global citizens assembled at Chiang Mai University for the 2022 Thailand International Conference of NGOs on History and Peace sharing:

1. “The number of foreigners residing permanently in Korea is increasing. More immigrants are becoming perpetual members of our society through cases of international marriage, overseas Koreans living in Korea, long-term immigrant workers, inter-country adoption, etc. They make up for what Korea lacks — by providing labor force in the areas where Koreans would not opt for, such as the manufacturing industry. They also contribute to marriage and birth rate through which members of our society are born and raised, to grow up to contribute to maintaining and developing the country. They not only serve their own interests, but those of our country as well.” But. “There is a lack of national consensus regarding the influx of immigrants. There is not much discussion about Koreans’ perception of immigrants or how accommodating they are/are not.” [Song Si-Nae (History NGO Forum Steering Committee Member and Korean History Justly Know Civilians Coalition Director), “Korean multicultural society: Overview and tasks ahead”]

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2. “A return to civilian rule is just the first step in overcoming religious and ethnic conflict. This must be followed through with a government that includes all religious and ethnic groups in the country and provides, through the repeal of the 1982 Citizenship Law and other discriminatory laws, access to rights for all people in Myanmar. While this may be done at the government level, local initiatives are also needed, which include dialogues between different groups in a way that would reconcile differences and promote inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony. The road to achieving peace in Myanmar is difficult and must overcome many obstacles, nevertheless, as the unity shown in the face of the recent coup demonstrates, people from different groups can come together. The people must come together not only in the face of an adversary but in unity to create a better future.” [Myo Win (Smile Myanmar Executive Director), “Overcoming Racial and Religious Conflicts and Challenges in Myanmar”]

3. “There is a decreasing number of students going abroad according to the Japan Student Services Organization (JAOS). There were 312,214 foreign students in Japan in May 2019, but the figure had declined to 242,444 by May 2021. Over 90 percent of those students came from other Asian countries, with students from China, Vietnam, Nepal, Korea, Indonesia and so on. It is hoped that the infectious disease will subside and the number of students from Asia will increase again. However, there are bad brokers who emphasize that ‘foreign students can earn money while studying in Japan!’ It is false information.” [Asakawa Kazuya (Former Professor of Tokaigakuen University), “Current Status and Challenges of Civil Society and Researcher Exchange in Northeast Asia”]

4. “The Ministry of Health mandated that all masks produced locally be sold to only government organizations, and bought the masks at an increased price. As part of this agreement, government agencies purchased additional machinery for private manufacturers, in exchange for million free masks and the ability to purchase an additional million others at the agreed-upon price. Sending a clear demand signal to suppliers may help rapidly increase production while minimizing risk to private enterprises. These mechanisms can create a win-win for government agencies’ public health goals and private enterprises’ business needs. Previously, sales of masks to the public were not rationed. As fear of COVID-19 rose and demand for masks grew, the potential for consumers to hoard masks could have increased, leaving some without access to preventive products.” [Vu Ngoc Binh (Institute for Population, Family and Children Studies Senior Adviser), “Best Practice of Public-Private Partnership in Asean to Overcome COVID-19 Pandemic — the case of Vietnam”]

5. “Two major unresolved conflicts in Northeast Asia, i.e., the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Straits, seem to serve as major obstacles to regional integration, striking wedges in the region, while the South China Sea conflicts, albeit a major challenge to regional peace and stability, has given rise to a mediation regime, which would work towards community building.” [Mikio Oishi (Professor of Asian University for Women, Chittagong, Bangladesh), “Achieving Peace and Stability in Southeast Asia and Lessons for Northeast Asia”]

6. “The movement to understand Chinese history in East Asian history cannot be viewed only as a result of political decisions. This is because we have no choice but to consider the complexity of Taiwanese society, which is composed of many ethnic groups. Moreover, even though it is called ‘Chinese culture,’ there are inevitable concerns about Chinese culture that is different from mainland China. The culture enjoyed by those who consider themselves Taiwanese in reality today is a diverse culture mixed with the culture of the indigenous peoples, the culture of Spain and the Netherlands in the Age of Exploration, and the Han Chinese culture that began to form during the Qing Dynasty, the culture that was built up under Japanese rule, the Chinese culture that came to Taiwan after 1945, and lastly the Western culture that began to flow heavily in the course of the modernization policy during the last U.S. aid period.” [Juback Sin (Historian / Former Director, Independence Hall, Korea Independent Movement Institute), “Current status and tasks of school education on East Asian history in three major countries in Northeast Asia”]
7. “Students often get bored during history lessons and they have the perception that History is a useless and difficult to memorized subject. History should arise from their everyday life, to help them understand their present time in order to obtain usefulness for them. It’s a combination of ‘understanding oneself’ and ‘understanding the other’.

Introspection and empathy are curtailed. What does that mean for history didactics? It means that we have to pass from teaching a series of facts of heroic national history to a series of common values along with our neighbors and those who consist any kind of minorities. Therefore, teaching History should be intercultural if we want to deal with a peaceful management of differentiation, a crucial matter for the future of Europe (Σακκά, 2006).” [Vassiliki Yiannou (Greek language and History teacher, MA in International Studies, EuroClio Member), “History Education and World Citizenship Education in Europe”]
I submit that Academic Exchange is a Value Network, thus, cooperation (concord on standards, joint marketing) is truly the way for the Asean University Network, the University of the Philippines System, the Global Thursday Forum, and the Seoul-based History NGO Forum for Peace in East Asia.

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