Neste verão 44 japoneses estão participando de conferências em Caux, incluindo os sete da conferência "Confiança e Integridade na Economia Global" no final deste mês. Eles vêm em circunstâncias muito diferentes de seus compatriotas em 1950.

Este mes, hace sesenta años, una delegación de 60 japoneses llegó a Caux, el centro de IdeC en Suiza, a sólo cinco años después de la devastación de la II Guerra Mundial. Este año, 44 japoneses llegaron a Caux donde hablaron sobre el impacto que la primera delegación tuvo en su país.

Sixty years ago this month a delegation of 60 Japanese arrived in Caux, the IofC centre in Switzerland, just five years after the devastation of World War II. This year, 44 Japanese came to Caux where they spoke about the impact on their country of that first delegation.

Mike Brown from Adelaide joined Rajmohan Gandhi and his wife Usha for a week hosted by IofC Japan, as part of the IofC International President's 14-nation “Voyage of Dialogue and Discovery”. Mike writes:

Les années 1950: la politique du coeur humble au Japon

Certains commentateurs estiment encore aujourd’hui que les Japonais ont insuffisamment exprimé leurs regrets pour les atrocités de la guerre. Pourtant dans les années cinquante, les personnalités japonaises qui ont assisté aux conférences du Réarmement Moral (aujourd’hui Initiatives et Changement) à Caux ont fait des efforts considérables pour rétablir les relations avec leurs anciens ennemis.

It is crucial for Japan's leader to win the trust of her neighbours. Prime Minister Kishi visited nine Asian- Pacific nations in 1957 to apologise for Japan's actions during the War.

Mayor Shinzo Hamai chose something quite remarkable for the inscription on the memorial to the first atom bomb: ‘Rest in peace. For we shall not make the same mistake again.’

Kato is now a second year student in International Relations at Beijing University. He is also a part-time Japanese teacher at a local high school and President of Beijing University’s Japanese Students Association (BUJSA).

For many the war years were enough adventure to last a lifetime.

A London-based former Vietnamese boatperson and his Japanese wife tell Kenneth Noble of their love of music, teaching and freedom.