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Nelson, Sep. 2012
When the coast of Japan is struck by the Great East Japan or Tohoku Earthquake, Mar. 11-14, 2011, destruction by the quake and the ensuing tsunami - in terms of human lives and property - is devastating. An added complication: the nuclear Fukushima reactors are damaged, and a vast area has to be evacuated indefinitely as a precautionary measure.
The enormous scale of immediate humanitarian need there causes a spontaneous explosion of generosity here - immediate need coupled with spontaneous generosity are keys to this post.
Nelson has two direct connections with Japan: Izu-Shi is its sister-city, and Onagawa is where the last Canadian - a fighter-pilot, born in Trail and long-time Nelson resident - was killed at the end of WW2.
Izu-Shi is about 140 km south-west of Tokyo, and a group of students with chaperones from there recently visits Nelson. An exchange-program was in place before the earthquake, but Nelson students have not gone to Izu-Shi since because of radiation-concerns. This makes some among the Izu-Shi group openly wonder: why they - living there and healthy, what with the Fukushima problem somewhere else - should come here, while Nelson students won't go to their sister-city any longer because of far-fetched (literally?) health-concerns for themselves. Although on some level understandable - this appears to be a fair-weather relationship. From sister to stepsister.
Nelson's connection with Onagawa is even stranger. It is based on Robert Hampton Gray - shot-down while sinking a Japanese war-ship in Onagawa Bay - getting a memorial-plaque in/by Onagawa. Like: the Onagawa folks are honoring a foreigner who killed their own.
About Nelson efforting with relief:
Nelson, Mar. 2011
Aside from many giving on their own, there is the To-Japan-With-Love fund-raiser; the fire-fighters - in collaboration with Trafalgar Middle School - are collecting; as is Jude Davison in a concert.
What starts as spontaneous outburst of generosity quickly turns into political event, with a volunteer-group-appointed-by-whom? declaring: the money should not go to the Japanese Red Cross but to Onagawa only. In other words: Onagawa's needs are more deserving of Nelson's blessings than the needs of all others affected. Same earthquake, same tsunami.
And that's where all goes pear-shaped - 18 months later about $30.000(?) are still sitting around City-of-Nelson Account No. 26 at the Credit Union. Doing no good to anyone!
The "Scholarship" Thing
City Hall is obviously pushing for/in the Onagawa direction with its
announcement of a $10.000 scholarship-fund for Onagawa high-school students. Specifically. Only.
What exactly is a "scholarship" for Onagawa students? Having their flight to Nelson paid to come here (when?) alone for a few weeks during a break there? To live with and be petted by strangers who don't speak their language, and in whose language they can't communicate comfortably? To probably feel even more confused, more displaced, more lonely - after possibly experiencing loss of family-members, home and friends? And silently so - while feeling obligated to smile, when paraded throughout as a political photo-op? What's scholarly about that? Not to forget: this "scholarship" would feed Nelson's economy instead that of their affected home-area! Tacky!
In neither case are those who contributed consulted: having given directly time, energy and money to/in events and indirectly their tax-dollars towards this "scholarship" thing!
Onagawa, Mar. 2011
The speed of Japanese bureaucracy is glacial at the best of times. Plus - at the Tokyo-end no clear plan is in place for a disaster of the given magnitude - and at the other end no functioning Onagawa administration is in charge. What connects both ends is undeniable emotional shock of unimaginable depth - the Japanese mindscape generally not being open to its own emotions to begin with.
For Nelson's decision-makers going it alone is not so much about helping for its own sake but for self-glorification. Tacky! And meaning: with no functioning administration; a severely limited communication-system; most of Onagawa leveled; few young people left, the Nelson-end - while attempting to put the money where its mouth is - obviously has to face overwhelming difficulties. Which promptly it does! Of its own choosing!
Except - maybe - if/when handing-out these unexplained "scholarships": that could be a feel-good breeze to do. For City Hall! And here! Tacky!
So those in charge dither for a year, with the whole affair becoming an abstract exercise in far-away futility. While none of the donors demand action, and the news-media are not following-up.
Then a year later: movement!
Nelson, Mar. 2012
John Craig - also Echan Deravy - self-defined first japanthropologist - enters the public picture in a dazzle of media-coverage. He - of long-time Japan experience - had been back there during the past year and is just about to go back again to come-up with a plan (deep breath!) for the money. It seems he is flying solo with making those decisions. Whatever - finally something! Anything, please!
But then - he apparently already has put forth several ideas to those in charge of stuff around Onagawa, which - without exception - have been rejected. This puts Mr. Craig in a considerable huff, aired on the CBC as: those Japanese have to get some new thinking, some new ideas! One new idea (his) is that they should have a mini-Nelson-consulate, which can take the locals' minds off the negativity their lives are focused on. From relief to comic relief. According to him: seeing that Onagawa can't come to a decision - it has to be made for them!
According to his website http://japanthropologist.com, his modus operandi is to motivate Japan into leaving its old, non-doable ways for something new and now - through his Arise Japan lectures! Yet he admits - at the same time - that a book by the same title he wrote in Japanese for the Japanese market found no takers. They just don't know what's good for them!
This is coming from a place of astonishing insensitivity: something happening often with Western expats - almost naturally slipping into saving the natives from themselves. First by getting them to dump their language for a better one, then by expecting them to adopt the mindset behind it. The old colonial thing! He is actually saying that Nelson is particularly well-suited for making this consulate-and-whatever happen - because it has pioneer-spirit!
And the Japanese - unfailingly polite - bow and smile and don't tell gaijin to please just bugger-off!
Craig repeats his mantra in the Nelson Star. There is not one letter to the editor about the weirdness of it all - at the time, I communicate my qualms to Greg Nesteroff at the Star.
Nelson, Aug. 27, 2012
As far as I know: no further developments have been reported in our news-media since March - 5 months ago! So - enough being quite enough - I decide to check into the situation:
John Craig
E-mail - prompt reply: He is not connected with any of this any longer. With hints of Council there and Council here indirectly leading him to that decision, he is getting-on with his own work in Japan.
Fire-Chief Grypma
In person: He is uninformed on what actually happened with the fire-fighters' money - they were/are not involved in any kind of decision-making process. But he wonders why so far nothing seems to have moved.
Jude Davison
E-mail - prompt reply: Jude - living in the UK now - has little contact with Nelson and is uninformed about what happened with the money brought-in by his concert - or any plans for it.
Kim Osika
Phone: My call to her - one of the organizers and behind To Japan (not Onagawa!) With Love - has not been returned.
Wendy Lacroix
Phone: Initially one of the organizers as well, she soon finds herself in the position of being in charge - she hints at weirdness with Mr. Craig - and rather overwhelmed by attempting to connect with people in decision-making positions around Onagawa and subsequent Nelson-idea rejections.
What the group - ostensibly running all this, but not having met in some time - has sort-of decided to do is maybe to possibly turn the total amount donated into (more!) "scholarships"! Convenience!
My argument against that is - Wendy being receptive - Nelsonites gave spontaneously and so generously - 18months ago - because they perceived an immediate need. They probably would have been far less enthusiastic, had they known funds wouldn't go to the most needy NOW and/or that "scholarships" eventually are the goal. Wendy understands the concept of immediate need coupled with spontaneous giving.
I mention that there has been a clear window to apply these funds directly through the Japanese Red Cross, but that this window seems to be closing, what with a recent short article in the Star about the base of the Gray plaque - busted during the earthquake - now having been fixed. Important news from Ground Zero! While mentioning nothing about the general devastation and reconstruction/revitalization efforts.
We explore the possibility of further immediate need - and Wendy brings-up the persisting lack of enough housing for seniors with no home, family and little general support. I remember having seen an item on the Internet about temporary one-room-box accommodation having been put up for seniors like that there and suggest applying the funds to such an effort.
We both get excited about this; I suggest a meeting of her group with me attending. Wendy is not sure(!) that all members are in town, but we agree that even just getting a few together could get things started again. She will call me. Later I send her an e-mail to remind her that with fall/winter coming soon a speedy follow-through is necessary. Wendy does not reply.
Greg Nesteroff
In person: Greg - having covered the issue with several articles in the Nelson Star -Mar./Apr./Nov. 2011 and Mar. 2012 - has no more recent info from there or here.
It takes me one day, Aug. 27, to get behind all the above - now I know why the money is still gathering dust here, and how it may end-up being (mis)used when. Almost two weeks later, Wendy Lacroix has not contacted me.
City Hall
It is not up to the City to make decisions regarding these relief-funds, other than releasing them NOW from its trust and forwarding them to the Japanese Red Cross. Holding on to these funds any longer for whatever reason - except for the $10.000 of tax-payers' money earmarked by Council for scholarships - is unacceptable.
The Organizing-Group
Members of this group are to be commended for their effort thus far - yet they may benefit from looking at the current level of their (dis)engagement, to be able to finish this project appropriately. They may be tired (of it all), but the situation they're in was created by them - with their eyes wide-shut - and turning all collected funds into "scholarships" to be done with it lacks regard for those who gave. Wall-to-wall "scholarships" are not on-the-ground relief!
Members of this group are to be commended for their effort thus far - yet they may benefit from looking at the current level of their (dis)engagement, to be able to finish this project appropriately. They may be tired (of it all), but the situation they're in was created by them - with their eyes wide-shut - and turning all collected funds into "scholarships" to be done with it lacks regard for those who gave. Wall-to-wall "scholarships" are not on-the-ground relief!
Time to come from unconditional compassion: it was the Japanese Red Cross 18 months ago and still is NOW!
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