East-West Center hosts public forum on contemporary Okinawa

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
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Posted: Mar 19, 2010

The East-West Center will host a free public forum on Sunday, March 21 from 1–5 p.m. on the theme “Okinawa Now.” The forum marks the 10th anniversary of the East-West Center’s Obuchi Program and is part of the Center’s year-long 50th anniversary celebration.

Tomohiro Yara, Okinawa Times editorial writer and award-winning author of “Alliance on the Sand – The Lie Unveiled by the Relocation of the U.S. Military Forces,” will be a featured presenter together with other experts from the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, who will address the current U.S. military base issue live via videoconference. Discussions will also focus on Okinawa’s tourism industry, pop culture, and youth identity in flux. Presenters include East-West Center students and Obuchi Program scholars from Okinawa and other Okinawa specialists.

The program will be held at the East-West Center’s Hawai‘i Imin International Conference Center (Jefferson Hall, 1777 East-West Road) with a reception to follow. Reservations are requested by calling (808) 391-1971 or by email at: obuchiforum@hotmail.com.  Parking is available on the UH Mānoa campus.

The 2010 Obuchi Forum is sponsored by the East-West Center and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa –Center for Okinawan Studies and Center for Japanese Studies.

The East-West Center’s Obuchi Program is a joint U.S.-Japan effort that provides educational and cooperative research opportunities at the East-West Center for Okinawan students and specialists as a means to advance Okinawa’s future and strengthen relations within the Asia-Pacific region. The Okinawa International Exchange and Human Resources Development Foundation (OIHF) in Japan serves as the partner institution.

The East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options.

For more information, visit: http://www.EastWestCenter.org