Message to IDFC
Five full years have passed since the coup in Myanmar. Following a hollow election, military rule has given way to ‘civilian rule’ in name only. Air strikes and repression by the country’s own military continue to claim lives and force people from their homes, yet international attention to Myanmar continues to fade.
Against this backdrop, IDFC has found creative ways to sustain exchanges with university students from Myanmar and support Myanmar people living in Japan, carrying out meaningful work as a student organization. As an advisor since around IDFC 2017, I deeply appreciate the steady efforts of each year’s members and their passionate interest in Myanmar’s people and culture. These exchanges will help shape the futures of both the students from Myanmar and their counterparts in Japan.
Although there seems to be little prospect of positive change in Myanmar, I hope you will sustain your commitment to the country and make your exchanges and mutual learning with the students and young people you meet even more rewarding. You have my continued support!
Earlier message
Student exchanges can help you find your path in life
Takashi Nemoto
Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University. Specialist in modern Burmese history.
Interest in Myanmar (Burma) has grown in Japan in recent years. Too often, however, that interest is limited to commercial opportunities or the immediate pleasures of tourism. As university students, you have a precious opportunity to think independently, ask questions, and build relationships without the obligations of working life. Through these encounters, you can discover how you want to live and the values you share with others. Make the most of this time.
If Myanmar interests you, begin by reading about its culture, history, and the challenges it faces. Then get to know its people directly. IDFC offers a valuable space that students from Japan and Myanmar create together. Through its projects, build relationships as equals, free from competing professional interests—relationships that can be harder to find once you enter working life. These experiences can help you find your path and give you the strength to pursue it.