Fukushima Conference in Oregon, USA

(Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader of our blog I have learned about this conference which may be of interest to you all. It is a one day event in Oregon, USA, and will be streamed live on the web)

The Lessons of Fukushima: A Symposium for Education, Collaboration, Inspiration

February 24-25, 2012

Willamette University
College of Law
John C. Paulus Lecture Hall
245 Winter Street SE
Salem, Oregon 97302

Abstracts/Papers/Written Submissions
Attendees Information
Live Streaming/Digital Recordings

General Information
The disastrous earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan on March 11, 2011, drew the immediate attention and sympathy of the international community. Successive meltdowns and malfunctions at the Fukushima nuclear power plants heightened global concern and the disaster continues to unfold one year later with no end in sight. The Fukushima disasters present challenges not only to the Japanese people and nation-state, but to the world at large.

The symposium
This symposium, “The Lessons of Fukushima,” will reflect on this continuing tragedy and the world’s response. What can we learn from Fukushima? What is our collective responsibility as educators, activists, and citizens in the face of this natural and human tragedy? In presenting this symposium, we seek to identify and learn from the global lessons of Fukushima.

Scholars, community advocates, students, citizens, and government representatives are coming together on February 24-25 from Japan, Canada, and the U.S. to share knowledge and perspectives on the broad theme of “The Lessons of Fukushima.” We intend the symposium to function as a vehicle for education and collaboration.

Speakers’ Bios
Linda Isako Angst

Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Lewis & Clark College of Arts & Sciences.

Warren Binford

Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Clinical Law Program at the Willamette University College of Law where she teaches International Children’s Rights and the Child and Family Advocacy Clinic. She frequently publishes in both academic and mainstream publications on issues impacting children. Professor Binford previously lived in Tokyo.

Pablo Figueroa

Studied Social Anthropology at University of Buenos Aires (BA), and East Asian Studies at University of Salamanca (MA). Past and present research interests include ethnic minorities in contemporary Japan, the commodification of mountains in South America and Southeast Asia, and risk perceptions related to global nuclear energy policies. He currently serves as a coordinator for the Contemporary Japanese Studies Program at Waseda University, Tokyo.

Majia Holmer Nadesan

Professor of Communication studies at Arizona State University. She has published 3 books exploring the politics of life in the contexts of autism, childhood, and neoliberal government.

Yoko Ikeda

Has a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the Graduate Center of CUNY.

Anna Tilman

Vice-President of the International Institute of Concern for Public Health (IICPH), a non-for-profit organization based in Toronto, Ontario. She has a B.A. in Mathematics and Physics and M.A. in Medical Biophysics, from the University of Toronto. A former professor of mathematics at Seneca College in Toronto, Ontario and Senior Fellow at York University, Faculty of Environmental Studies, she is an environmental activist and researcher working on air pollutants, toxics chemicals in particular, mercury, and nuclear issues. She has been working on raising public awareness about the health and environmental effects of all aspects of the nuclear chain and has recently written a series of articles “On the Yellowcake Trail” for the magazine Watershed Sentinel. Amongst other nuclear-related activities, she is participating in efforts to oppose Ontario Power Generation’s proposal to build four new nuclear reactors at Darlington, refurbish other reactors and the development of a Deep Geological Repository for nuclear waste.

Brett L. Walker

Regents Professor at Montana State University, Bozeman, and Research Specialist and Visiting Professor at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He specializes in Japanese environmental history, the history of human health, and the history of East Asian science. His books include The Conquest of Ainu Lands: Culture and Ecology in Japanese Expansion, 1590-1800 (2001), The Lost Wolves of Japan (2005), and Toxic Archipelago: A History of Industrial Disease in Japan (2010). He has also co-edited books on Japanese environmental history, including Japan at Nature’s Edge: The Environment of a Global Power, forthcoming from the University of Hawai’i Press.

Prof. Katsuya Endo

Tokyo International University,Professor of Education
Vice President(2001~2009),Special Advisor to the President(2010~)
Keio University(M.Ed),Seattle University(M.Ed)
International Christian University(ICU:completed doctoral course)
Prof. Endo was born in Fukushima city and enjoyed Fukushima until 18 years(high school).

SPONSORS
Center for Asian Studies, Willamette University
Center for Sustainable Communities, Willamette University

CONTACT US
wbinford@willamette.edu
rloftus@willamette.edu
cmccaffr@willamette.edu

  1. I see that the audience won’t be able to interact with the speakers, what kind of awareness are we suppose to come to with that kind of forum taking place. I lived in Japan for 12 years, I left because of the terrible incident that is killing us nice and silently, and if these people and others ( in the media continue to lie, or just cover up facts ) How is that helping us? Pray tell?

  2. I am Miriam German and one the organizers for our Occupy Portland A15 Rally 2 days ago. (hanfordrally.wordpress.com). We are working at exposing the truth regarding Hanford, the largest nuke waste dump in the Western Hemisphere which is also leaking milliions of gallons of waste into the ground from rotting tanks.
    I was at the Fukushima Conference w/ some of our teachers here in the no-nukes world. I must tell you that the nonsense that many of the presenters gave was thoroughly questioned and we spoke the truth to their lies. And a great deal of it was a lie. It was livestreamed and I’m sure someone from the University can get you the link.
    We are working now at trying to shut down the Columbia Generating Station at Hanford, the NorthWest region’s only nuke plant. It is a big endeavor but possible.
    Dr. Helen Caldicott came to our Rally on A15 and we have become friends. I will be sending her this link in case she doesn’t have it already, in order for more news to get to her as well.
    Know that we at Occupy Portland are with you. Be well.
    I would like more news please on Bldg 4. I am very concerned. Can you clarify what is going on there? We heard that japan has spoken to Russia and to China about potential evacuation of 40 million. Please send us the news.
    Peace.
    Miriam

    1. Aloha Miriam,

      I am in Portland Oregon as well. I am stunned that the local community here is not more vocal and concerned about Hanford and Fukushima – in the neighborhoods I circle. It’s so strange. It is quiet and silent killer, until more and more cancers manifest. I’d like to be in the local loop with you.

      Many thanks. Dia dhuit,
      Dr. PN Macfie

Comments are closed.

About this site

This website updates the latest news about the Fukushima nuclear plant and also archives the past news from 2011. Because it's always updated and added live, articles, categories and the tags are not necessarily fitted in the latest format.
I am the writer of this website. About page remains in 2014. This is because my memory about 311 was clearer than now, 2023, and I think it can have a historical value. Now I'm living in Romania with 3 cats as an independent data scientist.
Actually, nothing has progressed in the plant since 2011. We still don't even know what is going on inside. They must keep cooling the crippled reactors by water, but additionally groundwater keeps flowing into the reactor buildings from the broken parts. This is why highly contaminated water is always produced more than it can circulate. Tepco is planning to officially discharge this water to the Pacific but Tritium is still remaining in it. They dilute this with seawater so that it is legally safe, but scientifically the same amount of radioactive tritium is contained. They say it is safe to discharge, but none of them have drunk it.

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