. Development of international cooperation in education based on popular participation

  As Japan continues to provide cooperation in education in Afghanistan, large numbers of NGOs and people with an interest in education are continuing to involve themselves, and the population at large has shown its interest through broadcasts, fund raising projects, and the like. This seems to suggest that a large part of Japan's population feels international cooperation in education to be a worthwhile form of aid. The Japanese people are certainly not universally critical of ODA or of the provision of aid to developing countries and do not regard it as a waste. International cooperation in education is thus thought effective by large numbers of people who hope that it will demonstrate the sincere "fellow-feeling" of the Japanese people and want, as such, to take part in it in some way.

  At the same time, it is hoped that the continuing development of international cooperation in education may, by combining the independent exchanges of NGOs, local authorities (education committees), and the like with government ODA, lead to the provision of even more beneficial cooperation. The current Committee thus decided to establish a number of task forces in association with NGOs, local authorities (education committees), and the like, to make detailed examinations of international cooperation in education utilizing Japan's range of resources from educational experience to in-service teachers.

  In addition to sharing Japanese educational experience with NGOs, the task force set up to examine the utilization of Japan's education experience was also joined by NGOs for the purpose of researching model development of the sort discussed in Section -4 above. The NGOs also called for specialists such as university teaching staff to join them and evaluate their activities. It is also hoped that cooperation between government and NGOs will further enhance the quality of international cooperation in education.

  During the course of an ongoing series of meetings during which they have exchanged views with many of Japan's local authority education committees, the task force for the promotion of participation by in-service teachers has confirmed the potential for recruiting in-service teachers by working together with representative bodies such as head teachers' and deputy teachers' associations.
  A number of projects for the provision of educational support to Afghanistan are also getting under way. These include the formation of the Women's University Consortium, with the help of NGOs, for the Support of Education for Afghan Women, and implementation by NGOs of the Campaign for the Raising of Funds for Afghan Education.

  To encourage "domestic internationalization" here in Japan and closer relations with developing countries, it is to be hoped that the exchanges and cooperative arrangements made through the medium of this Consultative Committee with NGOs, local authorities, and the like will eventually be extended to include a broader cross-section of Japanese society. To prepare the way for this, our Committee will need to start by holding symposiums attended by the representatives of developing countries, international organizations, and the like all over the country to promote a better understanding among the Japanese of international cooperation in education while at the same time searching for opportunities to involve an altogether broader cross-section of the people.