January 1th marks the 17th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. On this day in 30, 1995 people died (including related deaths).), Missing Persons 3 Name, wounded 4 Ten thousand 3,792 Name,10 Ten thousand 4,906 A natural disaster of unprecedented scale struck Hyogo Kobe, completely destroying 100 houses. While we felt our powerlessness in the face of the fury of natural disasters, it was also a moment when we realized the wonderfulness of people's cooperation and collaboration. This year was called the "first year of volunteering," and volunteer activities reached a major turning point.
Earthquake 30 As we reach a turning point in the year, I would like to pray with you and consider once again what we can do.
First of all,I would like to pray for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and offer prayers for the souls of those who lost family members and friends.
Kansai International University has taken this historical event as a lesson and wants students to acquire basic knowledge on disaster prevention and mitigation.2016We have been offering a "Disaster Prevention Specialist Training Course" since 2011. Students who have acquired knowledge of disaster prevention and mitigation are the main participants in the student disaster prevention circle "KUISs BOSAI" or "Chibo=Various volunteer groups have been established, such as the "Regional Disaster Prevention Volunteer Circle," to foster awareness of disaster prevention and mitigation in the region and to provide support to disaster-stricken areas. Under the slogan "Passing on the experience of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake to the next generation," these groups strive to pass on the stories of what happened in the disaster-stricken areas to future generations and to raise awareness of disaster prevention.
Our university is committed to training disaster prevention experts and has an educational mission. Commitment As an academy that aspires to this goal, we would like to consider what we can do.
The Noto Peninsula earthquake killed 489 People (including disaster-related deaths) 261 ), totally destroyed houses 6,445 23,225 buildings partially destroyed; XNUMX buildings partially damaged 120,029 In addition to homes, various damages occurred to roads, coastlines, water infrastructure, and more, and recovery, let alone reconstruction, is currently not progressing smoothly.
Volunteers from all over the country rushed to the affected areas of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, and in the first year after the disaster, 137 Million people participated in support activities by age group. 20 However, there was also a crowdfunding campaign to support students going to the areas affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake. 500 Although the goal was to raise 2024 million yen, by the deadline in mid-August 8, only 216 million yen had been raised.
The people who worked in the disaster-stricken areas of Noto were:2024 As of mid-December, the total number of cases was 12.30 This is only about 1% of the damage during the same period of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake a year ago (Nikkei Shimbun, January 1th).
30As the year passed, major disasters occurred one after another all over Japan, including the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Kumamoto Earthquake, and the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. In these circumstances, students have not given in to the difficult situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and have continued to pass on the baton of volunteer activities.
One thing we can do going forward is to send a volunteer team to the Noto Peninsula.
Our university's disaster prevention volunteer group receives advance training from specialized faculty members on how to support disaster-stricken areas, and before they begin their support activities, they make every effort to be self-sufficient in their activities on-site, including arranging for necessary items and purchasing disaster volunteer insurance.
As part of our support activities in the disaster-stricken areas, we not only provide direct support such as removing rubble from houses and roads and providing footbaths, but also engage in activities to provide mental care and improve the content of support, such as sports exchanges at schools in the disaster-stricken areas and visiting homes to survey support needs. After the activities, we also hold follow-up study sessions inviting students who were unable to participate in volunteer activities, where they share their experiences and use them in future activities. We also focus on nurturing the next generation, such as by mentoring new students.
Therefore, we have decided to once again send out volunteer teams from our university after the regular exams are over.We welcome participation regardless of whether you have a disaster prevention qualification.We will be collecting donations to support the Noto Peninsula.
Thirty years ago, our region received kindness and passion from all over Japan and the world, and I would like to continue to pass it on. As a student of Kansai International University, one of the nation's leading centers for training disaster prevention specialists, and in preparation for the Nankai Trough earthquake that is expected to occur in the near future, I aim to pass on the culture of mutual support and help to the next generation and realize a disaster-resistant society.
Once again, we would like to pray for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and other natural disasters to date, and offer our heartfelt sympathies to those who have been affected by these disasters.
