| OVAC Quarterly News Magazine Vol.16 January, 2005 |
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| “Share the view” is quarterly publication providing current information and topics on NGO/NPO sectors in Japan and opinions of Mr. Noboru Hayase, our Executive Director and editorial writers out of our monthly opinion magazine “Volo”. Taking into consideration of the wide-ranged non-governmental activities in Japan, it also includes information on volunteering, activities & movements of non-profit & community-based groups. |
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| What Mr. Tashiro Bequeathed To Us |
 Mr. Masami Tashiro passed away prematurely at the age of 55 on May 12.
He took a leading role in bringing corporate philanthropy into shape in its pioneer days as the first manager of the Social Contribution Department, newly created in 1991, of the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations, or Keidanren in Japanese. He was busily engaged in cultivating relationships between civil action organizations and corporations. Moving to the Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs in 1996, he played an important part in establishing the Law to Promote Specified Nonprofit Activities, known as the NPO law, as well as in the inauguration of the Japan NPO Center. He also translated some of Peter Drucker's books into Japanese, and his translation of "Managing The Nonprofit Organization" (Diamond, Inc.), published in 1991, is said to be a must read book for persons involved in civil activities.
Although he was a staff member of Keidanren, the leading organization of the business sector, he never flaunted his power. He was, however, very demanding of the people in the non-profit sector largely because he expected so much of the future of civil movements.
"I believe our assistance should be appreciated, so it makes me wonder why people complain," he said to me on the phone at the end of February 1995.
During the reconstruction after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, he coordinated efforts to offer equipment and human resources to citizens' organizations. When one corporation offered 600 cell phones, he handed them out to non-profit organizations and groups acting in the disaster site, with a mutual promise that Keidanren would bear one-month-communication costs and the non-profit organizations would return the cell phones in one month's time. Afterwards, he commented, "I feel proud that I could collect all of these 600 cell phones. I think the organizations and groups can be proud of themselves. Every single cell phone was returned." However, to tell the truth, there was one problem with one organization.
One organization refused to return them claiming that Keidanren did not understand the circumstances at the quake-hit area. He tried to obtain their consent by explaining, "Long-term activities are expected. So, it is hard to bear the high cost of cell phones. Since the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation's phone lines are just back in the service in the area, we would like you to use the conventional telephone service instead. We will allow you necessary expenses to get a phone line connection, so please return the cell phones." However, the organization answered him back, "Are you trying to tie up our activities?" Thereupon he phoned me as aforementioned: "I believe our assistance should be appreciated, so it makes me wonder why people complain."
He lost his temper at their egotistical way of thinking. He never gave his assent only because people were engaged in activities with good intentions.
His basic stance could be seen in his following comment on corporate social action: "Please note that a person in charge of any corporation's social contribution department risks his or her business life when they select organizations and groups to donate to. You can see what would happen if any charitable organization ceased its activities. His or her colleagues would question them saying, 'Where is the money donated? That is our company's money generated by all of the employees' efforts.' It is not good enough to appreciate received donations." At that time, when civil activity organizations were requesting support from Keidanren, the Osaka Voluntary Action Center was often asked for information regarding organizations based in West Japan. This was the comment he gave me when I was disagreeably surprised at his exactitude of requiring such detailed support for the information.
"We have nothing to lose. We cannot do anything if we fear failure." These comments are often heard in civil activities. There is an element of truth to these comments. However once we seek support from others, we will have the accompanying responsibility. Mr. Tashiro urged us to have self-awareness of the responsibility of taking supporters' positions into consideration, and expected us to grow out of the mindset that we were doing this merely for our own pleasure, for which people sometimes teasingly criticized us.
But then, he was not a person who would not take risks. Mr. Yasufumi Tanaka, who worked under Mr. Tashiro, shared this episode with us. When he was wondering if Keidanren should provide assistance to an organization that worked to find out the whereabouts of foreign citizens and give them the support they needed, he asked Mr. Tashiro for advice. Mr. Tanaka explained his misgivings: "They are acting on behalf of illegal residents, aren't they? Somehow I have a sense that it might be a problem to support such an organization." Mr. Tashiro gave immediate instruction saying, "Do not look at them as illegal residents. It is true that Keidanren cannot provide assistance to those who are in Japan in violation of the law by staying past the expiration of their staying limit. But there is no problem with supporting organizations that are working to help those people. When someone would question our support for those organizations, you should tell them the same. Take immediate action!" Mr. Tanaka said, "At that moment I was very confident that I could go forward under him, and I felt very pleased."
Referring to the concept of crimes of commission or omission, Mr. Tashiro spurred Mr. Tanaka on to action countless times: "There is such a thing as a crime of omission. Do your task daringly." In truth his attitude of rushing over to sites and struggling with the reality there was evident since the first engagement, helping with the situation caused by lava flow from the volcanic eruptions of Mount Unzen-Fugen, that happened two months after the startup of the social contribution department of Keidanren.
When corporate personnel get involved in citizens' organizations, they mostly fall into two groups. One group would be those who make no attempt to understand or to talk with the people in citizens' organizations, disliking them as spongers relying on donations or considering them as different beings. The other is those who look forward to a travail in citizens' activities or at least acknowledge the existence of a sector different from the business sector, and they support citizens' organizations in a positive manner accordingly. Of course I appreciate the latter.
Mr. Tashiro was of another type. He was not easily satisfied with the state of affairs and approached us in a manner that could even be described as reproachful - so seriously did he take the potential of citizen actions.
He did not just criticize us. Once he got irritated when our affiliated liaison meetings were lasting until late every night, and gave me candid advice saying, "You are the responsible person, so all you have to do is decide what's best and pass it on to the others." I answered, "People will only take active roles when they are convinced of the proper decision, and their individual abilities are put into practice. The logic of an organization where volunteers play a central part is different from that of a corporation." After this, he emphasized the importance of the balance between "efficiency and empathy" in the collaboration of non-profit organizations and corporations.
Just the same, we received a lot of "scoldings" from him. He was a person who never vented his anger emotionally but gave a severe "scolding" out of love. While he respected the feelings of the people involved in citizens' activities, he insisted each should make an accountable move as a member of the society.
We sorely miss Mr. Tashiro. I would like to pray that his soul may rest
in peace.
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| Noboru Hayase,
Executive Director, Osaka Voluntary Action Center |
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