It is almost a year since the Great East Japan Earthquake struck in March 2011 and various activities toward disaster recovery have taken place in the affected region. However, the pain felt by victims of losing loved ones, homes, jobs and communities cannot be healed in such a short time. This panel invites experts in disaster recovery and human security to discuss ways of building disaster resilient societies with a focus on human connections.

Professor Rikki Kersten (ANU) is a specialist in Japanese politics and will discuss and evaluate the Japanese government’s policies on disaster recovery, Mr Kiyotaka Akazawa established the volunteer NPO Youth Vision after the 1995 Hanshin earthquake and will discuss the role of volunteers and citizens in the recovery process, Mr Rob McNeil is a Chief Superintendent with Fire & Rescue NSW and will discuss his experiences as the leader of the Australian Task Force deployed to Japan in March 2011, and Mr Andrew McNamara (Fire & Rescue NSW) is an Urban Search and Rescue Instructor who will discuss the current situation in disaster-affected areas of Iwate after his recent tour of the region as part of the JENESYS program.

Join our panellists for a firsthand look at the human side of the disaster recovery process in Japan. After sharing their experiences, the speakers will take part in a group discussion including a Q&A session with the audience.

 

Panel Discussion

Melbourne
Date: Thursday 23 February 2012
Time: 6.00pm – 8.00pm (doors open 5.30pm)
Venue: Blake Dawson, Level 26, 181 William St, Melbourne

Sydney
Date: Friday 24 February 2012
Time: 6.00pm – 8.00pm (doors open 5.30pm)
Venue: Blake Dawson, Level 36 Grosvenor Place, 225 George St, Sydney

Admission: Free. Bookings essential
RSVP: reception@jpf.org.au or phone 02 8239 0055
*If you have questions you’d like to ask the panellists during the discussion, please let us know when you rsvp.

 

Panelists:

 

Mr Kiyotaka Akazawa Mr Kiyotaka Akazawa is a representative of NPO Youth Vision. He established Kyoto Students Volunteer Center (now called NPO Youth Vision) with student volunteers in 1996 after experiencing the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995 as he saw the significance and potential of involving students and youths in volunteer activities. His work includes providing assistance to student volunteer activities and volunteer management of NPOs. Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, he has been Managing Director of two projects: “Joint Project to Support Disaster Sufferers through Coordination with Nonprofits (Tsuna-pro)“, which assists the disaster victims and devastated areas by linking their needs to those seeking to help them with the expertise of NPOs, and “Iwate GINGA-NET project”, which sends 1,000 student volunteers from all over Japan to Iwate prefecture.

Rikki Kersten Rikki Kersten is a former Australian diplomat who specializes in modern Japanese political thought. She is currently Professor of Modern Japanese Political History at the ANU. Her academic interests include Japan’s security policy, particularly Human Security, the Australia-Japan defence relationship and the U.S.-Japan Alliance system. Recent publications include R. Kersten trans. of Kurusu Kaoru, ‘Japan as an active agent for global norms: the political dynamism behind the acceptance and promotion of “human security”’ in Asia-Pacific Review, 18: 2, 2011, 115-137; and ‘Japan, the U.S. Alliance and Asia’, ANU-MASI Policy Background Paper 1, 1 August, 2011.

Mr Rob McNeil Chief Superintendent Rob McNeil has been a member of Fire and Rescue NSW for 28 years and is currently Assistant Director of Community Risk, Fire and Rescue NSW. He has been the manager of Fire and Rescue hazardous materials response unit, a Hazmat Station Commander and Breathing Apparatus and Hazardous Materials instructor, chair of the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authority Council Hazardous Materials Working Group, Chair of the NSW State Chemical Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Working Group and has played an active role in the development of skills in hazardous materials emergency response teams including the development and implementation of the NSW Radiation Exposure Management policy and procedures for emergency services. During his career he has played a major role in emergency management in the area of hazardous materials and has been the Hazmat commander or incident controller at numerous emergencies and recently the Australian Task Force leader for the response to the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami. He received an Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) in 2010 for his contributions to emergency management of hazardous materials incidents. Rob has three daughters and one son spanning 18 years and is resolved to the fact he will never be an expert in raising children. Photo: Rob McNeil outside the Australian command tent during his deployment to Japan after the March 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami, the base was located outside Tome City, Miyagi.

Mr Andrew McNamara Andrew McNamara has been a professional firefighter with Fire & Rescue NSW for 15 years. He currently holds the rank of Station Officer and is the officer in charge of the rescue truck at City of Sydney Fire Station. In addition to this role Andrew is currently an instructor for NSW’s Urban Search and Rescue taskforce. Most recently NSW USAR taskforce sent rescue teams to Christchurch, NZ and Myagi prefecture, Japan. Andrew recently participated in a study tour to Japan where he was able to study the country’s disaster preparedness as well as the lessons learned from the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995 and the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in March 2011.