Japanese Help Restore Neighborhood Advisory Council Building in Baghdad

DoD ^ | Sept. 19, 2003 | Army Sgt. Mark S. Rickert

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Japanese Help Restore Neighborhood Advisory Council Building in Baghdad
By U.S. Army Sgt. Mark S. Rickert / 372nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Sept. 19, 2003 — The Ghazeliyah Neighborhood Advisory Council held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Baghdad Sept. 19, to celebrate the opening of their newly-furnished council building, while thanking the Japanese officials for their generous contributions. Before the war, this building served as a shop for officers of the former Iraqi military. Now, the people of the neighborhood have decided to convert the building into a place where citizens can come and talk to their neighborhood advisory council about issues regarding the restoration of the neighborhood. Fortunately, the building survived the war, but looters took everything inside. The council could meet there, but they lacked the proper equipment and utilities for conducting business. There wasn’t even furniture to sit on. “A certain amount of things were needed in the building before the Iraqis could perform the functions of an advisory council,” said 2nd Lt. Charles J. Brown, C Company Fire Support Officer with the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment. “Things such as desks, chairs and generators were all important to get the council started. It’s hard to hold a committee meeting when you don’t have chairs to sit in.” So when officials from the Japanese government approached soldiers with the 1st of the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment with a desire to help the citizens of Iraq, soldiers led them to the advisory council. Lt. Col. Eric Nantz, center, commander of the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, speaks to people of the Ghazeliyah neighborhood Sept. 18 about the new furniture and equipment for the neighborhood advisory council building in Baghdad that was paid for by the Japanese people.. U.S. Army video image by Spc. Joseph Larrew	Tsukasa Wemura, right, charge-de-fair of the Japanese Embassy in Baghdad, assisted by a translator, speaks to some people from the Ghazeliyah neighborhood in Baghdad Sept. 18, after the Japanese people paid for furniture and equipment to furnish the neighborhood advisory council building. U.S. Army video image by Spc. Joseph Larrew “The Japanese government officials came to us and asked how they could help,” said Brown. “We knew that the advisory council in Ghazeliyah needed help getting off the ground, and so we brought the two together.” The Japanese stepped in with financial support, furnishing the council building with many things, from basic supplies such as desks and filing cabinets, to more expensive equipment such as air-conditioning units and computers. “This is not a gift from the Japanese government -- but a gift from the people,” said Tsukasa Wemura, the charge-de-fair of the Japanese Embassy in Baghdad. “If you go to Tokyo today, you will see lots of news programs on the television, and all the programs talk about the restoration of Iraq. Hence, we are very much interested in the restoration of the Iraqi government. This is why I say this present is from the people of Japan.” According to Wemura, this is only the first step in Japanese contributions to the local community. Wemura says that the donation is not a huge amount of money, but is a way of showing that the Japanese supports the future of Iraq. “This is the core of the local society for the democratic process,” said Wemura. “People gather here-women come, children come-all to talk and make the society better. This is the core of the community, and this is why we extend our contributions to this center.”

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

 Thanks, Tonkin!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

“If you go to Tokyo today, you will see lots of news programs on the television, and all the programs talk about the restoration of Iraq. Hence, we are very much interested in the restoration of the Iraqi government. This is why I say this present is from the people of Japan.”

According to Wemura, this is only the first step in Japanese contributions to the local community.

NON-UN-ilateral, ping!

If you want on or off my Pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days. (Most days are good days).

[Sparta]

BTTT

[Dog]

Bump!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Sniff! I don't know why that brings a tear to my eye!

But, thank you for sharing!

[TEXOKIE]

From one reclaimed/liberated society to another....*sniff* God bless the Japanese people and the people of Iraq as they prove to the world that the seeds self-governance CAN take root in unexpected soil.

[blackie]

Coalition ~ Bump!

[windchime]

Bump!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Mr. Silverback]

Domo arigato, friends.

[PhilDragoo]

We deposed a militarist dictatorship and established democracy within its people.

And now they are helping to pass the torch.

Totally cool long-term consequences ping.

Tree of liberty, blood of tyrants redux.

[SAMWolf]

Bump