SHSで学ぶ学生へのメッセージ
これまでの任意団体伊波基金は、より一層の社会的責任を果たす目的を明確にして、2013年8月、NPO法人クリオン虹の基金を設立しました。
この基金は、国の誤った政策によって被害を受けたハンセン病関係者へ賠償金が支払われ、伊波敏男が受けた賠償金によって設立され、2006年から任意団体伊波基金を設立して運営されてきました。この基金はフィリピン国立大学レイテ分(SHS)から推薦され、地域医療を志す学生に奨学金として支給されます。
基金はフィリピン共和国サンバリ財団によって運用管理されます。
これまで任意団体として活動してきた社会的責任を、より明確にするためにNPO法人クリオン虹の基金を設立しました。
A Message to Students Studying at SHS
Iha Foundation(voluntary group) has set up Culion Rainbow Fund(NPO) in August 2013, to make sure its purpose to be more responsible for the society.
In Japan, people suffening from Hansen’s disease were compulsorily segregated from society.It was the equivalent of ‘life imprisonmen’.Their demonstractable crime was being Hansen’s disease victims.It was a requirement under the law designed to prevent the spread of leprosy,the legislation being passed under the euphemistically named public health.The sufferers were not only victims of a hide disease but also of harsh treatment and prejudice which that law did everything to foster.In other words,they were oppressed under two layers of hardship.Furthermore,they were abandoned by society,deprived of thier human rights and dignity,and on top of that their families were stigmatized and disgraced.
At long,long last that iniquitous law was repealed in 1996.
The Japanese government acknowledged and apologized for the measures it had taken under that notorious law and it decided that it would pay compensation to those who had been its victims.
This fund was founded by Toshio Iha who was one of the recipients of that compensation program,the compensation money itself being the souce of the fund.From the money gathered,a scholaship will be granted to a student belonging to the School on Medicine at,a student recommended by the Leyte branch of the Philippines State University Medical School.
Illness bring us pain and tears.The more one suffers,the more one is susceptible to the grief of other people.Those who experience physical pain,spiritual anxienty and social failure tend to be those who are merciful to others.They are the last ones to allow others experience pain and tears.
Medical science fights against human suffering and misery.Let’s hope those students who will recieve a scholaship from the Iha fund will be those who are gifted with compassion and have the courage to fight passionately against those illnesses which still cause agony and misery.
2011/6/26