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藤原紀香が伝えるアフガニスタン人たちの苦難
女優の藤原紀香さんが2002年の夏に、戦後すぐのアフガニスタンを訪れた際に撮った写真のチャリティ写真展が年末に開かれることになり、その直前に彼女にインタビューした記事です。
ニューヨークになじみのあった藤原さんは、911のテロに衝撃を受け、時間を置かずに現地を訪れました。そこで、「このような悲劇は二度と繰り返してはいけない」と強く感じたそうです。しかし、その後アフガニスタンで戦争が始まり、彼女は憎しみの悪循環が続いていることに心を痛めていました。
西宮市出身の彼女は阪神大震災の時も被災者救済活動に熱心に取り組みました。その経験を受けて、アフガン戦争の際も「まずは何かできることを」とすぐに双方の被害者のサポート団体を通じて寄付をしました。しかし、どうしてもアフガニスタンの現状を実際に自分の目で見て、それを多くの人に伝えたいと思った彼女はその強い意志の下、周りの人達を説得し、テレビクルーを伴って戦後直後のまだ危険なアフガニスタン行きを決行したのです。
Celebrity spotlights Afghan hardships
The Japan Times, Dec. 3, 2002
|
藤原 紀香
|
One doesn't often see young Japanese celebrities taking action based on their social conscience, what with their reluctance to invite controversy or ridicule.
But popular actress Norika Fujiwara hasn't let such concerns stand in her way. "When you are working at one corner of the media and there's something you feel strongly about, I believe it's your duty to act on it," said the 31-year-old who is one of today's top celebrities, showing up in advertisements, magazines and on TV.
Last summer, Fujiwara's strong concern about the lives of ordinary Afghans took her to that war-ravaged country. Photos she took there will be on display from Dec. 10 to 19 at Tokyo International Forum to raise funds to help Afghan children.
"I knew it was a country that was off-limits to most outsiders. But I thought that if I used my position in a positive way, and go there and report on what's happening, I could make more people aware," Fujiwara said in a recent interview with The Japan Times.
A native of Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Fujiwara, who is also the Japanese ambassador of friendship to South Korea this year, experienced the aftermath of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995.
She recalls how grateful and moved she was by the donations and acts of charity that came from all over Japan, and the world, in support of the people there. "It was also an experience that taught me the preciousness of life," she said.
A frequent flier to New York, Fujiwara said she was saddened by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and the war on terrorism that followed.
On her Web site, Fujiwara has repeatedly lashed out against terrorism but at the same time said she feels retaliation will only continue a vicious circle of hatred, costing more innocent lives. "The pain of losing a loved one is universal. We shouldn't let it happen again," she said.
Earlier this year, Fujiwara donated part of the profits from an accessory brand she produces to the Twin Towers Fund in the U.S., which supports families affected by the attack. Money also went to the Japan International Friendship and Welfare Foundation, a nongovernmental organization that provides medical support in Afghanistan.
But her charity didn't end there. Feeling that media reports lacked information about ordinary Afghans, she decided to go see the situation for herself. Fujiwara's
sincere but risky proposal
surprised many around her, and some
insisted it was
out of the question. But her
enthusiasm moved the
Nippon TV producer with whom she currently works.
Obtaining passports as journalists, Fujiwara and 10 TV crew members
entered Afghanistan in mid-July. Their
documentary was
aired in September.
During her
10-day stay, Fujiwara went to Kabul and Bamiyan, where she visited International Red Cross-run rehabilitation centers for those victimized by land mines, and schools supported by the nongovernmental organization Save the Children Japan.
"I realized that I had been lulled into complacency by the peaceful conditions in Japan," she said. "I felt like I was hit hard in the head by whatever I saw or heard in Afghanistan."
Fujiwara was shocked that people were living in the proximity of land mines, which were planted during the years of civil war as well as during the Soviet occupation. She saw the sad irony that some had been planted by locals trying to protect their land from enemies.
"Sometimes the places where land mines are buried have chocolates or stuffed toys to lure children. I was outraged," she said. "How could people do such a thing when we are all humans? It was terrifying."
Fujiwara saw schoolchildren learning about the danger of land mines and how to avoid them. Some walk to school for two hours on roads alongside possible minefields.
Despite such conditions, the children Fujiwara met said they were happy to be in school and wanted to study hard and someday work for the good of Afghanistan.
"I really understood the importance of education," Fujiwara said. "If you teach them how to read and write, or simple things like sharing something together, it can make a difference."
For the photo exhibition, some 150 of the more than 1,000 photos she took during her journey will be on display. A book will also be published, all the profits from which will be donated to Save the Children Japan to construct schools for the children in Afghanistan.
Of all the people she hopes will show interest in the exhibition, Fujiwara said she especially wants kids to see the photos. "I want Japanese children to realize that things they take for granted, like having plenty of drinking water or taking a hot shower, are luxuries if you look at other parts of the world," she said.
Fujiwara hopes to hold the exhibition in other cities in Japan. "Now that I've seen the situation in Afghanistan, I have the responsibility to get this across to as many people as possible," she said.
Fujiwara intends to go back to Afghanistan to view the schools being constructed and to see children study.
Shukan ST: April 12, 2004
(C) All rights reserved
- doesn't often see
- そう多くは見かけない
- celebrities
- 有名人
- based on their social conscience
- 社会に対する問題意識
- reluctance to invite 〜
- 〜を招いてしまう恐れ
- controversy or ridicule
- 論議やひやかし
- popular actress
- 人気女優
- such concerns
- そういった懸念
- stand in her way
- 彼女の妨げになる
- one corner of the media
- メディアの片隅
- feel strongly about
- 強く思う、感じる
- duty to act
- 行動に移す義務
- showing up in
- 出演する
- the lives of ordinary Afghans
- アフガニスタンの一般の人々
- war-ravaged country
- 戦争によって荒廃した国
- on display
- 展示されている
- raise funds
- 資金を集める
- off-limits
- 圏外
- outsiders
- 部外者
- positive way
- 建設的な
- report on what's happening
- 何が起きているのかを報告する
- aware
- 気付く、知る
- native of Nishinomiya
- 西宮出身
- Japanese ambassador of friendship to South Korea
- 日韓親善大使
- aftermath
- (戦争や災害の後の)状態、余波
- Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995
- 1995年の阪神大震災
- recalls
- 思い出す
- moved
- 感動した
- donations and acts of charity
- 寄付金や慈善行為
- in support of the people there
- 被災者の支えとして
- experience that taught me the preciousness of life
- 命の尊さを教えられた経験
- frequent flier to New York
- ニューヨークをよく訪れる
- saddened by
- 悲しい思いをさせられた
- terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center
- 世界貿易センターへのテロ攻撃
- war on terrorism
- 対テロ戦争
- her Web site
- 彼女のウェブサイト
- repeatedly lashed out against terrorism
- 繰り返しテロを非難する
- retaliation
- 報復
- vicious circle of hatred
- 憎しみの悪循環
- costing more innocent lives
- より多くの罪のない人たちの命を犠牲にする
- losing a loved one
- 愛する者を失う
- universal
- 世界共通
- part of the profits
- 収益の一部
- accessory brand she produces
- 彼女がプロデュースするアクセサリーのブランド
- Twin Towers Fund
- 「ツイン・タワー基金」
- affected by the attack
- (911のテロ)攻撃で被害を受けた
- Japan International Friendship and Welfare Foundation
- 財団法人日本国際親善厚生財団(JIFF)
- nongovernmental organization
- 非政府の、民間の団体
- medical support
- 医療援助
- lacked information
- 情報に欠けている
- sincere but risky proposal
- 誠実だが危険な提案
- surprised many around her
- 彼女の周りの多くの人々を驚かせた
- insisted
- 強く主張する
- out of the question
- 問題外
- enthusiasm
- 熱意
- Nippon TV producer
- 日本テレビのプロデューサー
- Obtaining passports as journalists
- ジャーナリストとしてパスポートを得る
- entered Afghanistan
- アフガニスタンに入国した
- documentary
- ドキュメンタリー番組
- was aired
- 放映された
- 10-day stay
- 10日間の滞在期間
- Kabul and Bamiyan
- カブールとバーミヤン
- International Red Cross-run
- 国際赤十字が運用する
- victimized
- 犠牲になる
- land mines
- 地雷
- lulled into complacency by the peaceful conditions in Japan
- 日本の平和な環境になじんでしまって、何も代わらなくて良いかのように思い込まされていた
- hit hard in the head
- 頭を強く叩かれる(ような衝撃を受ける)
- whatever I saw or heard
- 見るもの聞くものすべてに
- proximity of land mines
- 地雷がある場所に近接した
- planted
- 埋める
- civil war
- 内戦
- Soviet occupation
- 旧ソビエト連邦による占領
- sad irony
- 皮肉な結果
- locals
- その国の人々
- trying to protect their land from enemies
- 彼らの地を敵から守ろうとして
- chocolates or stuffed toys
- チョコレートや人形
- lure children
- 子供たちを引き寄せる
- outraged
- 憤慨する
- all humans
- 人間同士
- terrifying
- ぞっとするような
- schoolchildren
- 学生
- danger of land mines
- 地雷の危険性
- how to avoid
- 避け方
- alongside 〜
- 〜の横、〜に沿って
- possible minefields
- 地雷が埋め込まれている可能性がある地帯
- for the good of Afghanistan
- アフガニスタンのために
- importance of education
- 教育の大切さ
- simple things
- 単純なこと
- sharing something together
- 何かを一緒に分け合うこと
- photo exhibition
- 写真展
- all the profits from which will be donated
- (本の)利益のすべてが寄付金になる
- show interest
- 興味を持つ
- especially wants kids to see the photos
- 特に子供達に写真を見てほしい
- realize
- 気付く、悟る
- take for granted
- 当たり前のものとしてとらえる
- luxuries
- 贅沢
- other parts of the world
- 他の国々では
- hold the exhibition
- 展示会を開催する
- responsibility
- 責任
- get this across
- 伝える
- intends to 〜
- 〜しようと目指す
- schools being constructed
- 学校が建設される