Why do you deliver the speech?

 

 I have a strong message that I wish to convey many people. I believe speech is a great way to express one’s opinions and ideas in public. My very first English speech was in 8th grade and since then I have become very enthusiastic about delivering speeches. Thanks to my English teachers’ excellent coaching in high school, I am able to deliver my speech at the Todai Trophy. My older sister has always been my role model, and I wish to be a great speaker like her. It is my hope that I can deliver a speech that people will remember.

 

Diversity and Inclusion

 

 

Life is a long series of decisions.  We have to make decisions based on the limited experiences and knowledge at each moment of our lives. At present, one of the most important decisions I have to make is my nationality.  Since my father is from Ireland, I currently have both Japanese and Irish nationality.  Some of you may think, “It is your personal problem, not ours.” and lose interest in what I am going to say.  However, in my opinion, multiple nationality is the issue that Japan as a nation must face and begin to seriously consider right now.  According to the survey by the National Institute of Population and Social Security, one out of 50 babies has a foreign parent in 2013, and the rate of international marriage is increasing rapidly.  So, it is quite possible that you would get married to a foreigner and have a baby with dual nationality.  Therefore, I honestly hope my speech will help trigger you to start thinking about multiple nationality as your problem.

 

Suppose you have to choose either your mother or your father, what would you do?  The decision people like me have to make is similar to this situation.  Currently, in the Japanese Nationality Act, those who have dual nationality must declare to the government whether they will keep or renounce their Japanese nationality by the age of 22.  Although I have not grown up in Ireland, I have visited there every year, and I love Irish people, culture and landscapes.  Above all things, I love and respect my Irish father.  I am proud of being Irish.  Therefore, if I choose Japanese nationality, I feel like I have to renounce half of my identity.  Why do we have to face the dilemma of choosing one or the other country just because we are born into the families with foreign parents?

 

One of the reasons why the Japanese government does not allow dual nationality is the fear that the people with dual nationality may not obey the Japanese laws and regulations, and refuse to fulfill their duties.  However, it seems to me that dual nationals have great affection towards both countries and therefore, what they fear most is the war between the two countries, and they will do anything to avoid the war.  So, if the number of people with dual nationality increases, it will surely contribute to building world peace.

 

Moreover, granting multiple nationality to the people who have foreign parents surely leads to diversity of the people.  The good example is the TV personalities like Christel Takigawa, Rola, and many others.  They are popular in Japan because people want different opinions and exotic looks they have, in other words, diversity.  If you look at the world of sports, maybe you can easily name the major leaguer Yu Darvish, and the superb sprinter, Abdul Hakim Sani Brown.  Japan would be less attractive without them, wouldn’t it?  Japan needs diversity of people, which is aggressively sought for by the leading international companies.  An executive of a German-based multinational chemical company “Merck” said, “An innovative idea does not come out in the cozy relationship in the group of similar type of people.  It always comes out from a somewhat uncomfortable relationship in the group of people with different cultures and backgrounds.”  I think it is time for the Japanese government to realize or, at least, listen to this kind of insight.

 

One may say, the Japanese government does try to provide diversity in the nation by offering the chances to young people in Asian countries to become nurses or engineers in Japan.  However, is this enough?  I think the government does not make sufficient efforts to make foreigners stay in Japan. Such as giving them voting rights or easier access to Japanese citizenship.  The strategy that the global leading companies take following “Diversity” is “Inclusion.”  After recruiting diverse types of people, they try to “include” them so that foreign and different kinds of employees are not excluded from the majority of the workers.  Then, what is “Diversity and Inclusion” at the national level?  I think granting multiple nationality is definitely one of the solutions.  If foreigners are granted to have the equal status as Japanese by obtaining Japanese nationality without losing their original nationality, it would make young, creative and productive people to stay and settle in Japan.  In the meantime, it will prevent talented Japanese people from renouncing their Japanese nationality.

 

On this regard, Denmark has just revised its Nationality Act and started to approve dual nationalities if one complies with certain requirements.  This applies to the Danes living outside Denmark and also the foreigners with permanent resident status in Denmark.  I think it is a strategic move of this small country to maintain its extremely high economic strength by inviting competent people from around the world while not losing its own talented people.  As the history of the world shows, free and tolerant countries always thrive.

 

Decline in population and aging of society are the stark reality in Japan.  I think it is more prudent and constructive to consider about granting multiple nationality.  Just remember the recent World Cup Rugby in England.  An overwhelming underdog, Japanese national team beat the two-time World Cup Champion, South Africa.  The last try was scored by the ball picked up by a Japanese scrum half which was then passed to a Tongan flanker via Japanese stand-off.  The ball was finally passed to a New Zealand winger.  Robust and reliable teamwork among players with different backgrounds brought this historical win, and I think that is what the Japanese society should aim to achieve.  In fact, this goal is more eloquent testimony of the importance of Diversity and Inclusion than any statement.  I do believe that granting multiple nationality would be a step forward for Japan to accomplish the diverse and inclusive society, for its continued peace and prosperity.