WHO WE ARE
This Learning Cluster (LC) follows 12 undergraduate students and one professor as a facilitator from Soka University of America over the course of two weeks as they examine differing individual and official/state memories in regards to the Vietnam War, Korean War, and the Pacific War. This was accomplished by traveling to Hanoi, Vietnam, as well as Seoul and Busan, South Korea, in order to visit national museums and memorials and to meet with several NGOs and individuals from each country in order to hear from various perspectives of each war.
OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Embrace.
Remember.
Face.
Reconcile.
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To examine how and why the Pacific War and the Vietnam War have been remembered differently in Eastern Asia and in the U.S.;
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To develop in students abilities to understand the complexities of our memories of war;
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To equip students with a better understanding of the origins of the domestic and/or regional conflicts regarding war memory;
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To understand the importance of including as many and diverse memories of individuals as possible in constructing official memory and national history;
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To find ways to reconcile the differences in memories of the wars, rather than to judge the past morally and politically;
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To enhance the ability of students to work collaboratively toward constructing a conflict-free future;
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To prepare students for their role in peace-making efforts;
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And to foster students to become global citizens who can contribute to raising pacifism and creating solidarity for peace, which closely relates to Soka University’s motto and principle.