Virtual School Festival Special Lecture Report #3!
From November 10 to 12, AOIKE High School x AVOS held a collaborative project, the Virtual School Festival!
AOIKE High School and AVOS held a special lecture "Let's talk about politics and religion that they don't teach us at school! Live from Germany"!
In this lecture, Emiko-san, who lives in Germany, taught us what is happening in Germany.
You can also watch the video of the day on youtube.
We talked about the war between Russia and Ukraine, energy issues, refugees, and what is happening in Germany!
Please watch the video together with the note.
The war started in February this year, and Germany is geographically closer to the war than Japan, but what is it like in Germany?
Right after the war started, it was a daily topic of conversation.
Germany is right across Poland, so some people were trying to escape to India to see what would happen if this war spread to Europe, but these days, energy issues are getting more attention and the war is not talked about as much.
What about energy issues?
Germany was pulling natural gas from Russia and relying on Russia for about half of its gas energy. There are two problems: one is that the fuel will run out, and the other is that the price will skyrocket. Since winters in Germany are very cold, energy-saving measures have been implemented throughout the country since the summer to prepare for winter.
The 9€ train ticket, which allows unlimited train rides throughout Germany, has helped reduce gasoline consumption as more people travel by train instead of by car, and preferential treatment for factories and production lines, as well as for companies that promote renewable energy, has ensured that there is enough fuel to last through this winter.
In addition, the government will pay for the increase in the cost of gas provided to households, which was scheduled to begin in October (with a cap on the amount of gas used).
Reducing the operating hours of stores and factories, deciding when hot water can be provided, and planned power outages are all being considered.
The energy issue is affecting civilian life, but as for public opinion, do you want the war to end? Do you want Ukraine to work hard until it wins?
The physically, We want the war to end as soon as possible, and it's nonsense.
We are also accepting refugees from Ukraine, and it is affecting our lives and not doing anyone any good.
What about refugees from Ukraine?
There is a reception center for refugees in front of Berlin's Hauptbahnhof station.
In February and March, 50,000 to 100,000 refugees were coming in through Poland.
The refugee reception center supports the refugees by matching them with a place to live, directing them on their next actions, arranging trains, and so on.
Although there are concerns about the impact of the refugees' arrival on security and their livelihoods, they are basically open to accepting them and are supported by a variety of volunteers.
Besides your dissatisfaction with Russia, do you also have dissatisfaction with the U.S. and NATO?
To begin with, the U.S. does not have a good impression of the U.S.
Germany was a surveillance society during World War II, so it is sensitive about personal information, but it also does not have a good image of companies such as Amazon, Google, and Facebook that handle that personal information.
I think some people are also repulsed by NATO's move to boil down the situation.
I feel that supporting the Ukrainian people will prolong the war, but do you want it to end quickly or do you want them to work hard until they win?
I think that putting Ukrainian flags in museums and galleries is a sign of the message that Germany is pro-Ukrainian. The general public's feeling is that the war should end soon. There are many refugees coming into the country, and we are more inclined to support the refugees in front of us than to end the war on a national level.
Emiko, thank you so much for your valuable talk!
I think there were some questions that were difficult to answer, but it was interesting to hear what you had to say, which is not easy to hear. When I am in Japan, it feels like an event in a distant country, but in Germany, refugees are actually coming in, geographically close, and energy issues are coming up, so it is a story directly related to daily life. Even if they can get through this winter, what will happen next year? Electricity is tight in Japan, and people are being urged to save power. I would love to spend the winter in a warm room eating ice cream, but I wonder if that will no longer be the case...
I hope that the refugees from Ukraine and those who remain in Ukraine will be able to return to their normal lives as soon as possible.
Click here to watch a virtual interview with Emiko-san, who gave the lecture this time!
＜Profile of Emiko Maruta＞
Emiko Maruta was born in Kumamoto Prefecture in 1981.
Graduated from Waseda University School of Law in 2005.
After studying abroad in China and working as a freelancer, she joined a venture company three years later.
Worked in Tokyo for 10 years and in Germany for 5 years in online community business.
In 2021, feeling limited by her daily routine of working for money and consuming, she resigned and returned to Japan to study "agricultural living".
She stayed at an abandoned school deep in the mountains of Shimanto Town, Kochi Prefecture, surrounded by nature every day, working in the fields and doing only what she loved.
In 2022, she will return to Germany.
Currently working as a freelancer with the motto, "Do what is interesting and fun". Running a salon of foot pressure points at home.
She also has a wide range of experience in hobby activities such as YouTube distribution, e-book publishing, and salsa dance instruction.
Her future goal is to live a self-sufficient life somewhere in the world.
Emiko-san also contributed to this e-book.
Please read it (it's free) as it is very nice.
Emiko-san's story is included in volume 6.
この記事が気に入ったらサポートをしてみませんか？