While we meet many people at the disaster afflicted areas, we are reminded that this disastrous earthquake was an extraordinary happening, which overtook them by surprise by suddenly appearing in the midst of their daily lives. Every disaster victims saw the unexpected disaster with their own eyes, and couldn’t help but to stand there powerless. They were unable to do anything.
The supporters also stood stock still.

In this way, we all felt powerless before the great earthquake, which overtook the disaster afflicted areas. When both the disaster victims and the supporters were powerless, we tried to stand alongside each other’s weakness.
At present, many people are putting their effort to recover their daily lives from the extraordinary happening. What we actually need to do in order to recover our daily lives, is to do the daily things, even if we are in the midst of extraordinary happening, and continually do it.
When actually trying to get on one’s feet, the person sometimes might become aghast by seeing the severe damage. But there’s no other way but to try to live one’s daily lives in order to recover them.
Recently, the disaster afflicted areas started to change bit by bit. This is resulted by the daily efforts of many people who are trying to do the (ordinary) things.

At the same time, a year and 4 months, which passed from the day earthquake struck has been cruel. Change does not always result in good things. Isolation, economic issues, disparity and division, these issues are heard more often of recently. As people try to recover their daily lives, these issues escalate, and the daily issues are individualized, making it hard to stand alongside others. Now, to what point do we need to return as the disaster afflicted area changes daily? What do we need to do in this place? I think the answer is not too hard.

We need to stand alongside those who suffer, just as we did it back then, right after the earthquake struck. We need to stand alongside them, and help them build their daily lives, which is without doubt also theirs.
The sorrow of the disaster victims are getting harder to perceive, when compared to the time right after the earthquake. There might be some people who are beaten down by disaster stretching out before their eyes, when they finally thought they were on their feet again.
There might be some who might be feeling ashamed to make known their sorrow and feeling of powerlessness to others.
Can we quietly stand alongside these kinds of people, withholding the words in our hearts, and wait for them patiently? These things are again called in to question, at the now changing disaster afflicted area.

In times like this, CRASH Japan came to probe if Tohoku HELP would cooperate with them to hold a certain conference.
CRASH Japan is an organization, whose members have devoted themselves for the activity to help at the disaster afflicted area, from right after the earthquake. Tohoku HELP from the beginning are in important cooperative relation with them. We show our gratitude and respect to all the precious activity CRASH Japan had done until now.
CRASH Japan stood alongside those who were in sorrow, and worked to help them regain their daily lives with great care. The conference held this time was so wonderful. It reflected the former said footstep of CRASH Japan.
If there is division at the changing disaster afflicted areas, what are the things we can do? We would first like to think of these things.
No one will be able to take care of the vast pain, which was brought by the earthquake, if we did not cooperate with other organization, starting with CRASH Japan.
One of the answers for the above question is, that we all should cooperate to face the disaster brought by the earthquake.

I would like to give report on the meaningful conference, which made me think thus.

(July 27th 2012 written by Shoei Abe)