TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Genron NPO, a Tokyo-based independent, non-profit think tank (President: Yasushi Kudo, http://www.genron-npo.net/en/) is launching a survey in which leading global journalists will participate to gauge their opinions on issues in Northeast Asia and Japan.
The Genron NPO’s activities focus on fostering a system of peace in Northeast Asia and cultivating Japan’s future. The think tank regularly evaluates the policies of Japan’s government and political parties, holds civil dialogues for Japan-China and Japan-Korea relations, and administers joint public opinion polls with partner organizations in Asia and the US.
As national sentiments worsen and antagonism in Northeast Asia is on the rise, The Genron NPO strives to improve public opinion in the region. It works to establish a channel for dialogue distinct from the government, through open-to-the-public civil dialogue while stressing the importance of public opinion in resolving national and regional issues in order to awaken public opinion oriented towards resolving these issues as a foundation for establishing a new system of peace in Northeast Asia. This is known as “Genron Diplomacy.”
This survey links closely with its core mission. We believe that journalists have a major influence on the future of this region. As such, this survey seeks to find out the opinions of international journalists on current events and issues in Northeast Asia and the role of Japan.
The results of the survey will be announced at a conference held by The Genron NPO in Tokyo this March and guide discussions between experts on the topic of peace in Northeast Asia, the effects of China’s recent economic slow-down, and current issues for Japan. In addition, summaries of the results will be promptly provided to survey participants.
The survey should not take more than 10 minutes. This questionnaire consists of 10 multi-choice questions. As journalists working with internationally recognized media, we hope you will take a few minutes to take this short survey.
If you would like to receive a summary report in PDF, please provide your email at the end of the survey form. To access the survey, click on this link: https://jp.surveymonkey.com/r/DMRZRCY
Alternatively, if you are having trouble opening the survey page please fill in the attached questionnaire and send back to sato@genron-npo.net.
Any questions concerning this survey, please contact Aya Sato at sato@genron-npo.net or call +81-3-5643-5537. Your participation in this survey is vital and we thank you in advance for your contribution to this important project.
[The survey will close on Tuesday, March 8 2016 at 23:59 EST]
Why do we want your answers?
The Genron NPO is currently working towards solving global issues that span Asia and the rest of the world through attending conferences and engaging in discussions with other prominent international think tanks. In addition to participating in global think tank networks, The Genron NPO seeks to expand exchanges with media organizations and journalists that have the power to influence global public opinion. While aiming to form domestic debate among Japanese experts, we also want to share the full range of Japanese opinions with the rest of the world, through making the debates publicly available in English. To that end, we would like to take this opportunity as a starting point to expand exchanges with leading global journalists.
The Genron NPO: Japan’s only neutral, independent, non-profit think tank
The Genron NPO was established in 2001 by leading Japanese intellectuals who were dissatisfied with the Japanese media, and called into question the authenticity of the voices of the general public. These intellectuals sought to prepare a new platform for constructive discussions and eventually nurture meaningful measures to address Japan's major issues. The Genron NPO was inaugurated by Yasushi Kudo, former editor-in-chief of “Toyo Keizai,” one of Japan’s foremost magazines on politics and economics. Our activities are independent and neutral with regard to any government interest or specific concern, making us the only think tank of this kind in Japan.
The Genron NPO has hosted various discussions for the last 15 years on wide-ranging issues that Japan, Asia and the world faces. We conduct and publish evaluations of policies of administration and political parties as essential information for voters in order to strengthen democracy. We also host civil dialogues with China and South Korea to improve relationships with neighboring countries from a civil stance. Roughly 500 opinion leaders from among academics, researchers, government officials, business leaders, and journalists have participated in our activities.
The Genron NPO is the representative think tank for Japan on the Council of Councils (CoC) which was established in 2012, an international think tank network convened by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). The CoC consists of 25 think tanks from 24 countries, including CFR from the U.S., Chatham House and International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) from England, Institute of Contemporary Development (INSOR) from Russia, French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) from France, German Institute for International Security Affairs (SWP) from Germany, and Institute of International Affairs (IAI) from Italy.
