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March 14, 2008
In memory of Mr. Ichiro Maruyama
In memory of Mr. Ichiro Maruyama, a great father of Jicafriends
March is one of the most expected months for all Japanese people because Sakura (cherry tree) starts to bloom by the end of the month. People go out to enjoy beautiful scenery, have small parties eating, drinking and singing under the cherry blossoms. Missing this favorite time, Mr. Ichiro Maruyama completed his life journey of 65 years in the evening of 2nd of March.
The funeral service of Mr. Maruyama was held in Tokyo on 6th of March. Hundreds of people from all over Japan and overseas attended and said their last goodbyes. Everyone was touched and moved by the spirit of the service.
It was April 2007 when Ichiro was diagnosed with cancer in his pancreas, and chemotherapy started immediately. It had been a tough and painful treatment process for him and his family. Ichiro had never stopped his strong will to fight against the disease until the last moment.
Mr. Maruyama devoted his whole life for people with disabilities in assisting them to realize their potential, in making effective governmental policies and in inspiring the creation of disability networks not only in Japan but in the region and in the world.
He started his long career for people with disabilities when he was a university student from participating in the formation of the Japanese Red Cross Language Service Volunteers. The Paralympics Games held in Tokyo in 1964 motivated him in devoting his life long career for people with disabilities.
After working in Japan Sun Industries and Tokyo Colony, both of which are leading workshops of people with disabilities in Japan, he was called to work in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as an expert officer on disability in 1980. During his 10 years of service in the government, he had a number of achievements in uplifting disability issues. He introduced to Japan the International Year of Disabled Persons, then United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons 1983-1992.
His next highlight was to promote the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities 1993-2002. He founded the Regional NGO Network (RNN) and as its Secretary General, he devoted great efforts in organizing the campaign conferences to promote the Decade in the countries of the region every year throughout the Decade in collaboration with United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. His contributions are so obvious and significant that many countries in the region have given rise to concrete national programs in implementing the Decade.
During the last few months of his life, he focused his concerns on the tardy proceeding of governmental initiatives in employment of people with disabilities. While fighting against the illness and pain, he was still working on his hospital bed on a formal submission to the International Labour Organization challenging that Japanese Government was unfairly treating the employment rights of people with severe challenges.
Among his innumerable contributions, one of the most outstanding was to start the training courses on rehabilitation of persons with disabilities which were implemented by Japan International Cooperation Agency when he was in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 1985. From then on he had devoted strong passion and energy to the development of training courses in 23 years. Last year in June even though his illness was serious, he attended and gave opening lecture to the participants as course leader of the Work and Employment course.
He loved all participants of training courses and had given to them his abundant knowledge and experience. That is why he has been called a great father of all Jicafriends. Many of those who have been inspired and encouraged by him are now following his shoes as true leaders in raising disability development in many places of the world.
He was a man of action and at the same time he was a genius to make people happy with jokes and songs. He always liked to be together with many people and liked to let them laugh. I deeply share that nobody can substitute for him.
His passing is definitely a huge loss to all people in disability sector in the world. He left us a lot of legacy in moving forward the challenges of persons with disabilities.
All Jicafriends, let us march forward together to follow his vision seeking the realization of a society where all people including persons with disabilities live equally in terms of rights and opportunities, which Mr. Maruyama had dreamed.
Even though his physical body is no more with us, his soul stays in the special place of our minds forever.
Hiroshi Ueno
Chairperson of planning committee,
Leadership development of persons with disabilities course
Posted by jicafriends at March 14, 2008 12:51 PM