New Orleans, Louisiana, has deep and long-standing ties to Japan, notably being the home to renowned writer and journalist, Lafcadio Hearn, who wrote extensively about both New Orleans and Japanese cultures during the late 19th century. The Fourth Edition 2023 Japan Matters for America book by the East West Center and Sasakawa Peace Foundation, also notes that Louisiana received $7.6 billion in Japanese Greenfield Investment, $2.2 billion in revenue from goods and services exported to Japan, and $150 million in Japanese visitor spending. In addition to these cultural and economic connections, New Orleans and Japan are connected through experience with natural disasters, with Hurricane Katrina in 2005 in New Orleans and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake in Japan. Given these links, Sasakawa USA sought to explore opportunities for collaboration and exchange within the field of disaster risk reduction to share lessons learned to prepare for future disasters in the U.S., Japan, and beyond.

From November 11 to 13, 2024, Sasakawa USA partnered with Tulane University’s Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy (DRLA) for the event, “Equitable Resilience and Social Vulnerability: Sharing Knowledge Between Japan and the U.S.” The event featured a public symposium with local and international experts across three panels and a field study in New Orleans for speakers.

Event

November 12, 2024 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Equitable Resilience and Social Vulnerability: Sharing Knowledge Between Japan and the U.S.

Ms. Shanti Shoji, Director of Programs, Sasakawa USA

The public symposium was held on November 12, with Dr. Regardt Ferreira, Professor and Director of the DRLA, as the Master of Ceremonies. Welcome Remarks were given by Dean Suzy Davies, Dean of Tulane University School of Social Work; Dr. Ferreira; and Ms. Shanti Shoji, Director of Programs at Sasakawa USA.

The first panel on “Understanding Equitable Resilience: Concepts and Frameworks” featured Mr. Tim Davidson, DRLA fellow and adjunct instructor; Mr. Arthur Johnson, CEO of the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development; and Dr. Miwako Kitamura, Specially Appointed Associate Professor at Tohoku University’s Startup Incubation Center as well as senior fellow (non-resident) at Sasakawa USA. Dr. Ferreira moderated the discussion.

Photo (left to right): Ms. Candice Sorapuru, Dr. Nyoki Cosey-Brown, Ms. Yumiko Mori, and Dr. Alessandra Jerolleman

Panel 2 was titled “Addressing Social Vulnerability: Lessons from Community-Based Approaches.” Speakers included Dr. Alessandra Jerolleman, DRLA senior fellow; Ms. Candice Sorapuru and Dr. Nyoki Cosey-Brown, co-founders of the Innovative Approaches Counseling Center; Ms. Sarah Parks, executive director of Grace at the Green Light; and Ms. Yumiko Mori, founder and chairwoman of Comachiplus, as well as senior fellow (non-resident) at Sasakawa USA. Mr. Corey Eide, DRLA senior fellow and adjunct instructor, served as the moderator.

Speakers and partners of the symposium

Panel 3 on “Connecting with Practice: Strategies for Equitable Resilience” featured comments from Mr. Eide; Ms. Alyssa Quaranta, senior program associate for Environmental Programs and Ms. Isabel Barrios, senior program officer for the Greater New Orleans Foundation; and Mr. James Gannon, CEO of Peace Winds America. Mr. David Leiva, DRLA senior fellow and adjunct instructor, moderated the discussion. A fireside chat on the key takeaways from the sessions concluded the symposium, featuring select panelists, as well as Dr. Ferreira and Ms. Shoji

Speakers participate in a field study of New Orleans with Prof. Richard Campanella

The program concluded with a field study day in New Orleans for speakers to gain a deeper understanding of the city’s experiences with disaster response following the devastation brought about by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Professor Richard Campanella, geographer and associate dean for research at the Tulane School of Architecture, provided a comprehensive tour of the city and its deeply intertwined history with natural disasters. Speakers reflected upon the unique factors of disasters in New Orleans and gleaned lessons to bring back to their own communities in both the U.S. and Japan.