GLOCOM Montreal Forum Summary

Takahiro MIYAO (Professor, GLOCOM, and Head, Japanese Institute of Global Communications)

The GLOCOM Platform represented by Dr. Takahiro Miyao and the University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM) represented by Dr. Claude-Yves Charron have worked together to hold an international forum on "Identity and Globalization: Common Challenge for Japan and Quebec" in Montreal, Canada, on November 24 and 25, 2003. Mrs. Aiko Okawara (Chairperson, JC Comsa) and Mr. Keikichi Honda (Chairperson, NCR Japan) joined the forum as main speakers from the Japan side.

After Dr. Charron's opening remarks, Mr. Francois Bouihac (Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of International Relations, Quebec Government) gave a welcome speech in French with Japanese translation by Ms. Misa Hirai (UQAM). Then, Dr. Miyao and Dr. Charron explained the main purpose of the forum, that is to highlight common challenges for Japan and Quebec in the age of globalization.

In Session 1, chaired by Mr. Daniel Toutant (Vice-president, Dessau Soprin), the subject of social and political change and globalization was explored. Ms. Okawara gave the main presentation, where she emphasized recent changes in Japanese society such as aging population with fewer children, higher female participation and changing lifestyle. In response, comments were made by Ms. Therese Paquet-Sevigny (Senior Advisor to ORBICOM) and Ms. Francoise Bertrand (President, Quebec Federation of Chamber of Commerce), who pointed out the presence of similar trends in Quebec.

Session 2 was chaired by Ms. Ann Leahy (Director, Institute of International Studies), and the focus was on the economy and the IT revolution in the context of globalization. The main presentation was given by Mr. Honda, who maintained that the sun would rise again, as Japan could overcome the long-standing balance-sheet problem and introduce IT into various sectors of the economy for revival in the near future (http://www.glocom.org/debates/20031215_honda_mf_rep/). Mr. Marcel Messier (Senior Vice-president, Bell Canada) commented on Mr. Honda's presentation, emphasizing the importance of R&D in Quebec as well as in Japan. In contrast to Mr. Honda's relatively optimistic view on the Japanese economy, Dr. Miyao mentioned the trend of polarization with negative aspects such as deflation with decreasing wages, declining land values and worsening local economies in the age of globalization (http://www.glocom.org/debates/20031215_miyao_com/).

On the second day, Ms. Okawara delivered a luncheon speech, where she told her own story as a woman entrepreneur, who faced all kinds of difficulties from finance to legal problems and overcame them to be successful in the food business in Japan. She concluded by saying that "it is encouraging to know that 65,000 women are creating job opportunities and are beginning to become a vibrant force" and "the future belongs to those who are not part of the establishment, but it belongs to those who will succeed because they dare to be different." Mr. Honda also gave a brief speech to describe a macroeconomic picture of the Japanese economy, where new businesses could flourish in the foreseeable future.