Happy Birthday to Panama!

School children in the classroom. *Photo from Wikipedia August 15 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of the Republic of the Congo from France in 1960. The region was dominated by Bantu-speaking tribes, who built trade links leading into the Congo River basin. Congo-Brazzaville was formerly part of the French colony of Equatorial Africa. Following the revision of the French constitution that established the Fifth Republic in 1958, the AEF (French Equatorial Africa) dissolved into its constituent parts, each of which became an autonomous colony within the French Community. During these reforms, Middle Congo (French Congo) became known as the

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com   Hector Sierra (Colombia) Founder of “Artists Without Borders” （He’s been in Japan since ’93) We can’t say that we’re in peace. The guns never fall silent and people release gunfire in any number of places. There is a man who walks through the conflict regions with crayons and drawing papers. His name is Hector Sierra, the founder of the Tokyo-based organization called “Artists Without Borders”. Sierra is from Colombia, a country struggling with civil war. The reason he came to Japan is because he was attracted to security and prosperity of the country.

International pop star Rihanna, a native of Barbados. *Photo from Wikipedia November 30 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Barbados from the United Kingdom in 1966. Inhabited by Kalinago people (or “Island Caribs”) since the 13th century, and prior to that by other Amerindians, Barbados was visited by Spanish navigators in the late 15th century and claimed for the Spanish Crown. It first appeared in a Spanish map in 1511. The Portuguese visited the island in 1536, but they left it unclaimed, with their only remnants being an introduction of wild hogs for a good supply of meat whenever