In Japanese, the surname "Goto" (後藤) means ‘later wisteria’, sometimes denoting descendants of the renown Fujiwara clan through its later branches. The name occurs chiefly along the southeastern seaboard of Japan and in the Ryukyu Islands.
In the international world, the surname "Goto" (後藤) has become synonymous with priceless courage, conviction and compassion - in ways that unify learners from every race, language and age group located around the world.
For clinicians, listening and respecting both the voice and the strengths of the client help to facilitate solutions. A good journalist writes to empower voice rather than to replace it.
The four books he wrote and his freelance work with international organizations continue to model this. The heroes of his writings were often children from various countries and continents, seeking to make sense of how to overcome deficits through education, rehabilitation, faith and hope. These works are:
1. We Want Peace Not Diamonds: A Confession by Child Soldier Muria. (ダイヤモンドより平和がほしい : 子ども兵士・ムリアの告白) July 2005, Choubunsha Publishing).
2. Born in an AIDS Village: 16-year-old Mother Natasha Trying to Stay Alive (エイズの村に生まれて : 命をつなぐ16歳の母・ナターシャ), December 2007, Choubunsha Publishing.
3. Prayers of Rwanda: The Story of a Family Surviving Civil War.(ルワンダの祈り : 内戦を生きのびた家族の物語). December 2008, Choubunsha Publishing.
4. If I Could Go to School: The Story of Afghanistan Girl Mariam. (もしも学校に行けたら : アフガニスタンの少女・マリアムの物語, December 2009, Choubunsha Publishing. * * *
We are honored to support the needs of exceptional learners and other learners from the countries Kenji Goto featured in his writings.
We are honored to use our training and expertise--in recognition of his work--in support of children seeking access to resources that meet their educational needs.
"Close your eyes. Bear it. If we become angry and yell, we are doomed. This is like prayer. Hate is not what humans should do. Judgement lies with God. That is what I learned from my Arab brothers."