On this week’s 51%, we’ll hear from the lead author on a study about Chinese comfort women. And a medical student uses crowdfunding to help Ugandan’s access clean water.
PeipeiQiu is the principal author of Chinese Comfort Women: Testimonies from Imperial Japan’s Sex Slaves, a book that tells the stories of 12 victims during the time when the Japanese Imperial Army forced women and girls into sexual slavery in China. Qui is professor of Chinese and Japanese and director of the Asian Studies Program at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She says it was while advising a student on a thesis about South Korean and Japanese comfort women that she decided it was time to do her part to tell the stories of Chinese comfort women. At first, Qui argued that with her expertise rooted in Chinese and Japanese literature, an historian would be better suited for the job. But she changed her mind, given her ability to read Chinese, Japanese, and English and the lack of English-language publications on Chinese comfort women. She persevered, despite being ill with Lyme disease. She says between her academic responsibilities and illness, it took about a decade to complete the book on Chinese comfort women.
Clean tap water is a luxury, and many around the world do not have it.AnnaVikky, a German medical student, is trying to change this by having wells and water tanks built for Ugandans with the help of a local non-governmental organization - 2aid.org. Natalie Muller reports from Dusseldorf, in Germany.
And that’s our show for this week. Thanks to Katie Britton for production assistance. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock. Our theme music is Glow in the Dark by Kevin Bartlett. This show is a national production of Northeast Public Radio.