President's Greeting
A former teacher and a man who is much respected at TFU, the late Akira Tsukamoto, wrote the following intriguing passage in "Social Welfare and Me":
"Social welfare is having skill for a particular activity. For example, in order to save a child from drowning, if you just jump in haphazardly, you might drown. At that moment, you need to think of the most effective means to save the child, at that point, skill is required."
Probably, most people can understand this situation from their own experiences in life. Most people want to feel the satisfaction that comes from being a benefit to others and everyone has experienced at least once or twice the frustration of not having the initiative or skill to help others.
At TFU, you can learn theory and practice that realizes this need in social welfare. Learning through practice: TFU allows you to properly exercise the invaluable asset of kindness called "doing it for others." The way to learn this is through actually going into society and gaining the practical skills.
So, just what is "social welfare?" Unfortunately, the question does not have a textbook answer. The word "welfare" has many meanings and is used in various ways.
It is a question I constantly consider. I have come to realize learning "welfare" is challenging.
Welfare is becoming a problem that cannot be avoided by any living person. It isn't wrong to think that this generation needs new ways of thinking when it comes to "welfare." The needs of welfare are becoming urgent problems for individuals in communities, nations and the world. The challenges that welfare must bear are growing heavier and heavier everyday. For people to live together we are told that we need to look back at what human happiness is and what people need to preserve and guarantee.
Social welfare is not just skill. The most important part is to have the human sense to use the skill; how to reach out to people. In other words, you strongly realize that you personally are a total human being. Others must also come to realize that they are total human beings.
During your student life at TFU, we want you to sincerely pursue on a global scale the deep meaning which the concept of welfare has.
This affects all aspects of your life, not just in welfare; be proactive in and out of school, improve humanity and perform in this one life we are provided with.