市民団体による私設「公民館」の可能性

—公民館構想研究への示唆を求めて—

抄録

The purpose of this paper is to examine a new concept of Kominkan by introducing the practices of a Kominkan that is managed, not by a public body, but by a non-profit organization (NPO). This NPO, Creative Support Let’s, is locally based and although it promotes social change and the participation in society of persons with disabilities it calls itself a “Kominkan”.

In this paper, the purpose of and the process by which the Kominkan was established are introduced as well as the content of its activities and the childhood experiences of and general perceptions towards Kominkan held by its staff. Two distinctive characteristics were pointed out based on this information. First, unlike public Kominkan, this “private” Kominkan understands the elasticity of its local area and sees residents not as “people who reside here” but as “people who have needs”. Secondly, this private Kominkan is a place that welcomes all people who live in the area, not necessarily those who come with a purpose.

For these reasons, this NPO, whose mission, “to make a society in which a variety of people come together”, is limited and has been only partially realized, still calls itself a Kominkan because of its public nature.

Just as Kominkan were conceived as “schools of democracy” after World WarII, in order to develop a modern and a new concept of Kominkan, it will be necessary to draw up concrete images of what is “local” and what is “society” that embody the values that those involved hope to realize.