Through his writing and analysis, Dr. Katsuhisa Furukawa, a senior analyst on One Earth Future Foundation's Open Nuclear Network programme (ONN) team, has been able to demonstrate publicly that a non-governmental expert can use open source information to detect detect networks related to WMD proliferation. In recognition of his writings as a distinguished option leader in Japan, he has been awarded the Seiron Award.
"We no longer have to lean just on the government for all the responsibilities for the intelligence activities. I’m excited to contribute to the larger efforts of the civilian sector to affect public policies on a global scale through my writing and analysis. My motto is not to leave everything up to just the government when it comes to public policies, but to include all community actors in these types of issues."
- Katsuhisa Furukawa, One Earth Future's Open Nuclear Network senior analyst
Dr. Katsuhisa Furukawa, an analyst on One Earth Future Foundation's Open Nuclear Network programme (ONN) team, was recently awarded with the Seiron Award. The award was presented by Fujisankei Communications Group (FCG), one of the five major media conglomerates in Japan. Since 1985, FCG has selected a distinguished opinion leader in Japan every year, based on the Committee's evaluation of the opinion leader's contribution to the "promotion of freedom and democracy through speech and writing." Pending COVID-19 disruptions, the award ceremony is currently postponed to late March in Tokyo.
Dr. Furukawa was nominated for the Seiron Award due to his important contributions to detecting and identifying the networks of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) proliferators and their activities. He was also nominated due to his analysis of the problems in WMD non-proliferation regimes, including the UN sanction regimes and national measures of various governments around the world. Dr. Furukawa was evaluated not only on his analyses and findings, but also on his analytical methodologies around this work.
Through his writings, Dr. Furukawa was able to demonstrate publicly that a non-governmental expert can detect from various open source information databases the networks related to WMD proliferation. As an analyst for our Open Nuclear Network program, Dr. Furukawa’s findings and publications greatly contribute to ONN's overall mission to reduce the risk that nuclear weapons being used in response to error, particularly in the context of escalating conflict, using innovation, inclusion and dialogue supported by open source data.
"My personal wish is to disseminate the methodologies of open source information analyses publicly, so that the civilian sectors can detect and prevent the proliferation activities by themselves and compensate for the efforts of national governments and multilateral/international organisations," Dr. Furukawa said.
Previous recipients of this award included a series of scholars, journalists, writers, commentators and business executives, such as the former Japanese Defence Minister Professor Satoshi Morimoto and the Chairman of Central Japan Railway Company, Yoshiyuki Kasai. One Earth Future is proud to recognize Dr. Furukawa's contributions to the ONN community to further inform the community around weapons of mass destruction and cultivating sustainable methods of de-escalation and peace during high levels of tension.
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