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hoseobyoon

(2012-05-03 08:13:59 )

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Learning Journey in Tohoku

Japan for Sustainability announces call for student applicants forweeklong Learning Journey in Tohoku in August 2012 (a "Learn to Create in Tohoku" project)

(Tokyo, April 19, 2012)
Japan for Sustainability (Chief Executive Junko Edahiro) is putting out the call for students who wish to participate in a learning journey toTohoku in August 20-26, 2012.

The Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, caused catastrophicdamage in northeastern Japan, particularly in the three prefectures ofIwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima. One year later, rehabilitation andreconstruction work continues in the affected areas, but it is now clearthat true recovery will take much longer than originally anticipated.During the recovery process, for years to come, it will be important forchildren to continue having hopes and dreams, for youth to acquire andapply leadership skills for the reconstruction, and for people to sharewhat they learn with the world while improving the recovery processes inthe Tohoku region.

Japan for Sustainability is a non-profit organization created in 2002 todisseminate information on developments and activities originating inJapan that lead toward sustainability. It has launched three "Learn toCreate in Tohoku" projects with funds raised by Nipponkoa Insurance Co.(President/CEO Masaya Futamiya), which will take a deeper look at thecurrent situation in Tohoku, to support children in fostering theirhopes for the future, and to develop youth leadership for the recovery efforts.

One of these projects is a "Learning Journey in Tohoku," in which JFSinvites six students from overseas and six local students to form alearning group to go through personal as well as collective transformational processes. The purposes of the learning journey are tosupport the personal development of students, to harvest learning gainedthrough students' eyes and communicate to the world, and to offer newperspectives on how Tohoku can recover faster and more effectively. Inour first learning journey, we will choose sites mostly in Miyagiprefecture, which is closest to the epicenter of the earthquake and hasmany coastal cities and villages that were the most devastated by the tsunamis.

The project aims to offer students both from Tohoku and other parts ofthe world a learning journey about the situation in the disaster-affected areas since the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011,up to the present, while meeting in person and interviewing those wholived through the disaster and are working on the reconstruction. Afacilitator experienced in the areas of systems thinking and learningorganization will accompany the students, conducting dialogue along theway to draw out diverse points of view from participants and make theirlearning process a meaningful experience. At the end of the journey,participants will report on what they have learned during their time inthe disaster areas, along with their hopes and dreams for creating asustainable society.

Participating students will benefit from hands-on experiences throughencounters with actual people and contexts they would not normallyexperience, diverse points of view within and outside of the learninggroup, and personal and group learning processes that allow them toexplore their inner selves.

Additionally, the development of capacity for potential youth leaderswill go a long way in designing more resilient social systems that willbe needed for the recovery of Tohoku. JFS also hopes that learningharvested from the student experiences will provide important casestudies for the world to be more resilient and sustainable. In turn,learning that occurs outside of Japan will give feedback and newperspectives to the Tohoku region and Japan.

Interested persons are encouraged to apply after reading the applicationinstruction in the following web link http://www.japanfs.org/tohoku/en/journey/pages/031864.html, by submitting the application form and the other required documents toJapan for Sustainability (info@japanfs.org) no later than May 20, 2012(in Japan). Results of the selection will be announced by the end of May. Successful applicants are expected to obtain a visa to Japan (ifrequired) and travel on their own to the nearest international airportin their home country.

For inquiries:Japan for Sustainability http://www.japanfs.org/en/1-12-5-138 Mita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, 214-0034 JapanE-mail: info@japanfs.org