World Terakoya Movement

In 1989, one year before the World Conference on Education for All (EFA) in Jomitien, Thailand, the NFUAJ launched the “World TERAKOYA Movement (WTM), an international cooperation program for non-formal education.  The core objective of the WTM is to provide illiterate adults and out-of school children with opportunities to learn literacy, as well as places of learning (TERAKOYA=CLC: Community Learning Center).  The WTM is realized in cooperation with governmental. Non-governmental, local and international organizations in partner states.  Currently, we are implementing the Terakoya project in Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Laos and Nepal.

World Heritage / Local Heritage Activities

1. World Heritage Activities

The NFUAJ’s World Heritage Activities aim to raise awareness in order to protect our irreplaceable cultural and natural heritage, as well as to promote local community activities.  The main objective of the World Heritage Activities is not only to pass on the World Heritages to the future generations, but also to preserve local environments and both tangible and intangible cultural properties.  The NFUAJ World Heritage Activities also promote respect toward different cultures and nature.

Under this concept, the NFUAJ conducts followings:

A)   Nurturing Indigenous Knowledge Experts (NIKE) Among the Younger Generation of Ifugaos –Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras-

B)   Angkor Cultural Project – Development of heritage Awareness and Peace Promotion Materials for Cambodian Children-

C)   The publication of “the World Heritage Yearbook”

2. Heritage for the Future Movement

The NFUAJ launched a new project in the nation level called “Heritage for the Future Movement (Mirai-Isan Undo)” in 2009, and 50 organizations from 32 prefectures applied for the first “Heritage for the Future Project”.  This Project accepts the non-profit projects by local people that have been planned and conducted to preserve the local culture or natural heritages for the future.

For the year 2010, the entry period is from April 1 to June 30 and approximately 10 projects for this year will be selected through the screening committee.  The prize-giving ceremony will be held in March 2011.

Activities for the “Culture for Peace”

The 66th National Convention of UNESCO Club Movement in Japan

The 66th National Convention of UNESCO Movement in Japan was held from September 25th to 26th in Nara, jointly hosted by NFUAJ, Nara Prefectural UNESCO Liaison Council of UNESCO and Nara UNESCO Association, and sponsored by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japanese National Commission for UNESCO etc. The theme for the Convention this year is “Wa wo motte toutoshi to nasu”, which is extracted from Seventeen-article constitution by Prince Shōtoku (Shōtoku Taishi). “Wa wo motte toutoshi to nasu” means “nothing is so precious as peace and solidarity (=Wa).”

Through symposium and speech, members coming from all around Japan exchanged ideas and deepened the thoughts about cultural diversity.

Regional UNESCO Activity Seminar

In order to encourage non-governmental UNESCO movement, regional UNESCO activity seminar is held in 9 regions around Japan from June to November 2010.  Members of each UNESCO Association gathered and exchange ideas for the further promotion of the grass-root UNESCO Activities.

Non-governmental UNESCO Movement Day: Summer Campaign

-       Chain of Action Day

To commemorate the Non-governmental UNESCO Movement Day (July 19th of 1947), on which is the world’s first grass-root UNESCO movement was launched in Sendai, Japan, activities for pursuing world peace had been held simultaneously nationwide from July 17th to 19th.

-       “Ring a Bell for Peace!” Campaign

This campaign had been conducted form July to August to commemorate “the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010)”. Ringing bells of temples or churches all through Japan and hearing the sound provided children to think about the importance of the peace.

-       Donation de Peace Bird

From July to August 2010, the fundraising campaign had been conducted throughout Japan to promote peace movement amongst the youth and make UNESCO activities bring generations together.

Especially, we organize the special fundraising campaign for Haiti earthquake Aid for Learning in response to a call for cooperation by Madam Irina Bokova, director-general of UNESCO.  The collected donation will be utilized to support the victims of the Haiti Earthquake of January 2010.

UNESCO Youth Seminar

In order to develop leaders for the next generation, UNESCO Youth Seminar is

held on January 8th to 10th, 2011 for youth members who has committed actively to the UNESCO activities.

Study Tours

-           For the youth members

As a capacity building program, the NFUAJ send the youth members to the International Youth Exchange Program organized by the Cabinet of Japan and the Korean national Commission for UNESCO with an aim to promote the broad global perspectives among them.

-       For Teachers

Teachers of participating schools of Terakoya project were sent to the project site of the World Terakoya Movement in Siem Reap, Cambodia in August 2010 with an aim to promote the further better understanding of the significance of the World Terakoya Movement.

-       For High School Students

High school students are sent to the project site of the World Terakoya movement in Siem Reap, Cambodia in March 2011 for the purpose of the promotion of the international understanding and cooperation.

The 42nd NFUAJ Childrens Camp

Students from 4th grade of elementary school to 3rd grade of junior high school participated in NFUAJ Summer Camp from July 31st to August 3rd, 2010. This camp develops spirits of self-reliance and nature conservation, and help children to learn the importance of international understanding and mutual cooperation.

Save Our Common Treasures of the Earth

Since 2008, the NFUAJ in cooperation with the Mitsubushi UFJ Financial Group, has conducted a five-year project entitled “Save Our Common Treasures of the Earth”. In order to promote the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) and bequeath our common treasures to our children, the NFUAJ has developed learning materials for children on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and distributed these to schools in Japan. The project also includes the tree plantation activities in Japan and the art contest “Pictures of Greenness,” which aims to encourage children to rediscover and cultivate love for nature.

The promotion of the UNESCO Schools (the UNESCO Associated School Program)

-       UNESCO School Seminar

The NFUAJ organize UNESCO school seminars in the 7 regions of Japan under “Japan-UNESCO partnership project” sponsored by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.  In order to promote the understanding the ESD and UNESCO Schools, in the seminars, the resource persons from the representative of the Natcom and the school teachers introduce the concept of the ESD and UNESCO schools and the case studies from the class rooms.

-       UNESCO School Project

In order to promote the UNESCO spirit among the children, the NFUAJ provide schools the practical education programs such as the “leaflet contest on world Terakoya movement”, ESD learning materials on “Save Our Common Treasures of the Earth” and the “Treasures of My Hometown Contest (slideshows)”. This project aims to foster the knowledge and the sense of value among children which is to realize the harmonious and sustainable society.

-       Teachers Workshop

The NFUAJ conducted teacher’s workshop in order to introduce “UNESCO School Project” and share the experiences among the teachers.

Regional UNESCO Activity Promotion and Subsidy

NFUAJ offers subsidy to selected regional UNESCO associations to stimulate the further development of regional activity.

UNESCO Movement Promoter Seminar

As a capacity building of the members of the local UNESCO Associations who can contribute to pass down and spread UNESCO activities, NFUAJ has held seminar since 2007 for annually selected promoters.

AFUCA Activities

The 20th AFUCA Board Meeting and the “Seminar of Clubs for UNESCO in the Asia-Pacific region” had been held in Nara, Japan from 25th to 27th September.

Cooperation with WFUCA

Delegations of NFUAJ were sent to the 29th WFUCA Executive Board meeting held in Beijing from August 13th to 18th.

Mitsubishi Asian Children’s Enikki Festa

Since 1990, in commemoration of the international literacy Year, the Mitsubishi Public Affairs Committee, Asian Pacific Federation of UNESCO Clubs and Associations (AFUCA), and the NFUAJ have jointly organized the “Mitsubishi Asian Children’s Enikki Festa”.  In this year, Children from age 6 to 12 in 24 countries and regions in Asia are invited to apply for the artworks under the the theme of “Here is my life”.  Grand prix winners from each country and a region will be invited to the award ceremony in Seoul, Republic of Korea in July 2011.

UNESCO Children’s Performing Arts Festival

Children of the dancing team “Kimutaka’s Amawari” which is a registered project of ”Heritage for the Future Movement” were delegated to 2010 UNESCO Children’s Performing Arts Festival of East Asia held by UNESCO from July 25th to 30th, 2010 in Macau.

(Source: NFUAJ)