The Japan Foundation Award 50th Anniversary Messages from Previous Awardees - AFS International / Intercultural Programs, Inc.

Logo for AFS International / Intercultural Programs, Inc.

1984 The Japan Foundation Special Prize

AFS International / Intercultural Programs, Inc.

[U.S.A.]

Congratulations on the 50th Anniversary of the Japan Foundation Awards! The mission of the Foundation in promoting international cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and other countries remains as important today as it was 50 years ago. Your work has impacted the lives of countless individuals and has made a powerful positive contribution to the world.

Photo of Daniel Obst

AFS Intercultural Programs shares your passion for educational and cultural exchange. For over 100 years, we have worked to provide intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world.

That's why it was a great honor for AFS to have been awarded the Japan Foundation Special Prizes in 1984 in recognition of our worldwide contributions to the field of international educational exchange for young people. In 1990, our AFS organization in Indonesia (The Indonesian Foundation for Intercultural Learning) was also honored with the same prize.

AFS Japan was started in 1954 with the voyage from the Port of Yokohama of 8 high school students selected by the Ministry of Education to study in the United States for one year as AFS Scholars. By the time we received the Japan Foundation Special Prizes in 1984, AFS Japan had grown significantly: annually sending more than 300 Japanese students abroad and hosting 200 students from 14 countries.

The role of AFS in Japan has grown even larger in recent years, not only exchanging more than 1,000 young people each year with 56 countries and regions, but also contributing to Japan's education policy of global education. In recent years, AFS in Japan has added many new opportunities for educational exchange, including language and cultural immersion programs, STEM programs, virtual education offers and other intercultural training initiatives. Globally, AFS has grown to be one of the leading international education organizations, directly impacting the lives of 25,000 people in 60 countries each year.

The Japan Foundation's Prizes have inspired us to keep deepening our impact and opening new frontiers. Your recognition will continue to inspire AFS to develop new activities to remain deserving of the award.

On behalf of the AFS Board of Trustees, staff, and volunteers around the world and in Japan, we express our gratitude for all you do to impact the world!

Daniel Obst
President & CEO
AFS Intercultural Programs

(Original text in English)

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