The Japan Foundation Prizes for Global Citizenship (2007)

Since 1985, the Japan Foundation has been awarding the Japan Foundation Prizes for Global Citizenship to organizations and individuals engaged in international cultural exchange activities rooted in the unique characters and traditions of their respective communities.
The recipients of the 2007 prizes were announced on November 2, 2007.

Awardees (in geographical order)

NPO The Conference on Art and Art Projects

(Hyogo Prefecture)
Representative
Tomoko SUGIYAMA(President)
Year of Establishment
1994
Website
http://www.cap-kobe.com/ External link
Image picture of NPO The Conference on Art and Art Projects

<The Community, Culture and International Exchange: Artists Initiative>

C.A.P. started in 1994 when a group of artists revised the concept of museums in KobeCity and made a counterproposal of “An Art Museum of the Future.” Following the earthquake in 1995, the group proposed to the city of Kobe a concept of transforming the entire former Kobe Foreign Settlement into a museum and set up a number of art seminars and workshops. In 1999, the group rented the decrepit and neglected former Kobe Immigration Center and transformed it into studios for artists. As a result, in April 2004 the city of Kobe handed over management of the center and the group was established as a non-profit organization. The former immigration center was reborn as an art center and artists continue to play a primary role in bringing art to the local community. A succession of low-key activities has lead to international exchange and various unique, joint international projects such as hosting international artists and the “Rucksack Project” in which artists from Ireland and Japan visit mutually to present their work and have been recognized as providing a model for global citizenship.

*It is the fourth organization to be awarded with the prize in Hyogo in 5 years.

NPO Ehime Global Network

(Ehime Prefecture)
Representative
Yoshiko TAKEUCHI(President)
Year of Establishment
1998
Website
http://www.egn.or.jp/ External link
Social Media Accounts
https://www.facebook.com/pg/wakuwaku.egn/photos/ External link
Image picture of NPO Ehime Global Network

<Bicycles for guns>

Ehime Global Network, established as a voluntary organization in 1998 and registered as an NPO in 2005, by helping to build peace and support the rebuilding of war torn Mozambique through sending left neglected bicycles around the city to be exchanged for weapons.
Since the year 2000, 4 shipments have been sent to Mozambique. In addition to 420 bicycles, sewing machines, clothing and writing utensils, training sessions for using the sewing machine are also provided. It is also working in fund raising activities such as Bike Charities in cooperation with the local community, NGOs, universities and other groups, where anyone can jump on their bike and join in. Ehime Global Network has been recognized as a model for international cooperation and exchange activities for its creative activity of using neglected bicycles that has been a longtime issue for the local community.

*Ehime Global Network is the first organization from EhimePrefecture to be awarded with the prize.

NPO Asian Women’s Center

(Fukuoka Prefecture)
Representative
Kaname TUTUMI
Year of Establishment
1997
Website
http://www1.plala.or.jp/AWCenter/ External link
Image picture of NPO Asian Women’s Center

<Protecting foreign-registered women and children from domestic violence>
The Asian Women’s Center (AWC), founded in1997, was registered as an NPO in 2000. The AWC has been undertaking extensive activities of supporting and respecting the right of foreign registered women and children that suffer from domestic violence, by providing telephone consultations and emergency supports, as well as running a cafe that uses fair trade products. The café does not only functionas a social gathering open space for the local people, but it also serves as a gallery to introduce diverse cultures, a space to exchange general opinions concerning a global theme, such as the gap between the North and the South. The AWC also supports musical performances by Japanese-Pilipino children. Such activities aimed at building a community in which we can all live happily together has been valued as a model for multicultural coexistence.

*Second organization to be awarded the prize in Fukuoka in 15 years.

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