Press  Release  	 2015/2/20Pre-event for the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction“International Grassroots Women’s Academy in Tohoku”The International Grassroots Women’s Academy Planning Committee, in cooperation with the Huairou Commission,ththwill be holding the International Grassroots Women’s Academy in Minamisanriku Town on the 10 and the 12 ofMarch, 2015, as a two-day pre-event for the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.
About the AcademyIn order to create more disaster-resilient and flexible community structures, the Academy brings together womenengaged in post-disaster reconstruction and disaster-prevention activities to share their experiences and expertise, aswell as develop proposals for future action in line with the post-Hyogo Framework for Action.
The event focuses on the next generation of young women leaders, with 30 participants from Asia, Africa, and SouthAmerica supported by the Huairou Commission, and 40 participants from the 3 prefectures affected by the Great EastJapan Earthquake. For community leaders from overseas, it will provide the opportunity to visit disaster-afflictedcoastal areas and learn from their experiences; for young female leaders in these areas, it offers both a globalperspective and the chance to acquire leadership skills relevant to ongoing reconstruction and recovery efforts.
Open ForumAt the end of the final day, an open forum will be held with residents of the town. During this forum, we will present theresults of the Academy, after which a session will be held called ‘I Commit’, in which all participants are invited to makea written declaration of their commitment to protecting their families, their communities, and themselves. Theseindividual declarations will be displayed in the venue of the WCDRR.
GoalsThrough both the Academy and the Open Forum, as well as their interactions with community leaders from all over theworld, we aim to encourage local women to take on greater leadership roles and become engines of post-disasterrecovery along the Tohoku coast.
The Huairou Commission is an American nonprofit organization based in New York City. In order to promote communitydevelopment, it provides support at the global level for local women’s groups. Its budget for 2013 was approximately 200,000,000yen. It hosts Grassroots Academies during UN and World Bank international conferences.
■Date and PlaceGrassroots AcademyOpen ForumMarch 10th (Wed) 9:00-17:30, 2015Plaza, MinamisanrikuMarch 12th (Fri) 9:00-15:30, 2015Plaza, MinamisanrikuthMarch 12 (Fri) 16:00-18:00, 2015Culture Hall (Bunka Koryu Hall), MinamisanrikuHosting:Huairou Commission, Japan Planning Committee for International Grassroots Women’s Academy in Tohoku(Secretariat: NPO Women’s Eye), with cooperation from HAKUHODO Inc., DAHA Planning WorkSupported by: Minamisanriku Town Council, Minamisanriku Town Board of Education, Minamisanriku Town Tourism Association,Japan Civil Network (JCN), Sendai Miyagi NPO Center, NPO IWATE Fukko Collaboration Center, Japan CSO Coalitionfor 2015 WCDRR (JCC2015), Miyagi Regional Bureau of Reconstruction, Reconstruction Agency, The Japan NationalCommittee for UN Women, The Sendai Gender Equal Opportunity Foundation, Miyagi Prefectural Government,Japanese Women’s Leadership Initiative (JWLI)Sponsored by Fish Family Foundation (Boston), Ujie Super Group, Kamitsure Laboratory Co., Ltd.
Japan	 Planning	 Committee	 for	 International	 Grassroots	 Women’s	 Academy	 in	 Tohoku	 	 PR/Communication:	 (Ms)Mito	 IKEMIZU	 070-2663-4092	
 HP:	  http://watohoku.com	  	  E-mail:	 womensacademyintohoku@gmail.com	 Address:	 c/o	
 Asahi	 Yochien,100-62,	 Numata,	
 Aza,	 Shizugawa,	 Minamisanriku,	 Motoyoshi-gun,	 MIYAGI	 986-0725