Video Message from President Tanigaki ofthe National Federation of Volunteer Probation Officers

I am Sadakazu Tanigaki, the President of theNational Federation of Volunteer ProbationOfficers.
I would like to first extend a very warm welcome
to all overseas participants of the World
Congress for Community Volunteers Supporting
Offender Reintegration.
Furthermore, I would like to take thisopportunity to offer my sincere gratitude to all
Japanese volunteers for their tremendous support
for offender rehabilitation.
On behalf of the National Federation ofVolunteer Probation Officers, I would like todeliver a video message.
This World Congress was scheduled to invite
many people from all over the world to myhometown, Kyoto, on April 21 last year.

1Unfortunately, due to the impact of Covid-19,
the World Congress is held online today.
I regret that most of the participants cannot
experience the beauty of spring in Kyoto, but thefact that we are able to hold the World Congress
without losing out to Covid-19 makes me
confident that it will further strengthen the"bonds" among community volunteers from allover the world.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude andrespect to all those who contributed to therealization of this World Congress.
Thinking back to 2014, the first Asia Volunteer
Probation Officers Meeting was held in Tokyo. I
was then the Minister of Justice, and I delivereda welcome address at the Meeting.
The Meeting was the first international
conference ever in which volunteer probation
officers (VPOs) mainly from Asian countries
2gathered. Kenyan VPOs also attended theMeeting, and I remember I was deeply
impressed by the fact that the passion of Hogoshi(Japan’s VPOs) has reached Africa.
The discussions at the Meeting were very
enthusiastic, and the Tokyo Declaration wasproudly read with the dream of having more
people in the world learn about the role of VPOs
in criminal justice policy and introducing anddeveloping a VPO system in each country.
I am truly impressed that the noble ideals of theTokyo Declaration have led to today’s WorldCongress, and that they have given us theopportunity to think about community volunteer
system together with a wider scope.
During my political career, I served as thepresident of my political party, the Minister ofJustice, and in other important leadership
positions. I have always valued the bonds both
between people and between people and3

communities.
Since I became physically disabled due to anaccident, I have keenly understand theimportance of support from others around me. I
also feel a sense of "bond" here.
Hogoshi (Japan’s VPOs) patiently support exoffenders who are struggling to reflect on theirbehavior, move away from crime anddelinquency, and make a fresh start in life.
This is a "bond" of trust with persons who havecommitted crime.
In addition, ex-offenders need a local
community which accepts them to bereintegrated into society, and hogoshi have a roleto play in creating a bridge and a new "bond"
between the two.
The community where ex-offenders can bewarmly welcomed is a place where people cantake on challenges again through "bonds" of4warm support with others. For this reason,
hogoshi are constantly engaged in their activities.
This is because they know that such activities
will maintain the safety and security of all thepeople in the community.
In recent years, however, it seems like a global
trend that these kinds of communities have beenshrinking and have become increasingly
fragmented, and that people are growing apart.
I feel that this Covid-19 crisis poses a risk ofspurring this tendency.
Therefore, the most important thing is tocarefully reformulate the bonds between people
who support each other. Whatever thedifficulties they face in each country or region,
hogoshi who take the lead in putting these into
practice, are an essential part of our society.
Taking this World Congress as an opportunity, asociety that values "bonds" between people,
5

rather than excluding ex-offenders from society,is a "society in which no one is left behind," asthe SDGs call for. So why don’t we, thecommunity volunteers gathered here today, takethe lead in realizing this society?
In closing, I wish you all a successful World
Congress and your continued success in building
safe and secure societies in your countries andregions.
Thank you very much for your kind attention.

6