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Awards Entry

2016 Asia-pacific Conference
Future Leaders teach Global Goals
JCI JAPAN
Best Local Global Goals Project

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Entry Information
Award Program: 2016 Asia-Pacific Conference
Category: Best Local Global Goals Project
NOM Information
National Organization: JCI JAPAN

National President:

Shigenari Yamamoto
E-mail: japan@jci.cc

LOM Information
Local Organization: JCI Yamagata
President: Toshihiro Inoue
President Email: hiro.inoue1976@gmail.com

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Basic Information
Duration : March 1 – August 31, 2015 (approximate
Staff : 34 members
Sponsors : 6 universities and one volunteer organization in the Yamagata city area
Budget : $1439 US dollars
Profit / Loss : None
In which UN MDG best
Develop a global partnership for developmentfit (if apply): ?:Who is benefited ?: The 250,000 citizens of Yamagata city
Objective : (1) To provide opportunities for citizens to learn about the issues facing
international society.
(2) To create opportunities to show citizens ways in which they can takeaction to contribute to the resolution of the issues facing internationalsociety.
(3) To create opportunities to involve the community at large in theactivities undertaken by local citizens, translating these activities into asustainable movement.
In 2014, JCI Yamagata held the JCI Asia-Pacific Conference (ASPAC)
Yamagata. During the conference, we carried out research to assess thelevel of interest among local citizens in international issues. The finding
was that only 23% of the citizens in this area are interested in the issues
facing international society. Therefore, to provide opportunities for the
local community to take a personal interest in the issues facing
international society, we established the goals above.
Overview : In 2014, JCI Yamagata had the opportunity to host the JCI ASPAC
Yamagata. However, through the conference we discovered that only
23% of the citizens in Yamagata city, which has declared itself a city
striving for world peace, hold an interest in international issues.
First we hosted a discussion session intended to promote interest ininternational society among the youth (university students) who will leadthe next generation. At the discussion, participants had the opportunity tolisten to a lecture given by a member of a Yamagata city volunteer
organization active in troubled areas. And we showed that JCI has kept
commitment UN MDGs adopted in 2000 by the United Nations. To have
UN MDGs movement, JCI Yamagata members have sharpened theirapproach from an unfocused awareness of these goals to theimplementation of concrete steps and action.
The university students attending the discussion session were surprised
to learn of overseas situations that they were hearing of for the first time,
and this provided them with an opportunity to think about international
cooperation and volunteer activities. At the discussion session, we
informed these university students of the JCI organization\'s effort toinvolve society at large in UN MDGs goals. The university students
expressed a desire to carry out such activities themselves.
We hoped to make these students, who had experienced a significant
change in their way of thinking, capable of continuing and furthering such
efforts on their own in the future.
To move forward with this project, we created a system that would allow
us to continue to work with individuals and organizations that became
interested in our efforts.
We educated the university students, who had experienced a change intheir perception of world peace, on:(1) the guiding principles of United Nations(2) the content of UN MDGs awareness program(3) how to submit a proposal to conduct a class at the elementary or
junior high school level(4) how to conduct a class for elementary or junior high school students
University students who are 20 years old conducted a class for 100 10year-old elementary school students.
With the support of a nonprofit organization, we conducted a class with

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the following theme: \"What is a contribution to international society you
would like to make as an adult that you would like to remind yourself of 10
years in the future?\" At the class we asked the elementary school
students to write a letter to their 10-year-future selves, and we arranged
for these letters to reach them in 10 years, when they are 20 years old.
The university students conducting this class were 20 years old. The
elementary school students who wrote the letters pledged that they
themselves would carry out similar efforts 10 years in the future.
In this way, we created an opportunity for the local community to think
about world peace on a lasting basis. We found a group of fellow
members of the local community who shared our aspirations and werewilling to take action, and we will continue our efforts to expand this groupof like-minded persons.
Results : We asked the 18 university students attending the discussion session tocomplete a questionnaire. 88.9% of respondents stated that they \"wishedto take immediate action to work for the benefit of international society.\"
We explained UN MDGs awareness program to the university students.
With 4 of these university students, who were members of a university
volunteer group, we conducted a UN MDGs awareness program class forthe entire 100-student 10-years-old at Yamagata University affiliatedElementary School on June 1, 2015. We provided instruction to theuniversity students that will allow them to plan and carry out this programon their own in the future. University students will continue this projectnext year and in the years to come.
We also informed 167 university volunteer club members who wereunable to conduct the class at this time about our project and efforts.
The elementary school students who participated in our class were able
to learn about the realities existing in international society. In messages
we received from students, and in the letters which the students wrote totheir 10-year-future selves, over 80% of the students described concrete
dreams for the future. They wrote of such things as their hope to become
doctors who could help save the lives of people around the world, andtheir desire to teach reading and writing in places such as Africa.
Our program was covered by various mass media outlets, with thefollowing results: – 63,280 prefectural citizens heard about our programon the radio– 189,840 prefectural citizens heard about our program on television¬– 554,840 prefectural citizens read about our program in the newspaper
We were contacted by individuals who became interested in our efforts
through the media coverage. 20 members of a volunteer group who
became interested in our efforts through the media coverage carried out a
Nothing But Nets fundraising campaign in 3 places in the Yamagata cityarea. We instructed 3 other university volunteer groups in methods ofcarrying out the UN MDGs awareness program.
Our project to convey the current state of international society developed
into a larger undertaking involving the local community.
Actions Taken : In the hopes of helping young people develop an altruistic nature:- We explained and notified all the universities in the Yamagata city areaof our project. (from March 1, 2015)- We learned about actual efforts taking place in Africa from a veteranmember of a volunteer organization involved in refugee and disaster aid
in Africa and other regions since 1991.
In the hopes of raising consciousness about the importance of volunteer
activities: - A veteran volunteer gave a talk on present conditions aroundthe world to 52 project participants (34 JCI Yamagata members and 18
university students).
- We held a discussion session for the LOM members and university
students (April 24, 2015)
In the hopes of promoting awareness of global realities and cultivating
the ability to take personal action:- We conducted a study meeting on UN MDGs with university volunteer

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club members taking part in our project who had experienced a significant
change in their way of thinking. (May 1, 2015)- We looked for elementary or junior high schools that would allow us to
conduct classes on UN MDGs with the university students. (May 2, 2015)- We discussed ways of using the UN MDGs awareness program classes
to promote international cooperation efforts among members of the next
generation. (May 5, 2015)
In the hopes of making local citizens aware of our efforts:- We explained our project outline and objectives to the university
students as well as the mass media, and asked that word be spread
about our project. (May 20, 2015)- A group of university students conducted a class on the UN MDGs
awareness program for 100 students at one elementary school. (June 1,
2015)- We had the elementary students write their 10-year-future selves a letterin which they answered the following question: \"What is a contribution tointernational society you would like to make as an adult that you would
like to remind yourself of 10 years in the future?\"- We arranged for these letters to reach the participating students 10
years after. (We utilized an NPO \"Time Capsule Post Office\" service
which arranges for letters to reach a predetermined address at apredetermined time in the future.) (June 7, 2015) - We set up a LOM sitewhere local citizens could contact us after our class on the UN MDGs
awareness program was covered in the media.
In the hopes of ensuring that our project continues as a sustainable
effort:- We taught 3 university volunteer groups that had become aware of ouractivities about the UN MDGs awareness program. We will provide
support to help these groups become capable of carrying out thisprogram on their own.
- We conducted a Nothing But Nets fundraising campaign with membersof a university volunteer group. (July 20, 2015)
Recommendations : Our international society must deal with issues such as poverty andhunger. Of the 250,000 citizens living in this region, only 23% display aninterest in the issues facing international society.
We conveyed the current state of international society to 18 university
students. These 18 students began to search for ways in which they
themselves could take action.
After hearing about our project in media reports, local citizens who
became interested in our efforts took action to contribute to the resolutionof issues facing international society by carrying out the UN MDGs
awareness program and conducting fundraising campaigns. In addition,
we taught UN MDGs awareness program methods to other university
volunteer groups who became interested in our efforts after hearing about
them in the media.
Our activities did not bring about a significant change of consciousness inall of the citizens residing in the local community. Not all of the university
students living in the local community took part in our activities. We must
work to convince all members of the local community to take a personal
interest in the issues facing international society.
We must continue to move forward with this effort.
We will provide support to the individuals and organizations who havealigned themselves with our effort so that they may continue this projectnext year and in the years to come.
In order to help local citizens who have not yet aligned themselves with
our effort to experience a change in their way of thinking, we will continue
to promote awareness of the activities of organizations which have begun
to take action.
We will work with outside groups so that we may continue to gain
supporters from among the local citizens who have not yet aligned
themselves with our effort in the years to come.

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Award Category criteria
Objectives, Planning, Finance and Execution

What were the Our objective was to help project participants recognize
objectives of this their role in international society and take personal
program?

action.

JCI Yamagata established the following goals:
We will continue to work with the groups thatparticipate in this project so that they may move
forward with this effort.
We will continue to build a system that will allow us to
support the actions taken by individuals who participate
in this project.
How does thisprogram align to
the JCI Plan of JCI members take needs-based action to create
Action? sustainable impact in their local communities.
Was the budget an The volunteer organizations who aligned themselves
effective guide for with us during the discussion session and fundraising
the financial
campaign pledged to move forward with this effort, andmanagement of
the project? we made flag to commemorate this promise. At our

discussion session, we arranged for an experienced
professional to speak about actual volunteer efforts
taking place. Venue costs: 713 USD Speaker fees: 230
USD The elementary school children who participatedin our class wrote letters pledging that in 10 years after,
they will carry out efforts similar to those performed by
the university students, and we arranged for theseletters to reach them 10 years in the future. Postage
fees: 496 USD We spent no money on publicity
expenses, but instead carried out all publicity activities
for this project on our own. We communicated word of
our efforts to local citizens through the news and othermedia that was free of charge. Publicity expenses: 0
USD

How does thisproject advance LOM board members had a discussion session to
the JCI Mission
encourage a renewed understanding of the importanceand Vision?

of promoting new ideas about international cooperationin the local community, and by working to reaffirm ourconsciousness of world peace.
We promoted the UN MDGs awareness program andtook steps to encourage this to become a lasting effort
to help the ideals of international cooperation andassistance to take hold in the society which members of
our younger generation will build.

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Award Category criteria
Membership Participation

By number, how manymembers were involvedin this program? 34 individuals
By percentage, howmany members of your
Local Organization wereinvolved in this program? 56%
Describe the main roles Members who planned and managed theof the participating discussion session: 21 members
members in thisMembers who attended the discussion session: 34
program.

members
Members who provided instruction to university
students: 14 members
Members who conducted training for the UN
MDGs awareness program class: 21 members
Members who assisted with the UN MDGs
awareness program class: 8 members
Members responsible for media relations
Members who assisted with the Nothing But Nets
campaign: 67 members

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Award Category criteria
Community Impact

How did the Local The UN MDG class, which was conducted by
Organization university students who had experienced a significant
measurechange in their way of thinking, was featured
community impact
for this project? prominently in media reports.

- An article was featured in Yamagata Shimbun
Newspaper, which has a circulation of 194,000. The
average household size in Yamagata prefecture is 2.86
people per household, which means that this coveragereached 554,840 people.
- The news program that featured this class had an
audience rating of 16.8%. Yamagata prefecture has apopulation of 1,130,000, which means that 189,840
people viewed this program.
- The radio program that featured this class had an
audience rating of 5.6%. Yamagata prefecture has apopulation of 1,130,000, which means that 63,280
people listened to this program.
A large number of Yamagata citizens learned of our
project through media reports, and many people
contacted us when we were considering carrying out theNothing But Nets fundraising campaign, allowing us toexpand our efforts.
Describe the actual The elementary school where we carried out our classcommunity impact this year, along with other local elementary schools
produced by thiswhich have contacted us, have requested that we
project.

conduct the class next year and in the years to come.

We were also contacted by three volunteer groups
which did not participate in this year\\\'s class but
expressed a desire to learn about its content, and we are
currently teaching them the class methods.
We anticipate that there will be a much higher level ofrecognition regarding the necessity of international
cooperation in the local community in the future.
JCI Yamagata will continue to work with all theindividuals and groups that participated in our project
until they are able to carry on independently.
JCI Yamagata will work to ensure that there is a lasting
movement in the local community to take on the issues
facing international society.

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Award Category criteria
Link with UN Agencies or Partnerships

List any UN
Agencies thatparticipated in any
way. Describe theirinvolvement. (write
N/A if none) N/A
List any other Yamagata University
partners that Tohoku University of Art and Design
participated in thisTohoku Bunkyo College
program. (write
N/A if none) The Open University of Japan

Yamagata College of Industry and Technology
Yamagata Prefectural University of Health Sciences
Yamagata University Elementary School
NPO Ivy

How were partners By:
engaged to - participating in the discussion session
participate in the- requesting a speaker for the discussion session
program?

- providing instruction in how to carry out the UN
MDG awareness program- carrying out the UN MDGs awareness program- carrying out fundraising activities- carrying out the UN MDGs awareness program classnext year and in years to come - conducting Nothing
But Nets fundraising campaigns next year and in years
to come - providing instruction in how to carry out the
UN MDGs awareness program next year and in years tocome.

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Award Category criteria
Long-term Impact of the Program

What is the The university volunteer club members who carried out
expected long-term the UN MDGs awareness program class learned how to
impact of thisconduct the program and prepare materials, and areproject?

now prepared to continue this activity in the future.
The elementary school students who took the classpromised to themselves carry out similar efforts 10
years after.

The university volunteer club members learned
fundraising methods and are now prepared to carry out
fundraising as part of their club activities.
As our efforts gain momentum and increased
recognition, we anticipate that the general public will
become more conscious of its responsibility tocontribute to international society.
What changes Rather than carrying this project out only a single time,
would you make to we will make it more effective by continuing to carry it
improve the resultsout as part of our LOM efforts.
of this project?

In addition, we will broaden the reach of our program
to involve not only university students but all membersof the general public, and will thereby make our projecta more expansive and inclusive one.

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