Goin' to Hawai'i

This is a picture of me at Waikiki on my first trip to Hawai'i.

Well everyone, I'm going to Hawai'i today. I haven't planned everything yet. I'll be staying at Mr. Turchi's place at first. For those of you who don't know, Mr. Turchi was a teacher at Kanto International High School. He lives in Hilo now on the big island. Perhaps we will take a helicopter ride over a volcano. I'm sure that I will be going to the beach. At the beach I'll sun bathe, and read. If I can I'll make some posts while I'm in Hawai'i.

A Video supporting War Child: an organisation trying to help children affected by war.

When I was a boy, my dad, Larry Stout, a news reporter, told me some shocking things about his trips overseas. I remember him telling me about his trip to Nicaragua to report on the civil war there. He told me that he had met a boy soldier. The boy was carrying an AK47 assault rifle. My Dad told me that it was a very sad and frightening experience. Perhaps I am interested in global issues because of the stories my dad told me.

I have also learned a lot about the world through my participation in The Social Issues Project at Kanto International High School. Through the Social Issues Project, Kanto International High School Students learned that war is one of the biggest causes of the poverty, homelessness and abuse suffered by children all over the world.

War Child has headquarters in The UK, Canada and the Netherlands. Many very famous musicians support War Child including: Our Lady Peace and Sum 41 from Canada, Paul McCartney, Oasis, Radiohead, and David Bowie from The UK and U2 from Ireland. This video is for a song called Broken by Helen J Hicks from the band Honeyriders for War Child Music. I hope you will enjoy the video and also think about what you can do to help children affected by war.

Great video by a Great Toronto Band

This is a video for a song called "Out of My House, Roach" by The Shuffle Demons. The Shuffle Demons were my favourite Canadian band when I was a university student.

The Shuffle Demons started out playing on the streets of Toronto. Unlike the bands playing outside Shinjuku station in Tokyo, the Shuffle Demons had to be careful of the police because playing music on the street in Toronto is illegal. Two members of the Shuffle Demons, Richard Underhill and Mike Murley appeared on Jelly Roll Jazz, my radio programme on CJAM-Fm. If you want to learn more about the Shuffle Demons you can read about them on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shuffle_Demons
If you want to see more Shuffle Demons videos or Richard Underhill videos go to http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=bluelounge

A Video Introduction to Utada Hikaru - in English

Many students in Japan know that Hikki can speak English but few have actually heard her speak English. She is a native speaker of American English. I think you'll enjoy watching and listening to this video.

Reflecting on the 2006 Social Issues Project

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I've chosen to post a few of the reflections that students in the 1st year Study Abroad Class wrote about the Social Issues Project. I think you will find reading their thoughts interesting.

Akira’s Reflection

There are four things I liked about the Social Issues Project. First, 1-Kaede was great because we were able to do the presentation without a script. I was able to enjoy to presentation because I didn’t forget what words to say. Another thing I liked was that I could study English and how many countries are doing now. Finally, I made many friends in 2-Kaede when we did peer tutoring.

I think 1-Kaede should do the Social Issues project next year. Researching foreign countries is very good. If we compare foreign countries with Japan we can get a better understanding of the world.

Connecting the book with the world todayThere are several similarities between Oliver Twist and homeless children in Australia. Oliver and homeless children in Australia suffer from physical abuse and they have no home, no money and no family. I think I’m happy because I have a home to live in, enough money and a lovely family. I want to help homeless children in the future.

Atsushi’s Reflection

There is one thing I liked about the Social Issues Project. I liked searching for information about homelessness. It was kind of hard to research about the United States but it was fun to research about that. This project was so awesome and our team did a very good job and I’m proud of my team mates.

I think 1-Kaede students should do the social Issues project next year for several reasons. One is that, this project was about a serious problem in world. I think students should learn about homelessness and be able to help homeless people. So I think this project gave us a lot of learning and made us able to make a better world for the future. We need to donate so that homeless people can stay in shelters. Also, the presentation was very fun and it was a good way to learn English speaking strategies. So I think next year students should do this project.

Connecting the book with the world today

There are lots of children who look like Oliver. Some children don’t have parents so they have to stay or sleep somewhere else on the streets.

Ryo’s Reflection

There are 2 things I liked about the Social Issues Project. First, thanks to this project I could understand about homelessness. I thought the cause of homelessness is that homeless people don’t work until I researched about this problem. Another reason is that we learned that we can present well. Every other class used scripts or notes but we didn’t. We did our best in the presentation. For these reasons, I liked the project.

I think 1 Kaede should do the Social Issues project next year for one reason. The project teaches us about the problem of homelessness. We have to understand homeless people because many people have prejudice against them. They each have a reason why they became homeless. For this reason, 1 Kaede should do this project next year.

Connecting the book with the world todayThere are several similarities between Oliver Twist and homeless children in the world. First, they don’t have a family. Second they have to work hard to live. They will die soon if they don’t work. Finally they have strong and pure hearts. For these reasons, I think they are similar.

Saki’s Reflection

There are two things liked about the Social Issues Project. First, I really liked to see each team’s beautiful poster. Second, I liked that there were presentations by all English-Course classes. I was surprised because everyone was very excited. I had a very precious experience.

Connecting the book with the world today

Finally, there are several similarities between Oliver Twist and homeless children in the world. For example, Oliver is an orphan. Many homeless children are orphans. Also, Oliver has no home, money, clothes, and so on. They are very similar, almost the same. And I think they have kindness. Homeless children work hard for their families. I think they would risk their life for their family. I really want to help such children. So, I learned many things from this project.

Shamina’s Reflection

There are 3 things I liked about the Social issues project. First of all, I liked the fact that I was able to learn about all types of social issues, whether it was about homelessness or child labor. Second, I had another opportunity to work with my classmates. Third, I had a chance to watch my friend’s presentations from other classes, which I couldn’t before. It was so much fun.

I think 1 Kaede should do the Social Issues project next year for several reasons. For one thing they can have an opportunity to learn about social issues like homelessness. Second, they can learn English and how to give presentations.

Connecting the book with the world today

There are several similarities between Oliver Twist and homeless children in Germany. For one thing, they don’t have homes. For another thing, they don’t have a family to look after them. Even if they did have one, no “family” would let a child live on the streets. Another thing, they’re poor and don’t have food to eat. These are the things I think are similar between Oliver Twist and the homeless children in Germany.

Kanto International High School Social Issues Project 2007

Here are examples of projects done by students in the 1st year Study Abroad Programme. Once again, they read Oliver Twist. They focused on the theme of homelessness and then, in teams, they researched homelessness in countries on every continent. The examples displayed here are the scripts that the students wrote for the presentations that they made on 23 February. I have edited the scripts for readability. However, all the content came from the students and I did my best to maintain the tone of their writing.

Homelessness in Liberia
Lubliana Bodova
Study Abroad Class 2006-2007

Hello every one. Today as you know is our last project in the year. It’s about homelessness in the world. I researched homelessness in Liberia. Homelessness is one of the biggest human tragedies in the world. I am going to talk about homelessness and the causes of homelessness in Liberia. Secondly, I will give you some information about some agencies that are working to help the homelessness. Last but not least, I will give you some information about how to help homeless people in Liberia. I am very sure Japanese people are very charitable and generous.


The number of homelessness in Liberia is 1,000,000 people out of a total population of 3,283,000. In a year, the population grows at a rate of about 2.80%. The birth rate is 47/1000 and the mortality rate is 143/1000. Lots of people are losing homes because of the civil wars, wars fought over land and wars fought over resources.



Liberia has experienced two civil wars. Both wars lasted over a decade and Liberia still suffers from political instability. The civil wars have displaced hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed the economy, in other words - jobs. Liberians who have lost their homes are currently refugees in Sierra Leone.


In Liberia, kids as young as 5 years old learn how to handle a gun and kill. There are almost 200,000 child soldiers in Africa. Almost 90% percent of the people in Liberia are unemployed and the 9% percent that work make less than 30 U.S. dollars a month. The way we can help the homelessness in Liberia is to join a volunteer group and go to Liberia and help the people. So please remember that people in Liberia are facing pain right now and they need our help and cooperation.

Homelessness in the United States

Atsushi Tsukada
Study Abroad Class of 2009

I’m going to talk about the homeless in the United States. First I’m going to tell you about some statistics regarding the homeless people in the U.S.A. The Urban Institute study states that about 350 million people live in the United States and 1.35 million of them are homeless. Children represent 39%. Also, 299,321 veterans are homeless. Approximately 33% of homeless men are veterans. In the U.S, 52% of the homeless live in shelters.

In the U.S, there are lots of people holding a card that says “Need help”. In Texas some homeless people wipe car windows, and the driver gives them a little tip. When I was in high school in the U.S, I saw some homeless people and I gave them a small amount of money. They are very kind to me when I gave them some money.

I think, we should donate money to homeless people, especially in United States because in the U.S homeless people are increasing. I think we need to try to make a better and much cleaner world. I want a world that is safer and a fine place to live.

Homelessness in Egypt
Mika Fukushi
Study Abroad Class of 2009

Hello! Our team researched homelessness in Africa. I researched homelessness in Egypt. Today homelessness is becoming a big problem throughout the world. I want you to listen to our presentation about homelessness in Africa carefully to think about the seriousness of this big problem. I’ll tell you about homelessness in Egypt. First, I’ll tell you about the circumstances. Then, I’ll tell you about some agencies that are helping the homeless people. Last, I’ll tell you about what we can do to help the homeless.

Now, I’ll talk about the severe circumstances of the homeless in Egypt. The chart below shows the population of Egypt and the percentage of homeless kids. It’s increasing.

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They usually live in a shelter that is made of a metallic wall, or they live outside. The cause of homelessness is related to low income, poor health, mental illness and job loss.

Next, I’ll tell you about an agency that provides houses for them. The name of that agency is ELCA. They think that homelessness is being without shelter, without resources, without support, without recognition and without power to influence society. To avoid that, they provide food, shelter and care to study the social causes of homelessness.

In conclusion, I talked all about the circumstances of the homeless people, the causes and an agency that is helping them to live peacefully. I think there are many ways that we can help them to live in a warm house like we do. Even if we don’t belong to the agencies we can find many ways to help them.

Homelessness in South Africa
Yui Kishibe
Study Abroad Class of 2009

In South Africa, there is much homelessness. The true number of homeless people for only Johannesburg city is about three million two hundred thousand. However, we can't take a correct record of the homeless population because they are always moving. Therefore, it is difficult to understand the exact number of homeless people. One of the causes of homelessness is unemployment. The unemployment rate is 44%. It is a high level. There are lots of people not only homeless but also AIDS infected in South Africa. Many agencies have taken action to help them to live, and UNICEF is one of example. Through the help of these agencies homeless people can continue living in this county.

Homelessness in India
Emi Ishii
Study Abroad Class of 2009

I’ll tell you about homelessness in India. The first topic is basic information about India. The second topic is about homelessness in India. The third topic is about Aashray Adhiker Abhiyan, an agency that is trying to help the homeless in India. The final topic is about what we can do to help the homeless in India.

Now I’ll tell you about the basic information. The population is 1,095,351,995 people and it is increasing even now. The capital is New Delhi.

Next I’ll tell you about the homeless. Over 5.5% of India is homeless. They have some problems: violence, bad weather, gang offences and other problems. Some homeless people are migrant day laborers. So, they have jobs but the pay is very low. Above all else, the causes of homeless are poverty, no work and domestic problems. Lets move on to Aashray Adhiker Abhiyan (AAA).

AAA is working in India to help the homeless. They give advice to medical teams regarding health and human rights. They give special medical care, including medicine, counseling and so on. I think we can understand what homeless people’s wishes are and we can help them.

Homelessness in Korea
Jouta Watanabe
Study Abroad Class of 2009

Hello, everyone. I researched homelessness in South Korea. Homelessness is a very serious problem that affects everyone. I will tell about homelessness in South Korea. I will tell you about the causes of homelessness. After that, I will tell you about some agencies that are working to help the homeless. Finally, I will tell you what we can do to help the homeless in Korea.

Korea does not have more homeless than other countries. South Korea has only 5000 homeless people but there are some problems from the increasing population of homeless. In Korea, crimes are committed by some homeless people. Why do they do such a thing? Because they do not have work, so they are poor. Why do they become homeless? There are many reasons. First, homelessness is caused by unemployment. Second, homelessness is caused by the gap between the small income class and the large income class. These reasons, they become a homeless.

Next, I will talk about some agencies. There are many agencies in South Korea. The most active agency is Korea Homeless Christian Help Agency. That is a Christian group. But they help all homeless. They do many things. It helps homeless people to find a new job and it gives them food, and they make a magazine for the homeless.

Finally, I will tell you what we can do for the homeless. I think that to respect homeless people as individuals is the easiest way. The homeless are people the same as us. Even still, I think that some people think the homeless are different from us. If all people understand the homeless, we can help the homeless. So homelessness will disappear in the world I think.

In conclusion, the fact that the world has homeless people is a very strange thing. We can help them. If all people give a little money to help stop homelessness, homelessness will disappear. I hope that you will remember that you can help the homeless, and the homeless are the same as us. Thank you.

 

Homelessness in Australia
Ryou Shiratori
Study Abroad Class of 2009

There are 105,304 homeless people in Australia. There are several causes of homelessness in Australia. One cause is being thrown into unemployment. Many homeless people have lost their jobs. Other causes are mental illness, sexual assault, alcohol and drug use, and financial difficulty. Domestic violence is the single biggest cause. These are causes of homelessness in Australia.

The Australian Federation of Homelessness Organisations (AFHO) is an agency working in Australia to help the homeless. First it gives assistance to homeless people by teaching them living skills and financial management. Second, it counsels and advocates. Third it provides medical services. It also provides meals, outreach and early intervention programs.


There are several things that we can do in order to help the homeless. First of all, we should understand more about homelessness. “The cause is that they don’t work.” I thought so until I researched about them. Now I realize this is wrong. There are many causes of homelessness. I'm sure to understand more about homelessness will be the biggest help to them.

Homelessness in England

Kiyono Saito

Study Abroad Class of 2009

Hi people,

Homelessness is a big problem in England. The population of England is about 50,093,800 and the population of homeless people is about 944, 000; that’s 35,050 households. There are a lot of reasons why homeless people become homeless. Some examples are: poverty, medical problems, unemployment and other things like that. There are many groups helping the homeless in England. For example, The Big Issue. It’s very common throughout the world. It is from England. The Big Issue Foundation publishes The Big Issue magazine and sells it to the homeless. Homeless people then sell the magazine to members of the general public and they keep the extra money that they earn. The Big Issue Foundation, therefore, helps homeless people to control their lives and helps them move off the streets and into a home and a job. However, homelessness is a big problem still. So we should help homeless people a little bit. First you should find out more information about what homeless people really need. You might be able to give them your unneeded clothes, furniture or more other things that you don’t need.

Social Issues Project 2007 Kanto International High School 23 February 2007

The 5th annual Social Issues Project Presentations were a smashing success. All classes in the 1st Year English Course participated. All the classes studied a graded reader version of an English classic. Othello and Oliver Twist were two of the books studied. Students researched themes in the books including poverty, child labour, discrimination and homelessness. Special guests from Habitat for Humanity also attended. Over the next few days I will post the work done by the 1st Year Study Abroad Class and their reflections on the project. For now please enjoy the excellent posters that the students made.

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Students in the Kanto International High School 1st Year Study Abroad Programme read Gandhi by Jane Rollason. Last year, after reading the book, students were asked to imagine that they were writers for a newspaper. Their assignment was to write about the death of Gandhi. Below are examples of their work. Many thanks to the students who allowed me to display their work.

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42nd Anniversary of the Canadian Flag

The red and white maple leaf Canadian flag was raised for the first time on 15 February 1965. Incredibly, some Canadians didn't want Canada to have a flag of it's own. To get the whole story visit the The Canadian Encyclopedia

Black History Month

February is Black History Month in Canada and America. Black History Month is October in Britain. In honour of Black History Month, I have created a collage.

The person playing a trumpet in the top left corner of the collage is Louis Armstrong.

Just below Louis Armstrong, under his trumpet's bell, is Malcolm X.

Next to Louis Armstrong, on the top right side of the collage, is Frederick Douglass.

Next to Frederick Douglas is a man wearing dreadlocks, called Bob Marley. Bob Marley is playing a guitar and singing. I think many of you know Bob Marley because he is a very famous Reggae musician.

Next to Bob Marley is Marcus Garvey. Marcus Garvey is a National Hero of Jamaica. A reggae musician called Burning Spear recorded an album and a great song in honour of Marcus Garvey.

To the left of Bob Marley and under Frederick Douglass' chin is Josiah Henson. Henson was an abolitionist and has been designated as a Canadian of National Historical Significance. Henson was also the first Black person to be honoured with a stamp by Canada Post.

To the left of Josiah Henson is an engraving of slaves being transported in Africa.

Below the engraving is Michaelle Jean, the first Black Governor General of Canada.

To the right of Michaelle Jean is an Egyptian painting showing a Nubian, a Syrian, and an Egyptian.

To the right of the Egyptian painting is a Yoruba bronze bust.

Below the Yoruba bronze bust are the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela. All three of these men won the Nobel Peace Prize.

To the left of Archbishop Desmond Tutu is an African mask.

Below the Egyptian painting and between the African mask and Michaelle Jean is another man playing a trumpet. His name is Miles Davis.

In the bottom left corner of the collage are members of the Ashanti. Perhaps the American pop singer Ashanti is named after the Ashanti people, an ethnic group in Ghana.

Next to the Ashanti people and below Miles Davis are Black Porters working on the Canadian National Railway.

Next to the Black porters is Eric Williams, the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.

Finally, in the bottom right corner of the collage is a Black Loyalist. These men fought and died on behalf of Britain during the American Revolution. Many of them settled in Nova Scotia, Canada. The United Empire Loyalists, including the Black Loyalists, played a large role in the creation of Canada and Canadian culture. Black Canadians also fought for Britain and Canada in the War of 1812. The War of 1812 is perhaps the most important event in Canadian history because the United States tried to take over Canada during that war. After the war Black Canadians started a community called Africville in Nova Scotia.

Peer Tutoring at Kanto International H.S.

On 7 February 2007 Mr Stout and Mr Harman introduced students in the 1st and 2nd year Study Abroad Programme to peer tutoring. Students in the 2nd year Study Abroad Programme helped students in the 1st year Study Abroad Programme write their scripts for their presentations on homelessness.

Peer tutoring is similar to the senpai (先輩) - kouhai (後輩) system in Japan.

Peer tutoring is a teaching and learning method used in schools all over the world, including North American universities. Peer tutoring is often done at a "Writing Centre". Students planning to go to universities in Canada or the United States should find out if the university they are planning to go to has a peer tutoring programme. Peer tutors are a great help with research papers.

The Canadian universities below have peer tutoring programmes:
St. Thomas University
http://w3.stu.ca/stu/current_students/news.aspx?id=1376&returnId=4
The University of Toronto
http://groups.sa.utoronto.ca/rcg/detail.lasso?orgreference=2709
Laurentian University http://www.laurentian.ca/Laurentian/Home/Departments/Student+Services/Peer+Tutoring.htm

The University of Western Ontario
http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/writing/index.html?peer_tutoring
The University of British Columbia
http://thecube.ca/tutoring
Kwantlen University College
http://www.kwantlen.ca/esl/learningcentre.htm
The University of Windsor
http://www.uwindsor.ca/awc

There is also a great place called the Teaching and Learning Center at Temple University Japan
http://www.tuj.ac.jp/newsite/main/campus/learning_center.html

UNICEF Lecture by Ms. Noriko Watanabe - School Education Section, UNICEF Japan Kanto International High School 5 February 2007

Ms. Watanabe showed a video and gave a powerpoint presentation about child poverty and child labour. She also brought the famous water jug. Students came up and picked up the heavy water jug and got an idea of how hard some children in the world have to work. During the presentation students in the 1st Year Study Abroad Programme thought of some questions for Ms. Watanabe. Below are their questions and her answers:

Jouta and Katsuhiro wanted to know, "What is the full name of UNICEF?"
A: The United Nations Children's Fund
Charles wanted to know, "How many organisations are a part of UNICEF?"
A: UNICEF has 37 national committees and 156 branches.
Charles wanted to know, "How many countries receive help from UNICEF?"
A: One hundred and sixty-five countries receive support from UNICEF
Misuzu wanted to know, "How does UNICEF teach people how to grow vegetables?"
A: UNICEF works with a team of volunteers and the local government. From among these people UNICEF finds experts in agriculture and they teach the people how to farm.
Yui, Nao, and Yusuke wanted to know, "How can I join UNICEF?"
A: First you need to learn at least 2 foreign languages. You need to be able to use 3 languages fluently: Your native language, English, and one other language. Also, you need to get a Masters degree. Usually people study economics, political science, or international law. However, you can also study science or medicine. UNICEF needs people with those skills too. Then you need to do an internship. After you have completed your internship you can join UNICEF. Click the link to see the qualifications you need in order to join UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_qualifications.html
Click here to learn how to apply: http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_apply.html
Click here to learn how to volunteer: http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_volunteers.html

The Fifth Annual UNICEF Lecture Kanto International High School 5 February 2007

Kanto International High School will once again be visited by a representative of UNICEF. All students in the First Year English Course, including the Study Abroad Class and the Super E classes will hear the lecture. Topics covered will include: child poverty, and child labour.

Lecture by Stefano Tsukamoto, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and National Director of Habitat for Humanity Japan Kanto International High School 31 January 2007

On the 31st of January 2007 Kanto International High School was priviledged to have a visit by Professor Stefano Tsukamoto and Kentaro Yamazaki from Habitat for Humanity Japan. Professor Tsukamoto gave a presentation to students in the 1st year and 2nd year of the Study Abroad Programme. Professor Tsukamoto's presentation consisted of two parts:

1. A DVD explaining the history of Habitat for Humanity, it's mission, and the work it does
2. A Powerpoint presentation explaining the causes of homelessness

According to Professor Tsukamoto, there are three main causes of homelessness throughout the world:

1. Poverty
2. War
3. Natural disasters

Professor Tsukamoto gaves examples and showed pictures that illustrated each situation.


During the lecture students thought of some questions and following the lecture they wrote down their questions. The questions were answered by Professor Tsukamoto and Kentaro Yamazaki, Habitat for Humanity Japan Youth Programs Manager. The questions and answers are below.

Questions answered by Professor Tsukamoto

Takehito and Kakutei want to know:
What made you decide to work for Habitat for Humanity?

I like to work in the field. Habitat for Humanity is great grass roots work; for the people, by the people and with the people.

Takashi wants to know:
Did you take the photos that you showed us during your presentation?

Yes, I took most of the pictures. Only one picture came from a book.

Akira, Shoehei, Yusuke and Misuzu want to know:
Don't companies donate furniture for the houses that Habitat for Humanity builds?

Yes, many companies donate furniture TVs, refrigerators, etc.

Akira, Shoehei, Yusuke, Misuzu want to know:
When you meet people who have been helped by Habitat for Humanity, what seems to be the biggest thing that makes them happy?

I think that they have a house and they have a way to survive poverty.

Charles wants to know:
Do you think that matters such as poverty and homelessness should be handled by individual nations or UN organisations rather than private organisations such as Habitat for Humanity?

I think we have to understand that all of the people in the world must pay attention to the world poverty issue, not only UN, NGOs and donors. I would ask you to think about what you can do to end world poverty. I recommend that you gather information about the poverty situation thorough the HFH webpage. Also, please think about what Japan as a country can do. Do you think the Japanese ODA is the solution for poverty reduction?

Atsushi and Corinne want to know:
How many houses does Habitat for Humanity build each month and each year?

We made about 20,000 houses last year. The rate is 1 house per 24 minutes.

Jouta wants to know:
How many volunteers does habitat for Humanity International have?

I am sorry I don't have that data now, but HFH Japan has 700 volunteers every year.

Does Habitat for Humanity have branches in Korea?

Yes, we have an office in Seoul. This is the webpage of HFH Korea. http://eng.habitat.or.kr/

Saki wants to know:
What kind of activities does Habitat for Humanity do for refugees?

We are not doing anything especially for refugees, but we do something for them when they are going to be resettled. We help build their houses.

Is Habitat for Humanity spreading all over the world?

We have branch offices in 100 countries and 2408 affiliates. Yes, we are spreading. We are opening offices where ever people needs the decent housing.

Takurou wants to know:
Does Habitat for Humanity hold any events?

We do not hold events, but our supporters hold events for poverty reduction or housing construction in the world.

Ayano wants to know:
How many poor people are there in the world?

I have heard there are 1.3 billion people who do not have decent houses.

Nao wants to know:
Do Habitat for Humanity volunteers have to work hard?

Yes, sometimes they work hard and sometimes they enjoy leisure time with the local people.

Nao and Kakutei want to know:
How long have you been with Habitat for Humanity Professor Tsukamoto?

I have been working with HFH Japan for just 10 months. I worked for our government as a consultant (peace building) for 3 years. Also, I worked for 20 years with other NGOs for disaster response and post conflict rehabilitation and peace building.

Manami wants to know:
How many countries are helped by Habitat for Humanity?

We have branch offices in 100 countries all over the world. We have built 200,000 houses over 30 years. We built 20,000 houses last year because there were many disasters in the world, especially in Asia, like the tsunami.

Does Habitat for Humanity get any support?

Yes, we get a lot of from the business sector and churches.

Shamina wants to know:
How do you get people to help you?

In Japan, we have clubs in universities, like Aoyama Gakuin, Meiji Gakuin, Tokai University and Kanda Gaigo Univeristy in Kanto. We have more University clubs in Kansai. You can see more information in our webpage.

What do you think is the most important thing for world peace?

I think communication is the most important thing for world peace.

Emi wants to know:
What does Habitat for Humanity do to help the homeless in India?

We are planning to build 50,000 houses over 5 years. We have to collect donations to help them.

Corinne wants to know:
Why did you want to know about peace and conflict in the world Professor Tsukamoto?

I wanted to know about peace and conflict because I saw the real situation of WAR. It is nonsense! Human beings kill each other on this beautiful Earth. Don't you think so? Think about why God created Earth and put human beings on this earth.

Yui and Ayana want to know:
How long does it take to build a house?

It takes around 4 weeks to build completely.

Ryo wants to know:
Don't you use the money you get for things other than houses?

We are concentrating on building houses first, but we also build communities. That means we take a wholistic approach for community development. People need not only houses but also schools and hospitals and infrastructure.

Lisa wants to know:
What benefits come from the work of Habitat for Humanity?

I think it is the fullness of living for the people, the satisfaction of working with people. This is the meaning of volunteer work. Why do people work for companies? For the salary? Do you think you can get satisfaction from only a salary in your life?

Questions answered by Kentaro Yamazaki

Charles, Mika, Katsuhiro, Yui and Ryo want to know:
How can we join Habitat for Humanity?

Ans: You have already joined us because we met and communicated with each other. Please just let us know what you want to do .You may choose from the following activities: 1. Building houses 2. Raising awareness, and/or 3. Raising funds

Rina wants to know:
What conditions do we need to meet in order to be volunteers for Habitat for Humanity?

Ans: There is a variety of volunteers working for Habitat for Humanity, such as office volunteers in the Japan office, volunteers in the field, and so on. However, first of all, your enthusiasm is sought for Habitat activities. Basically, no special skills are not required.

Atsushi wants to know:
Is it OK for me to join Habitat for Humanity if I am a Buddhist?

Ans: Of course, no problem. Without regard to race, religion, or personal background, Habitat for Humanity works with volunteers to provide low income families with proper housing.
Katsuhiro wants to know:
What can I do?

Ans: To volunteer is to do what you can do. What do you have for us? Energy? Leadership? Money?? And/or anything else??? Our main activities as follows: 1. Building houses (outside of Japan) 2. Raising awareness (in Japan), and/or 3.Raising funds (in Japan).
Through these activities, you can make a contribution.

Kiyono wants to know:
Is it easy to join Habitat for Humanity?

Ans: It is not difficult to do it. You can be a great partner as long as you voluntarily and continuously work with us.

Ayana wants to know:
How can I join a Habitat for Humanity house building project?

Ans: Make your team of around 15-20 members with guardians (teachers) and apply to us. For detailed information, Please see the website: http://www.habitatjp.org/GI/gi_bp.html.

In conclusion, Professor Tsukamoto had this message for the students:

Thank you every one of the students at Kanto International High School. I enjoy making the answers for you. I hope you start to THINK what you can do for poverty and homelessness in the world. I believe you can do something for them. Keep in touch and hope to see you again. Stefano Tsukamoto, National Director of HFH Japan

Kanto International High School Study Abroad Programme Special Guest Lecturer

Kanto International High School Study Abroad Programme Special Guest Lecturer
Professor Stefano Tsukamoto
Visiting Professor, Peace and Conflict Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
National Director, Habitat for Humanity Japan

On Wednesday 31 January Professor Stefano (Toshiya) Tsukamoto will give a lecture to the first and second year students in the Kanto International High School Study Abroad Programme about poverty and homelessless in Japan and the world. Information about Professor Tsukamoto, Habitat for Humanity and Habitat for Humanity Japan can be found by clicking the following links:
http://www.habitatjp.org/
http://www.habitatjp.org/index_e.php
http://www.openup.jp/client/edu/tufspcs/en/people/faculty/

Homelessness in Indonesia

By Tuah Gintang
Takushoku University

Good afternoon gentlemen. Thank for your coming. Have you ever seen homeless people? What did you feel when you saw them? I am here to talk about my research about homelessness in Indonesia. Before we start I’d like to introduce myself, my name is Tuah Ginting and I am a foreign exchange student from Indonesia at Takushoku University. In my presentation I’m going to look at three main areas. First, I’ll talk about the population of Indonesia and what percentage of it consists of homeless people. After that I will tell you about the homeless in Indonesia and the cause of homelessness in Indonesia, and finally, I’ll talk about what we can do to help solve the problem of homelessness in Indonesia. My presentation will take around 10 minutes. If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them at the end of my talk.

So let’s start by looking at the population of Indonesia. Indonesia’s 2000 National Census showed that its total population is 203.4 million, of which 3.2 million (1.6%) are categorised as those who do not have a permanent place to live. Under this category are lumped together ship crewmembers, people living in houseboats or floating houses, nomadic groups of people (usually living in remote areas) as well as people who live and spend their nights in marketplaces, bus and railway stations, under bridges, and near city garbage dumps. Ok, that’s all I want to say about the population of Indonesia and the demographic make-up of homelessness in Indonesia.

Right, let’s move on to the cause of homelessness in Indonesia. Why do people become homeless? As in many other places in the world, the biggest cause of homelessness is urbanization. People from outside come to the city in order to realize their dreams and because they want to be successful people without good preparation like an education and a life strategy. And once they are in the big city, they can’t find a job and they can’t earn money for their life. Since they have failed to make their dream come true, they have no money and they can’t go back to the place where they came from, they sleep in any place they can find, and they beg or scavenge garbage bins for food. People like this are called gelandangan. They never wash and they barely communicate with other people.

I interviewed some homeless people in Jakarta, and I asked them why they became homeless. Almost of them came from outside the city, before they came to Jakarta they were farmers, but they weren’t satisfied with the money they got from farming. They thought that they could get a job in the city easily. When they came to Jakarta, the reality wasn’t as good as what they thought, and they faced many problems. They couldn’t earn money and they became homeless.

Some problems are caused by unemployment, or people who lose their job because of the country’s economic condition. In 1998, following the overthrow of President Suharto, conditions in Indonesia got worse, and the most significant problem was the economic crisis. Many companies and businesses closed or they had to decrease the number of employees.



Another problem that caused homelessness is the city’s development. For example, Asian Human Rights Commission made the following report, “… on January 11th 2006, approximately 125 semi-permanent houses were bulldozed by civil and military officers, forcibly evicting 140 families from their homes in Kampung Melayu ,Jatinegara, and East Jakarta. This incident is the latest in a series of forced evictions related to the 35 kilometre Double-Double Track Railway Project (DDT) along East Jakarta-Cikarang. Previous evictions occurred in Pisangan Timur, Jatinegara, East Jakarta on 4 January 2006. Approximately 458 buildings in Pisangan Timur were destroyed and 489 families are now homeless, living in temporary tents”

Ok, finally I’d like to turn to the most important point: what we can do to help solve the homelessness problem in Indonesia. I don’t think that homelessness can be solved only through charity but we have to give them some way to change their lives and be self-reliant. In the Indonesian homelessness situation, the better way to help is to give them a job opportunity or give them job training, and make a fund to start their own little business. One important thing we have to recognise is that poor homeless people are full citizens who have the same rights and responsibilities as other (urban) residents.

In conclusion, let me briefly go through the main points again. First I talked about the population of Indonesia and I hope you can remember that 1.6percent of the population are homeless people. Then I described homelessness in Indonesia and what the main homelessness problem in Indonesia is, and finally I shared what can we do to help homelessness in
Indonesia. Right, I think that’s everything. Let me finish by thanking you very much for your attention. And now, if you have any question, I’ll be happy to answer them.

References

Asian Human Rights Commission (n.d.) Retrieved January 20, 2007 from www.ahrchk.net

Homelessness in Japan By Cheng Ya Bin (Mike) Takushoku University

Good afternoon everyone. Today I want to talk about the homeless in Japan because, whether you like it or not, homelessness is a problem in society that is affecting our lives. After you have heard my presentation, I hope you will decide to care about this special group of people. In my presentation, first I want to tell you about the homeless situation in Japan. Then, I want to talk about the problems ta are caused by homelessness and last I will talk about some solutions to the problem.
Ok, let me start with some information about the homeless in Japan. The population of Japan is about one hundred and twenty-five million and the number of homeless people is about twenty-four thousand. Half of them are in Tokyo and Osaka. According to the latest research in 2006, the number of homeless in Tokyo is less than the year before. Most of the homeless are between the ages of 50 and 60. The youngest is 26 and the oldest one is 78. Also, thirty-one point eight percent of them have lived this kind of life for over 3 years, 14.9% have lived this kind life from between 6 months to a year. The most common reason for them to become homeless is bankruptcy, or something like this, which forces them to be homeless. The second biggest reason for them to become homeless is a family problem. Eighty point four percent of them are searching for work to do. Nineteen point six percent are not. One third (1/3) of them are woman. Fortunately, in Japan there have been no cases of homeless children reported.

Ok, I have told you about the homeless situation in Japan. Now I’ll talk about the problems caused by homeless. Once I wanted to relax in a nearby park during a break from my part time job. How I wished to relax myself at that time, so I walked into the park. Suddenly, a big voice shouted out, “what are you doing here!” I was so astonished. I stopped and looked around, at last I saw that a homeless person was sitting at the top of a chute and staring at me. What a horrifying face! I had to leave straight away. In this case, the homeless person made the public park seem as if it were his private place. So, on the one hand, homeless people encroach on the public’s rights, On the other hand, when people go into parks that homeless people occupy, it seems like people encroach on rights of the homeless. So this situation causes trouble very easily.
The second problem caused by homeless is the urban aspect, because homeless people will stay anywhere they want, Even in center of a city. So that will give people a bad impression of the city, especially the people who come to the city for the first time; they can’t forget it for a long time.
Homeless people do not only cause problems for the public, they cause problems for themselves too. For example, they sometimes can’t get enough food, they can’t get enough clothes, and they aren’t well treated when they are sick.　All in all、they can’t get basic things to live. These are the problems that are caused by homelessness. So how can these problem be solved?
Japan has enacted a law to help the homeless to get back into society. The main spirit of the law is, first, helping homeless people to get a job. Second, helping them to get a place to live. Third, taking care of their mental and physical health. However, this is not easily done. There are several reasons for this. First, because most of the homeless are older people, it is difficult for them to master a new skill in order to make a new life. Second, some of them do not want to accept another’s help, even the mental patients who don’t know what people are doing for them and don’t know to accept the help. So there are still many things that need to be done to help carry out the law.
I’ve talked about what the Japanese government is doing for the homeless. And now, let’s think about what we can do for this special group. As far as I know, there are three ways this can be done. The first is to buy the magazine which is called “The Big Issue”, because all the profits from the magazine is helping homeless people to live. Second, the Korean and American churches in Tokyo, always organize people to help the homeless, so you can contact them and take part in their activities. The third thing you can do is take the clothes that you will never use to the church and let them help you give them to homeless people. Homeless people need to change clothes and they need clothes as protection against cold. Of course there are still many more ways to help the homeless. If only you care about the homeless, you will find a way to do something for them.


Ok, I’ve talked about the Japanese homeless situation and the problems caused by it, and what the Japanese government has done for the homeless. Finally, I suggested three ways in which you can help them. I hope from now on, every one of you will care more about the homeless, because they really need your help, and you will be rewarded by what you have done. So every one of us, let’s do what we can to help the world to be more beautiful. Thank you!

References:

Shinia no godouhai e homuresu no shakai fukki wo ooen shimasen ka? [Can you help homeless seniors re-enter society?] (n.d) Retrieved January 20, 2007 from: http://www7.plala.or.jp/masa2323/

Social Issues Project - Homelessness in Today's World Posters

These posters are examples of posters that were made by students in the Study Abroad Programme in 2005. As you can see, the posters have very few words written on them. There are several reasons for this. First, the purpose of the poster is to make the the words spoken by the presenter easier to understand. Pictures make the spoken words easier to understand. Pictures are very helpful to people who can't understand English very well. Also, if there are many words on the poster then the people attending the presentation will read the poster rather than listen to the presenter's talk. It's better for the people attendingthe presentaion to get the information from listening. These posters are very good examples of how students should make posters for a presentation.