Homelessness in Japan by Yuta Mashiko - Takushoku University

Photo by isado

Good afternoon everyone. Today I want to talk to you about the homeless in Japan. Please listen to my presentation and please think about homeless people. In my presentation, first, I want to tell you about the homeless situation in Japan. Then I want to talk about the problems that are caused by homelessness.

Ok, let me start with some information about homelessness in Japan. The population of Japan is about one hundred million, and the number of homeless people was about twenty-five thousand people at it’s highest, but it has decreased to eighteen thousand now. Ninety-five percent of the homeless are elderly and middle-aged. The youngest is 30 and the oldest is 60. The number of young homeless people has increased in recent years and they are called Net Café Refugees. Most of the homeless live in huts and in tunnels. They live in urban areas. Ok, I’ve told you about the homeless situation in Japan. Now I will talk about the problems that cause homelessness.

The biggest reason people become homeless is unemployment. They lose their houses through company bankruptcy. Homelessness has increased due to the long-term deterioration of business in Japan. Other reasons are personal. For example, various problems related to family relationships, gambling dependence and alcohol dependence.

What problems occur when homelessness increases? First of all, there is the problem of disturbances to the public peace. Actually, assaults on homeless people have occurred. Many homeless people freeze to death every year. Also, they lose the right to vote (選挙権) because they have no address, and they can’t get a driving licence. As a result, finding employment becomes difficult and it is not possible to become independent economically. So can these problems be solved?

Japan has enacted a law to help the homeless to get back into society. There is the livelihood protection law in Japan. But the solution to this problem is difficult. A lot of homeless people want to work but finding employment becomes difficult because they have neither a dwelling nor a resident’s card. It is also difficult to contract rental housing. Also, the older people cannot learn new skills and new jobs. The support of the government is difficult in present day Japan. Therefore, support from private organizations is important. For example, meals provided by volunteers, dwellings such as tents, donations of new clothes and blankets, and support finding employment. Even still, this alone doesn’t solve the problem.

Photo by Danz in Tokyo

Ok, I’ve talked about the Japanese homeless situation, the problems caused by it and what the Japanese government has done for the homeless. Finally, finding a solution to this problem is very difficult but we can do some things in our every day lives. Lets make a world where everybody can live easily.

Homelessness in Japan Lu Lin (Kathy) Takushoku University

Good afternoon everyone. Have you ever heard of homeless people? Yes, I think most people often see them in the streets, in parks, and by riversides, what did you feel when you saw them? Homeless people have increased and their existence has become a social problem. So today I am here to talk about my research about homelessness in Japan. I’m going to cover four areas. First, I’ll talk about the population of Japan and what percentage of it consists of homeless people. Second, I want to explain the homeless situation in Japan to you. Then I will tell you about the cause of homeless people in Japan. And finally, I’ll talk about what we can do to help homelessness in Japan.

So let’s start by looking at the population of Japan. Japan’s 2005 National Census showed that its total population is 127.76 million, of which 18.56 thousand (0.015%) are homeless. Most them are in Osaka and Tokyo (2003 counted 7,757 in Osaka, 6,361 in Tokyo and 2,121 in Aichi). And 93% are men. Please look at the chart.


Most of the homeless are between the ages of 50 and 60. The youngest one is 26 and the oldest one is 78. Homeless people can’t get enough food or clothes sometimes. Most homeless in Japan live in parks, train stations, under bridges, garbage dumps and scraped factories near a city.

Why there are many homeless in Japan? Now I’ll talk about how the problem caused. Tokyo is one of the biggest cities in the world. So some people from outside come to the big city in order to realize their dreams. But they come without good preparation. They can’t find a job in order to make their dream come true. There are other causes too. For example having no job. Homelessness is often due to financial problems, or sometimes people become homeless because they have just been released from prison, or they are having physical health problems etc. They can’t get basic things to live. So how do we help the homeless?

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 and get a place to live. Second, taking care of their mental and physical health. Also, there are many things we can do:
1. Ask our parents if you can clean out our closet and give some of our old clothes to homeless children.
2. Collect toys from our friends, for homeless kids.
Of course there are still many more ways to help the homeless. If only we care about the homeless, we will find a way to do something for them.

Ok, I’ve talked about the Japanese homeless population and situation, and the problems caused by it , and finally, I talked about what we can do to help homelessness. So everyone of us from now on, let’s do what we can to help homeless, then the world will be more beautiful. Thank you for listening!

Sources
Homeless in Japan by Cheng Ya Bin

The Homeless in Germany By Gao Song (Lisa) Takushoku University, Hachioji, Japan

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Germany is one of the richest countries in the world. You may imagine that if you live in Germany you should have a wonderful life because it is very common to have a nice flat, and car. However, life isn’t good for everyone there. Some people can’t afford to buy a flat or car; they can’t even afford to buy food to survive. Why are more than 7,000 kids living on the streets in Germany? What are the best methods to help the homeless? The purpose of this presentation today is to raise awareness so that we can help the homeless and prevent such problems from getting worse.

So, let me begin by giving you an outline of my talk today. First of all, I’ll explain what is the cause of homelessness in Germany? After that, I’ll talk about what agencies are working in Germany to help the homeless, and what these agencies are doing in order to help them. Finally, let’s discuss what we can do to help the homeless.

Right, let’s start by looking at the cause of homelessness in Germany. There are 4 different factors which are causes of homelessness. According to the data, the population in Germany is 82 millions, and 345,000 people are homeless. Forty percent of the homelessness is caused by economic problems. Thirty percent is caused by drugs. Two percent is caused by problems faced by youngsters whose ages are from 14 to 18 years old, and the rest is caused by other problems, such as people wanting to earn money by living on the streets, or other activities controlled by some bad organizations.

It is easy to see that the economic problem is the biggest factor of causing homelessness. In Germany, an average income standard is 2500~3000 euros, about the same as Japan, the taxes are also very high, because the government will use this money to help unemployed persons and the homeless. I made an investigation, and I found information on a family that has 3 persons with a small apartment. It is very hard to have savings, if only one person goes to work. In addition, Germany has a high standard of education, so the people with low education find it difficult to find a job. On the other hand, many homeless people can get money from social welfare systems or other organizations. It is the biggest reason why the lazy people choose to sleep on the streets, and beg for food instead of having a job.

Now, I’d like to move on to another cause of homelessness, taking drugs. In Germany, drug addicts are very common among homeless people. Norbert Müller, director of the Prälat-Schleich-Haus in Bonn, is one of the volunteers who builds shelters for the homeless. He found nearly half of his shelter’s residents were drug addicts. Furthermore, most of them refused to accept help from government or social welfare systems, because they would be prohibited from drinking wine and using drugs if they lived in shelters. So they go back to their former life style, and continue taking drugs and sleeping on a bench or in a doorway.



Now, I’m going to turn to the last point cause of homelessness. In Germany, there are nearly 7,000 kids who are living on the streets, and more than third of them are in the capital city. For example, Mischa is an 18 year old boy. You can find him sitting at the entrance of a suburban railway station nearly every day. When his parents divorced, he stayed with his mother. After three years, his mother died of cancer, and he found he was alone. Without any qualifications, it was difficult to find a job; soon, he spent all of his money.

Peter Mucke, director of Terre de Hommes, says that in recent years, more and more youngsters became homeless due to a troubled family background, violence, and drugs. Most of them were from small towns in the eastern or western parts of Germany.

I have finished explaining the cause of homelessness in Germany, next, I’ll talk about what agencies are working in Germany to help the homeless, and what these agencies are doing in order to help them. There are three organizations that give help to the homeless. ‘One euro jobs’ is the way to help unemployed persons and the homeless to get simple jobs that pay one euro per hour. ‘Off Road kids’ is actively providing advice and guidance to street kids in Berlin. Master Love Institution prepares large quantities of hot food and warm clothes for the homeless in winter, and each homeless person can receive a package which contains hot food, a sleeping bag, a cup, warm socks and other items. In addition, many companies sell these things to Master Love Institution with a 40% discount in price.

Ok then, to sum up, let’s discuss what we can do to help the homeless. First, I don’t think only giving the homeless some money is a good method because it will be considered as the easiest way to get money without any work by lazy people. Second, we should encourage some homeless people who have lost their confidence and dreams, for example, a young girl who had a history of taking drugs. With her friends’ help, she has given up drugs and finished her high school diploma. This success story tells us the most important thing for them is a dream. Third, we should help the real poor people who are in need of food and shelters.

Today, I covered three points. First, I told you about the cause of homelessness in Germany. Please remember there are nearly 7,000 kids who are living on the streets. Second, I told you about what agencies are working in Germany to help the homeless, and what these agencies are doing in order to help them, please don’t forget there are many organizations likes Master Love Institution which give help to the homeless. Finally, I told you about what we can do to help the homeless; I hope you can remember that it is not a good method to only give the homeless some money. Try to encourage them to have dreams for the future. Thank you very much.

Sources

DW-World.de (2006, October 5). Germany's Homeless Must Leap Hurdles to Get
Help. Retrieved from http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2194430,00.html on
January 24, 2008

Expatica.com (2007, July 12). Falling between the cracks: Street kids in Germany on the rise.
Retrieved from http://www.expatica.com/de/life_in/feature/street-kids.html on
January 24, 2008

Khaleej Times On-line (2007, January 11). Concern grows over more and more street kids in Germany. Retrieved from http://www.khaleejtimes.com on January 24, 2008

Homelessness In America

Zhaohai Yan (Joyce)
Takushoku University

Photo by Franco Folini

Good afternoon everyone. I’m Joyce. I’m a Chinese student studying in Japan. This semester I took the English Speech course. At the end of the term, our teacher asked us to make a presentation about homelessness as the term-examination. At first I didn’t know who homeless people were, or what homelessness is, but now I really know many things about homeless people. Do you know about homeless people? If you don’t, it isn’t a problem because today I will tell you about the homeless in America. I am going to cover three main areas. First, I will talk about the population of America, and how many homeless people there are. Second, I will tell you about what the cause of homelessness is in America. Third, I will tell you what we can do to help homeless people.

Ok, to begin, let me start with the population of America and the percentage of the American population that are homeless people. There are about 303.6 million persons in America. Over 7% of these persons are defined as homeless persons.




Two point three to three point five million persons are experiencing homelessness every year. Forty-three percent of the homeless are single men. Thirty-three percent of the homeless are families with children. Seventeen percent of the homeless are single women. Three percent are unaccompanied minors. Point four percent of the homeless are from an unknown demographic.

Ok, I have told you about the population of America and how many homeless people there are. Now, I will talk about what the cause of homelessness is. As you know, America is the country that is considered to be more prosperous than any other country in the world. Why is there a rising number of homeless people in America? What is the cause? There are many different causes including: personal problems, lack of education, domestic violence, drug addiction, poor work habits, and lack of skills, but the main cause of homelessness is economic. Some people have the economic resources to deal with some things like personal problems and lack of education but others don’t have the economic resources to deal with their problems so they become homeless people. Once they have the economic resources, they will buy a house or deal with their personal problems, and they will become members of the common society. Therefore, most of those who are homeless aren’t seen on the street at all because they are somewhere working or going to school or doing something to help themselves. Maybe you could be standing next to a homeless person at the bus stop and not know it because she or he is dressed for her or his office job.

Ok, finally, I’ll tell you about how we can help these homeless people. First of all, the American government prepares food and clothes to give the homeless people and it sets up some tent villages for homeless people. Ok I have told you about what the American government is doing to help the homeless but what can we do?

Maybe we can give some money, food and clothes to homeless people, or we can take part in some activities to help homeless people but the most important thing we can do to solve the problem is to help them to find a job. So how can we do that? I think the basic thing we can do is pay taxes to the government. So the government can use the money to do something. For example: build houses, repair and build roads and so on. Then the government can employ homeless people and the homeless people can get a job and make a living. Ok, there are other ways to help homeless people. If you know some good ways, please contact me. I am very happy to research the problem with you.

In conclusion, let me go through the main points again. I have told you about homeless people in America. I covered three main areas. First, I told you about the population of America and how many homeless people there are. Second, I told you about what the cause of homelessness in America is. Third, I told you what we can do to help homeless people.

Ok, now, I think you have got to know about homeless people. Last, I want you to know that to help homeless people is to help ourselves. It is because it is possible for anyone to become homeless. So we have to help homeless people. Good luck everyone! Thanks for listening.

My Hometown: Tengzhou
by Zhang Lu Wen, Takushoku University

Photo by and copyright 2007 Derek Ramsey

You should visit my hometown of Tengzhou. It's a great place to go for a vacation. First, I'm going to tell you its location and it's history. Then I'm going to tell you what it's famous for.
My hometown is southwest of Shandong province in China. It's near Qingdao. The city occupies an area of 1485 square kilometers. The population is one million, five hundred and sixty-eight thousand, one hundred and fifty-six.


Now I'll tell you the meaning of Tengzhou and the history of Tengzhou. Teng in Chinese implies that the water rushes forward. During the Qin dynasty, Teng county was set up. In 1988 this place was named Tengzhou City . You can get there by train or bus and if you come from abroad, first you can go to Qing Dao by airplane and then take a bus to go to my hometown Well, now you know where my hometown is. Next I'll tell you what it's famous for.

Tengzhou is famous for lotus flowers. There is a river across from my hometown. The river is full of lotus flowers. When the lotus flowers open it is very beautiful. If you want to see it, you must go there in summer.

Photo by Shin

Another thing that makes Tengzhou famous is that there are many very old temples there. Many were built for Mozi. Mozi was a native of Xiaozhu in the ancient Lu state where Mushi town in Tengzhou is located now. He was a great thinker, statesman, educator, scientist and social activist. When you visit the Mozi temple, you can learn his period's culture.

Finally, I'll tell you two more things about my hometown. First,"Sha" soup is very delicious in my hometown. Second, my hometown abounds with peanuts. I really like it. I hope you visit Tengzhou soon.

My Hometown:Dalian by Lu Lin (Cathy), Takushoku University

You should visit my hometown of Dalian. It’s a great place to go for a vacation. First I’m going to tell you where it is. And second I’m going to tell you what it is famous for. Finally I’ll tell you about the food.

My hometown is a young city with only a 100-year history. It is in Liaoning Province. Dalian is situated between the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea. Everywhere seems to have a beautiful view: blue sky, blue sea, green trees and various flowers. The other scenic areas are Bangchuidao Scenic Area , Laohutan Scenic Area , Jinshitan Scenic Area and Xinghai Square. According to TravelChinaGuide.com, “people say Dalian is a city built in gardens”. Next I’ll tell you what Dalian is famous for.


Dalian is famous for business and fashion. It is a trading and financial center and it is called the “Hong Kong of Northern China”. The Dalian International Fashion Festival is held in my city every year. Dalian is one of China’s most important tourist cities.



Now I want to tell you about the food . There are numerous restaurants in the city providing a wide variety of top-quality seafood at very cheap prices. If you come my hometown on holiday, you must eat at them, please .

Today I told you three things about my hometown .First I told you about the location. Second I told you what it is famous for. Third I told you about food . I hope you visit Dalian soon .

My Home Province: Fujian by Liu Ke Feng, Takushoku University

Photo taken by zzchen

You should visit my home province of Fujian. It is a great place to go for a vacation. First, I am going to tell you where it is, and second I am going to tell you what it is famous for .

My home province is Fujian in the south of China. It is near Taiwan and touches the sea on the south. Fujian is more than ninety-percent mountains. You can get there by airplane from Tokyo. People in Fujian speak Mandarin, the central language. People in Fujian can speak Taiwanese too.

Photo taken by zzchen

Now you know where my hometown is. Next I will tell you what it is famous for. The famous places are Fuzhou, Xiamen, and Quanzhou. Fuzhou is the capital of the province. Xiamen is a small but developed city. There is a large international airport there. Fujian Oolong tea is famous in Japan. Oolong tea is mainly planted in the Wuyi Mountains. The Wuyi Mountains are very very beautiful. Many people go to the Wuyi Mountains every year.


Today, many people like to drink Oolong tea in Japan. I hope that people all over the world will like to drink Oolong tea in the future. And if you have a time, you should go to the Wuyi Mountains. I hope you visit Fujian province soon too!
That is all I have to say today. Thank you for listening!

My Hometown : Sayama
by Yuta Mashiko, Takushoku University

You should visit my hometown of Sayama. It is a great place to go for a vacation. First, I am going to tell you where it is, and second, I am going to tell you what it is famous for. My hometown is in Saitama prefecture. It is near Tokorozawa. You can get there from Tokorozawa in 10 min. Now you know where my hometown is. Next I will tell you what it is famous for.

First, Sayama is famous for green tea. It has a nice smell. There are many tea fields in Sayama, and much greenery remains there.

Now I will tell you about the star festival. The star festival in Sayama is very famous. Irumagawa star festival is Kanto’s biggest festival. The sight of a lot of shops in a long straight line is very beautiful. The first highlight is “Hanabi”. Hanabi means fireworks. About 2,000 are launched in sequence.

The next thing I’ll tell you about is sports. My hometown baseball team is “Seibu Lions”. Lions is a very strong and famous team. In the past, Daiske Matuzaka, who played an active part in the Lions organisation, is now in the Major Leagues, I went to a match sometimes.


Today I told you three things about my hometown. First, I told you about green tea. Second, I told you about The Irumagawa star festival. Finally, I told you about sports. Please remember the Irumagawa star festival because it is unforgettable. I hope you visit Sayama soon.

My Hometown: Seoul by Hana Lee, Takushoku University

Good afternoon ladies and gentleman. I’m Ha-na. Let me introduce my hometown Seoul. Seoul is the capital of Korea. Korea is the small country that is located between China and Japan. Seoul is the center of everything and the most populated city in Korea. This city has a population of nearly 11 million. Now you know where my hometown is. Next I’ll tell you what it’s famous for.

Kim-chi is famous Korean traditional food. It is very important food to Koreans. Kim-chi is very hot but it is very healthy. Many people all over the world enjoy it recently. You can buy Kim-chi at foreign food super markets easily. Kim-chi has many nutriments for health and good taste. It is known as a diet food. So, many Japanese like to eat it.


Seoul is also famous for its landmarks. The 63 building is one of them. There are restaurants and an aquarium in the 63 building. It’s the place that the country people are sure to visit if they can go to Seoul just one time. Another famous landmark is the Han River Bridge. The bridge’s lights are turned on at night. It is so beautiful. Finally, I’d like to recommend Insadong. Insadong gives you the impression of a street museum. At Insadong, you can imagine special things. Also, you can have many kinds of Korean traditional food and tea. If you go there, you can see a lot of Korean things. Isadong is a really good place to visit if you go to Korea.



Today I told you about my hometown.

Thank you.

My Hometown: Fushun
by Zhao Hai Yan (Joyce) Takushoku University

You should visit my hometown of Fushun. It is a great place to go for a vacation. First, I am going to tell you where it is, and second, I am going to tell you what it is famous for.

Photo taken by 3water

My hometown is in Liaoning province. It is one of the biggest cities in China. It is near Shenyang, the provincial capital. You can get there by airplane. It takes 3 hours to get there from Tokyo. Now, you know where my hometown is. Next I will tell you what it is famous for.

Fushun is famous for four things. The first thing is natural resources. Fushun produces a lot of coal every year. There are more than 410 mines in Fushun. Also, there are all kinds of wild plants and more than 200 varieties of wild animals. For example: badger, bear and deer. Every year, Fushun exports a large number of apples to other places. The apples produced in Fushun are very delicious and very cheap.

The second thing Fushun is famous for is very good of transportation and communication services. It is now equipped with modern signal communication facilities. There are more than 900 long-distance telephones, including international lines. You can telephone many countries. Within a few years, Fushun will attract a great number of foreign business investments.

The third thing Fushun is famous for is an industry. There are three large petroleum plants in Fushun. The chemical, coal, metallurgy and related industries are very well represented in Fushun.


The fourth thing Fushun is famous for is famous for is tourism. There are many scenic spots in Fushun such as the Gaoershan Tower, Young Ling, and Yuan Shuailin. Some famous people in the world were born in Fushun. Do you know Wang Nan who is a world champion of ping-pong and do you know Tong Tawei who is a film star in China? The cuisine in Fushun is very famous too, especially boiled dumpling.

Photo taken by nozomiiqel

Today I told you two things about my hometown. First where my hometown is and second what it is famous for. Fushun is a very beautiful and famous city. It is Lei Feng`s hometown. You must remember my hometown. I am proud of it. I hope you visit my hometown soon.

My Home Province
by Gao Song (Lisa), Takushoku University

You should visit my home province of Hunan. It is a great place to go for a vacation. First, I'm going to tell you where it is. Second, I'm going to tell you what Hunan is famous for. Last, I'm going to tell you about scenic Zhangjiajie.


My home province is near Hubei province. Hunan become an important communication center due to its position on the Changjiang River and on the highway constructed between northern and southern China. The population continued to climb until, by the nineteenth century, Hunan was overcrowded.

Now you know where my home province is. Next I'll tell you what Hunan is famous for. Hunan is famous because it the birthplace of Chairman Mao. He was born in nearby Shaoshan and studied in Changsha City. But being Mao Zedong's home province, Hunan supported the Cultural Revolution, so it developed slower than most provinces.


Hunan is also famous for agriculture. It is the premier rice-growing province. It is an important producer of oil seed and the second-biggest producer of pork and the third-largest producer of cigarettes. Changsha is the capital city of Hunan province in the south of China. It is the center of a rich agricultural region. The site has a 3000 year history. In 1904 Changsha was opened to foreign trade and large numbers of Europeans and Americans settled there.
Last, I'll introduce a very famous place Zhangjiajie.


Zhangjiajie is located in Hunan province China. It is known as a scenic area. Close to 50% of the population in Zhangjiajie is composed of minorities. So this is one of the minority regions in China. The two girls in the picture are dressed in the traditional minority costume.



Zhangjia jie is also famous for the 'stone forest'.
Today I told you three things about my home province. First I told you the location, second, I told you two reasons it's famous. Finally, I told you about a beautiful place named Zhangjiajie. I hope you visit my home province soon

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/