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In January 2011, the Ship for World Youth (SWY) will
count its 23nd program. SWY is a global youth exchange program in which
over 6000 people from 63 countries have participated. Here are the
basic activities of SWY and Ship for World Youth Alumni Association (SWYAA).
1. Ship for World Youth Program
2. Ship for World Youth Alumni Association (SWYAA)
3. SWYAA International Reunion
4. SWYAA Tokyo Conference for the Ex-PYs of SWY
5. Agreement
6. SWY News
7. SWY Directory
1. Towards the establishment of an international Alumni Association
of SWY
2. Started in Greece
3. The first SWYAA International Reunion
4. Setting up SWYAAs
5. Tokyo Conference for the Ex-PYs of SWY
6. Organizing Ex-PYs of SWY (Westbound)
7. Organizing SWYAA Network
1. SWYAA
2. Objectives
3. Structure
4. Post-Program Activities
1. Ship for World Youth Program
This program started in 1988 by reorganizing the "Japanese Goodwill
Mission Cruise Program (JYGC)" which started in 1967 as one of the
commemorative programs for the Centennial of the Meiji Restoration.
Initially, JYGC had 300 Japanese Participating Youths (JPYs) and 50
Overseas Participating Youths (OPYs). However, when it was changed into
SWY, the number of participants changed to approximately 120 JPYs and
150 OPYs. Due to this drastic change in the ratio of the participants (PYs),
the ship Nippon Maru now looks like a multicultural microcosm. Living
together with PYs from different countries on board the ship for 50
days, participants engage in discussions and lectures by specialists as
well as arrange various events such as national presentation and club
activities. SWY visits eastbound regions ( Oceania , North, Central and
South American regions) and westbound regions (Southwest Asian, African,
and Middle Eastern regions) countries every other year.
2. Ship for World Youth Alumni Association (SWYAA)
Aiming at keeping up the spirits cherished during SWY, PYs of the SWY
7th Program and the alumni ex-PYs from SWY 1st Program to 6th Program
joined together for the first SWY International Reunion and agreed to
establish SWYAA. In the following year when SWY took a westbound course,
PYs of the SWY 8th Program also agreed to establish an SWYAA in
cooperation with other alumni ex-PYs. The basic structure of the Alumni
Association consists of one representative (Key Person) and two
sub-representatives (Assistant Key Persons). Its main activities are the
management of the member list, the arrangement of local alumni
activities, and support for its new members. In 1999, the SWYAA members
agreed to add two E-mail Receivers to the board as members in each
alumni association. The E-mail Receivers will be registered in the SWYAA-council
mailing list and will receive and distribute information through their
countries' respective e-mail lists. As of September 2000, SWYAA
certified the foundation of 40 AAs in countries of both the east and
west regions.
3. SWYAA International Reunion
SWYAA International Reunion was first held in 1995 on board the Nippon
Maru in Acapulco , Mexico . The Japanese government invited ex-PYs on
board to attend the meeting for two days. During the gathering, the ex-PYs
exchanged the ideas about their activities in their own countries and
their future visions for the SWY. Altogether, the International Reunions
have been held three times in Acapulco, Mexico (1995, 1997, 1999), once
in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (1996), once in Muscat, Oman (1998), once
in Cape Town, South Africa (1999), and once in Auckland, New Zealand
(2000).
4. SWYAA Tokyo Conference for the Ex-PYs of SWY
This is a meeting in which the Japanese government invites
representatives of SWYAA of the participating countries from eastbound
and westbound courses in alternating years. At this time, the
representatives discuss the current and future activities of SWYAA. As
the SWY program also starts during this meeting time, the
representatives have a chance to meet with the National Leaders and
present to them the international network of the SWYAA, in which the
participants will join after the program on the ship.
5. Agreement
The Agreement establishes purposes, activities, and structures of SWYAAs,
based on which every AA follows when developing its activities. During
the first SWYAA Tokyo Conference in 1996, the representatives created
and adopted a resolution called the Agreement for the eastbound
countries. At the second SWYAA Tokyo Conference in 1997, representatives
agreed upon the Agreement as well for the westbound countries.
Subsequently, these eastbound and westbound country meetings became a
biannual event.
6. SWY News
This annual newsletter of SWY is distributed to all the ex-PYs once an
year. The contents of the newsletter are the activities of the AAs in
respective countries, news from the ex-PYs, and other articles related
to the SWY. The year 2001 marked the 8th publication of SWY News.
7. SWY Directory
Member lists of those who participated in previous SWY programs are
revised and published annually, and distributed to all the ex-PYs. The
name, address, telephone number, fax number, e-mail address, and
interest group of all ex-PYs are included.
Before the Ship for World Youth Alumni Association was Founded
1. Towards the establishment of an international Alumni Association
of SWY
Started in 1988, the Ship for World Youth (SWY) program now has
approximately 1,560 Japanese former participants (ex-PYs) and about
2,290 ex-PYs from over 6o countries. The Japanese Government expects
these ex-PYs to participate in the international exchange activities and
youth activities in his/her community, office, school and such, as well
as to build friendship between Japan and his/her country. In the
beginning, these ex-PYs often had little funds or know-how as to how to
expand these activities. They also had little support from the network
of the other organizations. However, as the programs continued, the
increasing number of participants came more and more together to figure
out ways around these challenges and difficulties.
As SWY had been conducted by the eastbound course countries (visiting
Oceania and North, Central, and South America ) and westbound course
countries (visiting Southwest Asia , Africa , and Middle East ) in
alternate years, the participating countries and the countries to be
visited have not been fixed. With these varying conditions, there were
constant challenges in implementing the network. Despite these
difficulties, however, the members continued to actively exchange ideas
on how to establish a worldwide network of SWY called the Ship for World
Youth Alumni Association (SWYAA).
2. Started in Greece
A meeting in Piraeus , Greece , where the Nippon Maru was at anchor
during the 6th SWY Program in 1994, is regarded as the starting step for
the establishment of the network. Ex-PYs from Hungary and Sweden of the
4th SWY Program contacted some ex-PYs in Japan and assembled on board
the ship. Because of insufficient preparation, funding, and information,
the number of ex-PYs who participated in this reunion was small.
Although they did not succeed in establishing a network, their attempt
was seen as the first step for their future development. This meeting
showed the strong ties among the ex-PYs of SWY and drew both attention
and expectations from the Administrator of the 6th SWY and other people
who became interested in the potential of further activities organized
by the ex-PYs.
3. The first SWYAA International Reunion
On March 2 and 3, 1995, during the 7th SWY Program, the SWYAA
International Reunion for the eastbound course was held as the first
official international reunion on board the Nippon Maru while it was
anchored at the harbor of Acapulco , Mexico .
The Japanese Government dispatched Mr. Toshihiro Tomooka, the National
Leader (NL) of the 5th batch, to lead the meeting. Ex-PYs from Mexico
and other countries took part in the meeting and enjoyed the reunion.
First, they discussed how to establish an Alumni Association to support
their local activities, and how to develop and further these activities.
Second, they discussed how to strengthen the connection with each
country and how to establish an international network. Finally, they
agreed to adopt a proposal for future activities. This event marked the
first stage of organizing SWYAA.
4. Setting up SWYAAs
Ex-PYs of the 3rd and the 5th batches who participated in the first
International Reunion met the PYs of SWY 7th batch and created a
blueprint for organizing the Ship for World Youth Alumni Association (SWYAA).
After deliberate and active discussions, they decided to choose three
representatives from each country. Their basic roles were to set up an
association in their home country as well as to set up a cooperative
system between Japan and other countries. Due to the success of the
meeting, SWYAA was established in Ecuador , which was eventually
followed by the establishment of Alumni Associations in other countries.
5. Tokyo Conference for the Ex-PYs of SWY
Aiming at expanding local activities in each country into activities
based on an international network, the Tokyo Conference for the ex-PYs
of SWY was held for the first time from January 16 to 21, 1996 . The
Japanese government invited 14 representatives from 13 countries, and
with the members of the International Youth Exchange Organization (IYEO)
of Japan , the delegates developed active discussions for future
activities. An agreement was set up and signed by all the conference
members. Since then, this conference has been held annually with the
invited countries alternating every other year between the east and west
bound course countries.
6. Organizing Ex-PYs of SWY (Westbound)
During the 8th SWY program, following the eastbound meeting, the SWYAA
International Reunion for the westbound course was held on board Nippon
Maru in Dubai , United Arab Emirates , from March 1 to 2, 1996 . The
activities of eastbound course countries were introduced to the
participants of the event. From January 16 to 21, 1997 , the Tokyo
Conference for the ex-PYs of SWY (westbound) was held, and the
conference delegates had heated discussions over how to establish an
SWYAA Agreement for westbound countries.
7. Organizing SWYAA Network
As the SWYAAs were gradually getting organized, the Tokyo Conference and
the SWYAA International Reunion became biannual events; each event
taking place alternately in one of the east or west bound course
countries. In 2000, the 7th International Reunion was hosted in New
Zealand when SWY13 was visiting the country. In 2001, the 7th Tokyo
Conference took place on board Nippon Maru during SWY14, on its last leg
of the cruise from Singapore to Tokyo , and concluded the conference in
Tokyo .
During the conference, the delegates compiled the PY Preparation Manual
for the future participants, discussed about Homestay Network and
Computer Network, and finally exchanged ideas about individual
activities.
Ship for World Youth Alumni Association (SWYAA) and Post-Program
Activities
1. SWYAA
SWYAA is the comprehensive naming for all the alumni associations of SWY.
SWYAA was established by the former participants (ex-PYs) in each
participating country to supports and to continue the spirit of the
international cooperation developed during the SWY program. This is
where you will belong to after the program on board the ship is over: to
join the bigger "family" of SWY, and to maintain the global network of
the participating youths of all the programs around the world.
2. Objectives
The objectives of the SWYAA are:
(1) To provide means of communication for the former and present
participants of the Ship for World Youth Programs
(2) To provide means of communication between Alumni Association members
and the Cabinet Office of the Japanese government. This will be done
through the communication with the International Youth Exchange
Organization of Japan (IYEO), the Japanese Alumni Association
(3) To provide information and develop domestic and international
networks including non-SWY-participating youth
(4) To organize post-program activities locally and internationally
3. Structure
The basic organizational structure of SWYAA is:
Key Person (1 person)
Assistant Key Person (1 or 2 persons)
E-mail Receiver to be registered to SWYAA-council mailing list (2
persons)
Batch Representative (1 person per batch) - to be decided during the
program
Assistant Batch Representative (1 or 2 persons per batch) - to be
decided during the program
4. Post-Program Activities
One of the main objectives of the SWY program is to promote the
activities after the program (post-program activities), which is to make
contributions SWY and to the society.
Examples of the post-program activities are:
- Volunteer works
- Organizing international youth exchange programs
- Promotion of SWY
- Involvement in the selection of the future participants
- Giving orientation to the future participants of SWY program
- Organizing SWY reunions
- Promotion of international understandings
- Introduction of the Japanese culture to your society
- Interaction with the Japanese community in your country, etc.
source: www.swyaa.org
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