JET Alum Lee-Sean Huang’s article in Fast Co.Exist on social innovation in Brazil
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JET alum and JETwit webmaster Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, Nakatsu-shi, 2003-2006) has published a new article about Social Innovation in Brazil. Lee-Sean is a member of JETAA New York, but is currently working in Brazil for a few months. He credits his JET experience as an invaluable resource for his current field of design for social innovation, where he works with cross-cultural communities to create social, cultural, and civic value.
Here is a preview of the article:
Brazil is known for its supermodels, but what about its social innovation models? Besides the economic boom, the country is finding a new groove in the field of digital collaboration and activism.
Last year, I moved from New York to Rio de Janeiro, where Purpose has opened its first overseas office. I have met with local innovators and interacted with all kinds of people on the streets, at the beach, and in botequins (informal bars). These experiences have all enriched my work in social innovation. Besides stimulating my creativity, immersion in a different culture and working in a foreign language have heightened my sense of mindfulness and empathy, reminded me of the virtue of humility, and taught me a few things about what it means to innovate.
Read the rest of the article at Fast Co.Exist.
How has your JET experience helped open doors to other cultures (besides your home culture and Japanese culture)? Are there any other JET alumni out there living in Brazil? Any other JET alumni working in the field of social innovation? Drop us a line in the comments, we would love to hear from you.
Kameoka Diaries #5 by Lars Martinson
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Lars Martinson (Fukuoka-ken 2003-2006), author of the graphic novels Tonoharu: Part Two andTonoharu: Part 1, has just just published the latest edition of his new cartoon series called“Kameoka Diaries“ about his return to teaching English, this time in Kameoka, Kyoto.
Click here to read the Kameoka Diaries #5.
http://larsmartinson.com/kameoka-diaries-5/
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How to Pass Your Love of Japan onto Your Kids
By Jessica Kennett Cork (CIR, 1997-2000, Hiroshima-ken)
(Note: Click here to join the JET Alumni Parents Facebook group.)
My kids (7, 5, 2 and 4 months) are the only blond-haired kids in their school. My two oldest know the names of all the Pokémon characters in both English and Japanese. My toddler can sing the Totoro and Anpanman theme songs in Japanese.
No, we don’t live in Japan. We live in a suburb of Atlanta. But I knew that even though we live in the United States, I wanted to share my love of Japan with my kids. I don’t want to “force” Japan on them, and it is fine with me if their future careers have nothing to do with Japan. But at the same time, I want for them to appreciate our family’s adopted culture, and to understand that since I met their dad in a Japanese class in college, they wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Japan.
And so I decided to enroll them in Japanese/English bilingual immersion school. We’re lucky to have several here in Atlanta: two daycare centers and one elementary school. Almost all the other kids in the school are full Japanese or half Japanese, so it is not always easy on my blondies. The elementary school is Japanese Ministry of Education approved, which means homework every day, even during summer vacation, and lots of parental involvement expected from the PTA. Not to mention the pressure to come up with a decent o-bento for lunch. My seven year old often wonder why his o-bento doesn’t have cute rabbits made out of apples and carrot flowers. But at the same time, he got to pound rice for New Year’s, grow tomatoes and morning glories as part of his life skills class, has mandatory music and art class, and can use chopsticks better than I can.
But what I love most about the school Read More
JET alum anti-robocall activist calls out Newt in Florida
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JET alum Shaun Dakin, anti-robocall activist
JET alum Shaun Dakin (Shimane-ken, 1989-91), founder of StopPoliticalCalls.org which seeks to stop the use of robocalls in political campaigns, was quoted recently in several articles about the Republican primary battle, including one today on Huffington Post (“Newt Gingrich Robocall: Mitt Romney Forced Holocaust Survivors To Eat Non-Kosher Food“).
The Republican primary and upcoming national election will likely be busy times for Shaun. But whether you’re a Republican, a Democrat, or some other category, Shaun seems to have found an issue that most everyone who owns a phone can likely support. And, hey, maybe after the 2012 elections Shaun can head back to Japan and team up with Inuyama City Council Member Anthony Bianchi (Aichi-ken, Inuyama-shi, 1988-89) to fight back against the political campaign trucks with the obnoxious loudspeakers.
Ganbatte Shaun-san!
*Read the Fall 2008 JETAANY Newsletter interview with Shaun by Stacy Smith(CIR Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03).
Former Kesennuma JET to spend honeymoon in Japan supporting relief efforts, seeks fundraising and other support
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A request from Andrew Berne (Miyagi-ken, Kesennuma-shi, 1999-2000), reprinted with his permission:
I participated in the JET Programme as an ALT in 1999 and 2000. During that time, I lived and taught in Kesennuma-shi in Miyagi Prefecture. It was a very formative time in my life, and over the years I have remained close with many people in the community. As you are well aware, Kesennuma was devastated by the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011.
My wife Kathleen and I recently got married, and for our honeymoon we are traveling to Japan in April to assist in the tsunami relief efforts and contribute what we can to the town’s recovery. It may not be the most conventional honeymoon, but this is a cause that is near and dear to our hearts. Kathleen and I met while working for the same Japanese company here in the US, and although we are no longer with that organization we still have deep connections to many people in Japan.
We hope to be able to get to Kesennuma for part of the trip, and we are coordinating several fundraising efforts involving family, friends, and colleagues. We are trying to garner as much support as possible from our contacts here as well as in Japan, and we would be very interested in speaking with anyone willing to discuss ways in which we can make this trip have as much impact and meaning as possible. We are also seeking some guidance and advice about lodging & travel options in Kesennuma.
I can be reached at andrewberne [at] gmail.com. If you have the ability to Skype, my username is berneandrew.
Our schedule is as follows:
– April 13-15: Sendai
– April 15-19: Kesennuma
– April 19-22: Tokyo
We’ve planned the trip around the beginning of the school year and sakura season. I’ve also been folding paper cranes like mad, hoping to reach 1,000 by the time we leave for Japan.
JET Paul Yoo seeks donations to help Sendai orphan attend college
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See below request from Akita Prefecture JET Paul Yoo, founder of volunteerAKITA.
JETwit note for context: Paul has been going above and beyond the call of duty in terms of volunteering and organizing volunteers in Tohoku. JETAA USA recognized his efforts in providing him funding to help defray costs associated with organizing volunteers to go and help with clean-up in affected areas in Tohoku.
Hi my name is Paul Yoo, a 3rd year JET in Akita-ken and Co-founder of volunteerAKITA and The Fruit Tree Project (www.volunteerakita.org). Along with our on-going activities, we are also involved in the “Smiles & Dreams:Tohoku Kids Project” led by Living Dreams/SmileKidsJapan (www.livingdreams.jp and www.smilekidsjapan.org).
Right now, we are working as Home Communication Managers (HCMs) to two orphanages in the Sendai area. Our role is to act as contacts for the orphanages, and relay any needs they may have.
What we need right now: A boy, in his 3rd year of high school (his final year), at one of the orphanages we are in contact with, has become the first orphan there to ever express interest in going to college. He wants to attend Yamaguchi Hukushi Bunka Daigaku (University of Human Welfare and Culture) and study hoiku ka (child care). It is a four year program and the university will cover tuition for the first 2 years of the program, along with 50% of the 3rd and 4th years.
Our goal is to raise￥1,154,000 which includes ￥970,000 in tuition costs for the 3rd and 4th years, along with an ￥184,000 mandatory insurance cost over 4 years.
We are currently accepting donations for the scholarship fund we have set up. After collecting the sufficient funds, we will then transfer the money to an account that will be handled by the orphanage.
We welcome any grants, scholarships, or personal donations to get this young man to college, and most importantly doing it without leaving him in debt after he finishes school, since in most cases, once an orphan has finished high school, he is on his own.
It is truly inspiring that he plans to go to college and is the first from his orphanage to show interest in doing so. Successfully sending him to college would be such an amazing gift, and would inspire other orphans to follow in his footsteps, knowing that they too can receive a college education, and strive to become whatever they want to be in the future.
If you have any questions regarding this proposal or can help us out, please contact me.
Much Love,
Paul Yoo
E-mail: paulharimyoo [at] gmail.com
Rikuzentakata, Iwate: 9 months after the tsunami by Alison Brown
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Thanks to Vancouver-based JET alum Alison Dacia Brown (Iwate-ken, Rikuzentakata-shi, 2005-08) for sharing this article she wrote with JETwit, which also appears (with photos) on page 8 of the latest issue of the JETAA British Columbia Newsletter. It is a follow-up to a previous article she wrote titled “Rikuzentakata.”
Rikuzentakata, Iwate: 9 months after the tsunami
The last article I wrote for JETAABC was just a few weeks after the tragedy happened. I lived in Rikuzentakata, a small city in Iwate prefecture on the coast, whose location and landscape could not have been worse on March 11th. Over nine months has passed, and even though Rikuzentakata, or Takata for short, is far from being fully healed, it’s unbelievable what has been accomplished to make the city liveable again in such a short period of time.
Temporary housing has been built. Grass has begun to grow again. Debris has been cleared. The Tanabata festival has been celebrated. A Lawson has been opened. Possessions have been returned to their owners. Possessions thought to have been lost forever. As an example of this, could you imagine losing your home and possessions and barely escaping with your child and a few clothes? Could you imagine the happiness you would feel when a volunteer is able to give you a memory card with pictures on it you thought were lost forever? There was one volunteer department responsible for this ‘Photo Recovery Project’. In an online video, I smiled when I saw those blue laundry hangers with the clips holding photos that had been recovered and carefully cleaned.
I was devastated when I saw the images of the destruction in the days that followed the tragedy. What was worse was seeing a video taken of the city from a helicopter. It wasn’t just destruction; it looked apocalyptic. I recognized about three buildings which were some of the biggest: The Capital Hotel, City Hall and the building that housed Daiso and the town supermarket, Maiya. Even though they were spared from the waves which swept mostly everything away, they seemed to stand there like ruins, completely gutted from the inside. In the days that followed, a closer look at these buildings showed trapped trees, cars, and probably people which were swept into their paths. Boats on top of buildings seemed commonplace.
I keep in regular contact with my friends in Rikuzentakata and Ofunato, the city next door. In addition, I do some volunteer editing on the Save Takata website. I feel like doing all these things is keeping my spirits up. What also keeps my spirits up is hearing all the stories about my town from volunteers and friends. The day-to-day activities that show that life really does go on are amazing. One of humankind’s best qualities is the ability to adapt, and the residents of Rikuzentakata have certainly adapted and carried on. Enzo Caffarelli, a good friend and former ALT from Takata, has since returned with the volunteer group All Hands. I remember messaging him back and forth on Facebook after he arrived and he told me was doing some work at a rice harvest cooperative, and being managed by a dirty old Japanese man who loved women and sexual innuendos. Awesome. Read More
The MEF and JET Programs in US-Japan Relations by Michael Green
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Here’s an article titled “The MEF and JET Programs in US-Japan Relations” (PDF) recently published in the CLAIR Newsletter (in both English and Japanese) and written by Michael Green, former Director of Asian Affairs for the National Security Council during the Bush Administration and currently a Japan policy expert in D.C. Michael was a Monbusho English Fellow (MEF), the forerunner to the JET Programme.
Article link: http://www.clair.or.jp/j/forum/forum/pdf_267/10_jet02.pdf
Here’s an excerpt:
“I was authorized to chair a special committee of the top Japan experts from the State, Defense, Treasury, the CIA, Commerce and USTR. Each agency would designate its own representative. When we first gathered in the Old Executive Office Building and introduced ourselves, we came to an intriguing realization. Every official around the room but one had either been an MEF, a JET or a Mansfield Fellow. We had lived in small towns and cities all across Japan. We could have conducted the entire meeting in Japanese.”
“Tonoharu” author Lars Martinson launches new webcomic – “Kameoka Diaries”
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Lars Martinson (Fukuoka-ken 2003-2006), author of the graphic novels Tonoharu: Part Two andTonoharu: Part 1, has just launched a new cartoon series called “Kameoka Diaries“ about his return to teaching English, this time in Kameoka, Kyoto.
Click hereto read the post and the first cartoon.
JET alum paper published: “A New Framework for US-Japan Development Cooperation”
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Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94), Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA), has a new paper published as part of JCIE’s “Enhanced Agenda for US-Japan Partnership” paper series titled:
- “A New Framework for US-Japan Development Cooperation“ (PDF) http://www.jcie.org/researchpdfs/USJapanPapers/Gannon.pdf
Click here for other JCIE papers in the series.
Japan Foundation new project to promote exchanges with alma maters of Taylor Anderson and Monty Dickson
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Here’s an article from Asahi.com about a new Japan Foundation project to promote exchanges and closer ties between Japan and the alma matters of Taylor Anderson (Randolph Macon College) and Monty Dickson (University of Alaska at Anchorage), including student and teacher exchange programs with Japan and providing Japan-related books and materials for the schools.
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/1120/TKY201111200276.html
震災で犠牲のアンダーソンさんらを記念 日米で交流事業
国際交流基金は、東日本大震災で犠牲になった米国人の英語指導助手、テイラー・アンダーソンさん（当時２４歳）とモンゴメリー・ディクソンさん（同２６歳）を記念し、両氏の出身校と同基金が中心になって日米理解の促進に関する事業を行う、と発表した。
アンダーソンさんはランドルフ・メーコン・カレッジ（米バージニア州）、ディクソンさんはアラスカ大学アンカレジ校（米アラスカ州）の出身。日米の学生・教員の交流、出身校への日本関連の図書寄贈や講座の充実、日本文化に関する講演会の開催などが計画されている。（ワシントン＝伊藤宏）
Daily Yomiuri: “Study halls opened in honor of ‘Monty-sensei'”
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JET alums Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06) and Peter Weber (JET Coordinator at the Consulate in San Francisco) are both quoted in this article titled “Teaching English in Japan: JET vs. Alternatives” on the GoTeachAbroad.com website.
http://www.goteachabroad.com/teach-abroad-blog/teaching-english-in-japan-jet-vs-alternatives/2994
Amber Liang and Sean Harley explain the art of getting a job without ever asking (i.e., informational interviews). (Steven Horowitz)
By Carolyn Brooks (Ishikawa-ken, 2006-11) for JQ magazine. Carolyn is co-author of the blog MadSilence–a cross-cultural blog written with her father–and a current culture/education related job-seeker in the New York area available for full-time or consulting work.
JET alumni from all walks of life gathered this weekend at the Nippon Club in New York City to talk about something important to us all: jobs and how to get them. The Career Forum is a much-anticipated event, with JETAA New York providing a varied and well-planned series of presentations for recent returnees and new career searchers alike.
“We hold this event annually to help the recent returnees get settled back in New York, provide job hunting advice and techniques for highlighting the JET experience on their resume, and give them the opportunity to meet alumni and recruiters in their possible career fields,” said JETAANY president Monica Yuki (Saitama, 2002-04). The Career Forum achieved all those objectives with flying colors, as well as giving us recent returnees a taste of home, which for many of us suffering from reverse culture shock was as welcome as the career advice.
Evan Hyman (Osaka, 1995-96) started the presentations off with a bang, sharing the 10 most important lessons he’s learned in his 14 years since JET. Over the years he’s worked in marketing and planning with some of the world’s largest companies (including Pepperidge Farm and Johnson & Johnson), but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t encountered the same road bumps that new jobseekers do. Some of his advice included practical matters like “Network, network, network!”; “Utilize as many recruiters as you can”; and “Your job search will be determined by the economy”; but it was his more personal advice that really struck me.
Lesson #9 was “It can take a really long time to realize what you want to do.” Mr. Hyman’s had some jobs that, while lucrative and attractive, just weren’t for him. It was those jobs that helped him find his “sweet spot” and learn skills that got him the jobs he liked. No experience is ever wasted! Lesson #5, my personal favorite, was “Have a passion for what you do!” If you work at a job you’re not interested in, you’re not going to do your best work, so find your passion and see how you can use it in a career. Read More
JET alum Rob Cornilles wins Republican primary for Oregon Congressional seat
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JET alum Rob Cornilles, a sports business consultant, has won the Republican primary for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives representing the Portland-area district. The primary was part of a special election being held in the wake of the resignation of David Wu (D-Oregon) who resigned earlier this year due to allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior. Cornilles was also the previous Republican winner and lost to Wu in a close race in the last election.
Cornilles will next face the Democratic primary winner Suzanne Bonamici, an Oregon state senator.
Here’s a link to the full article: http://www.katu.com/news/local/133507753.html
Here’s a link to Rob’s campaign website: http://www.cornillesforcongress.com/
BTW, if anyone knows Rob’s prefecture and years on JET, please post here or e-mail to jetwit [at] jetwit.com. Yoroshiku!
Suzanne Bonamici (D) (left) and JET alum Rob Cornilles (R) (right)
