On July 23, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan held a ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Iikura Kaikan (Minato-ku, Tokyo) to award certificates of appreciation to 58 members of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers who had completed their term of service and returned to their home countries. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ms. Yoko Kamikawa, who personally handed a letter of appreciation to each of the returning members. Guests of honor included members of the Diet who support the JICA volunteer program and representatives of the organizations of the current JICA returnees.
Houcheng Banli and his cooperative activities.
In his opening remarks at the ceremony, Minister Kamikawa referred to the activities of the cooperative members he had met in Africa and said, “I vividly remember how deeply impressed I was by their enthusiastic activities. He also introduced his motto, “Peng Cheng Wan Li,” which means, “Keep high ideals and never forget to look far away,” and said, “I believe that you have embodied this motto in the places you have served. I believe that you have overcome various difficulties through repeated trial and error, while maintaining high ideals and holding close discussions with local officials to seek solutions to local problems. The Cooperation Corps has been highly regarded both at home and abroad as a unique Japanese form of development cooperation, and has played an important role in strengthening the friendly and cooperative relationship between Japan and the country of assignment. This is the result of the activities of many past members and each and every one of you gathered here today,” he said, expressing his heartfelt respect and gratitude for their efforts. He concluded his speech by expressing his hope that the skills and knowledge acquired during their stay in Japan would be put to good use in Japanese society, and handed a letter of appreciation to each of the returning members.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa presents each of the participants with a certificate of appreciation
My thoughts and aspirations for the people of my home country.
After the awarding of certificates of appreciation, Ms. Ayamizu Rokugawa (Madagascar, Community Development), a representative of the returned members, introduced the activities she had engaged in, such as improving maternal and child nutrition and raising awareness of health and hygiene. Reflecting on her time living and working with the people of the country, she said, “It may be difficult for each of us to solve the problems faced by the people of the country through our individual activities, but we can make a small contribution to the people of the country. However, if we were able to have even a small positive impact on the people of the country and give them a chance to change, then I believe that our activities were meaningful. I would like to continue to be involved in international cooperation in a wide range of fields, both within and outside of my home country, by making use of the experience and thoughts I have gained through my work with the Japan International Cooperation Volunteers. He concluded his speech by expressing his gratitude to all those who supported him during his deployment and thanking them for hosting the ceremony.
Saisui Rokugawa addressing the representatives
[Sharing and exchanging experiences].
At the beginning of the reception following the award ceremony, Ms. Yuko Obuchi, a member of the House of Representatives and President of the JICA Parliamentary Union (a group of Diet members who support Japan’s international cooperation, especially the activities of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV)), gave a toast to the participants. The reception began with words of consolation for the JOCV members who had fulfilled their terms of service and activities as JOCV members and expectations for their activities after their return to Japan, as well as a toast.
At the round-table meeting, there was a lively exchange of views and opinions, including reports on life and activities in the destination country and prospects after returning home.
At the end of the meeting, JICA President Akihiko Tanaka expressed his respect for the returned participants, who had to postpone their deployment and wait for a long period of time due to the Corona disaster, but who had successfully completed their term of service, his hope that they would make use of their experience in Japan and abroad after returning home (giving back to society), and JICA’s pledge to continue promoting the Cooperation Corps program to meet the expectations of developing countries and Japanese citizens. The meeting was closed with a pledge that JICA will continue to promote the Cooperation Volunteer Program in response to the expectations of developing countries and the people of Japan.
The discussion meeting (1)
(2) The social gathering (2)
Group photo (1)
Group photo (2)
Group photo (3)
*in alphabetical order
© Source JICA
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