The International JET Conference Report

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The following report was written by our country representative, Jamiena Shah.

This year’s meeting was made possible by funding from the Centre for Global Partnership and was supported by MOFA and CLAIR Tokyo. The official meeting took place Friday October 21st and Saturday October 22nd at the CLAIR Head Office in Tokyo.

The meeting was followed by a volunteer 2-day excursion to the Tohoku Region. Several JETAAi representatives joined current JET Programme participants of the Tohoku region to volunteer in the ongoing cleanup efforts in Rikuzentakata, where the late Montgomery (Monty) Dickson was stationed as a JET. It was important for JETAAi to find a way to give back in a real way, that wasn’t just money or an item on an agenda, and by going directly to the affected area to aid in the aftermath clean-up.

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Miyagi/Sendai JET Micro Grant Program

The Great East Japan Earthquake was an unprecedented disaster from which it will take the Japanese people decades to fully recover. Among the many victims of this disaster was JET Programme participant Taylor Anderson. Taylor’s tragic death shook the JET community and the lives of the many people she had come to know in Ishinomaki.

However, not wanting to let the bond between Taylor and Ishinomaki fade away, Taylor’s family have taken it upon themselves to directly assist with Ishinomaki’s recovery in a variety of ways, including raising funds for the benefit of the community.

Since beginning this fundraising, Andy Anderson, Taylor’s father, has consistently looked for new, creative ways to make significant differences at the grassroots level. Andy contacted the Miyagi Association of JET (MAJET) to discuss how JET participants could assist in this recovery effort, and how they could be empowered to do so. Through this discussion, MAJET and Andy Anderson have established the “Miyagi-Sendai JET Micro Grant Program”.

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JET Documentary Fundraising Campaign: Brighter Than Tomorrow

Fishing village hit by tsunami

Brighter Than Tomorrow is a fundraising campaign launched by documentary maker Estelle Hebert in partnership with Chizu Ishikawa, in response to her several visits to Miyagi Prefecture following the Great Eastern Japan earthquake. Estelle Hebert is a Toronto JET currently in Japan.

The campaign aims to support the local community of Funakoshi, a fishing village that was completely washed away by the tsunami last March 11th, by assisting to provide the local fishermen with much-needed fishing gear/equipment including storage space (refrigerators) and out boat motors.

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J-Walking In Review

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JETAA’s inaugural J-Walking Tour took place on Sunday, September 25, against the backdrop of a perfectly sunny day that was made for strolling in the streets of Toronto. Our knowledgeable guide, James, led us on an animated tour of Toronto’s interesting sights and neighbourhoods, which included stops at the Royal Ontario Museum, the Annex and Kensington Market.

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A Helping Hand

Partnering with JAVA, JETAA Toronto presented a (very) large cheque to the board members of the JCCC. In the photo are JAVA's Mark and Naoe and JETAA's Chris and Natalie…

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