Guideline for SWYAA Annual Country Reports January to December 2012

This is a general guideline for each SWYAA when writing the annual report. Each Alumni Association has the freedom to add/delete specific information. The annual report will be uploaded on the SWYAA official website. Photos (maximum 10 pictures in high resolution, please add explanation) related to major post-program activities of each Alumni Association should be attached to the annual report.

Deadline of submission of the annual reports: January 20, 2013 Please submit your report to: [email protected]

Tick (✓ or ☒ ) relevant answer/s or write necessary information. BASIC FACTS Basic facts about your country’s Alumni Association: Country Spain Name of the organization SWYAA Spain

Organisational structure □ Umbrella organization of the government □ Officially registered X Voluntary group □ Other ( ) Board members President: Almudena Ramos Martín (Name/batch) Vice President: Paloma Fernández de la Peña Treasurer:

Number of members Total number of ex-PYs: 60 Active members: 30 Affiliate members: Annual membership fee □ Yes  How much? ( ) X No Basic facts about your country’s participation in SWY: Which batches has your country SWY 4 (1992), SWY 12 (1999), SWY 13 (2000), SWY 15 (2002), participated in? SWY 20 (2008) and SWY 24 (2012) Which institution has conducted X Japanese Embassy the selection process? □ Government X Youth organization (in the case of SWY 24) X SWYAA (except for SWY 24) □ Other ( ) Which institution has conducted □ Japanese Embassy the pre-departure training? □ Government □ Youth organization X SWYAA X Other (participants themselves) How many days was the pre- □ 1 day departure training? □ 2 – 3 days □ 4 – 6 days X Other ( ) Communication: How does your AA □ Website  URL ( ) communicate internally with □ Newsletter  Please attach a copy of the newsletter to this report members and externally with X Mailing list non-members? X Blog  URL (http://swyaaspain.wordpress.com/) X Facebook page □ Other ( ) NETWORKING AND COLLABORATIONS WITH AND THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY Important associates and □ Government sector (name: ) collaborators? □ Japanese Embassy □ Japanese community □ Other organizations (name: ) Do you organize events □ Yes with the Japanese  How often? ( ) Embassy?  What kind of events? ( ) X No Do you organize events □ Yes with the Japanese  How often? ( ) community?  What kind of events? ( ) X No ACTIVITIES IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR International reunions (Please write your AA has hosted an international reunion) Name of the event 20th anniversary of SWY 4 Date of the event 27 April - 1 May 2012 Hosting city Madrid How many participants? Number of domestic participants: 10 + 1 Advisor (Mabel Salido) From which countries? Number of international participants: 43 Names of the countries participated: Spain, Turkey, Japan, Egypt, Hungary, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Sweden, UAE, Algeria and Bangladesh. Please write a summary International SWY reunion held in Madrid with SWY 4 participants (1992) of the event to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Some SWYers even came accompanied by their families and friends and visited Madrid, El Escorial and Toledo. In Madrid, participants visited the Royal Palace, the Prado museum and the Monastery of El Escorial. A full excursion to the city of Toledo was made, where the mayor of the city, Mr. Emiliano Garcia-Page, received them at the City Hall. The mayor made a very touching speech and participants learned that both Toledo and Nara were twin cities since 1972. The city of Toledo arranged a tour through the city including places which are not regularly visited. During the evenings, participants went to eat traditional Spanish food and went to see Flamenco dancing National reunions (Please write your AA has hosted a national reunion) Name of the event SWY Christmas Dinner Date of the event 28 December 2012 Hosting city Madrid How many participants? 15 Please write a summary Informal reunion to meet Spanish SWYers from other batches as well as of the event international SWYers living in Spain. We had SWYers coming from Egypt, Venezuela, Mexico and Canada. Receiving ex-SWY participants How many SWY visitors did you receive 15 PYs were hosted in Spain in 2012: in your country?  Three JPYs from SWY 21 (Naoko Koyama, Ayako Sekimoto and Yuriko Tsuji) were hosted by Javier Pinto (SWY 20) in Alicante.  The Administrator of SWY 15, Mr. Masayoshi Takahashi, met Luis Miro and Juan Ramón (SWY 15) in Barcelona.  Keiko Osawa (SWY 15, Japan) visited our friend Paloma Sotillo (SWY 15) in Madrid.  Andrea Kovacs (SWY24, Peru) and José Nicolás Rojas (advisor SWY24, Venezuela) visited Madrid and met Alberto Medina (SWY24) and Paloma Fernández (SWY24).  Michèle Sarazin (SWY 24, Canada) was hosted by Paloma Fernández (SWY 24), Juan Fleta (SWY24) and Violeta Sáez (SWY 24) in Madrid, Málaga and Murcia, respectively.  Eveline Lefebvre (SWY 24, Canada) and Philippa Gosine (SWY 24, Canada) were hosted by Paloma Fernández (SWY24).  Rabab Elmonofi (SWY 24, Egypt) was hosted in Guadalajara by Alberto Medina (SWY 24) and Madrid by Paloma Fernández (SWY 24).  Mahmood Alfarsi (SWY 20, Oman) visited Spain and met Alberto Medina (SWY 24) and Paloma Fernández (SWY 24).

 Misako Yamamoto (SWY 24, Japan) met Alberto Medina (SWY 24) and Paloma Fernández (SWY 24) in Madrid.  Haitham Mawali (SWY 20, Oman) and Faisal Hameed Al Bellucce (SWY 21, Oman) met Almudena Ramos (SWY 20) in Madrid.

Did you organize a No, but we are going to implement it in 2013. “Homestay + 1” project for the visitors? If yes, please write in detail. Voluntary (Social Contribution) projects – Post-Program Activities Name of the event SWY Information Event: “Intercultural experience and catalyst for projects”. (Violeta Sáez, SWY 24). Date of the event 24 May 2012 Hosting city Murcia How many ex-PYs 5 ex PYs from SWY 24: Dalia Younis (Egypt), Violeta Saez Garces de los involved and how many Fayos, Paloma Fernández, Pablo Castineiras and María Lopez de Bayas beneficiaries? (Spain). 20 people attended the conference. Please write a summary The event was organized by the “Centro de Iniciativas Juveniles de la of the event Región de Murcia (DINAMUR)”, in collaboration with the program “Integra y Participa” (Youth Department of the City Hall of Murcia). Conference about SWY program and the promotion of youth participation. Name of the event First Anniversary of the 2011 Tsunami. Memorial. (Carme Feliu, SWY 13) Date of the event March 2012

Hosting city Girona How many ex-PYs One ex PY involved (Carme). We posted it in our Facebook group (about 70 involved and how many people read it) and sent it so several families and friends in Japan (about 20 beneficiaries? people). Please write a summary Activity organised by Carme Feliu Latorre (ANL at SWY13 year 2000 and of the event Education Representative at Rennaissance Youth Leaders Program year 2004). Carme works as the Director of Nipponia, a private language center specialized in Japanese language and culture in the town of Girona (Spain). The center sent encouraging messages and smiling pictures to our friends at Miyagi Prefecture on the first anniversary of the 2011 tsunami, to let them know that we remember, we are thinking of them and wishing a fast recovery of the affected area. Name of the event Senbazuru (origami cranes) (relocated in a temporary housing area in Miyagi, Sendai, Japan). (Carme Feliu, SWY 13) Date of the event May 2012 Hosting city Girona How many ex-PYs One ex PY involved (Carme) and many JPYs, including the IYEO involved and how many representatives in Miyagi and specially Naoko-san and Milky-san, who beneficiaries? received the Senbazuru and hanged it at the center. More than 100 people participated in the Senbazuru activity in 2011 and donated money in Girona. About the news we received in May 2012: one ex PY involved and a couple of ex JPYs. Hanging the Senbazuru in another center probably allowed more people in the affected area to see it and thus to be beneficiaries of this activity.

Please write a summary After the 2011 tsunami Nipponia organized a fundraising activity that of the event allowed to send about 1,700 EUR (200,200 Japanese Yen) to the Japanese Red Cross. At the same time, participants made Senbazuru (origami cranes) with encouraging messages for the victims of the tsunami. Our Senbazuru were first placed at a welfare evacuation center in Miyagi, as can be seen in the pictures.

On May 28th 2012, we received news from Naoko-san and Milky-san saying that our Senbazuru had been relocated from the evacuation center to one of the meeting places in a temporary housing area in Miyagi. The following message explains that:

Date: Mon, 28 May 2012 23:13:15 +0900

Dear Carme, Hola! How have you been? I can see you are always active and positive through Facebook :) Milky chan (Ms. Miyuki ISE) sent me these photos attached to show you and your students. And today I'll be her translator^^ She's sorry that she couldn't get back to you earlier, but she's sent this info to the whole IYEO mailing list, too, as the part of Miyagi IYEO's report on disaster relief activities. Your senbazuru 1,000 cranes were delivered and decorated in July last year in the "welfare evacuation center" where all the victims who need nursing care evacuated. The center was a former gym located 40 minutes drive away from the coast area. There, medical staff from Ishinomaki municipal hospital served around the clock. (One of the Miyagi IYEO members work as a nurse at the hospital and this hospital has been one of the main organizations Miyagi IYEO is supporting). This evacuation center was closed last December and it seems that the cranes were translocated to one of the meeting places of the temporary housing area where nurses go the round. Ishinomaki City has 7,297 temporary houses spread all over in 131 areas, and it was too wide to locate the cranes now, but it must be decorated in one of the meeting places for sure. Milky chan is busy operating her own NPO and continues the disaster relief activities as well as other educational programs. I'm so proud to have known you, two, wonderful activists and the amazing actions. She's inspired by your action and might like to talk to the teachers in the disaster area and ask if they and their students are interested in the penpal program. Milky wanted to share more information with you and we might hear from her more later. If you have any questions, plz let me know. Take care and have a nice Monday evening :) Hugs, Naoko

Name of the event Haiku reading, storyteller and Japanese workshop. (Violeta Sáez, SWY 24) Date of the event June 2012

Hosting city Murcia

How many ex-PYs 1 PY: Violeta Sáez Garcés de los Fayos (Spain) involved and how many beneficiaries? Please write a summary The event was organized within the framework of the program “Integra y of the event Participa” (Youth Department of the City Hall of Murcia). The activities where organized by the Centre of Youth Initiatives from the Region of Murcia (DINAMUR) and had the collaboration of the Japanese Teacher Ms. Michiko Akaboshi and the organisation of African residents at the Region of Murcia and the deph-mute supporting organisation “Mano a Mano”. Name of the event Penpal letter exchange program with Arizona (USA) and (Japan). (Carme Feliu, SWY 13)

Date of the event July and November 2012 Hosting city Girona

How many ex-PYs 3 ex PYs: Cheryl Chaney (USA), Carme Feliu (Spain) and Sachiko involved and how many Okamoto-san (Japan). beneficiaries? Beneficiaries: about 25 Japanese students and 25 Spanish students + about 3 American students and 3 Spanish students.

Please write a summary During Carme’s participation in the Ren’ 2004 Program, a Penpal Letter of the event Exchange Program was proposed to encourage cross-cultural understanding between youths in Japan and youths in OPYs countries. Carme started a Penpal letter exchange with Okinawa back in 2005, and has restarted it in November 2012 with Kameoka (Kyoto) though JPY Sachiko Okamoto-san. Her students and Nipponia’s students exchange letters in Japanese, English and some Spanish and learn from each other’s culture. The program is continuing through January 2013. A summer letter exchange in English was also held in June and July 2012 between English language students and Cheryl Chaney’s (OPY) students near Arizona (USA). Name of the event Japanese cooking courses. (Carme Feliu, SWY 13)

Date of the event 2011–2012 Hosting city Girona How many ex-PYs One ex PY (Carme). involved and how many Beneficiaries: we held 3 courses that were 3-months-long for a group of 6 beneficiaries? people every time, so around 18 participants to the long courses plus another 20 participants to the workshop. Total: 38 participants.

Please write a summary During the academic year 2011-2012 Nipponia organized several practical of the event courses on Japanese traditional cuisine. All courses were taught by a Japanese teacher in Spanish and attendants to the course participated actively in the elaboration of recipes such as: , mishoshiru, butaniku no shogayaki, hijiki no , norimaki sushi, tori no , mitarashi , no chanchanyaki, ingen no gomae, hanbagu, moyashi no aemono, osuimono, ichigo , , nikujaga, saba no misoni, chawanmushi, macha no shiffonkeki. Participants had the chance to know about , tasting it and cooking it afterwards at home for their family and friends. Nipponia also held a Maki-sushi Workshop as a “social activity” at the Engineer’s Official Association in Girona.

Name of the event Manga drawing workshop. (Carme Feliu, SWY 13) Date of the event September 2012

Hosting city Girona

How many ex-PYs One ex PY (Carme). involved and how many Beneficiaries: a group of 15 teenagers. beneficiaries? Please write a summary Many young people in Girona are interested in Manga and consider of the event themselves real Otakus. Some of them are also interested in learning the drawing techniques used in Manga and Anime. In September 2012 Girona’s Town Hall asked Nipponia to hold a practical workshop on drawing manga. We are willing to organize a semester-long Manga-drawing course at Nipponia. Name of the event Japanese Language and Culture Open Day. (Carme Feliu, SWY 13) Date of the event October 2012

Hosting city Girona

How many ex-PYs One ex PY (Carme). involved and how many Beneficiaries: a group of about 25 people of different ages (from kids to beneficiaries? adults) participated in the activity. Please write a summary On a Saturday afternoon we invited people to participate in our Open Day of the event workshops on Japanese Language and Culture, in order to promote them in Girona. Many people from different ages participated actively. The following workshops were held: - Manga drawing (drawing Doraemon through the “Doraemon ekaki uta” song) - Writing your name in Japanese (in Katakana) - Origami (folding paper cranes and other figures) - Furoshiki (wrapping objects with a Japanese traditional Furoshiki cloth) - Putting on a yukata - Making Amigurumi (wool animals and figures).

Name of the event SWY 15 10th Anniversary (Paloma Sotillo, SWY 15) Date of the event October 2012 Hosting city Online (Google Talk), Tokyo and Kansai. How many ex-PYs 50 JPs and 25 OPYs. involved and how many beneficiaries? Please write a summary A big online gathering took place with all the SWY 15 PYs who could get of the event online on Google Talk. Other JPYs held other gatherings in Tokyo and Kansai to commemorate SYW 15 10th Anniversary. Name of the event Japanese Tea Ceremony demonstration. (Carme Feliu, SWY 13) Date of the event November 2012 Hosting city Girona

How many ex-PYs One ex PY (Carme). involved and how many Beneficiaries: about 20 participants, most of them students of the University beneficiaries? of Girona. Please write a summary Every year the University of Girona’s “Aula Manga” Students Association of the event asks Nipponia to hold a Tea Ceremony demonstration in Girona. It is a very successful activity. Participants are first given basic explanations and hints on the origins and meaning of Sado and a few are then invited to participate in a short ceremony as guests. Real Okashi is bought from Japan for the occasion.

Name of the event Talk on several youth/volunteer programs in Japan. (Carme Feliu, SWY 13) Date of the event November 2012 Hosting city Girona How many ex-PYs One ex PY (Carme). involved and how many Beneficiaries: about 24 participants (adults). beneficiaries? Please write a summary Some Nipponia’s students participated in several international programs that of the event we consider very interesting, so they were asked to give a short talk in order to share their experience with other people who could be interested in taking part in them. We thought it would be a great chance to give these programs the publicity they deserve and spread them among our community (the talks were open and free to anyone in Girona).

Patricia Pérez talked about her participation as a Spanish teacher at the Peace Boat Program in 2011. Noemí Borràs explained her experience as a volunteer in an environmental project in Fukushima in 2010, and again as a volunteer in a social and cultural program in Okayama in 2011, both of them organized by the COCAT NGO (Catalonia Autonomous Government in association with Catalonia’s Volunteer associations). Laura Carreras shared her experience as one of the two participants from Spain in the Europe-Japan High School Student Exchange Program in 2010, about which she found out through Nipponia.

Finally, Carme Feliu (SWY 13) talked about the Ship for World Youth Program and the Rennaissance Youth Leaders Invitation Programs, with the hope they will continue again in the near future.

Name of the event Minamisanriku Box Project. (Carme Feliu, SWY 13) Date of the event December 2012 Hosting city Girona How many ex-PYs One ex PY (Carme) and a group of JPYs. Yuichiro Takahashi-san is the link involved and how many contact between the group of JPYs involved in the project and the OPY. beneficiaries? (We do not know the exact number of JPYs involved in the project). Please write a summary This is a fundraising activity for the victims of the 2011 tsunami to which of the event we are contributing with the help of Yuichiro Takahashi-san. Nipponia is making publicity and helping out in the sale of the “Minamisanriku Treasure Box”, a box of handcraft goods made by victims of the tsunami at Minamisanriku. We prepared an explanatory leaflet of the project and are inviting people to buy these products and contribute to it.

OTHERS This is a space to freely write about other activity reports of 2012. If there is anyone from your AA who had major achievements in their professional work or voluntary activities, please include that information as well. Ex) Winning a major award, interviewed by major newspaper or TV, promoted to a significantly high position in companies or government, etc.

 Six Spanish PYs attended the 6th Global Assembly in Bahrain this year (October 2012): Enric Donate (SWY 20), Paloma Fernández (SWY 24), Alejandro Martínez Monge (SWY 15), Alberto Medina (SWY 24), Blanca Rojo (SWY 20) and Almudena Ramos (SWY 20).

 One Spanish PY attended the mini-SWY reunion in Turkey this year (August 2012): Almudena Ramos (SWY 20).

 Spanish ex PYs were invited to the annual reception at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence (22 March 2012). Ex PYs from different batches attended, as well as several Spanish participants from other international programs organized by the Japanese Government.

 Esther Vallado (SWY 20) created her own nature conservation NGO “Biodiversa” in February 2012. After a successful international project for youth leaders, she received the “Outstanding entrepreneur” award by Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente Foundation.

 Alberto Medina (SWY 24) volunteers regularly at the Williams Syndrome Association in Spain, where he has worked as a group leader for the past 6 years. In 2012, he was in charge of organizing the annual meeting in Spain, with people coming from 11 different countries.

 Before going onboard, Pablo Castiñeiras (SWY 24) was interviewed by the local newspaper El día de Valladolid: (http://www.eldiadevalladolid.com/noticia.cfm/Vivir/20120117/embajador/mar/japon/10A003FB -A0BA-0224-3BA47DA0F2A82FBC) and María López de Bayas (SWY 24) by El Periódico, Extremadura: (http://www.elperiodicoextremadura.com/noticias/sociedad/maria-exporta- extremadura_626287.html)

 Four participants from SWY24 (Violeta Sáez, Pablo Castieñeiras, María López de Bayas and Paloma Fernández) visited Granada before the program to get some sponsors and materials from Parque de las Ciencias (Science Museum) to be used onboard. A press conference was organized. (http://www.ideal.es/granada/v/20120114/granada/granada-tripulacion-barco-juventud- 20120114.html

http://www.granadahoy.com/article/granada/1158859/parque/las/ciencias/se/enrola/barco/la/juven tud/japon.html )

MAJOR EVENTS SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AA IN YOUR COUNTRY This is a space to write about other past activity reports. Name of the event

Date of the event

Hosting city

How many ex-PYs involved and how many beneficiaries?

Please write a summary of the event