| Report on Phtea Nhor Nhim in Cambodia |
 Sports Festival at Putea |
Two social workers of ISSJ visited Phtea Nhor Nhim in Cambodia from February 14th to 25th, 2001. On the day after their arrival in Cambodia, the second Athletic Meeting was held with the participation of 500 to 600 children. As games heated up, a big circle of children in the schoolyard was getting smaller towards the center of the playground where the games were held, and dust scattered at the same time. All of the staff members are eager to make the athletic meeting of Phtea Nhor Nhim, which seems free and peaceful from that in Japan, better every time.
A research was conducted in Chamroeunphal Village for the purpose of revising and improving the activities in Phtea Nhor Nhim this year. Although it is still underway, many people in the village made request that they want social workers to teach their children English as a part of job training, therefore staff discussed in order to reflect their opinions in the program of Phtea Nhor Nhim.
| Fact-Finding Research on the Child’s Nationality |
With a subsidy
from the Mitsubishi Foundation and by the cooperation of child guidance centers
and private support parties, ISSJ has conducted “Fact-Finding Survey
on the Children of Foreign Nationalities and Those Without Registration/ Nationality
in Japan” and we received the answers for 440 children. As a result
of the research, there is a great increase in the number of children who,
being non-national are placed in children’s homes or protective institutions
since they are babies, or without being registered living under unstable condition
with overstaying parents. We also feel that it is much necessary than we have
expected to coexist with the people of different cultures in the Japanese
society . Among those mentioned above there are many children who can obtain
or confirm nationality if appropriate support and advice are available. It
is necessary to give assistance so that many children can live a stable life.
At the same time, urgent reconsideration of international law is required
to protect “human right to obtain a nationality immediately after
one's birth which is stated in The Children’s Bill of Rights by the United
Nation”.
| Report on the Tokyo Global Citizen Festa |
ISSJ
participated for the first time in the Tokyo Global Citizen Festa held
at Tokyo International Forum on February 3-4, 2001. ISSJ installed a “Consultation
for the Foreigners” corner at the Forum on February 4th where the
social workers offered a consultation service to foreigners about the status
of residence of foreigners, international marriage, women’s problem,
etc. in collaboration with Attorney Onuki of Satsuki Law Office, the staff
of Tokyo Labor Administration Office and an administrative scriveners. On
3 and 4 February, at the NGO square, Chinese tea, Cambodian and Vietnamese
handicrafts, dried mango and coffee of the Philippines and homemade goods
by volunteers were sold and the sales amounted to Y79,550. Many visitors showed
interest in activities of ISSJ, and some young students offered to work on
a voluntary basis with us. In addition, the information exchange among the
participants has become a good opportunity for ISSJ to spread its activities
widely.
| ISSJ Kure Bazaar |
The 6th ISSJ Kure Bazaar was held in a corner of International Village of
“Kure Waterfront Festival” sponsored by Kure-city on April
29, 2001. Unfortunately, as it was raining on that day, fewer visitors came
to the bazaar than usual and the sales amount was a half . However, ISSJ Kure
Club sold new unused goods, second- hand clothes, meat grilled in Australian
style. Hiroshima Mekon-no-kai sold Indochina native cooking and KUPA sold
homemade food of the Philippines. As a result, we deepened the mutual understandings
and relationship among members.
Social
workers visited Hong Kong from February 6th to 9th and discussed problems
accompanying with international marriage and divorce with ISS Hong Kong.
They also visited a shelter for mothers and children run by the Christian
Salvation Service in Kowloon District. In Hong Kong, various coordinating
organizations with ISSJ Hong Kong as the central body provide assistance programs
relating to the problems of international marriage and divorce, and the institutions
for such programs are prepared. Here in Hong Kong as well, private organizations
aim to give a better counseling by making a program along with the needs of
the times, raising funds, operating programs practically and making contact
with other organizations.
Two
social workers visited Davao branch and Manila Headquarters
of the Department of Social Welfare and Development of Philippine (DSWD)
and Intercoutry Adoption Board (ICAB) from February 26 to March 3.
With the cooperation of Davao branch of DSWD, they visited a home where a
child, who was born between Japanese and Filipino and abandoned by natural
parents is reared and had a chance to listen to the present condition of their
distressed living. They also visited the public organization called City Social
Service and Development Office which provides services including education,
welfare and health, and were given an explanation of the compulsory counseling
prior to marriage in Philippine. They visited the Reception and Study Center
for Children run by DSWD which is a temporary shelter for children without
caretakers, the Substitute Home for Women which is a shelter for women with
the children who escaped from their husbands’ violence and Group Home
for Girls where girls who were abused are placed. In Manila they visited DSWD
Headquarters and ICAB and confirmed their cooperative services and could communicate
and exchange significant information, opinions and request including case
discussion.
