the japan project

japan evenings in the spring : niagara-on-the-lake

2009-02-27T16:58:00.000-05:00

we're currently putting together a few evenings in the spring to share about our japan trip... it will be an interactive exhibition with a number of ways you can respond to the issues we talk about, so come prepared to be moved!

stay tuned.

.on hold

2008-09-16T14:44:00.005-04:00

there have been some recent changes in our lives that have led us to make the hard decision of not leading a team to japan in may 2009. however, we are talking with our leadership to see if one will still be possible at a later date or if an alternative from the niagara region will be made available.

please stay tuned and email us if you have any questions!

thank you's for the show....

2008-07-27T02:00:00.000-04:00

.the oakville show - - - a big thank you to Bill and Michelle at Kwik Kopy Printing in Niagara Falls, Brian&Jan at SpeedPro Imaging and Jamie&Roberta at Revolution Galleries for helping to make this show a success! and to Rachel at Global Youth Network, for making the sushi rolls for our opening reception!

the total of how much we were able to raise will be announced shortly.

Under the Risen Sun

2008-06-27T22:49:00.004-04:00

OPENING RECEPTION : 19 JULY : 6-10PM

gallery hours: Mon-Fri, 3-9pm
Sat, 26th open at 10am followed by the...

CLOSING RECEPTION : 26 JULY : 6-10PM

global youth network is a non-profit organization that exposes & educates Canadian university students in international justice issues.

in may, Nathan & Tasha Hakeem, regional leaders for Global, led the first trip to japan with 4 niagara region students:
Christine Jennings, Intern
Kyle Jaster
Mary Anne Afable
Heather Leaver

Nathan & Tasha's passion for photography and Tasha's work in the past several years exposing issues on an international level was also incorporated into this trip.

the element of photography further exposes these issues & educates YOU.

raw horse meat.

2008-05-31T08:10:00.002-04:00

nate and kyle ate RAW horse meat at sushi last night. just wanted to share. it's true. we have video evidence.

Christine

2008-05-18T22:03:00.002-04:00

We have had a few days of rest from the heavier issues we have been exposed to in Japan. It has been a good time to collect our thoughts and process our experiences thus far. As a team we have been able to experience the beauty of Japan on our days off; myself and Kyle we went to Nikko which a 2 1/2 hour bus ride outside of Tokyo. It looked like Japan in historical movies, with the old temples and beautiful flowers and trees everywhere. Yesterday as a team we went to a festival in the streets of Shibuyaand stumbled into a Bob Marley festival and Jamaican flags everywhere, where Mary and I finally were able to get the Thai pants we have been dreaming about for 7 years!
There have been a lot of doors opening in Tokyo for us and therefore we have decided to stay another week in Tokyo and less time in Osaka before we head home. We keep meeting people and being introduced to people who have been trying to create some kind of awareness and assistance in the aream of prostitution in Japan. This has been an eye opening and amazing experience so far and I am looking foward to learning more. Thank you everyone for your support! xo

the reality of sex trafficking

2008-05-14T20:39:00.004-04:00

to give you an idea of what it is like for the girls in the sex industry here in japan: http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/673/feature.asp

Chris

2008-05-12T08:25:00.006-04:00

Today was the first day we dealt with the prostitution piece face to face. As a team we did learn some information before our trip and have met with a group here who have further explained the complexities of this issue in Japan. Today, seeing this issue in an area of Japan known for its higher "class" clients was definitely this most difficult part of this trip thus far. As I knew, it would be one thing to learn about the sex trade/prostitution and it would be another things to see everything up close. There was not much in action one could say in this area however, seeing how many places their were was something I was not prepared for. It was one place after another beside each other and in the alley ways. All the windows were shut off and their men standing in front of each door keeping their eyes on us. It was a dark feeling when you came up to the endless street of buildings with high end vehicals everywhere while catching a glimps of some what it looked like, highclass business men, coming in and out of the buildings while the men in the front covered their faces. As we walked past place after place and making eye contact and even greeting some of the men at door as one or two of them looked me up and down was the most difficult of all. In those moments I only felt on the smallest scale the dehumanizing feeling the women inside those buildings were dealing with every day. The feeling that you were a mere object-something to be bought and sold. The final hit to the day was when we were sitting across from some of the buildings was when the police drove by us and seemed to be more interested in us than what was going on inside the buildings, making it even more clear that these girls have no real protection from danger of what they do.

second harvest japan

2008-05-10T22:07:00.002-04:00

on friday we met with the founder of Second Harvest Japan. he's hooked us up with some amazing contacts and invited us to the saturday homeless feed at ueno park here in tokyo. every saturday they go and feed hundreds of homeless people, majority being older men.

here in japan, the homeless are treated similarly (as we were told) to when the US and Canada first was learning about AIDS/HIV. they are not looked upon in a very good way and even some of the volunteers that help out barely say more than hello. there is a strict no photography policy with SH to save the people from further humiliation so we weren't able to get any photos while we were talking with them.

on saturday, we divided into two teams and with an interpreter, were able to have some great conversations with the men. there was one woman that we saw, but she did not want to talk with us. it was a great time knowing that just talking with them and wanting to hear their stories, we were telling them that they were worth talking to. another example of how society - in any country - will just walk on in their lives. not taking the time to learn one's situation or even why they are where they're at.

how often do we judge someone based on their physical circumstance? how often have we walked by someone sitting on the street and just assumed their life story? take a moment to learn the reality of someone's situation. it may actually change your life!

Finally!

2008-05-09T08:08:00.002-04:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to write for those who have been checking. The flight here was definitely tiring and many of us did not sleep for almost 3 days and what little sleep we managed to get was about 4-6 hours in that. We have done a little sight seeing thus far and have started to set up our schedual for our remaining time. I did not experience the culture shock I thought I would, it is more Westernized here and in Tokyo their is more English than I expected. I am sorry to cut this blog short, I will write more tomorrow as we have our first day working with one of our contacts in the homeless aspect of our trip. Thanks again to everyone helping me get to Japan with your donations and support! Love you all!

Kyle

2008-05-08T20:06:00.002-04:00

after a couple days of travelling we are finally in tokyo! we left for the airport in toronto at 2am sunday morning. we than travelled to chicago, to San Francisco, and than to Osaka Japan. All together it was about 20 hours of flying. when we got to Osaka we hoped on a train for about 2 hours to a hostel we stayed at our first night. Everything in Japan is tiny! i think i'm going to start keeping track of how many times i hit my head off of door ways. The following day we left the hostil and just walked around Osaka taking pictures and enjoying the sights. At 10:30 pm we got on a bus to Tokyo, which was about an 8 hour bus ride. We slept for the most part and than as the sun began to rise it was pretty cool to take some pictures out the window as we were travelling through the mountains. from the bus we got on a train to the place we currently are staying now in tokyo. Today we are going out to meat with some people who have some knowledge about the sex trade here in tokyo and we will also be visiting the emperors palace and things like that. I'll check back in in a few days!

Takin' it easy in Tokyo

2008-05-08T07:24:00.004-04:00

So yes, we finally made it! Nothing short of glad to know that we supposedly "survived" a brief earthquake shake this morning...hmm...8.4 on the scale? really? Barely felt it on yet another long ride, this time on a bus to Tokyo. Speaking of rides, that 20+ hour ordeal of a plane ride from May 5-6 to Osaka, was probably my longest plane ride since well...1989...when I was headed the other way to Canada, and I was only 7 years old. :) Glad to know I can still survive sleeping in a seated position!

Shortly after our arrival to Osaka, I got to experience some real Japanese food, sleep in my first hostel room, and take in the sights and sounds, and shopping centres of Osaka. That was an experience on it's own. The day was quick, but I did get my camera out for some nice shots, until my battery died, and I pouted until I got it charged :) Oh well. Lesson learned. Moving on...

Anyway, for those tuning in, I just wanted to take this chance to say hello and thanks to all my friends from hockey, St. Joe's, T-dot, Carter, UW, Homechurch, my family and friends, and especially to my wonderful and very supportive boyfriend, Jon, who has been with me since the start of this journey, and continues to do so via the internet and random long distance calls I'm still able to make. Thanks everyone for all your support and prayers. I continue to ask for them for myself and the team as we venture on with our trip!

Funny, I didn't know exactly what I was in for when I joined this group, but more and more, I can see and I'm yet to discover what God has in store. Whatever it may be, I'm welcoming the challenge and I'm quite as excited as I am scared.

I'll keep everyone posted! For now, enjoy the photos I've put on my facebook. For now, take care!

Chantal: btw, I found you some manga!

we made it!

2008-05-07T22:37:00.003-04:00

we made it! arrived on tuesday afternoon.. spent the night in osaka and are now up in tokyo.... it's been a long few days of travel and we're taking the day to rest and catch up on the sleep we haven't been able to get until now! here's a pic of our team taking photos around osaka :) more to come soon...

may has arrived!

2008-05-01T21:02:00.002-04:00

may has finally arrived! after months of preparations, our time to go has arrived! this weekend, hundreds of leaders and students from across canada will be going through global's orientation.... monday morning will see these hundreds flying out around the world for a life altering experience!

thank you for joining us on this incredible journey! for your financial support, your prayers and for your encouragement - we could not have done this without you :)

the japan team

bookmark us!

2008-04-23T13:00:00.003-04:00

it's ALMOST time to leave for japan!!! stay tuned as we're going to keep you updated on this blog throughout our trip with photos and thoughts by our whole team!

to donate

2008-04-03T14:57:00.017-04:00

there are 2 ways to donate: online or by mail.

[online donations - canadahelps takes 3% off your donation.]

TO DONATE ONLINE TO A TEAM MEMBER:

1. Click on DONATE NOW image above.

2. Enter your donation amount

3. FUND/DESIGNATION : choose "JAPAN TEAM - BROCK"

3. DEDICATIONS and GIFT OPTIONS: choose "yes, as a gift in honour/on behalf of"

4. Type in the Team Member's name.

5. "Continue" to complete the transaction.

FOR DONATIONS ONLINE & IN HONOUR OF REGIONAL/TEAM LEADERS, NATHAN & TASHA HAKEEM*

1. Enter your donation amount

2. FUND/DESIGNATION: choose "GLOBAL YOUTH NETWORK - GENERAL"

3. DEDICATIONS and GIFT OPTIONS: choose "yes, as a gift in honour/on behalf of"

4. Type "NATHAN & TASHA HAKEEM"

5. "Continue" to complete the transaction.

TO DONATE BY MAIL:

1. download a DONOR SLIP (click).

2. Fill it in.

3. MAIL IT!

* Nathan & Tasha Hakeem are ongoing Regional Leaders for Global Youth Network.

Your support is greatly appreciated throughout the year!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

rock the red : featuring RAGNI

2008-03-29T00:15:00.004-04:00

click - HERE - to download your invite!

saturday 5 april : 8pm
STREGA CAFE : 19 King St : St. Catharines
.wear red.

revised : key dates to remember

2007-12-12T11:15:00.000-05:00

[***click on the title to download a copy of the timeline]

jan '08: there is still space on our team for YOU if you would like to apply!!!

: applications and interviews completed

jan - apr: 2 team meetings per month : tba

4-6 jan: gyn leadership retreat (nate, tasha, christine)
6 jan: first team meeting : tba

: registration fee DUE ($150)

15 feb: team's 1/2 fees due ($1900)

4 apr: team's final fees due ($1900)

2-4 may: gyn orientation (for everyone going on this trip!)
5 may - 2 jun: JAPAN!!!

just to clarify

2007-12-09T19:56:00.000-05:00

this trip is not to bring shame to the japanese people, but to bring honour to those who are caught in the grips of an issue. these issues are not uniquely japanese. injustice issues happen everywhere - we can look in our own backyard, here in canada, to see this.

"to bring honour to those caught in an issue" - what does this mean? those who are caught in the grips of an injustice issue are there because those that have stolen their innocence & dignity, continue to hold them captive because they do not see them as they really are - women, men, children - humans with dignity.

no matter what our circumstance, we were all created for life and deserve to be treated as such and allowed to live in freedom.

those who are caught in these issues do not need to be further degraded, their stories need to be told and the issue itself needs to stop. and they need their life back. and their story needs to be told to prevent these issues from happening again. and again.

deadline extended

2007-11-30T14:01:00.000-05:00

the applications due friday, 21 december

we have decided to push the deadline back one week!

the process: complete your application, contact us for an interview, bring your application with you... and we'll take it from there.

if your references are holding up the application process, please let us know you are interested so we have an idea about you!

download your application here.

globalteamsbrock@yahoo.ca

facebook

2007-11-20T16:41:00.000-05:00

there is a new group on facebook: "global youth network : japan"

in the right column, there is a button to "click" and post it on your profile! pass the word along about the trip!!!!

the issues and the cost

2007-11-19T19:35:00.001-05:00

the issues
please email us at globalteamsbrock@yahoo.ca for these details.

the cost
"The 2008 Photography focused trip to Japan is $3800. This includes airfare and other transportation, travel medical insurance, orientation and debriefing sessions, all accommodations, meals and team recreational activities. It also includes the cost of printing and framing for the 2008 Photo Exhibition in the Fall (details tba). The only things that are not covered are your personal spending money, visa(s), passports and any necessary vaccinations."

* for faq's. please download your member application package.

applications and interviews

2007-11-14T20:52:00.000-05:00

the steps:

1/ download and complete your application (click)

2/ be sure to get two references - a professional and someone who has known you for a long time. please have the references put their completed forms in a sealed envelope and attach with your application.

2/ give us a call when your application is complete - 905 341 8274 - to set up an interview

3/ bring your completed application to the interview - interviews are held in St. Catharines

4/ once all the interviews are complete, we will be in touch with you regarding your place on the team.

feel free to call us if you have any questions!

applications and interviews should be completed by 30 november at the latest!

the photography element

2007-10-15T17:14:00.000-04:00

have you ever wondered what to do with the things you may encounter when you come back from a social justice trip or even a vacation? whether you went to be build a school for the poor in haiti... or lived in the slums of brazil... or maybe you passed through a village you weren't prepared to see when you were on vacation...

photography is a powerful awareness tool! see http://www.capturedbytasha.com for more information on how tasha has been using it to bring awareness to certain justice issues over the past number of years.

our trip to japan in may 2008, is going to incorporate this element. you will be exposed to justice issues (tba) but then you will also be taught what to do next. we don't want this to be just an education trip for you. you are one person in millions of people in the West who may have never even heard of the issues we will expose you to in Japan. we hope this trip will encourage you to use your talents for change. to give a voice to a person who doesn't have one. to bring awareness to your sphere of influence.

art, specifically photography, is one way you can make a difference.

the posters are posted!

2007-10-11T13:50:00.000-04:00

click the link to download your poster!

the posters have been posted around brock university! we have an intern on campus this year - Christine Jennings. she's around if you have any questions.