Nagoya Walkathon and Charity Festival
Come join Children First at the Walkathon on May 20th.
Make some new friends. Help some children.
Eat some good food. And most of all have fun.
What is the purpose of the walkathon?
The main purpose is for the international community to join with Japanese friends and companies in raising money for local orphanages and charities.
Who sponsors the Walkathon?
This annual event in Nagoya is sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) and Nagoya International School (NIS)
How does the Walkathon raise money?
Historically there have been two ways. The first is through corporate sponsorship and the second is through individuals buying tickets that cost 2000 yen, which includes a raffle ticket and a t-shirt.
How much do you raise?
Last year, the Walkathon Committee was able to distribute around 8 million yen to orphanages and local charities.
How often does the Walkathon take place?
Annually on a Sunday in May.
How many people attend?
Between 2000 and 2500 people.
How do I buy tickets, become a sponsor and/or volunteer?
Tickets can be purchased from the ACCJ Chubu Office by calling 052-229-1525 or contacting the Walkathon Committee HERE.
You can also find more information on the offical walkathon website (nagoyawalkathon.com) including the venue and how to get to the event. The walkathon also has a facebook page (facebookNagoyaWalkathon).
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Summary of my bike tour from Kumamoto to Tokyo
Here is a summary of my 30 day cycling tour. My goal was to raise awareness about child rights, especially the right for children to see both parents after divorce/separation.
Kilometers cycled, 1500
Diet members met, 2
Times in the paper, 3 (Asahi Shimbun and Kobe Shimbun and Japan Times via Kyodo News)
Times on TV, 1 (NHK Oct. 31st)
Left Behind Parents I stayed with, 9
Left behind parents I met before reaching Tokyo, 14
Left behind parents I met in Tokyo, numerous
Child Welfare division that I spoke to (prefectural offices), 15
Questionnaires given to Child Welfare Offices, 15
Parades/Demonstrations attended, 1 (with a big welcome in Shibuya)
Everything on behalf of Childrenfirst
Cycling to raise awareness about children’s rights
As some of my blog readers know, I am cycling from Kumamoto to Tokyo to raise awareness about children’s rights. As a result I have been unable to keep my blog up to date. I am now in Okayama. I guess it is about the halfway point. I will hopefully end my awareness tour in Tokyo on the 17th of October. If you would like to follow my awareness tour please check out the Children First Japan Facebook page and the Joint Custody Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/oyako
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Children-First-Japan/115396388532379
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Japan and the rights of children: Kevin Brown from Children First
Kevin Brown – Special Contribution
Modern Tokyo Times
My name is Kevin Brown and I am the co-founder of Children First (http://www.childrenfirst.jp), an NPO that advocates for children in Japan. Children Firsts mission “is to ensure children’s welfare and rights are the top priority for parents, policymakers and the public-at-large.” Therefore, the role of Children First applies to many factors related to the rights of children in Japan and how to relate this knowledge to appropriate bodies in order to tackle and focus on areas which need changing in order to protect children.
Children First also understands the need to raise awareness and to connect with organizations, government bodies and the general public. Therefore, our next campaign is to interact with the general public and local government offices. In order to do this I am going to ride my bike from Kumamoto to Tokyo and throughout my journey I will be raising the issue of the rights of children.
My ride will begin on September 13th and end on October 17th. Therefore, I will visit many prefectural offices during my journey and give a short presentation about the rights of children. In the past I have already visited 8 prefectural offices and given presentations about serious issues related to children. This proved beneficial and often they were unaware about serious issues related to the rights of children. Therefore, it was a great chance to interact with people of importance and to develop ties between Children First and local government bodies.
During the meetings we talked about a DVD made by the Supreme Court of Japan in 2006. The message in the DVD is quite simple. To be happy, children need both parents after divorce when both parents care about bringing up their child or children in the right way. The Supreme Court made the video but the Family Courts don’t show the video because of factors only known to them but is doesn’t make sense to ignore the Supreme Court. More surprisingly the Family Courts hide the existence of the video, therefore, the majority of parents don’t know about the importance of this video and the ones that do, are often not allowed to see it.
Another important piece of information I give to prefectural offices relates to the United Nations Convention on the Right of a Child (UNCRC). This Convention was signed and ratified by Japan and it states that children have the right to maintain contact with both parents. If the parent and child are separated for some reason then the state (Japan) must help re-establish contact with the non-custodial parent. The Family Courts also ignore this Convention, which is equivalent to a law which was ratified by the Japanese government.
Alongside this important information I also give prefectural offices a book written by Colin Jones, a law professor in Kyoto, related to the Family Court system. This book is about the Family Court system in Japan and it highlights the inadequacies of this institution. For citizens who support the rights of the child/children and both parents, then they would agree that the rulings handed down by judges are detrimental to the well-being of children in Japan. The Family Courts are not acting in the best interests of children because they are not considering all the facts and the wishes of each individual involved in each case. Family Courts need to revise their outdated laws and implement laws which are clear and which focus on human rights. This applies to the well-being of children and all involved parties in each respective case.
Children First also talks about Parental Alienation (PA) which is common in hostile divorces and this issue is very serious in Japan because of the inadequate legal system. This is when one parent says something bad to the child/children about the other parent in order break the bond that the other parent had and. It is clear that this manipulation is very damaging to all children who face this serious issue. According to child psychology experts there are different degrees of PA ranging from mild to severe. The main point being, PA is bad for children irrespective of the degree. Recently Brazil passed a law making PA a crime and it would be great if more countries did the same thing because this is a huge step in the right direction.
Another important area that Children First gives to prefectural offices is a “Did you know” hand out about statistics in Japan. “DID YOU KNOW: Every 3 minutes a child loses contact with one parent because of divorce…Every 7 minutes a child is a victim of school bullying…Every 12 minutes a case of child abuse is reported to protective services…Every week at least one child dies as the result of abuse.”
This is a great way to raise awareness quickly and not only is it interactive and easily understood but it is also designed to shake up a system which needs to make major changes, in order to protect children from abuse.
Every year around 160,000 children lose contact with one parent in Japan. However, to make matters worse Japan is not a good place for children who get caught up in divorce when one parent decides to control and alienate the child/children from the left behind parent. Government officials, bureaucrats, educators, and parents need to do more to make Japan a better place for all children and this is where Children First wants to help.
You can help Children First (Kevin Brown) raise awareness by following me on Facebook during my journey. Therefore, people can communicate with me through Facebook, share links with your friends and spread the word because together we can make a difference.
Children First cares for all children irrespective of race and gender because our goal is to bring more “light” to children who have been neglected and had their rights violated.
Please follow on http://www.facebook.com/oyako (Joint Custody in Japan) and Children First at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Children-First-Japan/115396388532379. Also, please visit Children First website at http://www.childrenfirst.jp/ for more information and how you can get involved and help in this important area.
Sincerely, Kevin Brown (Children First http://www.childrenfirst.jp/)
Cycling from Kumamoto to Tokyo to Raise Awareness about Child Rights
I have made some modifications to my cycling trip. I have decided to start in Kumamoto on the 13th of September. I picked this day because the judge will rule on my case on the 13th. I was expecting the ruling much earlier. As a result I thought it would be best to delay my start. It seems kind of symbolic to start in Kumamoto. I have a had to make numerous trips to Kumamoto for court. I can pick up my ruling on the 13th and then start cycling. It would be nice if I could get press or left behind parents to see me off on the 13th. If you don’t have plans feel free to meet me at the Kumamoto Family Court on the 13th of September.
I am still planning to handout flyers along the way. I am still planning on stopping at governors offices, court houses, and international schools. Due to my late start I may not have time to cycle all the way to Hokkaido. I will play it by ear. There are numerous left behind parents who can support me from Kumamoto to Tokyo but much less support exists between Tokyo and Hokkaido. I am working with other left behind parents now to pin down the exact days I will be in Saga, Fukuoka, Yamaguchi, Hiroshima, Okayama, Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, Otsu, Gifu, Nagoya, Shizuoka, Yokohama, and Tokyo. I will be making updates on the Joint Custody in Japan Facebook page and the Children First Facebook page as well as my Facebook page. Please check one of these places every week or so.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 3 so far )Children First making a difference
Children First is making a difference. Become part of this new NPO and help protect children’s rights. Becoming a member is free and easy. Just go to www.childrenfirst.jp and sign up. You can also sign the Children First pledge (below). You can become a member no matter where you live. We can all do a little bit more to protect children.
“To all children, I pledge To always show you compassion, To ensure your basic physical and psychological needs, To shelter you from violence, To defend your rights, and To be a positive role model. In short, I pledge that the happiness and welfare of all children will be my top priority. With love, A Former Child.”We are making strides to change the laws so children’s rights are a top priority for everyone.
One voice can hardly be heard. Ten thousand voices can hardly be ignored. Add your voice to Children First today.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Nagoya Walkathon
For those of you living in Japan, tickets to the Nagoya Walkathon can be purchased from Children First or from any of the other sponsors of this event. The great thing about this event is that all of your donations go to charities or Tohoku tsunami & earthquake victims. If you buy a Gold Ticket you have a chance to win a big screen TV or a new car. Even if you don’t win one of the big prizes all of your money will go to a great cause. Please show your support by purchasing a ticket. You can go to the following website to buy tickets: nagoyawalkathon.com/tickets?lang=en.
| Prices: | Tickets include: | |
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Adult Ticket ￥2,000 yen |
– Entry to the Walk – Free Walkathon T-shirt – Music & Entertainment! – Entry into general raffle draw |
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Student Ticket ￥1,000 yen |
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Golden Raffle Ticket ￥10,000 yen |
– Entry to the Walk – Free Walkathon T-shirt – Music & Entertainment! – Entry into Golden ticket raffle draw (You have a chance to win a big screen TV or a new car) – PLUS entry into General raffle draw*Golden Raffle Ticket holders may claim a General ticket at registration to gain entry into the general raffle draw. |
*Limited number of T-shirts available. Come early!
**Adult & student ticket proceeds will be donated to local charities.
***Golden ticket proceeds will be donated to the Tohoku relief fund.
