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Fukushima & Venezuela Music Youth Ambassadors – Widened Horizons: Opening the World’s Door for Fukushima’s Youth
June 21, 2012
Download this as a PDF flyer here.
BACKGROUND
The young people of Fukushima have endured one of the world’s largest-ever earthquakes, a devastating tsunami and the terror of the nuclear accident at the Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. Residents still face severely heightened levels of radiation. This is an untenable situation for anybody, but especially cruel for youth and for their worried parents. To respond to the needs raised from the local community, Peace Boat would like to make every effort possible, with support and solidarity internationally, to provide the opportunity for youth from Fukushima to travel on the open sea and experience diverse societies and cultures, an experience that will promote their healthy ongoing development and positive mental health, enabling them to better cope with the stresses of daily life in Fukushima.
FUKUSHIMA & VENEZUELA MUSIC YOUTH AMBASSADORS:
Delegates from the Fukushima Television Junior Orchestra will join Peace Boat’s 76th Global Voyage together with delegates from the world renowned The Simón Bolívar Music Foundation (also known as “El Sistema,” providing free music education to 350,000 children in an effort to discourage them from crime and develop a culturally rich society), following music exchanges with the Gustavo Dudamel Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA) program, the El Sistema Los Angeles group which provides programs for under-privileged young people.
OBJECTIVES:
- To meet local needs through evacuating youth in Fukushima from radiation contaminated areas for the duration of the program, reducing the burden of fear and worry on their parents
- To enable the youth to develop their musical skills, thus their confidence and hopes for the future, through experiencing the social impact of music through the famous “El Sistema” principles and through connecting with young people from the US and Venezuela who share their passion
- To energize and encourage the Fukushima communities, through the renewed energy and perspectives brought home by the participants, and in particular by inviting evacuees from Fukushima to attend a major concert held in Yokohama concert upon the delegation’s return to Japan
PROGRAM OUTLINE:
31 July - Fukushima Television (FTV) Junior Orchestra delegates fly to Los Angeles
1 August - FTV delegates exchange with YOLA youth
2 August - FTV & El Sistema delegates join Peace Boat in Mexico - Music, language, sports, art and cultural activities while travelling at sea for 14 days
17 August - Peace Boat 76th Global Voyage returns to Yokohama
18 August - A joint concert will be held in Tokyo, with 60 evacuees from Fukushima living in the Kanto area invited.
Fukushima Television Junior Orchestra
The Simón Bolívar Music Foundation
Gustavo Dudamel Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA) program
Peace Boat’s 76th Global Voyage
VOICE FROM 2011 PARTICIPANT:
“Until meeting my Sri Lankan friend who experienced the tsunami in 2004 at the same age as me, I was not able to feel I have a future. Looking at the big smile and positive spirit he carries, it gave me the courage that I could have a future to look forward to.” (14 years old participant)
Youth from Fukushima will travel at sea for 14 days with Venezuelan youth who survived severe flooding in which 30,000 people lost their lives in 1999.
DONATIONS WELCOME
Within Japan:
Bank: Japan Post Bank (Branch 019)
Payee Name: PEACE BOAT
Payee Account Number: 0177458
*Please write “Fukushima” before your name.
*Please see this link below for The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. details:
Outside Japan:
Please donate through our affiliate organization, Peace Boat US, in New York, United States.
Peace Boat US is a 501(c)(3) tax deductible US organization.
Secure online donations can be made to Peace Boat US via Pay Pal; Pay Pal will send a receipt which can be used for tax purposes.
Alternatively, a check can be sent to Peace Boat US, and a receipt useable for tax purposes will be sent to you.
See this link for details.
CONTACT:
Peace Boat (Maho Takahashi)
Address: B1 Nokk Bldg., Takadanobaba 3-13-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-75, Japan
Tel: +81-3-3363-7561
Peace Boat Global Voyage
Peace Boat Disaster Relief
* This project is coordinated in collaboration between Peace Boat and the Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center.
FukushimaVenezuelaYouthAmbassadors (PDF flyer)