- Pop bridge between local & global communities -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* NGO/ NPO to organize workcamps and other voluntary projects in Japan & east Asia

* Vice President of CCIVS at UNESCO and of General Secretary of NVDA (Asian network)

* Enjoying to create a new global age by mentally young people!

 

 1) Brief History;

NICE was founded on 4th Feb. in 1990 by 7 youth who had participated in workcamps abroad.

In Sep. 90, the first international workcamp in Japan was held at the foot of the Mt. Fuji.

It has been developing rapidly and variously with huge needs of projects & motivations of people!

 

 

 2) Aims;

a) To create/ develop/ revive ecological, self sufficient and warm-hearted civilization.

We promote exciting voluntary actions by fresh ideas and mobility as a youth NPO, to shift the

world with too much competition and expansion into more healthy one for both nature and people.

b) To encourage activities of NGO/NPOs and activation of local communities

We create opportunities to meet new people and to start new actions by involving many locals.

We make bridges between isolated NPOs and local people, and invite youth to depopulated areas.

c) To promote global friendship, understanding and solidarity

We grow exchange naturally among world youth and local people through living, working, talking and

laughing together.  They can improve global views/ sensitivity and language/ planning skills.

 

 

 3) Activities;

To achieve the above aims, NICE run the following activities (main ones);

a) To organize international workcamps (1-3 weeks) mostly in Japan and sometimes, in Asia, etc.

  : 84 (648) projects in 14 (19) countries with 858 (7,677) international vols. in 2007 (and in 18 years)

b) To send volunteers from Japan to international workcamps abroad

  : 745 (8,226) volunteers to 58 (95) countries in 2007 (and in 18 years)

c) To organize weekend workcamps (1-3 days projects) in Japan

  : 143 (1,292) projects in 23 (33) prefectures with 1,590 (12,279) volunteers in 2007 (and in 15 years)

d) To organize LAMP (LMTV projects for 2-12 months) in Japan & send LM vols.

  : 15 (100) projects with 101 (311) vols./ sent 103 (488) vols. to 19 (24) countries in 2007 (and in 8 years)

e) Many other ecological/ social/ educational/ cultural actions such as Green Foster Parents, Sister

School Project, Actions against child abuse, Actions for refugees, Promotion of acrylic sponges, etc.

 

 

 4) Members & Partners;

1,371 Full (76%:female, 74%:students) + 6,881 Associate + 6 Organizational members.

It's run by 10 paid/ full time & 10-15 voluntary/ part time staffs together with many active members.

The General Assembly/ Executive Committee of NICE is held twice/ six times in a year.

We are completely independent from any political, religious, economic power.  NICE is;

a) Vice President (the only Japanese member) of CCIVS at UNESCO since 2007

b) General Secretary of NVDA (Network for Voluntary Development in Asia) since 2008

c) The first Asian member of ALLIANCE of European Voluntary Service Organizations since 96

d) Exchange Partner of SCI (Service Civil International) and YAP (Youth Action for Peace).

We also cooperate with a lot of local governments, NGO/ NPOs, media, foundations and people.

 

 

 5) Finance;

a) Running cost (staffs, offices, etc.) is managed by the fees from members and volunteers.

b) Project cost (food, accommodation, etc.) of international workcamps in Japan and LAMP are

mainly by local partners (their own budgets, local governments, sponsoring foundations, etc.)

c) Project cost of workcamps in other Asia and weekend workcamps are paid mainly by volunteers.

 

What are International Workcamps !?

 

International voluntary projects, where volunteers from all over the world live & work

together with local people.  Mostly for 2-3 weeks/ in Jul.-Sep./ by 10-30 volunteers.

 

 1) Brief History;

In 1920, the first one started in France by German & French youth as reconstructing the farms

destroyed during the World War I.  Since then, it has been spreading to all over the world.

In the 60s, many workcamps with construction works were organized in newly independent countries

as well as peace projects between East & West in Europe.  Environmental ones have been increasing

since 80s.  According to our research, about 3,000 projects in 100 countries were held in 2006.

 

 

 2) Voluntary Works;

Normally for 6-8 hours in a day and 5 days in a week.  The types of works are varied;

a) Environment  : Cleaning rivers, planting trees, protecting animals, creating eco-villages, etc.

b) Agriculture   : Picking fruits or seeding in organic farms, reviving uncultivated fields, etc.

c) Construction  : schools, toilets, renovating castles, converting farms into youth centers, etc.

d) Social work   : With/ for children, refugees, mentally/ physically disadvantaged, elders, etc.

e) Arts/Education: Organizing festivals, performing play against AIDS in schools, archaeology, etc.

f) Others        : Making proposals of town planning, recycling & sending bicycles to India, etc.

 

 

 3) Accommodations & Free time activities;

Usually youth centers, public halls, schools and sometimes tents or temples that are simple

but even better for the group life!  Volunteers often cook by turns and enjoy global tastes.

The common language is English in most of workcamps though you had better to try local languages.

In some workcamps, the hosts or we volunteers organize discussions, excursions, and exchange

parties with local people, school visit, sports programs, etc.  It is very important to note that

workcamps should be made by all volunteers with local people.  Volunteers are not guests!

 

 

 4) Workcamp Organizations (WOs);

Most of WOs are non-governmental/ non-profit organizations (NGO/NPOs).

Most of WOs're affiliated with CCIVS (Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service)

founded by UNESCO, UN in 1948 to assist & promote workcamps in the world.  It publishes booklets

and organizes conferences and a few workcamps where no workcamps are existed yet.  WOs are not

branches of CCIVS, but the creators of this network!  Each WO independently & freely organizes

workcamps mainly in their own countries with local governments or NGO/NPOs and cooperate with

other WOs abroad.  They are organized locally, coordinated nationally and exchanged internationally!

 

 

 5) Finance;

Many WOs manage the running finances by inscription fee from volunteers & some are supported

also by governments, foundations, etc.  Volunteers need to pay the travel cost to/from workcamps

and fee to WOs in their own countries.  Food & accommodations are provided by local partners,

though there are participation fee around 100-200 US$ in most workcamps of Africa, south Asia, etc.

 

 

 6) Common Aims;

Although each WOs and workcamps have their own aims, the common aim is to achieve peaceful,

healthy, just and sustainable world by

a) Creating/ supporting voluntary movements for ecology, human rights, self-sufficiency, etc.

b) Activating and involving new people to local communities and NGO/NPOs

c) Promoting global understanding, friendship and solidarity

 

 3) Summery List;

 

Code	Name	Location	Dates	Types	Vols.
NICE/01	Shirakami 1	Aomori	02/01-13/01	EDUC	3	15th
NICE/02	Kurikoma	Miyagi	01/02-28/02	ENVI, CONS	1	10th
NICE/03	Takane	Gifu	10/02-23/02	CONS, ELDE	0-1	10th
NICE-MOVE/04	Julau 1	* Malaysia	15/02-28/02	CONS	5	12th
NICE-MCE/05	Bilateral 1	* Mongolia	15/02-28/02	KIDS, SOCI, EDUC	-	50th
NICE/06	Ikata	Ehime	01/03-15/03	AGRI	5	2nd
NICE-MOVE/07	Julau 2	* Malaysia	01/03-14/03	CONS	5	13th
NICE-MOVE/08	Klang 1	* Malaysia	01/03-14/03	KIDS, DISA	5	12th
NICE/09	Erabu	Kagoshima	03/03-23/03	AGRI	0-2	22nd
NICE/10	Fujisan	Shizuoka	09/03-18/03	ENVI	3	2nd
NICE/19	Bonotsu	Kagoshima	09/03-23/03	CONS, ENVI	4	1st
NICE/11	Iwami-Ginzan	Shimane	13/03-23/03	ENVI	4	4th
NICE/12	Minamata	Kumamoto	14/03-29/03	ENVI	8	18th
NICE/13	Nabari	Mie	17/03-31/03	ENVI, ELDE	4	19th
NICE/14	Asakura-Haki	Fukuoka	18/03-31/03	ARTS, EDUC	5	5th
NICE-MOVE/15	Klang 2	* Malaysia	22/03-02/04	KIDS, DISA	5	13th
NICE/17	Nagakute	Aichi	05/04-19/04	ENVI, ELDE	-	3rd
NICE-MCE/16	Greening Mongolia	* Mongolia	24/04-07/05	ENVI	5	51st
NICE/20	Shirakawa-go	Gifu	25/05-08/06	ENVI	5	4th
NICE/18	Maki 1	Nagano	24/06-07/07	AGRI	4	14th

 

* “Vols.” are the numbers of international volunteers to be recruited.

 

ARCH: Archaeology

AGRI: Agriculture

ARTS: Arts

CONS: Construction

DISA: Disabled

EDUC: Teaching, Awareness

ENVI: Environmental

ELDE: Work with Elderly

FEST: Festival

HERI: Cultural or Heritage

KIDS: Work with Kids

MANU: Manual

MEDI: Medical

PEACE: Peace

RELIEF: Disaster Relief

RENO: Restoration, Renovation

SOCI: Social

STUDY: Study, Research

* "Social work" means work with other types of people besides ELDE, PHYS, MENT and KIDS

 (e.g. Refugee, Homeless) OR work with various types of such people with special needs.

 

 

 4) General Qualification;

 

a) Best motivation for the voluntary work (special good skills and power are not necessary) b) Responsibility to keep rules of NICE & the partners and cooperation to run the workcamps c) Best efforts to understand and respect cultures both of the hosts and other volunteers d) Open mind to make friends with trying to speak English (in the groups) and the local language e) To adapt and enjoy simple conditions of the living such as food and accommodation

 

Though it'd be very funny and dramatic time for you, if your motivation is only for enjoying

holidays, please don't apply and do just travel.  If it is more for voluntary service to make a

better world and friendship with local people and other volunteers, you are super welcome!!

 

  

 

W : Type of voluntary work

S : Study theme

A : Accommodation

L : Location

T : Terminal (The closest big international airport)

LA : Leisure Activities

SR : Special Remarks

PF : Participation Fees