3/1/2006 - AFS International President Concludes Successful Visit to Japan
Francisco (Tachi) Cazal visited Japan this February 16-21 to participate in AFS Japan’s National Assembly, an annual gathering of AFS staff and volunteers held in Tokyo, and to meet with members of the diplomatic, business, and government sectors in Japan. This visit proved to be a remarkable demonstration of the breadth and scope of AFS Japan’s collaboration with members of the public and private sectors and highlighted the commitment of AFS Japan and its supporters in the country to promoting the values fostered by AFS intercultural exchanges.
The theme of this year’s National Assembly “Empowering Future Global Citizens – Contributing to Peace” came vibrantly alive as members of the AFS community participated in workshops, presentations, and a number of other events designed to review and discuss AFS’s accomplishments and plans for the future. The AFS President participated in many of the Assembly’s activities and updated the attendees on the state of the worldwide AFS Network and his goals and aspirations for future growth and program development. “It is key for me to actively participate in the assemblies of AFS staff and volunteers, and it was a privilege to be able to personally thank so many of the dedicated members of AFS Japan for the superb work they do in bringing our agenda of peace and mutual understanding to the fore” said Mr. Cazal, “It was especially gratifying for me to be able to meet with so many of the young men and women who have recently returned from their AFS programs in Japan. Our participants, as the recipients of the benefits of intercultural exchange, are the reason we work as hard as we do to continually deliver excellent exchange program experiences.”
Mr. Cazal met with two prominent former AFS exchange students in Japan, the Hon. Tadatoshi Akiba, the mayor of Hiroshima, and with Robert Feldman, Managing Director of Morgan Stanley Japan Limited. During an interview with Mayor Akiba, Mr. Cazal had the opportunity to discuss the impact of AFS programs in inspiring future leaders to work to promote global peace trough intercultural understanding. The interview with Mayor Akiba was covered by major media outlets in Japan, including the prestigious Herald Tribune/Asahi Shinbun and the Japan Times. Mr. Cazal also had the opportunity to thank Mr. Feldman of Morgan Stanley Japan Limited for his continued support of AFS Japan.
Mr. Cazal met with Mr. Shinichi Yamanaka, the Deputy Director-General of the Minister’s Secretariat, of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and with Mr. Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is also a former AFS student. Both of these meetings gave the AFS president the opportunity to acknowledge the valuable support that these government agencies have provided AFS programs in Japan and to present the officials with small tokens of AFS’s appreciation and gratitude for their contributions. Additionally, Mr. Cazal met with Timothy Feige, President and CEO of the Gibraltar Life Insurance Co., Ltd., a long time private sector supporter of AFS whose company is providing scholarships for AFS students.
“Tachi’s presence at our national assembly was an empowering experience for our dedicated volunteers. Many of them expressed their gratitude and willingness to work harder for AFS in their final evaluation session and went home with a lot of energy for the coming year. The visit was also an wonderful opportunity to thank the representatives of the public and private sector in Japan who have been instrumental in supporting AFS” commented Morio Ohyama, National Director of AFS Japan.
AFS International appreciates the hard work of everyone who made this visit such a memorable and productive occasion, especially our colleagues in Japan.
In the photos: Francisco Cazal, President of AFS International and Tadatoshi Akiba, the mayor of Hiroshima. Photos by Mariko Yasumoto.
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