AJF:Newsletter[quarterly]"Africa NOW" No.79

Africa Japan Forum (AJF) works with African People for African People's better life.

Africa NOW No.79

Issued on December 31, 2007 by Africa Japan Forum (AJF)

Special Topic: Activities of Japanese youth NGOs on African Issues

The Japanese youth are often seen to join activities on African issues, which represents a remarkable trend of African matters in Japan. They are very active in publishing their own experiences in Blog, pursuing multifaceted relationship in African matters in various areas, forming a NGO by themselves, or the like. This issue carries a report on Gulu-Walk which attracted a relatively large turnout of youth, interview with the staff of youth NGOs, PLAS and ADEO Japan, and study on cacao cultivation and child labor, which will contribute to readers' understanding of Japanese youth's involvement in African issues.

p.3 Joined in Gulu-Walk written by SATO Yume and NAKANO Mio
Guli-Walk was an international action for seeking peace in Uganda and banning child soldiers. Sato Yume and NAKANO Mio from a task group of AJF African disputes reported how the walk was done on Oct. 20 in Japan and their impression on it.

p.4-7 Interview with the staff at Japanese youth NGOs on African Issues
Interviewee: OSHIMA Riku and MONADA Ruiko of PLAS , OGURI Atsuhiro of ADEO Japan
The editor of "Africa NOW" interviewed with the staff of PLAS (Positive Living with AIDS orphans Support) and ADEO (African Development and Emergency Organization) Japan about the process of foundation, their activities, their hope on Japanese youth or the like. Both NGOs concerned with African issues were formed by youth.

p.8-11 "Bitter Chocolate" and child labor written by IWATSUKI Yuka
Cultivation of cacao, which is raw material of chocolate consumed by many children in developed countries as their favorite sweets, is accompanied by labor of many children in Western Africa particularly. IWATSUKI Yuka, president of ACE (Action against Child Exploitation), analyzed the structure of division of the world peculiar to this issue and explained the process of ACE's activities for banning child labor.

p.11-12 On the spot in Africa: Burkina Faso written by SHIMIZU Takao
SHIMIZU Takao, researcher of urban youth culture in Western Africa, reports how Rastafarians in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, sell goods to foreign tourists, what is called Nasala in a Moore language, on the streets, and studies what such a selling behavior means in terms of an academic concept of "sightseeing".

p.13-16 Interview with a Nigerian and his wife on the suit for damages against the Japanese police
Valentine, a Nigerian resident in Japan, was arrested in December 2003 while he was passing out fliers of a Show Club on the street in Kabukicho Shinjuku. He was so heavily beaten by the Tokyo metropolitan police that he had his bones in the right leg broken into shatters. He appealed to the high court, seeking damages for the battery and assault by the police. The editor of "Africa NOW" interviewed with Valentine and his wife about what his suit means and issues African residents in Japan are faced with.

p.17-18 Meet Africa in Japan: African club event "THE SHRINE"
Series of articles full of places where we can experience and enjoy Africa in Japan. This issue introduces an African club event "THE SHRINE".

4th cover To readers ("Hitotsu no musubime toshite" in Japanese) and daily report
Information from the secretariat of AJF to readers.

Index

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