What’s APCC

INTRODUCTION

 

APCC aims to nurture global citizens with a spirit of OMOIYARI (respect and understanding) by providing opportunities for direct cross-cultural interaction among children from a young age, eventually achieving a world filled with joyful smiles of children.

Each year, children who will shape our world in the 21st century not only gather in Fukuoka, but also scatter around the world from Fukuoka. They participate in homestays and various multicultural exchanges, where children experience firsthand differences in culture and language, as well as learning the importance of respecting and understanding each other.

Children, with their flexible minds, curiosity and boundless energy, steadily carry our dreams and hopes towards fruition, opening up endless possibilities in the coming era.

is the newly-adopted name for a set of international exchange programs that NPO Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention in FUKUOKA (APCC) provides: the “BRIDGE Summer Camp” and the “BRIDGE Challenge Trip”.

“BRIDGE Summer Camp” is a program implemented every summer, to which over 200 eleven-year-old children from around the globe are invited. The participants in this program take part in various interactions, such as sleeping and eating together under the same roof with hundreds of foreign friends, experiencing Japanese school life, and learning the Japanese way of life at a homestay, in a dynamic intercultural environment that turns all of Fukuoka into one big campsite! Through the “BRIDGE Challenge Trip”, children from Fukuoka are dispatched across the world during Japanese spring and summer vacation. The children take on challenges in intercultural communication while experiencing the local lifestyle firsthand.

BRIDGE KIDS PROGRAMS are designed to help us overcome all kinds of differences in cultures, customs and generations by promoting mutual understanding through exchange and communication. Not only in other countries, but even within our own borders we find diverse beliefs and values that may be difficult for us to accept. BRIDGE KIDS PROGRAMS encourage us to embrace and understand those differences, and broaden our horizons. If we can connect with each other through this OMOIYARI spirit, our future will be alight with abundant smiles.

Children, who connect the present with the future, are the core of BRIDGE KIDS PROGRAMS, but adults with youthful hearts are also important players. Through “exchange” and “communication”, BRIDGE KIDS PROGRAMS connect people’s hearts, helping to achieve the vision that is captured by our slogan: “We are the BRIDGE.”

What is Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention in FUKUOKA /  APCC

The Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention in Fukuoka (APCC) was created as a commemorative event of the 1989 Asian-Pacific Exposition, in celebration of Fukuoka City’s 100th anniversary. This civic movement, funded by the local government, donations from corporate sponsors and our Supporters’ Association has developed over these 30 years. During its 30th anniversary in 2018, APCC announced a reformation plan and a new name for its projects. APCC has taken a step forward to keep building the bridge of OMOIYARI toward 50 and even 100 years from now.

In 1989, the first APCC was implemented by Junior Chamber International Fukuoka, in partial commemoration of the national convention of the Junior Chamber International Japan. The JCI Fukuoka members who launched this project believed that by providing children a chance to be exposed to diverse values in the world at an early stage of their life – as 11-year-olds – while they are still sensitive and unsophisticated, they could cultivate a sensibility of peace and coexistence with people from different backgrounds. Through the establishment of this project, JCI Fukuoka members were also eager to contribute to enhancing the attraction of Fukuoka as a cosmopolitan city, which historically and geographically has had a key role in exchange between Japan and the cultures of continental Asia. This philosophy has been carried down to the present day by the people in charge, and the programs have been evolving each year with their efforts and improvements.

Since its foundation, APCC has developed from a simple international exchange event into an international educational program involving a number of cities and schools to nurture OMOIYARI global citizens. In 1998, to commemorate the 10th APCC, an international network of former APCC participants, “BRIDGE CLUB” (BC), was founded. BC has branch organizations in a number of our participating countries and regions and they work to promote peace and coexistence between their members and the wider community. When the APCC marked its 20th anniversary in 2008, all the BCs came together and founded the “BRIDGE CLUB International Organization” (BCIO). BCIO has produced APCC Global BRIDGE Leaders who were expected to become the driving force to disseminate the APCC vision and strive to embody it through lively activities as OMOIYARI global citizens. During the same 20th year, APCC started the “Nurturing Project” which was continually conducted for the next decade, to further develop the children of Fukuoka by equipping them with global knowledge and perspectives after they had their first international exchange experience at age 11.

As outlined above, APCC got an early start working on the development of global leaders, a necessity which has now become an urgent national issue. Based on our achievements over the 30 years, we will expand the range and aims of this effort from now on. We will add new features to our two main programs, “BRIDGE Summer Camp” and “BRIDGE Challenge Trip”, and provide even further support for our participants to grow. We promise to create wider opportunities for both children and adults to help them naturally realize the importance and benefits of achieving global competency.

What is the slogan of APCC ?

 

What is the Vision of APCC ?

We, as members of APCC,

will become global citizens with an “OMOIYARI” spirit,

 creating a more peaceful world where the smiles of children abound.  　 

*OMOIYARI is a spirit of “Respect and Understanding”.

Our vision embraces the idea of modern cultural interaction, through the creation of a place where children can experience, first-hand, our differences and similarities, fostering friendships and peace between participating countries and regions of the Asia-Pacific. It is our hope that children who participate in this exchange program will make long-lasting, “OMOIYARI” friendships with their fellow peers coming from various countries with various backgrounds.

APCC at Glance

Organizer	APCC / Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention in FUKUOKA
Establishment Data	February 2002   –     Officially registered as an NPO (Non-Profit Organization) and changed its organizational structure. –The former body known as “Executive Committee of the Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention in FUKUOKA” was established in November 1988 and has been continuing the summer invitation program since 1989.

APCC Projects

 BRIDGE Summer Camp

BRIDGE Summer Camp, formally known as the APCC Invitation Project, is a large-scale international exchange program for children.

Every summer, 11-year-old Junior Ambassadors and chaperons from all over the world gather in Fukuoka to take part in a fortnight-long exchange program with the citizens of Fukuoka, including children.

BRIDGE Summer Camp consists of three main programs. The goal is to expand the exchange-focused components so that a greater number of children from Fukuoka can participate.

 

Schedule	About two weeks from the middle of July
Invited countries & regions	About 46 delegations from around 35 countries & regions in Asia and the Pacific －>> See this year’s participants list
Number of participants	2-4 boys and 2-4 girls plus 1 adult chaperon from each country/region
Conditions of participation	Child participants must be 11 years old
Host Families	Host families are volunteer families living in Fukuoka Prefecture, mainly in and around Fukuoka City.

＜Participants’ List＞

This year we have invited 224 children from 46 different places all over the world to take part in BRIDGE Summer Camp 2019.

Country No	Country/Region Name	Country No	Country/Region Name
1	People’s Republic of China	26	The Independent State of Papua New Guinea
2	Republic of Korea	27	Solomon Islands
3	Hong Kong	28	Republic of Palau
4	Taiwan	29	Republic of Vanuatu
5	Republic of Singapore	34	Federated States of Micronesia
6	Republic of the Philippines	35	The Republic of the Union of Myanmar
7	Kingdom of Thailand	37	New Caledonia
8	Malaysia	38	Tahiti
9	Republic of Indonesia	39	Kingdom of Tonga
10	Socialist Republic of Vietnam	40	Republic of Maldives
11	People’s Republic of Bangladesh	41	Tuvalu
12	Kingdom of Bhutan	43	Cook Islands
14	Islamic Republic of Pakistan	46	Kingdom of Cambodia
15	India	50	Guangzhou (China)
16	Lao People’s Democratic Republic	51	Ipoh (Malaysia)
17	Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal	52	Oakland (USA)
18	Mongolia	53	Busan (Korea)
19	Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka	54	Atlanta (USA)
20	Commonwealth of Australia	56	Jiangsu Province (China)
21	New Zealand	57	Dalian (China)
22	Hawaii (USA)	58	Bordeaux (France)
23	Republic of Fiji Islands	59	Republic of Peru
24	Republic of Kiribati	60	Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam)

Total :  226 JAs + 46 Chaperons + 23 PAs + 3 BCIO members

＜Tentative Schedule of BRIDGE Summer Camp 2019＞

* 28 selected delegations will join “One day School Visit Program” before meeting host family. Other delegations will spend more time at the camp or visit other sites in Fukuoka.

 

BRIDGE Challenge Trip

Every spring, Japanese students (10 to 18 years old) visit foreign countries/ regions to experience an overseas homestay and cross-cultural interaction with the local people.

Each delegation includes 15 students and 3 volunteer chaperons. The delegation members bond with each other during pre-departure training that builds firm relationships and enables them to support each other throughout their time abroad.

Beginning in 2019, APCC will expand this program by offering it in the summer as well, every other year, with the goal of providing broader learning opportunities to the children of Fukuoka as well as to the people in hosting countries/regions.

 BRIDGE Project

BRIDGE Project is a network making activity of our alumni, former program participants. To accelerate the establishment of “BRIDGE CLUB” (alumni group) in every APCC participating countries and regions and to strengthen the OMOIYARI Global Citizens network, BRIDGE CLUB International Organization (BCIO) was launched in 2008.

About BCIO

Since 1989, the APCC has successfully run programs, and commemorated the 10th anniversary by the successful inauguration of the BRIDGE CLUB. At the 20th APCC in 2008, the executive members, Peace Ambassadors from 22 elected countries and regions, decided to establish, the “BRIDGE CLUB International Organization (BCIO)”, with an aim to further accelerate the establishment of BCs in currently non-BC countries and regions, and to enhance the building of networks between existing BCs. BCIO is committed to supporting BRIDGE CLUB development and encourages BRIDGE CLUB projects. BCIO merges the strengths of each BC which helps to produce concrete results toward fostering real global citizens. Together the BC Network will actively promote “Respect and Understanding”, in the drive to further develop strong BC’s.

Aims and Objectives of BCIO

1. 　To improve and develop BRIDGE CLUB projects
2. 　To merge the strengths of each BC to produce concrete results toward fostering real global citizens.
3. 　To give a foothold for / support to all APCC participants and local BC members.

Functions of BCIO

1. Support the establishment of new BC
　　To cooperate in establishing BRIDGE CLUBs in countries in the Asia Pacific that have not yet been established.
　　To plan PA programs.

2. Activating PR & Communication of BC
　　To maintain & develop BCIO communication tools. Eg. website, mailing list etc.
　　To give support and develop a communication hub for all the former APCC participants and participating countries.
　　To organize and manage related information and create development resources.　

3. Strengthening relationships for sustainable development of BC
　　To support and promote the Common Activities to all BCs. 　　

To support and promote exchange projects between BCs.

Promise of BCIO

We, BCIO members, promise to achieve “Peace and Co-existence” throughout the world by promoting “Respect and Understanding” between all people and creating a bridge that joins us together. “We are the BRIDGE”.

Check BCIO official site

How to Support

Volunteering

At the APCC we need volunteers all year round. Currently there are around 600 volunteers registered with the APCC annually. The APCC introduces new activities to our program every year and we are always looking for people to help with both new and already established activities.

As a volunteer there are a variety of events and activities you can take part in, these activities are outlined in the What is the APCC? section of the website.

What is an APCC volunteer?

　APCC activities are run almost entirely by our volunteer staff. Without volunteers who are willing to give up their free time to make the APCC a success year after year, we would not be able to continue with our activities. 　 There are a number of ways that you could take part in the APCC as a volunteer, from helping out in the office to translating documents at home and sending them to us via the internet. 　 To promote international exchange in Fukuoka and the surrounding area we encourage volunteers from all walks of life who are willing to give up some of their free time.

What kinds of people become APCC volunteers?

During the Invitation Project that takes place in July, around 600 people participate in volunteer activities. 　 These volunteers range from Junior High School students to business person, housewives and pensioners. 　 At present most of our volunteers are young people but in order to maintain a balance within the organization we encourage older people to join in with our activities.

How do I become a volunteer?

　At the APCC we need volunteers all year round. However during the lead up to the BRIDGE Summer Camp in July the office becomes very busy and therefore we are unable to take applications for new volunteers during this period. 　 Because we recruit volunteers on an annual basis from October, the period that you will be registered as a volunteer will run until the end of September the next year. 　 If you wish to continue volunteering after October, you will need to re-register the APCC through the website.

Conditions of registration

1. You must agree with the APCC constitution
2. As a volunteer you need to behave in a responsible manner 
3. You must be over the age of 13 (Those who have enrolled in junior high schools are eligible.)
4. We do not accept applications from those who wish to promote products or religions
5. You must cover your own expenses

Donation: APCC Supporter’s Association

APCC has its own financial organization to support APCC projects. We always welcome any donations or on annual Membership Fee basis. New members will receive a small present from the “APCC Supporters’ Association.” Please contact us if you are interested.

E-mail: info@apcc.gr.jp

Membership Fee (one year)

Supporters:　 3,000 yen
Individual Membership: 　10,000 yen
Corporate Membership: 　30,000 yen

Donations are accepted through the following accounts

1. The Nishi-Nippon City Bank, Ltd. Head office swift address: FKCBJPJTFKA/Account Number: 1128689
2. The Bank of Fukuoka Ltd. Head Office swift address: FKBKJPJT/Account Number: 2639324

APCC OFFICE
Address: 1-10-1-5F Tenjin,Chuou-ku,Fukuoka 810-0001 Japan

TEL/ +81-92-734-7700 FAX/ +81-92-734-7711

E-mail/info@apcc.gr.jp 
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