Hello everyone, this is Jyoko in charge of Newsletter.
We had welcomed 3 new volunteer staffs as we start the new FY. They brought vibrant air
into the office, which we enjoy a lot.
This month, I wrote my impression about Pangaea activities. I wish you would enjoy
reading it although I could only write 1/10 of what I had really wanted to convey.
I did not realize that I had so much to share until I had started to write.
The following topic is about the webcam activity between Kenya and Kyoto University
conducted on May 24th. 21 new children participated Kyoto Univ. Village and all members enjoyed the activity.
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1．Pangaea Ring　－Jyoko―
2．Webcam report between Kyoto Univ. Village and Kenya NMK
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Pangaea Ring　―Jyoko―
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Hello everyone, this is Jyoko, Takuto Shirakawa working at the secretariat as an intern. The time passes so fast and it is almost 1 year since I joined Pangaea.

I had never been serious about my future but enjoyed windsurfing day to day during my University days. When I retired from the club activity, I was able to secure some time to think about my future. I didn't have a particular vision but wanted do something interesting. Then I found Pangaea on internet and visited the office.
　
"An NPO running the international communication activity at monthly basis". This comment gave me the impression that the organization was enjoying grass-root activity.
“International communication” was another word that solicited me and I became interested in participating in such activity just for once in a month. However, after a while I found myself already absorbed in its activities. I spend 4 days a week
at the office managing the activity, preparing for KISSY and so on. This is only because Pangaea activity was so inspiring and exceeded my expectation. Actually, it is true that activities are planned only once in a month, and as for webcam,
programs are executed only 2-3 time a year. However, children learn "Don’t to do things that others would dislike" in such a short period of time. They not only pay attention to people who are physically around by saying "people would dislike that" at the Kyoto Univ. village but also think about people who are not physically present like "that would be disliked by Korean friends". Also, they are quite good at finding something that are fun for them.

Hiroto always come in 30 minutes before the program indulging himself into the Viscuits. He cleverly developed a program and created a shooting game. Nowadays, when new kids come and ask me about Viscuits, I let Hiroto take the responsibility since he knows better than myself. Moyu told me that she was able to imagine her future dream by looking at Yumi-san and Kaba-chan. Both of them are very unique and lively, and I am sure they inspire young girls. Ka-kun at Mie Univ. village was appealing others by wearing bandana during the webcam to teach NINGYA to Korean friends. Only a few webcams a year make children become aware of the others. They become aware of others during their regular activities. They become interested in communicating things about Japan. They selectively become abscessed in one particular thing out of many options. Such change occurred not only in children but also in me as I participated in the activity as a facilitator. May be things that are fun when conveyed through children like YMC-viet, can easily be adopted.

I realized that "International communication" is not just the conversation with foreigners using English. It is easy to say by words, but I had realized that by watching children participating Webcam activity. Communication is made with the recognition of the existence of the self, his/her community, the country, etc. Of cause the counterparty is also a human being so there is no need to fire up. Koetsuna will make people raise their voices and beyond the nationality, both Japanese and Koreans enjoy playing instruments through Otobiko. I am just an observer as a facilitator, but feeling some familiarity to Korea and Kenya. I also think that it would be a waist to have just 2 countries that I the familiarity with. Even if I add Cambodia and Brazil where we start our activities, it would only counts up to 4 counties. Pangaea has only 4 locations in Japan. There is a child who comes to our activities from Fukuoka inspired by Pangaea. I wish that we have locations at every country and at every prefecture. It should not be left as a dream. I believe that I need to take the responsibility. There are many other things that I wanted to write about such as, the greatness of the ability to create a location wherever the internet is available, the language grid tool that enables the communication between different languages, the YMC-viet future vision, how great Yumi-san and Toshi-san are, and about my peer technical・facilitator volunteers who are full of individualities, but since my letter is getting quite long, I should pass them on to the next version. My objective is to build the peace with universal playgrounds and to spread the belief of “Do not do things that others would dislike”. Would it be just a pipe dream? I shall continue to scramble!

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2．Webcam report between Kyoto Univ. Village and Kenya NMK
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Kyoto Univ. village, we had Webcam activity of Kenya.
photos of Webcam

At Kyoto Univ. Village, it was the first activity this year and the good news is that 22 children attended! I was glad that we had more vibrant activity with more participants than last year. Also this time of activity, I was in charge of being FL (Facilitator leader) for the first time. We connected only about 20 minutes because of the poor internet connection on Kenya side. That led us a result that we had a short period of time to play Nazoren game which we planned. I felt bad for children. Although connecting to children in Kenya was not long enough, children in Japan have got interested in them at the end by the time for preparing for the game to play together and getting excited to have children in Kenya. We had 18 children answered on questionnaire beforehand "I don't know", "I have no idea" or nothing written for the question of "how do you feel that country?". However, after the activity, no blank left for the same question. Only 3 answers said "I don't know". We had the answers such as "I want to communicate with them more", "What kind of things are people in Kenya good at?" or "Active and powerful" instead. Connected time with them was short indeed. But good thing was it helped them to keep their motivation to communicate next time. I would like them to enjoy communicating on Webcam or Pangaea net next time as well.

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