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1. "New Year's Message" from the Vice President
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A Happy New Year. How was your X'mas & New year? In the last couple of years, I spent the new year with working on YMC Project in Vietnam where is very hot. I enjoyed the new year with beautiful scenery of snow in Japan this year, though it was very very cold compared to Vietnam. I had the Japanese traditional new-year food "Zouni", a Japanese soup with rice cakes, with my family. Because I need to reduce my weight, I only put one rice cake in Zouni though I wanted more...

In 2014, we conducted KISSY, the 1st Kyoto Intercultural Summer School for Youths. At the KISSY, twenty three youths from Korea, Cambodia, Kenya and Japan gathered in face-to-face in Kyoto and spend several days together. They enjoyed brainstorming and collaborative creations with breaking language and culture barriers supported by multilingual software and system. KISSY was supported by many donors and volunteers. We had some people who work for company took a vacation in order to join KISSY as volunteer staff.

Ishida-Matsubara lab in Kyoto University supported multi-language service system. And CAMP, a CSR activity in SCSK Corporation, supported "Cricket" workshop in KISSY. With those help and support, youths really enjoyed the whole activities without any accidents and KISSY was covered by NHK news, a national broadcasting TV news program in Japan. This year, we are planning to have the 2nd KISSY. As it will be a scale-up version compared to the last year, it will be more exciting event!

In 2014, NPO Pangaea obtained the "Certified Non-profit organization" status by government. This made NPO Pangaea more trustworthy body and it enables tax deduction for donation. Also, it enables Pangaea to get donation via Paypal. In the past, I was asked many people, who live outside Japan, if they can donate to Pangaea by credit card. Now, you can use credit card to donate to Pangaea. We are in the process of Paypal registration and system implementation. You will get noticed when they are ready. In 2014, Pangaea also started a regular Pangaea Activity location in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and improved operation in National Museum of Kenya with KDDI funding.

In 2015, firstly, Pangaea operations will be extended to more continents and countries strategically. Toward the goal, we have been preparing to get fundings and strategies. I will keep you updated on this topic time to time. Secondly, we will organizational reform to improve organizational operation of NPO Pangaea by taking a look at the next generation. Thirdly, as mentioned above, the 2nd KISSY will be conduced in Kyoto this summer in bigger scale.

I really appreciate all of your support to NPO Pangaea in the last year. We will challenge to expand our operation in sustainable way, I hope you keep supporting our activities and spread the word of Pangaea.

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2. Information about the Kyoto univ Village, as run by Reiyan
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I introduce an activity which I joined at Kyoto university.
In this month, we decorated our room with balloon and something.

During we were decorated it, the children came to us and were helping us to do it. At the activity, we put photos we took last trip on cards and manipulate them. The children were asking facilitators how to use power point. They seemed to get interested. Though it might have been difficult to use a mouse with children's hands, they tried to do it to make it their exact image.

When they couldn't come up with the idea, they cooperate with each other, asking their company about it. They divided their roles and then put it together. Their work's been going well. Next time we are going to finished it up, adding something more. I'm excited to see complete “Pangaea Trump”.

Kyoto univ Photos are HERE

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