Feb 25, 2020
A Call To Action – Nagoya NGOs at Which You Can Make a Difference
From the environment to animal rights to families living below the poverty line, there are unfortunately a broad number of issues that plague our society. Fortunately, there are a number of groups and NGOs out there in Nagoya that are striving to counteract them, and you too can join them.
Amnesty International Nagoya Multicultural Group (Provisional)
Coming from numerous linguistic, gender, religious and cultural backgrounds, all members uphold Amnesty’s core mission of defending human rights and human rights defenders worldwide; whether they are social, civil, economic or cultural rights. While their lingua franca is English, they are not an ‘English Group’ per se, and as such, are open to all who wish to fight for the rights of those oppressed and discriminated against worldwide.
As well as taking part in Amnesty’s well-known letter-writing campaigns, holding monthly meetings, social mixers and potluck events they will also be holding tri-monthly ‘Freedom Toast Cafes’ with one or two expert speakers hosting an open discussion forum in conjunction with AINMCG. The first of these will be held on March 22, 2020 at the Raven’s Table board game bar, where Professor Masao Takano from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Nagoya University and Marinel Sumook Ubaldo, will discuss how climate change impacts human rights.
For more information on the events or anything else about the group, contact amnestynagoymcg@gmail.com.
Website: facebook.com/aimcgnagoya
www.meetup.com/Amnesty-International-Multicultural-Group/
XXX UPDATE XXX
Unfortunately, due to concerns over the spread of the Corona Virus, the aforementioned event has regrettably been postponed.
For further information on the event and details of its reorganisation, please check out the event group page here.
Climate Action Nagoya
Established in 2019, Climate Action Nagoya was put together in order to accelerate local action on climate change issues. The group, a mix of locals and expats from all around the world, primarily works through raising awareness and was one of the organizations instrumental in organizing the Nagoya branch of the Global Climate March and campaigning for Nagoya City to declare a climate emergency. They also take part in litter cleanups all around the city.
Website: Facebook
Fridays For Future Nagoya
A relatively small, youth-led organization, Fridays For Future Nagoya meet to discuss ways in which locals can help Nagoya look to a brighter future, and are closely connected to Climate Action Nagoya.
Website: Facebook
Animal Rights Chubu
Celebrating their 10th anniversary in August, Animal Rights Chubu raises awareness of animal issues. A key element of this is the vegan movement, something in which they are extremely active in promoting. They also hold anti-fur rallies and marches highlighting other animal rights concerns. They are primarily a Japanese-speaking organization.
Website: blog.goo.ne.jp/archubu
Chubu Walkathon
The Chubu Walkathon raises money for a wide range of charities and offers a family-friendly day in the park for adults and children alike, with fantastic food, live music and stage shows, a children’s activity zone, and a raffle with great prizes. You can either help out by attending the event on May 24, buying raffle tickets, volunteering to help out, or contacting the group directly to see what more you can do.
Website: en.chubuwalkathon.com
The Chubu Children’s Fund
The Chubu Children’s Fund provides funding and support for projects that empower, educate, and inspire children, residing in foster homes in the Chubu area, so they may become productive, motivated members of society when they move out on their own.
The key aspects of the “Catalyst Program” are based around:
Leadership Camps
Mentoring Program
Technology Assistance
With the skills and empowerment gained, participants will be further supported through:
Scholarship Program
Internships and Jobs
Website: en.chubuwalkathon.com/ccf
Second Harvest Nagoya
In Japan, there are up to 8 million tons of food loss every year, while one in six lives below the poverty line. As the only registered food bank in Japan, since 2002 Second Harvest Japan has been turning ‘mottanai’ (waste) into ‘arigatou’ (thanks) by redistributing food waste from supermarkets such as dented cans and excess inventory. You can help by simply donating money or volunteering to help out at the Nagoya branch. For more information, either head to their website or check out our more in-depth article here.
Website: 2h-nagoya.org
Bert Wishart editor
Novelist, copywriter and graduate from the most prestigious university in Sunderland, Bert whiles away his precious time on this Earth by writing about popular culture, travel, food and pretty much anything else that is likely to win him the Pulitzer he desperately craves.
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