vol 1. no. xxii jica alumni association in …...vol 1. no. xxii his excellency yamazaki hiromasa,...

JICA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IN JAMAICA NEWSLETTERMarch, 2020Annual Report FY2019

Vol 1. No. XXII

His Excellency YAMAZAKI Hiromasa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Jamaica,left, second row, graciously hosted members of the Executive Board of the JICA Alumni Association in Jamaica,

who were accompanied by representatives of the JICA Jamaica Office, at a dinneron Thursday, January 20, 2020 at the Ambassador’s

residence in St. Andrew.

Message from the President ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................2

JAAJ’s Annual General Meeting 2019 ................................................................................................................................................................................................3

Members participated in JAAJ’s Annual General Meeting..........................................................................................................................4

JAAJ Members paid a Courtesy Call on the Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica......................................5

JAAJ’s Executive Board Members met with JICA’s Resident Representative ....................................................5

Welcome Function for Resident Representative & Coordinators ..................................................................................................6

Summer Program at the Institute of Jamaica ......................................................................................................................................................................7

Environmental Projects ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................8-9

Technology Transfer Seminar............................................................................................................................................................................................................................10

Jamaica/Japan Culture Festival ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................11

JICA Participants of Knowledge Co-Creation Programmes FY2019 ..................................................................12-14

Summary on the Report of 12th FECCEBEJA Regional Conference ................................................................................15

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

CONTENTSCONTENTS

JAAJ’s President Lenroy James, second right, with colleagues from JICA Alumni Associations in theCentral America and Caribbean Region at the FECCEBEJA XII Regional Conference in El Salvador,held from February 27 to March 1, 2020 as he represented the JICA Alumni Association in Jamaica.

1 JICA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IN JAMAICA 2019

CONTENTSCONTENTSMESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT1.

During FY2019 the following activities wereundertaken by the JAAJ members:

• One (1) Annual General Meeting

• Four (4) Executive Board Meetings

• Participation in Institute of Jamaica’sSummer Program for students

• Environmental Projects for 2019 -International Coastal Clean-Up Dayand National Tree Planting Day

• Technology Transfer Seminar

• Jamaica/Japan Culture Festival

• Dinner Reception hosted by theJapanese Ambassador

• Participation in Japan Day

• Sending a delegate to FECCEBEJAConference in El Salvador

As we welcome recently returned participantsfrom JICA’s KCCP training in Japan duringFY2019, we urge you to join with us as weundertake even more activities during FY2020.The schedule of activities will be discussed atthe upcoming Annual General Meeting, towhich you are specially invited to attend duringMarch, 2020.

It is our goal to increase the membership of theJAAJ and to renew holding of the ChapterMeetings for the Western, Southern andEastern Chapters of Jamaica as we worktogether to strengthen the Association. Welook forward to hearing from all our membersand your suggestions to revive the Chapters,which currently are not as active as we strive toimplement projects within our communities.

With every good wish for another successfulyear of activities.

Mr. Lenroy James, PresidentJICA Alumni Association in JamaicaFY2019

Fellow Alumni,

Greetings from the Secretariat of the JICA Alumni Association inJamaica! During the 21st year of operations of the JAAJ, the ExecutiveBoard and members of the Association undertook a wide range ofactivities. These included involvement in programs, projects as well ascultural activities. On behalf of the Executive Board members, I nowexpress appreciation to all our members for your participation andsupport given to all our activities.

JICA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IN JAMAICA 2019 2

CONTENTSJICA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION2.


Annual General Meeting 2019

President Lenroy James, right with Vice-President DahliaHodelin, at centre and Treasurer Dilton Pike left after beingelected to serve on the Executive Board for FY2019.

President Lenroy James presented a cheque to a representative of“Men Who Care” as a donation to their worthy cause fromfunds raised at the Basil Dawkins Charity Play.

The JICA Alumni Association in Jamaica,JAAJ, is one of over one hundred Associationsworldwide and is comprised of formerparticipants of JICA’s Knowledge Co-CreationTraining Program in Japan. The JAAJ wasestablished in March 1998, with the support ofthe Embassy of Japan in Jamaica and JICAJamaica Office.

On March 9, 2019 the JAAJ held its 21st AnnualGeneral Meeting (herein after referred to asAGM) at the Knutsford Court Hotel in NewKingston. An Executive Board was elected,chaired by Mr. Lenroy James, President. TheJAAJ is one of the most vibrant JICA AlumniAssociations in our CARICOM region. At theAGM the members also discussed the activitiesto be implemented during FY2019.

During its 21st year, activities undertaken by themembers of the JAAJ with support from JICA’sFollow-Up Cooperation, included:

• An Annual General Meeting

• A Summer Program including JapaneseCulture for students at the Institute ofJamaica

• A Technology Transfer Seminar

• Environmental Projects - InternationalCoastal Clean Up Day activities at thePalisadoes Coastline in Kingston andTree Planting at schools in Kingston

• Culture Festival - celebrating Japaneseand Jamaican Culture

• Reception at the Japanese Ambassador’sResidence

• Participation in Japan Day Event

• FECCEBEJA Regional Conference inEl Salvador

CONTENTSCONTENTSMEMBERS PARTICIPATED IN JAAJ’s ANNUAL GENERALMEETING ON MARCH 9, 2019

3.


Mr. TOBITA Kenji, then Resident Representative of JICA Jamaica, third left and Mr. Dmitry Robertson, of the Ministryof Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, second left, joined in the official photo of the newly elected Executive Board Membersof the JICA Alumni Association of Jamaica Limited on the 9th March, 2019 at the Knutsford Court Hotel.

JAAJ’s Member, Ms. Jackie Bennett, expressed her opinion on theoperations of the JAAJ for FY2018 at the AGM and suggestedways to strengthen the membership of the Association.

JAAJ members diligently perused the Minutes of the last AGMand held fruitful discussions on the way forward to getting moremembers involved in the main activities of the Association.

CONTENTSJAAJ MEMBERS PAID A COURTESYCALL ON THE JAPANESEAMBASSADOR TO JAMAICA

4.


Mr. TAKANO Takeshi, third left, Resident Representative ofJICA Jamaica received a Courtesy Call by a few Members ofJAAJ’s Executive Board at JICA Jamaica’s New Kingston Office,Courtleigh Corporate Centre during June, 2019.

JICA’s Resident Representative, Mr TAKANO Takeshi, and thenProject Formulation Advisor, Ms. NIKI Aoba, listened attentivelyto the activities outlined to be undertaken by JAAJ’s PresidentLenroy James, other Executive Members and the three Chapters ofthe JAAJ during FY2019.

Second row standing: His Excellency YAMAZAKI Hiromasa,Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, second right; Mr. TAKANOTakeshi, Resident Representative of JICA Jamaica, left; Mrs. MarilynMcKoy, Vice-President of the JAAJ, second left and Ms. LornaWallace, Senior Program Officer, right. Seated front row are: Mr.Lenroy James, President of the JAAJ, Mr. Dilton Pike, Treasurer,centre and Mr. Adrian Stewart Assistant Secretary, right.

A few members of the Executive Board of theJICA Alumni Association in Jamaica, JAAJ, paid aCourtesy call on His Excellency YAMAZAKIHiromasa at the Embassy of Japan in Kingston onWednesday, 12th June, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.

Mr. Lenroy James, President, Mrs. MarilynMcKoy, Vice-President, Mr. Dilton Pike,Treasurer, and Mr. Adrian Stewart, Secretary wereaccompanied by Mr. TAKANO Takeshi,Resident Representative of JICA Jamaica and Ms.Lorna Wallace, Senior Program Officer.

His Excellency YAMAZAKI Hiromasa warmlywelcomed the JAAJ Executive Members, whoapprised him of the activities which were to beundertaken by its members during FY2019.

JAAJ’s EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS MET WITHJICA’s RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE

5.

CONTENTSCONTENTSWELCOME FUNCTION FOR RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVEAND COORDINATORS

6.


The JAAJ Members hosted a function to welcome Mr. TAKANO Takeshi, Resident Representative, second right, andMr. ITSUBO Toyoaki, incoming Volunteer Programme Coordinator, left front row, and to bid farewell to Mr.SATAKE Yasushi, outgoing Volunteer Programme Coordinator, centre, second row who has successfully completed hissecond tour of duty in Jamaica.

JICA’s Resident Representative Mr. TAKANO Takeshi, right,outgoing Coordinator, Mr SATAKE Yasushi, centre and incomingCoordinator, Mr. ITSUBO Toyoaki, left, enjoyed the warmreception hosted by JICA Alumni Executive Members at JICA’sNew Kingston Office before Mr. SATAKE’S return to Japan.

Mrs. Sharille Watson-Pink, Past President of the JAAJ andInformation Technology and Website/E-Commerce Manager atthe Jamaica Tourist Board presented souvenirs of Jamaica tooutgoing Coordinator, Mr. SATAKE Yasushi who completed hissecond assignment tenure in Jamaica.

SUMMER PROGRAM AT THE INSTITUTE OF JAMAICA7.


The Institute of Jamaica in collaboration withthe JICA Alumni Association in Jamaica, JAAJ,and the JICA Volunteers organized andimplemented the Summer Program at the EastStreet Junior Centre on July 9, 10 and 11, 2019.

Several students at the Institute of Jamaica wereexposed to Japanese history and culture. Theylearnt about the History of the Ninja and theShuriken Throw (Ninja blades) from JICAVolunteer, Ms. KOBAYASHI Azusa.

Ms. KOBAYASHI Azusa, JICA Volunteer, delivering a lecture onJapanese History in the Lecture Theatre at the Institute of Jamaicaduring the Summer Program for students at the Junior Centre.

Students at the Junior Centre were also involved in Craft Activitywith Ms. YAMAZOE Kazue.

Ms. YAMAZOE Kazue, and Mrs. TAKEYAMA of JICA,beautifully dressed in traditional Yukatas, speak to students of theJunior Centre in the Computer Room about various Japanese artforms such as Ikebana and also craft activity. Equipment in thisComputer Lab was donated by the Government of Japanthrough a Cultural Grant to the Institute of Jamaica.

Mr. KANEHAMA Akira, JICA Volunteer, held a session onJapanese Dance and gave a demonstration on the Bon Danceso that students could appreciate this art form at the JuniorCentre, Institute of Jamaica during July, 2019.

Students are enthralled by Japanese traditional combat techniqueof the Shuriken Throw (Ninja blades) to which they wereexposed by Ms. KOBAYASHI Azusa, JICA Volunteer.

CONTENTSENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS -NATIONAL TREE PLANTING DAY

8.

JAAJ members and Japan Exchange andTeaching Programme Alumni Association(JET AA) members interacted with somestudents of Dunoon Technical High School,before commencing the National TreePlanting Day’s activities at the school inEast Kingston. Students received tips onhow to protect the environment.

JAAJ members worked closely withJET AA on National Tree PlantingDay to implement this EnvironmentalProject with students of DunoonTechnical High School as they plantedover 80 trees for the project.


CONTENTSENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS -INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEAN-UPDAY ACTIVITIES (cont’d)


The JICA Team led by Mr. TAKANO Takeshi prepare forwork on JAAJ/JICA’s joint project at the Palisdoes Coastline.

JAAJ Members and JICA Volunteers at the Project Site as theycompleted their day's activities on International Coastal Clean-Up Day.

The International Coastal Clean-Up Day Projectwas implemented in September, 2019 at thePalisadoes Go Kart Track Coastline on theSouthern border of the Kingston Harbour, withthe JICA Volunteers, Jamaica Environment Trust,

Japan Exchange Teacher Programme (JET), theJAAJ members and members of JICA JamaicaOffice and numerous governmental, corporateand civil society groups. On that day the spirit ofvolunteerism was certainly alive and well.

Mr. TAKANO Takeshi, JICA’s Resident Representative, joined President Lenroy James and JICAVolunteers as they travelled together to the Project Site at Palisadoes Coastline to participate in InternationalCoastal Clean-Up Day activities.

CONTENTSCONTENTSTECHNOLOGY TRANSFER SEMINAR 9.

A Technology Transfer Seminar was held at theCourtleigh Hotel in New Kingston on the 30th

October, 2019. The Seminar was organized andimplemented by the JICA Alumni Association inJamaica, JAAJ. The Master of Ceremonies was Mr.Lenroy James, President of the JAAJ.

In attendance were Ms. Shorna-Kay Richards,Director, Bilateral Relations Department, Ministry ofForeign Affairs and Foreign Trade; Ms. PaulineMorrison, Director, Bilateral Unit, ExternalCooperation Management Division, The PlanningInstitute of Jamaica; Mrs. Donnette Carter, SeniorDirector, Scholarships & Assistance Unit andmembers of the Strategic Human ResourceManagement Division, Ministry of Finance and thePublic Service; Representatives of all Ministries,Departments and Agencies as well as otherstakeholders and members of the JAAJ.

Representatives of the Japan InternationalCooperation Agency included Mr. TAKANOTakeshi, Resident Representative, Mr. BUTSUENKunihiro, Project Formulation Advisor and Ms.OCHIAI Sachiko, Volunteer Programme Coordinatoras well as JICA Volunteers and the National Staff.

Greetings and remarks were brought byrepresentatives of the Ministries, Departments andAgencies and former participants presented theirAction Plans and Progress Reports at the Seminar.

Presentations were made by: Mr. Uton Tobin,Standard Engineer Specialist of the Jamaica PublicService Company Ltd.; Mr. Jumaane Robinson,Urban Planner at St. Thomas MunicipalCorporation; Mr. Dwight Lewis, Head of Section,HEART Trust/NTA, National Tools Engineering:Mrs. Yvette Gray Pinnock and Ms. Donasha Biggs ofthe National Solid Waste Management Authority; Mr.Edson Carr, Project Manager of NSWMA; Mr.Andrew Samuels of Ministry of Education.


Ms. Shorna-Kay Richards, Director, Bilateral RelationsDepartment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, broughtgreetings at the Opening Ceremony of the Technology TransferSeminar held at the Courtleigh Hotel on the 30th October, 2019.

Participants of JICA’s Knowledge Co-Creation Programme inJapan as well as officers of Ministries, Departments and Agencies,JICA Jamaica Officials, listened intently to the Action Planspresented by their colleagues who returned from Japan duringFY2019.

CONTENTSJAMAICA/JAPAN CULTURE FESTIVAL10.


On November 16, 2019, the JAAJ in collaborationwith JICA Jamaica Office and the Embassy ofJapan, hosted the Jamaica/Japan Culture Day at theGirl Guides Association's Headquarters onWaterloo Road in Kingston. The venue was filledwith booth displays, showcasing Jamaican Cultureand Japanese Culture including art forms such asorigami and calligraphy.

The programme of events commenced with JAAJ’sPresident Mr. Lenroy James, delivering a shortwelcome to all in attendance. On the evening’sagenda were greetings from the Ambassador ofJapan to Jamaica, His Excellency YAMAZAKIHiromasa, JICA Jamaica’s Resident Representative,Mr. TAKANO Takeshi, and Mr. Vivian Crawford,Executive Director of the Institute of Jamaica.

Cultural Items were performed by theWestmoreland/Tottori Partnership Group, whichshowed a video loop of the partnership’sachievements and goals of the Parish ofWestmoreland, Jamaica and the Tottori Prefecturein Japan. Students from the Institute of Jamaica’sJunior Centre performed a dance, entitled “Erupt”,which was choreographed by Miss Je’Andra Davis-

Marcellin. The dance was followed by studentsfrom the University of the West Indies’ JapaneseClub performing a Japanese dance. The activitiesthen continued with Institute of Jamaica’s DrumCorps - Afro Caribe - with rhythmic soundsarranged by Mr. Milton Bonner. JICA’s Volunteer,Ms. NAGAMURA Natsumi, delivered a culturalitem. The audience of approximately one hundredand twenty (120) persons was asked to learnJapanese Bon Dance, which was very entertainingand well received. The program ended by Mrs.Dahlia Dwyer - Hodelin, Vice-President of theJAAJ, moving the Vote of Thanks.

The JAAJ takes this opportunity to thank the JICAJamaica office, JICA Volunteer ProgrammeCoordinators and Volunteers, the Embassy of Japanin Jamaica, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs andForeign Trade, along with all the participants andguests, who made the event a success. The JAAJwill be commited to highlight the importance ofcontinuing to build the cultural linkages betweenJamaica and Japan. The JAAJ reaffirms itsdedication to working closely with our Japanesefriends and partners to achieve these mutuallybeneficial goals.

Students of the Japan Club at the University of the West Indies performed the Bon Dance at the Culture Festival held at the GirlGuides Association Headquarters on Waterloo Road in Kingston.

CONTENTSCONTENTSJICA PARTICIPANTS OF KNOWLEDGE CO-CREATIONPROGRAMMES FY2019

11.


Mrs. Dion Hylton-Lewis, Parish Disaster Coordinator, TrelawnyMunicipal Corporation, Jamaica presented her Action Plan at theKnowledge Co-Creation Programme “Comprehensive DisasterRisk Reduction in Small Islands” held from the 04th of Novemberto the 18th of December 2019 at Kochi University in Japan.

Mrs. Dion Hylton-Lewis, participant from Jamaica (center) in AkiCountry, Kochi Prefecture, at the field observation site at NahariRiver where a check dam (in the background of the picture) wasconstructed under the Emergency Soil Corrosion Control Project.

Mrs. Dion Hylton-Lewis with participant from Micronesiaexperiencing the reproduced shake of aftershock using the EarthquakeGeneration System at the Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park. ThePark is a Disaster Prevention Experience Leaning Facility that is usedas the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) during and after a disaster.

Mrs. Dion Hylton-Lewis explained her problem tree analysis withher colleagues from Papua New Guinea and the Kingdom of Tongaat the “Reviewing and Deepening of the Problem AnalysisWorkshop” in Miyako, Okinawa Prefecture.

Comprehensive Disaster Risk Reduction in Small Islands Trainingat JICA Shikoku Centre and Kochi University

CONTENTSJICA PARTICIPANTS OF KNOWLEDGECO-CREATION PROGRAMMES (cont’d)


In tandem with Japan’s Development Cooperation Charter, JICAfocuses on Sustainable Development Goals, as its mission is “toachieve Human Security and Quality Growth”. Mr. JumaaneRobinson, JICA participant from Jamaica poses by the display boothhighlighting SDGs at a JICA International Centre in Japan.

Mr. Jumaane Robinson, Director of Planning at the St. ThomasMunicipal Corporation, presented his Country Report in Japan as heparticipated in the “Disaster Risk Reduction of Buildings (againstEarthquake, Tsunami and Fire)” in Osaka during FY2019. On hisreturn to Jamaica, Mr. Robinson played a major role at the TechnologyTransfer Seminar in Kingston, which was organized by the JAAJ onOctober 30, 2019 at the Courtleigh Hotel in New Kingston.

Mr. De Yen Smith, extreme left, JICA’s participant from Jamaica,seen during training exercises comprised of drills, fire fightingtechniques and disaster prevention activities in Fukuoka Prefectureduring September, 2019.

Mr. WATANABE Katsuhiro, Counsellor, right, Fire and DisasterManagement Agency, Ministry of Internal Affairs andCommunication, Japan presented Mr. De Yen Smith of JamaicaFire Brigade with his Certificate. The training was implemented inKitakyushu-City, Fukuoka Prefecture.

CONTENTSCONTENTSJICA PARTICIPANTS OF KNOWLEDGE CO-CREATIONPROGRAMMES FY2019 (cont’d)


Mr. Ian K. Jones, Senior Fisheries Officer, National Fisheries Authority, Jamaica presented his Country Report at the KnowledgeCo-Creation Programme “Value-Chain Development for Sustainable Use of Fisheries Resources” held from 18th August to 22nd

September, 2019 in Sapporo, Japan. The Implementing partner was Faculty of Fisheries of Hokkaido University.

Mr. Ian Jones joins in discussions on Fisheries Resource Management with hiscolleagues from Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka,Tanzania and Vietnam on his training program in Hokkaido.

Fisheries Training at the Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido Universityand JICA Hokkaido Centre

Mr. Ian K. Jones, participant from Jamaica inHokkaido, as he did practical training in “Value-ChainDevelopment for Sustainable Use of FisheriesResources”, for deep sea fishing in Hokkaido, Japan.

CONTENTSREPORT OF THE 12th REGIONALCONFERENCE OF JICA ALUMNIASSOCIATIONS OF CENTRAL AMERICAAND THE CARIBBEAN

12.


Delegates at the FECCEBEJA XII, the 12th

Regional Conference of JICA AlumniAssociations for Central America and theCaribbean, which was held in San Salvadorfrom February 27 to March 1, 2020, took aserious look at some of the challenges facingthe various associations regionally. Chiefamong the challenges are membershipengagement and membership retention. As abody, FECCEBEJA will continue to providethe framework where member associationscan share transferrable ideas within the region.

Each member association has a duty to mapand be aware of the needs of its membership.Therefore new approaches to membershipengagement and retention must be exploredimmediately. The JICA Alumni Association inJamaica, JAAJ, as a member of FECCEBEJAagrees with this position, and has recommitted

to lending its support towards the realizationof this goal.

Each country faces unique challenges.However, some of those challenges areuniversal and a single unified approach canhave far reaching benefits. It is nowimmensely clear that targeted small actions onan individual level, when combined as a groupact, can have tremendous reach and successes.

Arising from this conference in El Salvador,two member associations have been invited toattend the next Technology TransferWorkshop and deliver presentations that willafford the JAAJ membership opportunities toreceive and transfer scalable innovations acrossborders, with the ultimate goal of buildingstrong associations that will be the basis of astrong FECCEBEJA.

FECCEBEJA Conference February 27, 2020 to March 01, 2020in San Salvador, El Salvador.

FECCEBEJA dinner with the Japanese Ambassador to ElSalvador, His Excellency HIGUCHI Kazuyoshi.

JICA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IN JAMAICAc/o JICA Jamaica Office

Courtleigh Corporate Centre, 6 St. Lucia Avenue, Kingston 5, Jamaica, W.I.Tel: (876) 929-4069 • Fax: (876) 929-4027

Email: [email protected] • Website: www.jicaalumniassociationjamaica.webs.comjicaalumniassociationjamaica.jaaj

vol 1. no. xxii jica alumni association in …...vol 1. no. xxii his excellency yamazaki hiromasa,...

Documents