Volunteers from Japan and Indonesia Gain a Newfound Passion for Service through the East Asia Young Leader Exchange

Eric Olsen
November 22, 2013

Participants of the East Asia Young Leader Exchange program engage in cultural activities and form bonds of friendship.

“This was the most amazing and meaningful program I have ever participated in,” said Tokuda Masaaki, a Japanese youth participating in the recent East Asia Young Leader Exchange Program (EAYLE) run by the Global Peace Foundation Japan and Global Peace Youth Corps Indonesia. Global Peace Foundation and Global Peace Youth Corps are both founded under the leadership of Dr. Hyun Jin Moon.

The eight-day program from September 22 to September 29 brought Japanese youth to Indonesia to exchange ideas and have experiential learning through community service, cultural exchange, and interfaith cooperation.

Focusing on the program’s theme “Living for the Greater Good,” participants engaged in service-orientated activities such as assisting orphanages, nursing homes and ecological conservation programs.

Service puts the values formed in the family and community into practice in the wider society. It is a catalyst for personal transformation, fostering young leaders of character who can become agents of social transformation. Service between differing countries and cultures develops awareness of and a sense of responsibility for the world, forming bonds of heart that transcend historic differences.

Service Programs

All-Lights Village Project — participants interacted with families in rural Cisarua Village, Purwakarta and gave 20 solar powered LED lights and 2 street lamps.

Orphanage and Nursing Home Visit — volunteers and orphans danced, sang, made a dream tree, and had sport competitions together. The Japanese, touched by the experience, cried when the orphans sang a Japanese song. Orphans and volunteers then went to the nursing home and all did activities together.

Peace Walk for Bandung Compassion City — program participants and partners engaged in a peace walk and spread the message of compassion to everyone they met. They encouraged people to take action through the Power of Rupiah—GPF program that collects donations for peace books for elementary school students. 

Dream Bus Sports Program — volunteers and elementary school students played soccer, jump rope and Indonesian traditional games together. 

Ecological Conservation Project — participants planted mangroves and released turtles back into their natural habitat. Mangroves helps conserve the habitat of the Pramuka Island water. 

Left to right: Participants engage with AllLights Village project, GPF Japan Director Mr. Aya Goto plants a mangrove and participants and orphans sing songs together.

 

“The content of this program was incredible, especially visiting the orphanage and nursing home. I learned so much from my Indonesian friends, and I gained a truly priceless experience”  — Japanese participant Sungin Kim 


The EAYLE was clearly transformative as participants recognized that GPF’s vision of “One Family under God” is beautiful and achievable. The hope is for participants to continue to pursue this vision as young peace leaders in their nations.

“It brought many new experiences to me and every day was filled with hundreds of unforgettable moments. I am very happy to be here with my brothers and sisters, as ‘One Family under God’,” continued Japanese participant Tokuda Masaaki.

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