Grant Projects: Activities

Three of adopted projects for Asian Neighbors Network program for fiscal year 2008, in the area of "movements of people", evolve in succession.

1. On 6th June, Ms. Naoko Hashimoto from International Organization for Migration (IOM) and her colleagues held a nationwide conference over Japanese - Filipino children (JFC) - children who were furthered by Japanese and whose mothers were Filipino - in Manila, Philippine. The conference was a part of the Ms. Hashimoto's project, under the Toyota Foundation's Asian Neighbor's Network program in 2008 (grant number D08-N-155), which has sought to uplift the lives of JFC. The theme of its discussion was to examine how different sectors including government, NGO and business can cooperate more effectively in addressing the issue of JFC and in promoting their rights. 120 of people in total participated and the exchange of views among speakers got high attention from the audiences.

Details are on the website of IOM Japan office

2. On 13th June, Mr. Ho Teag Lee held an international symposium in Tamachi, Tokyo as a part of his project “Building an Asian Network of Refugee Organizations: Cooperation of Civil Society to Improve the Refugee Protection System in Japan and South Korea" which the Foundation has also supported in 2008 (grant number D08-N-178). The symposium, titled “International Symposium on Refugee Protection in the New Era and Civil Society - NGO Perspectives from Seven Countries / Region in Asia and the Pacific” was hosted by Japan Association for Refuges (JAR). The people in various standpoints including NGO, government, UN and refugees exchanged their opinions vigorously, and the symposium ended with fruitful results.

Details are on the website of JAR

3. Moreover, Mr. Hwang Pill Kyu, a lawyer from South Korea, was also invited to the symposium mentioned above as a keynote speaker. He is conducting a project titled “Establishing a Model for Connecting Networks of Human Rights Lawyers in Asia: Addressing Systematic Human Rights Issues Concerning Emigration Processes from the Philippines to the Republic of Korea and Japan” (grant number D08-N-060). He also reported the progress of project to our foundation staff and exchanged views on 12th June, before attending the symposium (photo). Mr. Hwang reported that he is so busy everyday that the progress of the project has slight delay. Trough the discussion with program officers, we could share our thoughts each other on the project and the program.

Website of the NGO Mr. Hwang belongs


Eight months have already passed since the start of the projects for fiscal year 2008. It seems that they have fair progress respectively. The area of movements of people has close relation with the system of each country. All of three projects successfully involve various actors and make good trend in each county and society.
The members of three projects are exchanging information mutually, and we expect each project will have successful results, and also will have synergetic effects through their mutual cooperation.