Posted on November 13, 2015
Japan NPO Center (JNPOC) which runs IT support program for nonprofits (TechSoup Japan) hosted the 5th annual TechSoup Asia-Pacific (APAC) partners meeting, which gathered more than 20 delegates from 12 countries across the APAC region and the US.
The meeting was held at Microsoft Japan on October 28th and 29th, followed by a public event in the afternoon of the 29th with the help of Japanese ICT-related corporations and nonprofits, and site visit to two organizations on the following day.
The partners meeting focused on promoting exchange among delegates and covered items including:
After the partners meeting, JNPOC invited the TechSoup APAC delegates to attend a JNPOC’s public event “IT Power for Nonprofit Power.” This public event, together with nonprofits supporting or actively using ICT as well as ICT corporations, brought together 15 speakers to present and discuss new ideas and solutions on how to leverage technology for social good, focusing on the interaction of ICT and the wider community/NGO sector.
JNPOC’s Executive Director Katsuji Imata making keynote speech
Ishinomaki Future Support Association’s Seiji Nakagawa showing disaster/tsunami prevention APP
PROGRAM
time | content | speaker |
13:30 | Opening | -Eriko Nitta (JNPOC) -Rebecca Masisak (TechSoup) |
13:40 | Keynote speech I | “Why” and “what” of collaboration of civil society in Asia?” -Katsuji Imata (JNPOC) |
14:10 | Keynote speech II | Brief introduction of TechSoup/Asia & Technology trends in Asia & Asian NGO sector -Simon Gee (TechSoup) |
14:30 | Session: disaster recovery assistance x ICT |
Sharing IT assistance cases in immediate response/disaster recovery and lessons to be shared for the future disaster
Coordinator: Junichi Kano (@Rias Support Center) |
15:15 | Break | Coffee break / Flier session |
15:35 | Relay talk: Discussion in a relay Civil Society x ICT |
Use of ICT for mature and developing civil society + for collaboration of NGOs and corporations
Coordinators: Makiko Takeda (Kochi Council of Social Welfare) & Kazutaka Sakaguchi (JNPOC) Relay A: “INVOLVEMENT” – Strategic involvement of active people Relay B: “BROADENING” – Increasing citizens who can think of social issues of their own Relay C: “CREATION/CHANGE” – Creating new value/changing system by collaborating with other sectors ALL: To make IT power into people power |
TechSoup CEO Rebecca Masisak asking question to the “Relay talk” presenters
On the last day, the delegates visited Yokohama Community Design Lab, a local nonprofit in Yokohama doing various kinds of innovative work utilizing technology and media. In the afternoon the delegates headed back to Tokyo to visit Google Japan headquarters at which they had the tour of Google office, including YouTube Space Tokyo.
Yokohama Community Design Lab’s representative Mr. Hiroki Sugiura talks about their activities
Mr. Tai Ishikawa showing Google office