The Kansai NPO Alliance is comprised of the broadest network of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in the Kansai area, a region in Japan with a population of roughly 20 million, which consists of 6 prefectures (Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Nara, Shiga, and Wakayama). The Alliance links NPOs, administrative agencies, corporations, educational institutions, and international organizations, and facilitates their collaborative work in promoting cross-cultural exchange and international development.
The Kansai NPO Alliance was founded in December 1984 on the initiative of 72 NPOs, and over the years it has grown to a network of over 100 members. In December 2001, the Kansai NPO Alliance was officially registered as a specified nonprofit corporation by the Osaka prefectural government.
The Kansai NPO Alliance aims to foster the growth of a dynamic and participatory civil society and to work towards solving both global and local issues related to peace, human rights, poverty, and the environment.
To achieve its aims, the Kansai NPO Alliance:
- Facilitates relationships between alliance members and other bodies;
- Assists NPOs with capacity-building; and
- Operates as a think tank, conducting research on critical issues and advocating solutions.
- Building networks among NPOs
- The Alliance organizes a wide array of seminars targeted at NPOs involved in promoting cross-cultural exchange and international development. These seminars are designed to engage participants on a diverse range of topics, such as multiculturalism and the issues faced by foreign residents living in Japan, development education, and Japanese language education for non-Japanese speaking residents.
- Facilitating cooperation among NPOs, governments, companies and educational institutions
- The Alliance organizes the “One World Festival,” which is one of the largest annual events that focuses on cross-cultural exchange and international cooperation in Japan. The festival provides participants with an opportunity to learn more about, as well as to get actively involved in nonprofit activities and civic action.
- In the past, the Alliance has also
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-Planned and implemented the “Volunteer Japanese Language Teacher Program” in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
-Assisted Japanese returnees and the children of foreign nationals living in Japan with their schooling in collaboration with the individual boards of education for local governments in Osaka.
-Organized the “U.S.-Japan NPO Dialogue,” in collaboration with the Consulate General of the United States of America, to promote interaction and mutual understanding between American and Japanese NPOs, and to further explore the role of NPOs in developing a truly participatory civil society. - Implementing educational activities to raise public awareness of social issues and to promote participation in NPO activities
- Conducting seminars targeted at educators and the general public, in order to instill participants with an international perspective of the world and a heightened awareness of global issues.
- Developing a sustainable social infrastructure for NPOs and their activities
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Operating pia NPO, an NPO Center that acts as a hub for civic activity in the Kansai area.
-Conducting seminars geared toward NPOs on human resource development, fundraising, and public relations.
-Providing guidance for individuals seeking a career in the NPO sector.
-Providing training for Japanese language teachers. - Conducting research on NPOs and cross-cultural exchange
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Research topics include:
-NPOs in the Kansai area that are involved in the field of cross-cultural exchange and international cooperation
-Staff training for NPOs
-Human resources and finance for NPOs involved in the field of promoting cross-cultural exchange
-Cooperation between NPOs and the government
