Ship for World Youth
Encyclopedia
The Ship for World Youth (SWY) is a unique international cultural exchange program organised by the Government of Japan
. SWY brings together over 250 youth from around the world to learn about international cooperation and understanding. Over a two-month period, participants are involved in a wide range of activities aimed at fostering cultural sensitivity, understanding and friendship.
Over 6000 people from 63 countries have participated throughout the years. In January 2012, SWY will count its 24nd program.
. Initially, JYGC had 300 Japanese Participating Youths (JPYs) and 50 Overseas Participating Youths (OPYs). However, when it was changed into SWY, the number of participants changed to approximately 120 JPYs and 150 OPYs. Due to this drastic change in the ratio of the participants (PYs), the ship Nippon Maru now looks like a multicultural microcosm. Living together with PYs from different countries on board the ship for 50 days, participants engage in discussions and lectures by specialists as well as arrange various events such as national presentation and club activities. SWY visits eastbound regions (Oceania, North, Central and South American regions) and westbound regions (Southwest Asian, African, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions) countries every other year.
, Mexico
(1995, 1997, 1999), twice in Dubai
, United Arab Emirates
(1996, 2010), twice in Muscat
, Oman
(1998, 2008), once in Cape Town
, South Africa
(1999), and once in Auckland
, New Zealand
(2000).
, Australia
, Bahrain
, Egypt
, Ecuador
, Greece
, India
, Sri Lanka
, Kenya
, Oman
, United Arab Emirates
and Yemen
.
The program began in Japan
, preparing all the participants for the departure. The ship departed from Yokohama
and went to Singapore
then Dubai
, United Arab Emirates
as a Port of Call, Chennai
, India
also as a Port of Call, Singapore
again and Naha, Japan
.
Second, your age must be 18 to 30.
Third, the participants should be able to communicate well in English, and also be able to participate throughout the program.
There are other criteria, but above three points are necessary.
After the Japanese Government has selected the participating countries, the invitation letter will go to each government through the Japanese Embassy in your country. Therefore, probably the best thing is to get in touch with the ministry which is in charge of the youth affairs in your country or the Japanese Embassy to find out if your country is participating or not and to receive information about how to apply for it.
Indian government selects the participants only from Nehru Yuva Kendra and National Service Scheme and strictly does not entertain any applications from outside these organizations, and hence the information about the application process is not published on the website and is directly sent to the above listed organizations. Though these are not the written rules, but are told over phone by the Ministry of Youth Affairs, New Delhi, India.
Government of Japan
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected...
. SWY brings together over 250 youth from around the world to learn about international cooperation and understanding. Over a two-month period, participants are involved in a wide range of activities aimed at fostering cultural sensitivity, understanding and friendship.
Over 6000 people from 63 countries have participated throughout the years. In January 2012, SWY will count its 24nd program.
History
This program started in 1989 by reorganizing the "Japanese Goodwill Mission Cruise Program (JYGC)" which started in 1967 as one of the commemorative programs for the Centennial of the Meiji RestorationMeiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
. Initially, JYGC had 300 Japanese Participating Youths (JPYs) and 50 Overseas Participating Youths (OPYs). However, when it was changed into SWY, the number of participants changed to approximately 120 JPYs and 150 OPYs. Due to this drastic change in the ratio of the participants (PYs), the ship Nippon Maru now looks like a multicultural microcosm. Living together with PYs from different countries on board the ship for 50 days, participants engage in discussions and lectures by specialists as well as arrange various events such as national presentation and club activities. SWY visits eastbound regions (Oceania, North, Central and South American regions) and westbound regions (Southwest Asian, African, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions) countries every other year.
Alumni Association
Aiming at keeping up the spirits cherished during SWY, PYs of the SWY 7th Program and the alumni ex-participants (ex-PYs) from SWY 1st Program to 6th Program joined together for the first SWY International Reunion and agreed to establish Ship for World Youth Alumni Association (SWYAA). In the following year when SWY took a westbound course, PYs of the SWY 8th Program also agreed to establish an SWYAA in cooperation with other alumni ex-PYs. The basic structure of the Alumni Association consists of one representative (Key Person) and two sub-representatives (Assistant Key Persons). Its main activities are the management of the member list, the arrangement of local alumni activities, and support for its new members. In 1999, the SWYAA members agreed to add two E-mail Receivers to the board as members in each alumni association. The E-mail Receivers will be registered in the SWYAA-council mailing list and will receive and distribute information through their countries' respective e-mail lists. As of September 2000, SWYAA certified the foundation of 40 AAs in countries of both the east and west regions.SWYAA International Reunion
SWYAA International Reunion was first held in 1995 on board the Nippon Maru in Acapulco, Mexico. The Japanese government invited ex-PYs on board to attend the meeting for two days. During the gathering, the ex-PYs exchanged the ideas about their activities in their own countries and their future visions for the SWY. Altogether, the International Reunions have been held three times in AcapulcoAcapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(1995, 1997, 1999), twice in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
(1996, 2010), twice in Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
(1998, 2008), once in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
(1999), and once in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(2000).
Global Assemblies
- 1st Global Assembly (2007) AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Extended programs: CorfuCorfuCorfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, MykonosMykonosMykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also...
. - 2nd Global Assembly (2008) TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Extended program: Sailing on Nippon Manu - 3rd Global Assembly (2009) AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Extended program: - 4th Global Assembly (2010) CairoCairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Extended program: Sailing on Nile river AswanAswanAswan , formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate.It stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist centre...
to LuxorLuxorLuxor is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 , with an area of approximately . As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum", as the ruins of the temple... - 5th Global Assembly (28/9-2/10/2011) MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Extended program: TBA
SWYAA Tokyo Conference
This is a meeting in which the Japanese government invites representatives of SWYAA of the participating countries from eastbound and westbound courses in alternating years. At this time, the representatives discuss the current and future activities of SWYAA. As the SWY program also starts during this meeting time, the representatives have a chance to meet with the National Leaders and present to them the international network of the SWYAA, in which the participants will join after the program on the ship.Agreement
The Agreement establishes purposes, activities, and structures of SWYAAs, based on which every AA follows when developing its activities. During the first SWYAA Tokyo Conference in 1996, the representatives created and adopted a resolution called the Agreement for the eastbound countries. At the second SWYAA Tokyo Conference in 1997, representatives agreed upon the Agreement as well for the westbound countries. Subsequently, these eastbound and westbound country meetings became a biannual event.SWY News
This annual newsletter of SWY is distributed to all the ex-PYs once a year. The contents of the newsletter are the activities of the AAs in respective countries, news from the ex-PYs, and other articles related to the SWY. The year 2001 marked the 8th publication of SWY News.SWY Directory
Member lists of those who participated in previous SWY programs are revised and published annually, and distributed to all the ex-PYs. The name, address, telephone number, fax number, e-mail address, and interest group of all ex-PYs are included.Last Sailing
Last program began on January 12, 2010 and ended on March 5, 2010 The participating countries were JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
and Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
.
The program began in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, preparing all the participants for the departure. The ship departed from Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
and went to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
then Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
as a Port of Call, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
also as a Port of Call, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
again and Naha, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Selection Criteria
First, the most important thing is that you must have a citizenship of one the participating countries of the year (participating countries differ every year). There are more than 60 countries that have been invited to participate in SWY programs, but only around 12 countries are selected by the Japanese government to join the program each year.Second, your age must be 18 to 30.
Third, the participants should be able to communicate well in English, and also be able to participate throughout the program.
There are other criteria, but above three points are necessary.
After the Japanese Government has selected the participating countries, the invitation letter will go to each government through the Japanese Embassy in your country. Therefore, probably the best thing is to get in touch with the ministry which is in charge of the youth affairs in your country or the Japanese Embassy to find out if your country is participating or not and to receive information about how to apply for it.
Indian government selects the participants only from Nehru Yuva Kendra and National Service Scheme and strictly does not entertain any applications from outside these organizations, and hence the information about the application process is not published on the website and is directly sent to the above listed organizations. Though these are not the written rules, but are told over phone by the Ministry of Youth Affairs, New Delhi, India.
External links
- http://www.swyaa.org/
- http://www.iyeo.or.jp/
- http://www.swyemen.com/
- http://www.swyturkey.org
- http://www.swycostarica.org
- http://www.swyaustralia.org
- http://www.swycanada.org
- http://www.swyusa.org
- http://www.swy21peru.blogspot.com
- http://www.swyaa-spain.org
- http://www.swynz.org.nz
- http://www.swyaavenezuela.org
- http://www.swyaabahrain.org
- http://www.swygreece.gr - Ship for World Youth Alumni Association Greece
- http://swysweden.org/ - Ship for World Youth Alumni Association Sweden
- http://swymauritius.webs.com/
- http://www.wawawa.co.uk/ - UK Ship For World Youth