jalt36

AKITA JALT meetings in 2005
picture album page 6 of 2005

September

"We have visited the following NGOs and institutions in ChiangMai, Thailand: They're 1) Ban Rom Sai; 2) Baan Sabaay; 3) TYAP; 4) New Life Center; 5) EMPOWER; 6) Mr. Stan Zankel; 7) Heinrich Boll Foundation; 8) Plant; 9) MAP; 10) Earth Rights International; 11) The Free Burma Ranger; 12) ChianMai Orphanage Foundation; 13) Muang Kum Child Centre. It is fortunate that we've studied English hard at AIU for the past one and a half years and our English skill helped us a lot when communicating with people in Thailand. The AIU's multi-cultural environment was also a great help understanding their different culture, we believe...."

"EMPOWER hopes prostitution becomes not illegal If the government won't arrest the prostitutes, they can get more chance to study about HIV/AIDS so that they can have safer sex....."

Club members just after their presentation

AIU Travel Service Club members who participated in the presentation: Aya Watanabe (leader), Ayano Wakita (sub-leader), Kanako Yada, Atsuko Takahashi, Nagisa Kikuta, Yoko Tashiro, Eriko Akasaka, Rio Suzuki, Yoriko Sakusabe, Yukie Hirokawa, Kenji Nakamura They are all sophomores. (There are other freshman members in the club.)

Guest speaker: AIU Travel Service Club members
Date: Saturday, September 10th, 2005
Title: AIU Travel Service Club Research Trip to Thailand
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Place: AIU (Akita International University)
Room: D-201, the second floor room in the AIU library

24 people (including 9 presenters) attended the meeting.

Chapter Report
(to be printed in The Language Teacher)
Guest speaker: AIU Travel Service Club members

Akita: September-- AIU Travel Service Club Research Trip to Thailand by Aya Watanabe and 7 other members of the AIU Travel/Service Club. The members, all AIU first year students went to Thailand for two weeks during the March break of this year. Before going they met regularly to read and discuss NGOs in Thailand, Thai culture, and travel precautions with the assistance of AIU professors, John Spiri, Mark Cunningham and Tom Blair. The group then went to Thailand and, after doing volunteer work for several days, listened to talks given by representatives of various NGOs. The students also organized a charity concert to raise money which they donated to some of the NGOs under the leadership of Brad Blackstone.

At the September meeting the students took turns reporting (using a power point presentation) on various aspects of the preparation for, the actual trip, and the lessons learned. Altogether they visited eleven NGOs. Three were involved in HIV/AIDS work; two were specifically involved in helping sex workers; three were helping tribal groups; and two were dealing with child welfare. They gave interesting reports on each of these groups. The most interesting for them was the NGO EMPOWER which is fighting to legalize prostitution in Thailand in order to prevent discrimination of prostitutes, give prostitutes higher status, and to prevent the spread of AIDS.

The students reported that they now really understand the importance of English for communicating internationally as a result of this trip. They came back more motivated to improve their already good English so that they can achieve their dreams of making the world a better place for all to live.

Reported by Jarrett Dave, Ragan Jr.

more pictures
go to picture page 7 of 2005 JALT photo album 37

go to pictures of the meetings in 2005
go to pictures of the meetings in 2004
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go to pictures of the meetings in 2001
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