JPRN’s Project History

NPO Empowerment Project (Since 1992)

History

The non-profit sector has increased in importance as a new factor for public interests during the last quarter of the 20th century worldwide.  In response to the increased interests among the Japanese society in charity and voluntary activities, we became a support organization for NPOs in the United States while we began introducing the US nonprofit civic movement to Japan.  Since then, we have been involved in many projects to achieve our principal goal of promoting nonprofit activities in both countries.  In the mid 1990's, we launched Japan-US NPO projects, in collaboration with the NPO Support Center in Tokyo, Japan, to enhance the Japan-US relationship and nonprofit exchanges and networking between the two countries.

Leadership Training

We offer a nonprofit internship training for students and others who are interested in non-profit organizations.  Although we intended to accept all interns to our organization at first, our internship training program has grown so big that we now send many interns to our partner organizations.   In addition to an individual internship program, we organized a group training program to better serve the needs for team-building projects.  Between fall 2001 and summer 2002, we carried out "San Francisco Internship Program", a series of four sessions of two-month period in relay at five different NPOs in San Francisco Bay Area.  (Participating interns were all from Japan.) We have offered the "Hands-on NPO Management Seminar in the US" for those who are already experienced in NPOs in Japan. In 2000, we launched the "The NPO Experience Program" for those who are new to but  interested in getting their hands on NPOs. This ongoing program offers Japanese volunteers an opportunity to experience first hand the efforts of various organizations to tackle some of the difficulties that crop up in an environment as culturally and ethnically diverse as the Bay Area. There is an edgier side to America that the younger generation in Japan doesn't have an opportunity to see, and our program gives them such an opportunity. We offer this program several times throughout the spring and summer. Moreover, we invite NPO leaders and scholars in the US to Japan to hold forums and seminars on social issues and related topics.

Study Tours

We offer a week-long study tour for scholars, researchers and those who have been actively involved in NPOs in Japan.  For example, what we offered most recently include a study tour to social service organizations, youth organizations and environmental organizations as well as Management Support Organizations (MSO), which was co-sponsored by Nagano prefecture government NPO Support Center. We also organized a series of educational tours to learn about the community-based senior services in relation to the long-term care insurance system in Japan. These study tours consist of a number of segments, such as participating in a seminar on NPOs, visiting NPOs and facilities, volunteer experiencing, etc.

Research

We research various aspects of US NPOs, such as regulation, structure, operation and management, and partnership with businesses and government agencies; print monographs as JPRN publications and publish research articles and dissertations to newspapers and journals.  As part of the research project, we published bimonthly journals "GAIN: Journal of America's Grass-roots Civic Movement", between 1993 and 1997.

Human Rights Project (Since 1988)

History

JPRN was established in 1985 as an extension of JIEN (Japanese Immigrant Educational Network), which was formed in 1982 with the goal of promoting human rights and establishing a network of Japanese immigrants who lived abroad after the World War II.  JPRN had worked on many projects that promote and protest human rights of the underserved, such as immigrants, ethnic minorities, women, and the disabled in both Japan and the US.

Leadership Training

Through our internship and volunteer program tailored to fit the needs of students and those who are interested in NPOs, JPRN offers opportunities for getting involved in human rights activities in both Japan and the US in order to develop future NPO staff.  We also organize seminars and forums both in Japan and the US to establish a network among human rights activists and leaders from both countries. 

Study Tours

We offer a week-long study tour for scholars, researchers and long-time human rights activists in Japan.  We have conducted a study tour, “Community Development with Emphasis on Human Rights in Japan and the US”, which was co-sponsored by International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR).  These study tours usually consist of participation to human rights seminars, and visits to human rights groups, government agencies and business entities making progress on human rights issues.

Research

Our research on human rights in the US focuses on federal laws and the actual situation, human rights groups and business corporations working towards solutions, and the government measures.  We publish research monographs on the subject as part of our publication, and also contribute our reports to newspapers and journals.     

Corporate Philanthoropy Projects (Since 1988)

History

During the late 1980’s, many Japanese companies expanded their operations overseas in the US, however, they were criticized by local communities for the lack of local involvement and contribution.  In response to the growth of such social conflicts between Japanese companies in the US and local communities, JPRN initiated the “Civil Rights and Japanese Corporate Communities” project, and we initiated in corporate philanthropy movement, enlightening both Japanese companies and local communities through our research, and making a policy proposal on corporate social responsibility.  In the late 1990’s, we conducted a wide variety of research and educational projects to evaluate Japanese banks in the US and their contributions to local communities, enforcing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). 

Leadership Training

Through our internship program tailored to fit the needs of students and others who are interested in corporate philanthropy, JPRN offers opportunities for getting involved in corporate philanthropy activities to develop NPO staff and activists.  We also organize seminars and forums both in Japan and the US to establish a network among corporate philanthropists and leaders from both countries. 

Study Tours

We offer a week-long study tour for scholars, researchers and long-time activists of corporate philanthropy in Japan.  For example, we conducted an educational tour to study "Measurement to Support Minority-Owned Businesses in the US”, as requested by the Human Rights Association for Koreans in Japan.  These study tours consist of seminars and visits to NPOs, government agencies and business entities implementing a corporate philanthropy measurement.

Research

Our research focuses on the realities of corporate philanthropy both in Japan and the US.   We publish research monographs as part of our publication, and also contribute our reports to newspapers and journals to express our opinions to the public.  We had conducted a research on evaluating US companies in Japan and their effort for corporate philanthropy back home in the US, and the findings were published in Japan.  In the 1990's, we had studied on the collaboration between business corporations and NPOs.  One notable example of our research was published as a monograph titled “US companies and their social contributions: Evaluation of 30 companies from Coca-Cola to IBM”.