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The aims and objectives of the Ship for World Youth are:
* To foster the spirit of international cooperation and the competence to practice it
* To promote friendship and mutual understanding between the youth of Japan and the youth of other parts of the world
* To broaden the international awareness of participants
* To develop youth capable of playing leading roles in various sectors of their societies and in turn contribute to the sound development of youth in their respective countries
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The Japanese government celebrated the centenary of the Meiji Restoration in 1967 by launching the Japanese Youth Goodwill Cruise Program. This initiative provided many Japanese Youth with an opportunity to travel overseas - something that they would have found difficult to do on their own. With 300 Japanese participants and 50 overseas participants, the focus of this program was to help Japanese youth see the world.
In the late 1980s, as a response to the increased role Japan played in international affairs, the rapid increase in internationalization in many fields, and the changing social environment within Japan, the Japanese Government recognized the need to refocus their international youth exchange programs. As a result, in 1989 the Japanese Youth Goodwill Cruise Program was reorganized and emerged as the Ship for World Youth, with a focus on promoting exchange between the youth of Japan and other participating nations.
Approximately 120 Japanese youth and 150 overseas youth participate in SWY each year. The first SWY was in 1989 and since then over 3,500 youth from around the world have experienced the program.
In 1999 SWY went through another reorganization. Up to and including SWY11 in early 1999, SWY had been organized in an East-bound, West-bound fashion. This meant that in odd numbered years only nations in the Western hemisphere would be invited to participate and be ports of call for SWY. Similarly, in even numbered years only nations in the Eastern hemisphere would be invited to participate and be ports of call. However, from SWY12 at the end of 1999, each year nations from both hemispheres are now invited to participate, making the program truly a ship for world youth.
The Ship for World Youth (SWY) is a unique international cultural exchange program organized by the Government of Japan. The most prestigious program of its kind, 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. Most of the program is conducted onboard the cruise liner Nippon Maru, with some activities scheduled in Japan, and others in a number of seaports that are visited in the course of the voyage.
Commencing in 1989, the program is run on an annual basis. Each year a different mix of nations is invited to participate and different ports of call are incorporated into the itinerary.
How does it work?
The Government of Japan plans, organizes, implements and finances the Ship for World Youth. Each year a number of countries are invited to send a delegation to join the program. Selection of each delegate is the responsibility of each participating nation - the delegates themselves are ambassadors for their country.
As representatives of their country, participants are expected to share with others the views that the youth of their nation hold on a variety of issues. They prepare presentations which showcase their country, research and deliver papers on pertinent topics, and prepare to engage in dialogue with participants on a range of subjects.
In recent years, the formal course discussion program has included such topics as: reform of the United Nations; globalization; the environment; women and gender issues; and volunteerism.
The program commences with the arrival of overseas participants in Japan. Participants spend a few days in Tokyo partaking in a number of institutional visits and experiencing some of the culturally significant parts of the city. Participants then spend a few days on a home stay with a Japanese family in another prefecture of Japan. This opportunity to live with a family and experience Japanese life firsthand is a highlight of the program. The home stay is a fantastic opportunity for participants to not only learn about Japanese family life, but to also share with their host family, what life is like in their own country. Many strong bonds of friendship develop and it is not uncommon for participants and their host families to continue to correspond and visit each other after the conclusion of the program.
Life on the ship is an amazing experience. With participants from a diverse range of countries eating, sleeping, working and living side-by-side for weeks on end, there are many opportunities for improving cultural understanding, learning the principles of international cooperation and indeed for individual personal growth.
The formal program encompasses a range of activities that contribute to one or more of the objectives of SWY. The specific activities and focus areas differ from year to year, however the following are indicative of the types of activities that participants engage in:
* Discussion courses facilitated by international specialists
* Formal and informal discussions
* National presentations
* Cultural exchanges
* Social events
* Sports activities
In recent years, the formal discussion course program has included such topics as the following:
* Reform of the United Nations
* Globalization
* Fishing and Oceans
* Environment
* Women and Gender issues
* Volunteerism
Trained educators are on board to lead the seminars for their subject, and they try to create an educational environment that takes into account the knowledge brought by the individuals from 10-15 nations in each class.
The informal program is just as important in achieving the SWY objectives. Barriers and misconceptions are overcome as participants talk over lunch, minds are widened and new perspectives become possible during dinner conversations, and life long friendships are cemented as participants sing and dance well into the night.
Delegates are expected to contribute to the informal program by presenting the U.S. through presentations, discussion groups, and other events.
To learn more about the Ship for World Youth and how to be notified when the Japanese Government makes an official announcement about the countries invited on board the next sailing, check out the Learn More section.
* Thanks to the SWY AA of Australia for permission to use this text
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