Want to learn more about the Ship for World Youth? The Ship for World Youth (SWY) is a unique international cultural exchange program organized by the Government of Japan. One of 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 on board the cruise liner Nippon Maru with some activities scheduled in Japan and a several ports of call that are visited during the program. For a more detailed history, check out the History section.

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. The combination of countries participating changes each year, with the U.S. and other countries from the Americas and Oceania more likely to participate in the East-bound program that sails around the Pacific Ocean. Invited countries then choose a delegation of around 10 participants to act as ambassadors for their country during the program. In the U.S.'s case, the United States typically receives the official invitation in early summer (if the U.S. is invited) and the deadline for applications is in the summer. The U.S. State Department and the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., entrust the U.S. Ship for World Youth Alumni Association with recruiting, selecting, and training the U.S. delegation.

A typical 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 1-2 days on a home stay with a Japanese family in another prefecture or province of Japan. This opportunity to stay with a family and experience Japanese life firsthand is one of the highlights of the program. The home stay is a fantastic opportunity for participants to learn about Japanese family life and to 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.

On May 17, 2007, the Japanese Government officially invited the United States Government to choose and train a delegation for the Ship for World Youth 20 program, which is set to sail in January 2008. The United States Government in turn has asked us as the U.S. Ship for World Youth Alumni Association to facilitate the recruitment, selection, and training of the SWY 20 U.S. delegation.

What does the program cost?

The Ship for World Youth program is organized and implemented by the Management and Coordination Agency of the Japanese Government in conjunction with the Cabinet Office. The Government of Japan very generously covers the costs of the program that include the following: * Round trip flight to and from the nearest international airport in the U.S. * Admission and activity fees for everything organized for the program. * Meals on board the Nippon Maru, ports-of-call, and most meals in Japan. * Accommodation (hotels and home-stay in Japan and on board ship)

Costs borne by the participants include money for souvenirs and snacks for the duration of the program, medical/travel insurance, and any expenses incurred during free time in each port of call.

Participants will need to fundraise or sign off on at least $350 before their departure to pay for gifts to Japanese officials, at courtesy calls at each port-of-calls, and to other delegations; to pay for national costumes, and to pay for other expenses your delegation will incur.

Are the problems of the world going to be solved on this two-month program? Possibly, but probably not. What the program does do, however, is encourage participants to challenge the filters through which they view the world and illustrate that people from different nations can live together peacefully, learn from each other, and work together to overcome differences and misunderstandings. Not to mention you can expect an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience as you learn about yourself and those around you.

Delegates range in age from 18 to 30 years old (and up to 35 for National Leaders), so each person takes away completely different experiences. For those traveling for the first time, it is an amazing opportunity that opens your ideas to new ways of thinking as well as exposes you to some of the most amazing individuals from around the world. Delegates with more cultural experience and understanding have a greater role in promoting their leadership skills as well as the personal growth among other delegates. Regardless of your background, each delegate is immersed in an environment with young adult leaders from around the world in the arts, business, politics, environment, and the community.

You will participate in at least one pre-departure committee. These range from soliciting donations; shopping for U.S. delegation gifts for Japanese officials, courtesy calls at each port-of-call, and other delegations; as well as designing and practicing a 60 minute national presentation (which includes several conference calls with other delegates in the 2-3 months before departure).

You will need to fundraise or sign off on at least $350 before your departure to pay for these gifts, national costumes, and other expenses your delegation will incur.

You will need to attend mandatory conference calls with other members of the U.S. national delegation as well as attend the U.S. national delegation training three days before the scheduled departure.

You will be partnered with one or more alumni mentor(s) and will need to meet each other to get an additional perspective about this experience.

You will join the U.S. Ship for World Youth Alumni Association email list serve and agree to reply to emails within five days of receipt.

If you fail to live up to these expectations as defined by the National Leader or an officer of the Ship for World Youth Alumni Association, your selection to participate in the Ship for World Youth Program can be revoked, and an alternate candidate will take your place.

For more detailed information, click here to read a draft version of the Participating Youth handbook, which you will receive if selected as a Participating Youth and a member of the U.S. delegation.

The National Leader of each delegation will go to Tokyo, Japan, from Nov. 5-10, 2007, to meet each other; to learn more of the expectations from the Japanese Government; and to discuss the purpose, the on board activities, the theme; and any visa requirements for the Ship for World Youth 20 program. For more detailed information regarding the National Leader position, click here to read a draft version of the National Leader handbook, which you will receive if selected as the National Leader of the U.S. delegation.

We have an active and growing alumni association in the U.S. that you are expected to join as a condition of your acceptance. On a practical side, we have found new friends in each other due to our willingness to listen to each other's stories, watch each other's videos, or flick through your photos for hours on end with each other. More seriously, we enjoy playing a role after the ship to contribute something back to the program that both invested and gave so much to us. Additionally, the Japanese Government expects alumni to continue giving back to their local, regional, and international communities after the completion of their program.

As an alumni, you will be expected to subscribe to the Ship for World Youth list serve. This is a great vehicle to continue the ship spirit and to meet alumni from different sailings for home stays, discussions, and give back to future delegations.

Within two months of your return, you are also expected to write a report of your experience to be posted on the SWY-US website and list serve and to meet with your alumni mentor(s) to debrief about the experience.

Within five years of your return, you will be expected to volunteer on at least 2 post-program activities (selection committees, recruitment committees, alumni association reunion, or something equivalent). You are asked to present at least 2 informational presentations to recruit and advertise the Ship for World Youth program.

There are opportunities to participate in follow-up conferences in Japan and international reunions outside of Japan. Check out the Alumni section for more information. If the Japanese Government asks for representatives from the U.S. to attend, you (as an alum from the U.S.) can apply to the U.S. Alumni Association to be nominated and endorsed as our representative. Consideration will be given to the level of your post-program involvement.

Previous participants who are aged preferably between 30 and 39 are able to apply to be a National Leader on future voyages.

Of the 11 to 15 countries selected each sailing, there is generally a mix from North and South America, the Pacific, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and of course Japan. Each country has a delegation usually between 9-15 participants. This means there is a mix of languages on the ship, and although English is the official working language of the ship, in practice a number of languages will make communication happen. Often, the countries visited will have there own language so it is helpfully to learn from those onboard.

The U.S. has been fortunate to have participated in SWY 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17. The U.S. has also had an alumnus participate on SWY 17, 18, and 19 as an ex-PY Advisor leading seminars and other trainings.

For the Ship for World Youth 20 program, the following 14 countries have been invited to participate by the Japanese Government:
Kingdom of Bahrain
Federative Republic of Brazil
Republic of Costa Rica
Republic of Finland
India
Japan
New Zealand
Sultanate of Oman
Solomon Islands
Republic of South Africa
Spain
United Republic of Tanzania
United States of America
Republic of Vanuatu

Each country has been asked by the Japanese Government to select a delegation of 10 members as well as 1 national leader for a total of 11 participants. The Japanese Government will have a delegation of 120 participants including 1 national leader and 1 sub-national leader.

Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Columbia
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Fiji
Finland
Germany
Greece
Hungary
India
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Kuwait
Mauritius
Mexico
Morocco
Nepal
The Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Poland
Qatar
Russia
Western Samoa
Senegal
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Tanzania
Tonga
Tunisia
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Uruguay
United States of America
Venezuela
Yemen

Of these countries, 42 have organized alumni associations. It is why people say that even though the SWY program lasts two months, the SWY experience lasts a lifetime. After your participation in the Ship for World Youth program, you have the chance to meet alumni either while they are visiting you or while you are visiting them for the rest of your life.

After your participation, you will also be a part of the 4,500 plus member family of alumni from the other years of the programs from SWY 1 in 1989 to SWY 19 this past January.

Yes, the program starts in Japan; participants will be flown to Tokyo first. There you stay in a hotel as you receive an orientation and introduction to Tokyo and Japanese culture. You will then go on a short home stay in a different prefecture area of Japan. Afterwards participants will have a pre-departure training in Tokyo with Òdormitory-styleÓ accommodation and will meet the Japanese participants for the first time before boarding the Nippon Maru. Usually the first night on board the ship is spent at the dock for participants to settle into ship life, and then the ship will set sail. The ship typically returns to Japan at the conclusion of the program.

The ship will require participants to stay out of many areas especially operational areas. It also imposes time limits on the operation of some facilities. Meal hours are also strictly observed, and all food must stay in the dining room. These are some of the rules that participants need to abide by including of course being considerate to others around you. The challenge of agreeing to what is considered being considerate with so many different cultures represented on board the Ship is part of the journey.

The ship is governed by Japanese national law.

The Japanese Government sent the U.S. government the following documents to better explain the Ship for World Youth Program. Relevant portions of these documents have already been summarized throughout this web site:
Click here to see the Guidelines for SWY 20.
Click here to learn about the SWYAA (Ship for World Youth Alumni Association), IYEO (International Youth Exchange Organization), and SSEAYP International (Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program).

Although everyone is expected to be proficient in English, English is for the most part the working language of all events and scheduled activities. Given that half of the participants are from Japan and that the other half are not from Japan, Japanese and English are the common languages in the program. Other languages are considered an asset. U.S. participants often play a role in assisting language translation and conversational English classes.

Officially, scheduled activities on board the ship include the following:
1. Course discussion, which are studies and discussions on common issues from a global view point
2. Free discussions
3. National presentation, where each country introduces itself
4. Club activities
5. Sports and recreational activities
6. Others (maritime exercise, etc.)

Officially, scheduled activities in the ports of call in the countries to be visited include the following:
1. Courtesy calls with local government officials and other representatives
2. Visits to various facilities as organized by the port of call organizing committee
3. Exchanges with youths of the countries to be visited through sports activities, educational activities, interactive games, etc.
4. Other appropriate activities deemed by the governments of the respective countries to be visited

In summary through the entire voyage, seminars, club meetings, workshops, discussions and other activities are organized both formally and informally. Others are created by the participants to further their interest in a particular area-such as teaching first aid, a local dance, or a language. Participants have organized seminars about non-profits they work with, made singing groups, and started a business network. Each voyage also has a group of specially invited lecturers who will facilitate seminars in their fields of knowledge, which have all been chosen to represent the international flavor of the ship.

This will be discussed in preparation for the program. As there is no email, internet, and only emergency phone access on the ship, most participants need to take stock of items that can be used in displays, performances, informal conversations, and so on.

* Please note that the English below comes from translated Japanese. This may explain some of the awkwardness of the English contained in this section.

The Ship for World Youth program is organized according to the following breakdown:
* 1 Administrator, 1 Deputy Administrator, and about 12 Administrative Staff Members;
* Approximately 8 Advisors (including 1 Chief Advisor);
* About 120 Participating Youths from Japan and 143 Participating Youths from overseas (or countries outside of Japan);

The Director-General of the Japanese Government appoints the Administrator, the Deputy Administrator, the Administrative Staff Members, the Advisors, the Japanese National Leader, and the Japanese Sub-National Leader.

The following are the responsibilities for the Administrator and Administrative Staff:
1. The Administrator represents the Government of Japan and commands the operation of this program.
2. The Deputy Administrator assists the Administrator and carries out the duties in his/her place in case of his/her absence.
3. The Administrative Staff Members receives orders from the Administrator and manages the day-to-day matters concerning the implementation of the program.

The 8 Advisors share their responsibilities in educating and guiding the Participating Youths along the purpose of the program. The Chief Advisor supervises the duties of the Advisors.

During this program, the Participating Youths shall collaborate together and take part in the activities on board the ship and at the ports of call. There are 13 Participating Countries in addition to Japan. and there are 263 Participating Youths.

Each delegation has one National Leader. The Japanese delegation, given its large size, will have one Sub-National Leader in addition to the National Leader. The National Leaders represents and leads his/her country delegation and organizes the National Leader Meeting. This meeting discusses and decides the fundamental matters concerning life and activities on board, according to any requests from the Administrator. The Japanese Sub-National Leader supports the Japanese National Leader.

There are two Assistant National Leaders from each delegation (except for the Japanese National Leader and the Japanese Sub-National Leader). Assistant National Leaders assist and share responsibilities with their National Leader. They act on behalf of the National Leader in case of his/her absence.

Daily life on board the ship is organized into seminar/discussion groups and into letter groups. As a basic unit for the activities, there are 13 letter groups and each letter group has at least one member from each country. Each group will have one National Leader (who is also called the Group Leader) and three Assistant Group Leaders. Of the three Assistant Group Leaders, two will be Japanese participants and one will be a non-Japanese participant. The Assistant Group Leaders is elected by their members and acts as a liaison for the group's activities with other groups.

Past participants will prepare the new delegates on how to prepare but a good sense of humor and flexibility to live comfortably with others in close quarters is essential. For example, you might admire culture in the pages of a book but are you prepared to cope with your room-mate carrying out devotions five times a day in the only available space in your room? Each participant faces their own challenge on board but learns more about her/himself as a result. Other than your personal belongings needed for two months, delegates should bring information you can take to share about the U.S. and the activities that you are involved in. You will be continually called upon to share in presentations and workshops about issues facing your country and how they are dealt with.

The program is run each year by the Cabinet Office in Japan. They are responsible for organizing the whole program and inviting various countries to participate.

The Nippon Maru is an 8 level cruise ship where the participants share 3 to a cabin. Each cabin has 1 bathroom with a shower and toilet. The Nippon Maru has full cruise ship facilities, such as catered dining, a small swimming pool, shops, a study library, self service laundries, a bar, a sports deck and several indoor entertainment, relaxation, and lecture areas.

There are also special facilities that operate on restricted hours, such as the Japanese baths (single sex) and the Japanese-style tatami tea room. However, it is not your traditional image of cruise ship, and the Nippon Maru staff is not at the participants' service. Each participant is expected to play an active role in ship life by respecting the Nippon Maru rules and by carrying out duties expected of a participant.

The food is a mix of Japanese and Western cuisine and is buffet style. Halal and vegetarian food are offered, and other dietary requirements can also be met. The ship has a lift to each floor and is able to cater for people who find it difficult to walk. Although there is elevator access for every floor of the Nippon Maru, the ship and the port-of-calls can be a challenging physical environment for people with limited physical movement. As an alumni association, we would like to do what we can to work through these challenges.

You have to have travel insurance to participate. The ship travels with 2 nurses and a doctor. However, they can only provide short- term care. If you need hospitalization, the ship will have to dock at a nearby port, and you will be treated there and if needed, flown home. The phone and fax on the ship operate via satellite and are for use in emergency situations.

For further information please refer to our informational presentation and our 10-minute informational video.

The previous participants of the program are responsible for promoting the program and coordinating the selection process. It is run by volunteers, and we do not have an office or phone number for the organization. If you have any questions, please review the website to see if the answer is already provided. For any other questions, you can e-mail swyusa@yahoo.com. Due to the volume of email we may receive especially around the application deadline, we can not guarantee a response to your email.