The Laureate of the 9th Okinawa Peace Prize e

Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC)

The non-profit organization The Japan International Volunteer Center (hereafter referred to as “JVC”) was established in 1980 with the large influx of Indochina refugees in Thailand, with the focus on volunteers who “want to contribute to relief efforts, not only as Asians, but as people.

The JVC has the vision (long-term goal) to “create a society where everyone can live peacefully, coexisting with nature and each other.” As an international NPO, JVC has offered humanitarian support in livelihood betterment, regional development, and medicine in 11 countries including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Afghanistan, and South Sudan, assisting local people in efforts to build peace, as well as disaster recovery in Japan.
Additionally, utilizing the examples set by the Official Development Assistance (ODA) and its aid policies, we are also putting emphasis on policy advocacy with international organizations and the Japanese government so that a peaceful society can be established through dialogue.

The JVC has left an outstanding track record in the Asia-Pacific region throughout the scope of their long history and multilateral activities promoting peace, anti-violence, and guarantee for people’s safety.
Moreover, the medium-term goal (2016 – 2020) is to actively participate in peace-building activities, and the projects held up until now are expected to continue into the future and greatly contribute to the promotion of peace-building.