Sharing Refugee Voices with the People of Japan
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Refugee Empowerment Network (REN) is non-profit organization building community and self-sufficiency among refugees and asylum seekers in Japan and Kenya through educational, economic, and social programs.
REN's programs for refugees living in and around Tokyo include weekly Japanese and yoga classes, educational scholarships, and an economic empowerment program that pays clients for making beaded jewelry, which is then sold and reinvested into the organization.
In addition to the direct services offered, REN is trying to contribute to the longer process of changemaking in Japan by sharing more material in Japanese written by refugees themselves with the hopes of contributing to a more celebrated multicultural society in Japan over time. Since its inauguration, REN has translated and published Mama Kakuma, a collection of poems written by refugees living in the Kakuma Refugee camp in northern Kenya and continues to translate KANERE a web-based magazine published by the camp a few times each year.
Due to these continued efforts for more than fifteen years, REN was invited to publish a translation of Silent Screams a book written by Farida Ahmadi, an Afghan refugee living in Norway. The book uses the stories of minority women living in Norway to highlight the complexities of multiculturalism with the goal to strengthen the relationship between minority and majority populations around the world.
The President of REN, Hisako Ishitani, a retired professional translator, and a team of other REN supporters have spent the better part of the past year translating the book into Japanese and have finally finished only to be met with the challenge of finding a publisher willing to fund the project. Rather than stopping there REN decided that as a 10-year Anniversary Project (2019 marks the 10-year anniversary since the organization became an official nonprofit) to fund the project on their own with a publisher willing to take on the project once the funds were raised.
That is where we need your help! Since September 1st REN began a crowdfunding campaign in Japan and has successfully raised more than $4,000 USD of the $6,000 USD goal and they need help with the final push! Since leaving Japan, I have stayed in touch with the organization and they have asked me to request support from some of the original supporters of REN’s yoga and meditation program to help make this commemorative project a reality.
As with the yoga program every little bit counts. The goal is to print 1000 copies of the book by June of next year. With a donation of just $10 (factoring fluctuation with the exchange rate and the % of money that GoFundMe collects) that with contribute to the printing of one book! A donation of $50 will ensure 5 books are printed, $100 – 10 books…! Anything you can give will be greatly appreciated and sharing this with your community would be an added bonus.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about our efforts.
Peace & Love.
Ali & the rest of REN's staff and clients
REN's programs for refugees living in and around Tokyo include weekly Japanese and yoga classes, educational scholarships, and an economic empowerment program that pays clients for making beaded jewelry, which is then sold and reinvested into the organization.
In addition to the direct services offered, REN is trying to contribute to the longer process of changemaking in Japan by sharing more material in Japanese written by refugees themselves with the hopes of contributing to a more celebrated multicultural society in Japan over time. Since its inauguration, REN has translated and published Mama Kakuma, a collection of poems written by refugees living in the Kakuma Refugee camp in northern Kenya and continues to translate KANERE a web-based magazine published by the camp a few times each year.
Due to these continued efforts for more than fifteen years, REN was invited to publish a translation of Silent Screams a book written by Farida Ahmadi, an Afghan refugee living in Norway. The book uses the stories of minority women living in Norway to highlight the complexities of multiculturalism with the goal to strengthen the relationship between minority and majority populations around the world.
The President of REN, Hisako Ishitani, a retired professional translator, and a team of other REN supporters have spent the better part of the past year translating the book into Japanese and have finally finished only to be met with the challenge of finding a publisher willing to fund the project. Rather than stopping there REN decided that as a 10-year Anniversary Project (2019 marks the 10-year anniversary since the organization became an official nonprofit) to fund the project on their own with a publisher willing to take on the project once the funds were raised.
That is where we need your help! Since September 1st REN began a crowdfunding campaign in Japan and has successfully raised more than $4,000 USD of the $6,000 USD goal and they need help with the final push! Since leaving Japan, I have stayed in touch with the organization and they have asked me to request support from some of the original supporters of REN’s yoga and meditation program to help make this commemorative project a reality.
As with the yoga program every little bit counts. The goal is to print 1000 copies of the book by June of next year. With a donation of just $10 (factoring fluctuation with the exchange rate and the % of money that GoFundMe collects) that with contribute to the printing of one book! A donation of $50 will ensure 5 books are printed, $100 – 10 books…! Anything you can give will be greatly appreciated and sharing this with your community would be an added bonus.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about our efforts.
Peace & Love.
Ali & the rest of REN's staff and clients
Organizer
Ali Moore
Organizer
San Diego, CA
