Front row from left to right: Nick Russel, historian, Mr Yoshiro Sueoka, Osaka YMCA General Secretary, Mr David Lawson, Australian Consul General of Osaka, Mr Fakuzo Ishihara, Board Member and Mr Tadakuni Tajiri, Managing Director, Global Deparment, with Osaka YMCA and YMCA Victoria staff and volunteers.
A partnership between YMCAs from Osaka, Japan and Victoria, Australia has again been recognized with the presence of the Australian Consul General for Osaka meeting with the young people representing both YMCAs.
Mr David Lawson paid a visit to Osaka YMCA headquarters on Friday 28 July to meet the young interns representing YMCA Victoria currently working for Osaka YMCA in various leadership roles.
The partnership between Osaka YMCA and YMCA Victoria continues to strengthen, largely due to the international internship program and the exemplary ambassadorship of its interns. Internship positions include swimming teaching, kindergarten teaching, conference facilitating and communications. All come with unique challenges, as well as the common challenge of working and living in a completely foreign culture and environment.
Mr Lawson himself was fortunate enough to have a similarly formative experience when he participated in a student exchange program to Japan when he was just 17 years old. When asked if it was this experience as a young person that began the trajectory to who and where he is today, Mr Lawson answers yes without hesitation. Decades later, Mr Lawson remains just as passionate about Japan as he was when he first experienced its rich culture, delicious food and fascinating history as a teenager.
Things are certainly different today, and both Osaka YMCA and YMCA Victoria are proud to be part of a program that builds leadership and resilience in young people, while creating positive international relations on a global scale.
The full story can be found here on the Osaka YMCA page:
Click here