Peace Ambassador Exchange (PAX) Opportunity for August 2010

You are invited to apply for an international experience in Japan as a Peace Ambassador Exchange (PAX) member in August of 2010. The purpose is to see the setting and hear the history of the atomic explosions that occurred in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. There will be opportunity to visit the museums, participate in commemoration activities, and to talk with people who actually experienced the events. There is no age, education or religious criteria. Those interested in participating should have a strong interest in peace.

Here's what Mary Cox, 2007 PAX Team traveler had to say about her experience: Visiting Japan with the PAX team provided me with an exciting cross-cultural experience during which I connected with lots of people interested and active in peace work. Home-stays were a vital part of my experience, and I value so much the personal friends I made with my home-stay families as well as with the other PAX team members. I met several people who survived the atomic bombs in 1945, which deeply enriched my learning experience. It was an emotionally intense trip because of the many discussions and deep thinking we did throughout the week. This trip showed me that peace making is of world-wide interest, with peacemakers all across the globe working and thinking together - a very exciting discovery to make! I highly recommend the PAX team experience to anyone interested in peacemaking through cross-cultural connections!

PAX Japan Travel Itinerary & Costs

As a PAX (Peace Ambassador Exchange) Traveler, you will arrive in Hiroshima, Japan by August 2nd, (having crossed the International Date Line). You will be a guest at the World Friendship Center (WFC) until August 9th. All of your arranged meals and accommodations are provided by the WFC during your stay in Hiroshima. Following your stay in Hiroshima, the PAX Team will travel to Nagasaki where accommodations and select meals are arranged until August 11th. Both your stay in Hiroshima and your visit to Nagasaki will include attendance at the impressive commemorations of the dropping of the nuclear bombs on August 6th and 9th respectively. On the evening of August 6th you will join thousands in the making and placing of a floating paper lantern on Hiroshima's Otagawa River - the place where many persons perished on August 6th, 65 years ago.

Cost summary: All accommodations and arranged meals are provided courtesy of the World Friendship Center while in Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 2nd -August 11th). In addition, ground transportation from port of entry to port of departure will be paid by WFC. The World Friendship Center will furnish each PAX participant a reimbursement for the cost of a two-week Japan Rail Pass (Ordinary - Coach Class) which must be purchased outside of Japan prior to arrival in Japan. Cost of flights from Chicago to Osaka or to Hiroshima via Tokyo have consistently ranged between $1200 - $2000. Many PAX travelers in the past have taken the opportunity to visit Kyoto at their own expense, either before or after the PAX itinerary. For your convenience here is a link to the Japan Rail Pass site: www.japanrailtravel.com/index.cfm

 

Peace Ambassador Exchange Scholarships

Partial travel scholarships are available, upon request, to qualified persons 19 years of age or older. Preference will be given to college students who apply. The amount of the scholarship will vary depending upon the number of requests and will likely range from $500 to $750. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in world peace and a commitment to working toward it in the future. No educational or religious qualifications are required though applicants who have participated in, or are currently enrolled in a Peace Studies program are preferred.

Submit your Personal Application by e-mail: Each applicant is required to submit the following:

1. Essay describing your past, present and future interest in working toward world peace, including a report from any prior peace or volunteer experience (with photos if available), and your reasons for applying for a partial travel scholarship (should you wish to request this assistance);
2. List of all your preferred contact information, such as present address, cell phone number, and e-mail address.
3. Two current references with contact information;
4. Resume;
5. Small portrait photo of applicant similar to a passport photo

Submittal deadline is April 19, 2010. Please e-mail all inquiries and your final completed application to : Evie Bertsche, Chair, at the following e-mail address: eviedave@maplenet.net Note: For additional contact information including phone and mailing address - scroll to the bottom and click on Older Posts (right side).

World Friendship Center, Hiroshima, Japan

The World Friendship Center (WFC) Hiroshima, Japan http//:www.wfchiroshima.net was founded in 1965 by Barbara Reynolds, a U.S Quaker peace activist. Her purpose was to bring about friendship, understanding, and a desire to work for peace by bringing together international guests to Hiroshima, to meet with victims of the A-bomb. Today WFC is staffed by a volunteer American couple serving for two years as Bed and Breakfast hosts as well as English teachers, along with a bi-lingual Japanese secretary. WFC is supported in the U.S by the Quakers, Mennonites, and Church of the Brethren.

Criteria for becoming a Peace Ambassador Applicant

The criteria for becoming a Peace Ambassador Exchange (PAX) applicant for travel to the World Friendship Center (WFC), Hiroshima, and Nagasaki are as follows: be active in peace activities, be in good health for summer heat and considerable walking, be prepared for sitting and sleeping on the floor, be able to eat and enjoy ethnic foods common to Japan; have a desire to participate in reciprocal sharing of culture and peace issues while in Japan and maintain the desire to share the experiences from Japan upon returning to the USA.