Refugee Empowerment International - Partner Spotlight Interview

Jasmine Tsunoda
5月7日
読了時間: 3分

REI funds projects that provide opportunities for displaced communities to rebuild and regain independence. They prioritize partnerships over intervention and direct implementation. This approach enables communities to utilize local talents and skills, and available resources in the most effective way leading to sustainable outcomes.

Take a look at the partnership interview between the REI team and our Global Community Team Leader, Jasmine, below!

Learn more about them here: https://rei-npo.org/en/

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Jasmine: When was REI founded, and by whom?

A: REI was founded in 1979 by members of the international community in Japan. It was a direct response to the displacement of over a million refugees fleeing war, conflict, and confusion in Southeast Asia.

Jasmine: What does REI do?

A: REI funds local projects that provide opportunities for displaced communities to rebuild and regain independence.

Jasmine: What are your chapter's specific goals? As an organization and individual personal goals?

A: At REI, we envision a world where refugees and displaced communities are empowered to rebuild their lives and futures with dignity through self-sufficiency and independence. REI team is supported by volunteers, and each of them shares this belief.

Jasmine: What services does REI offer? What types of services would you like to add in the future? What areas are your services available in? Do you plan to expand?

A: REI conducts fundraising through awareness-raising activities via events, field visits, workshops for companies or in collaboration with other organizations, and participation in various external events.

We will expand educational workshop opportunities for younger generations and schools, and increase the number of ambassadors who promote REI. Through REI's activities, we would get more people supporting local projects.

Jasmine: What is one of the more challenging aspects of REI?

A: In Japan, people don't often think about the global refugee crisis. It’s hard to imagine what life is really like in a camp or local situation when it’s so far from our own culture.

We rarely get to see the amazing resilience of people who keep fighting for a better life despite such hardships. To get more people in Japan to care and support the cause, we need to work together to share these real-life stories.

It is a constant challenge to convey the simple truth: that we are all human beings, and we all share the same desire for a life of dignity.

Jasmine: How do people get involved with REI?

A: Making a donation, Join our Donor Club, Corporate sponsoring, Conducting your own event, Minato-ku Furusato nozei, legacy donation, Join as volunteer/intern/probono/members, Join at Field Visit, and so on.

Jasmine: Have you heard of or participated in Giving Tuesday before we contacted you? Is there anything you would like to do in the future in collaboration with Giving Tuesday? How can we (Giving Tuesday Japan) support REI?

A: A long-time partner of REI connected us with Giving Tuesday Japan.

Each year, we use Giving Tuesday as a chance to invite people to support our mission. We’ve used Giving Tuesday to promote Giving in Celebration—where you can donate in celebration of someone special—and to encourage participation in corporate matching gift programs. We are also a part of joining Giving December "寄付月間" campaign here in Japan.

We look forward to Giving Tuesday Japan’s positive engagement in raising awareness for this initiative.