The Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC) was born from the feeling of "I can't just sit still" and the action of citizens who saw news of wars and refugees in Asia. Since its founding in 1980, it has worked together with the people living in the places where it operates in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Japan. With the rallying cry "let's remove the center from the world," it aims to change the social structures that create hierarchy and poverty.
Its vision is "a society in which all people coexist with nature and can live together in peace." Its work centers on three axes: "sharing rather than taking," "overcoming division through dialogue," and "opening up possibilities together." Its missions include conserving natural resources and respecting residents' sovereignty, restoring people's rights, creating a society of coexistence that accepts differences, and communicating and making recommendations based on conditions in the field.
Its current activity areas are Laos, Palestine, Sudan, Yemen and Korea. In Japan it conveys the situation on the ground through lectures, events such as "Monthly JVC" and an exhibit at Global Festa JAPAN 2026. The word "volunteer" in its name is meant not as unpaid labor but as people who connect voluntarily and support one another.
Key points
- Working with local people in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere since 1980
- Three axes: sharing, overcoming division through dialogue, and opening up possibilities together
- Conveying the "now" of the field to Japan through lectures, events and newsletters
Why this organization deserves attention
Rather than only responding to immediate problems, it looks at the structures behind them and holds to the principle of "sticking to the root of the problem." Its approach of listening to the voices of people on the ground and thinking of methods together can be seen throughout its work.
There are many ways to support it, including monthly donations, donations of goods, and joining events or volunteering. The idea in its name of facing each other "as citizen to citizen" can be a way to feel international cooperation closer to home.
Editor's comment
When news from a faraway place moves us, what can we do? Learning that JVC was born from that very question, I was reminded again of how important its origins are.
The official website offers activity reports from each country and event information. Why not start with a country that interests you?