JICA USA Newsletter – March/April 2016
The JICA USA Newsletter is a bi-monthly publication which provides information on JICA’s
activities in Washington, DC and around the world. If you are interested in receiving this
electronic newsletter, please contact [email protected] to be added to our mailing list.
In this issue:
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President Kitaoka makes first visit to the United States
JICA hosts Regional Conference on Mathematics and Science Education in Nairobi
Joint Chile-Japan “Kizuna Project” highlighted at Third High-Level Meeting on
Country-led Knowledge Sharing (HLM3)
Promoting peace and unity through South Sudan’s first National Sports Event
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President Kitaoka makes first visit to the United States
President Shinichi Kitaoka visited
New York and Washington, DC
April 3-9, marking his first trip to
the United States since taking on
JICA’s leadership.
In Washington, DC, Mr. Kitaoka
spoke to an audience at the
Brookings Institution as part of an
event titled “Securing development
in insecure places.” In his keynote
address, he provided a historical
perspective of Japan’s international
Panelists (from left to right) Joel Hellman, Dean, Edmund A. Walsh
cooperation efforts and the lessons
School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University; Sharon Morris,
the country drew from itself being
Deputy Assistance Secretary of State, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization
Operations at the State Department; President Shinichi Kitaoka, JICA;
an aid recipient following World
Bruce Jones, Vice President and Director, Foreign Policy at the Brookings
War II. He focused his address on
Institution. The panel was moderated by Homi Kharas, Senior Fellow at
JICA’s development work in South
the Brookings Institution (not pictured).
Sudan and Mindanao, two countries
that have undergone conflict and
where aid is serving as a stabilizing force. He touched upon JICA’s support in building local
capacity, improving roads and strengthening food security, as well supporting a national sports
event as a means of promoting peace and unity in South Sudan. He spoke about how efforts in
Mindanao to improve infrastructure and livelihoods, notably in a gender-sensitive manner, has
JICA USA Newsletter – March/April 2016
helped give people hope amidst a political standstill. These programs foster a sense of hope, even
if conflicts are not yet fully resolved, and can start the process of working towards lasting peace.
In the discussion that followed, the panelist reflected on the fact that development programs were
designed for stable environments, not the conflict areas in which they are being implemented
today. As such, to ensure successful outcomes, donors, programs and funding need to evolve.
Notably, program timelines need to be extended given that duration of projects are much too
short to allow for sustainable progress in light of the scope of problems faced.
While in Washington, Mr. Kitaoka also met with USAID Administrator Gayle Smith. The heads
of the two development agencies discussed their respective priorities and talked about potential
areas for further cooperation. In addition, he met with the World Bank’s Managing Director and
Chief Operating Officer.
During his stay in New York, he attended meetings with United Nations officials, namely the
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at OCHA,
the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, the UNDP Associate Administrator,
and the President of the seventieth session of the UN General Assembly.
JICA hosts Regional Conference on Mathematics and Science
Education in Nairobi
Conference participants from 27 different African countries and JICA senior staff and education experts
at the regional conference.
JICA USA Newsletter – March/April 2016
On March 15-17, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Association for the
Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), and Kenya’s Ministry of Education, Science and
Technology (MoEST) hosted in Nairobi a regional conference on mathematics and science
education in Africa. JICA has been an instrumental partner in Africa in strengthening
mathematics and science education (MSE) through a range of technical cooperation and grantfunded projects, from the promotion of lesson study to the construction of teacher in-service
training centers and pre-service institutions.
The conference brought together director-level delegations from 27 African Ministries of
Education to explore the critical contributions of MSE in transforming African society. Also in
attendance to share their perspectives were senior education experts from the World Bank, JICA,
UNESCO-IICBA, ADEA, and the University of Sussex, among others. This unique gathering
provided a timely opportunity to share lessons learned and successful models of MSE across the
continent.
Conference highlights
In his remarks, Cabinet Secretary of
Kenya’s MoEST, Dr. Fred O. Matiang’i,
who officially launched the conference,
urged participants to look beyond the
statistics of doom and start building a
platform that places Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math (STEM) education
at its center. For his part, Director General
of JICA’s Human Development
Department, Dr. Takao Toda, called on
Dr. Matiang’i and Executive Secretary of ADEA Ms. Oley Dibba
Wadda shake hands after he officially inaugurates an office block at
CEMASTEA as Dr. Toda looks on.
countries to make the most use of currently
available resources, particularly the most
important one of all: wisdom.
To this end, presenters from Ethiopia, Senegal, Zambia and Kenya shared case studies of
different JICA-supported models that they have successfully adapted to their local contexts. The
case studies featured projects at the different stages of the education cycle, from programs
targeting basic education, as in the PAAME case of participatory school management in Senegal 1,
to successful examples of tertiary institutions, like Kenya’s JKUAT2. The case studies also
1
Senegal’s PAAME project (2015-2018): In French, “Projet d’amélioration des apprentissages en mathématiques à
l’élèmentaire.” In English, “Ensuring Basic Mathematics Education in Primary with School-Based Management
Approach.”
2
JKUAT: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. The university was established with support from
JICA in 1977.
JICA USA Newsletter – March/April 2016
highlighted distinct types of approaches. The case of Ethiopia’s LAMS3 project, for instance,
was an example of a targeted intervention to improve assessment through item development
trainings. On the other hand, Zambia’s experience with lesson study was an example of systemwide change that promotes in-service training and mutual professional learning among teachers.
Structuring the discussions around concrete examples of successful initiatives while being candid
about the remaining challenges sparked many other important questions. Participants exchanged
views on the root causes of the disparities in STEM performances, including the gender gap, the
rural vs. urban divide, and socio-economic disparities. They also spoke about “silently excluded
pupils,” the inclusion of students with disabilities, issues of language of instruction, and the
relevance of curricula, among others. This regional conference created a platform and the
networks necessary for African countries to address these challenges in a holistic and
coordinated manner.
Related links
For more detailed information on the conference background, panelists, discussions and
presentation PowerPoints, please visit the Regional Conference of Mathematics and Science
Education in Africa website.
Joint Chile-Japan “Kizuna Project” highlighted at Third High-Level
Meeting on Country-led Knowledge Sharing (HLM3)
Japan and Chile, two nations conspicuously
prone to natural disasters, have joined forces
to share their combined knowledge on disaster
risk reduction (DRR) with countries in the
Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region
under a triangular cooperation project called
Kizuna (Japanese for “bonds of friendship”).
Under this revolutionary knowledge-sharing
scheme, JICA and the Chilean International
Mr. Orellana, first from left, discusses how Japan and
Cooperation Agency (AGCI), together with
Chile are relying on the Kizuna project to share their
the National Office of Emergency of the
combined DRR expertise with LAC countries.
Interior Ministry of Chile (ONEMI), are
expected to train some 2,000 policymakers and DRR experts from LAC over the course of five
3
LAMS: Learning Achievement in Mathematics and Science Education
JICA USA Newsletter – March/April 2016
years. The project is already in its second year of implementation, and hundreds of LAC officials
and experts have already received capacity building training in Chile with JICA’s support.
Under Kizuna, course participants engage in training programs and seminars in Chile on a
variety of DRR-related themes ranging from enhanced seismic resistance for bridges and postearthquake risk diagnosis for buildings to disaster prevention plans for local communities. JICA
has also been sending Japanese experts to Chile to introduce and share information on Japanese
technologies and experience, while also promoting widespread adoption of disaster risk
reduction measures throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Recognizing that the Kizuna Project represents a prime example of triangular cooperation in the
field of DRR, the World Bank Group invited Mr. Victor Orellana, Deputy Director of ONEMI,
to discuss lessons learned from Japan and Chile’s joint collaboration on DRR. Mr. Orellana
presented his experiences at a side-event held on the margins of the Third High-Level Meeting
on Country-led Knowledge Sharing (HLM3) convened March 30-31 in Washington, D.C. Mr.
Orellana participated in a panel discussion focused on “Transforming Disaster Management
through Knowledge Sharing at Scale.”
Addressing this topic from the perspective of a government official from an emerging donor
country, Mr. Orellana described how Chile and Japan began collaborating on DRR issues after
Chile was struck by the 1960 Valdivia earthquake— the most powerful earthquake ever recorded.
Mr. Orellana explained that Japan and Chile opened a new chapter in their joint-research and
collaboration on DRR following the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011. He
underscored that this long history of bilateral collaboration has borne fruit, for there is now
knowledge exchange not only between Chile and Japan but also knowledge sharing with other
countries from the LAC region through the Kizuna project.
Mr. Orellana concluded his remarks by emphasizing the importance of scaling up projects
through initiatives like Kizuna. Ultimately, he said, the success of Chile and Japan’s bilateral
DRR knowledge sharing activities will be judged not only by how much we have learned from
each other, but also by how effective we are in our mutual efforts to enhance people’s resilience
in partner countries across LAC and beyond.
Promoting peace and unity through South Sudan’s first National
Sports Event
Earlier this year, with support from JICA, South Sudan held its first national sports event since it
gained independence in July 2011. Over an 8-day period, 350 youth athletes from nine cities
convened for an event the Government of South Sudan dubbed “National Unity Day.”
JICA USA Newsletter – March/April 2016
South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, is also one of
the least developed and faces the dual challenge of
building itself up while establishing sustainable peace.
Following its independence, turmoil resurfaced in
December 2013, with violence spreading throughout the
country. Though a peace agreement was signed in August
2015, the implementation of the agreement is moving
slowly compared to the initially set timeframe.
Against this backdrop, the South Sudanese government
wanted to show its people that through sports, the country
could be united as one regardless of ethnic groups. Fittingly, the overarching theme of the event
was “Peace and Unity.”
Peacebuilding activities were organized
to promote unity during the games.
Fastest man in South Sudan
Over the course of the sport event, the 350 athletes competed in football and track and field.
Nineteen year old Gatkuoth Janny, who won gold medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter races,
returned home from his current residence in Uganda to
participate in the national competition.
“South Sudan has been in conflict for a long time, but
now peace is back. I came home to share peace and
unity,” Janny commented after the race.
South Sudan will be participating in the Olympic Games
for the first time in Rio de Janeiro this year. Janny may
be competing with a South Sudanese flag in Rio, as well
as the games in Tokyo in 2020.
Gatkuoth Janny receives a medal from Mitsuaki
Furukawa, the chief representative of the JICA
South Sudan Office.
Proving peace and unity could be achieved
Ahead of the games, the organizers were concerned that unmaintained and uneven fields would
put players at risk of injuring themselves. Luckily, the Japanese contingent deployed in UNMISS
and Japanese construction companies building the Freedom Bridge and Water Treatment Plant
offered to level the sports fields using their own resources. The State Ministry of Public
Infrastructure also worked on preparing the field. Their contributions made it possible for the
event to proceed as planned.
JICA USA Newsletter – March/April 2016
There was wide media coverage of the event, which also drew in large crowds of spectators.
Taban Awad was among those who came to the national stadium to watch the final of the
football match with his four year old son. “My father fought for independence, and I grew up
only with my mother around. I want my son to live with me and have a good life. I wish South
Sudan will be a peaceful country where people can play sports every day,” said Taban.
The final match of the football tournament was between Bentiu and Wau. After Bentiu emerged
victorious following a dramatic penalty shootout, the players of the victorious team comforted
the Wau players who were in tears. Both teams congratulated each other for the good game and
sportsmanship.
Many athletes said they made friends from different states whom they would not have had the
chance to otherwise meet. Indeed, over the course of the event, the youth athletes proved that
through sports, they can celebrate their ethnic differences and draw on them as a source of
enrichment and strength. They demonstrated that peace and unity could be achieved in South
Sudan.