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Japan

YWCA Kyoto: Asian People Together (APT)

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The Asian People Together (APT) is a project of Kyoto YWCA. Formed in 1987, it is a voluntary organization that extends help to people from other Asian countries residing in the Kyoto area. Many of the people who seek their help are foreign migrant workers. Its over-all aim is to improve Japan's relationship with its Asian neighbors through positive interaction with fellow Asians who live in Japan. By serving the needs of foreigners, it hopes to help create a Japanese society that is open, just, and respectful of human rights .

It provides assistance by finding interpreters for those with problems communicating in Japanese language in their transactions with Japanese people, referring trustworthy lawyers for their legal problems, and referring doctors who can understand their situation. It covers issues relating to labor, family and civil transactions. It also maintains telephone counselling service.

Lately, APT started an advocacy program that aims to change the policies and programs of government agencies dealing with the foreign residents. It is initially concentrating on the immigration office's policies, rules and procedures. It wants the immigration office to treat foreign residents with decency such as providing adequate and humane detention facilities and services, and improved policies in dealing with foreigners such as foreign women who have been victimized by Japan's sex industry, or who have children born of Japanese fathers.

Above all, APT wants the issue affecting foreigners to be seen in a bigger perspective. Women entertainers, for example, who have been arrested for working without permission should be seen as victims rather than offenders. The violators of the law, the sex industry syndicates, should therefore be dealt with properly rather than disregarded.

APT has also begun a program of linkaging with professional groups such as medical, social work and bar associations which can provide assistance to foreign residents in Kyoto area. Though the initial response to its request for help is not always encouraging, it still hopes to get their full support in the near future. The bar association, for example, has set up a toban bengoshi system - lawyers on call for foreigners in need.

As part of its case handling work, it has international linkaging activities that seek the support of NGOs in the countries where the foreigners seeking help come from. Links with an NGO working on migrant women workers in Thailand is a good example of its international linkaging work.

Publications: "Trafficking in Human Beings and Japan as a Big Receiving Country",  by Akashi Shoten, 2001.

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Related external links

• ECPAT Japan