Sarajean's notes

Japan seems like the perfect market for groups to do fundraising – from the outside that is. Over the past year no less than 4 international fundraising groups have contacting me about cracking into the Japan market. They generally do not have experience in the Japanese nonprofit ngo market. Since Japan has such a broad middle class – it might seem that this would be the place for nonprofit work to be supported by the masses. Also maybe since there are so many Japanese people abroad talking about ngos and nonprofits it might seem that the market is matured and it makes it hard to see that these people are outliers. I have finally started to hear more about professionalize fundraising here too. It seems like all nonprofit NGOs realize they need to get on the shtick and develop their supporter base and start actual having a staff person whose work it is to fundraise from the private sector. Why has this idea taken so long to come to Japan? * Orgs are small? * Staff are too devoted...

The link is to the right. I got lots of mail based on this article - thanks Lucy!! A few people have tried to Google me after reading this artcile but could not find me because my name is ROSSITTO not Sarajean Rossito. I have always had confusion over the 2 S's and 2 T's. Since I came to Japan I have had much confusion over what my name is - I have often been called Rose Ito because Ito is such a common Japanese family name. Also the way I say Sarajean confuses people - it is neither "sara-jeanne" nor "sarajane" - more like sar-gina. This is why i use rose.ito at gmail.com for my mail - it is easy to spell and people get it... now you all know.

Yesterday was women's day and I took part in an event at UNU here in Tokyo: http://www.unu.edu/iwd/ The number one thing I learn at these events is about how to and how not to organize panels. (i.e. why do people think a 10min talk means they get 20 min to talk about 5 different topics? why can't any one call time? why are participants allowed to use Q & A as "my time to present on my issue”?) There were some valid points presented on the topic of focus gender based violence. General comments on the status of women remind us of what the audience – mostly women (who can come to an event in the middle of the day?) – likely already knew. The issue of diversity could have been more developed and more specific. It would have been nice to addres women's status in Japan in an objective and concrete manner. Doug Lummis presented some very interesting points about the role of rape in war - the history of war shows us that sexual violence has always been part of it. I agree...

All fine and well that Hilary and Obama visted Selma this weel - but it would be nice if the media reminded people why Selma is and was so important. They forget to remind people of the times and the risks people took to make the US a better place. Selma should be more than a campaign stop ... http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Selma-Politics.html

As suggested my my friends I am finally getting my interviews on the site ... the links are on the side bar but here is the PDF