Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009

SIETAR to hold English human rights seminar

The Kansai Chapter of the Society for Intercultural Education, Training And Research (SIETAR) will hold a seminar on human rights education in English from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 15.

Jeff Plantilla of Hurights Osaka, an group that promotes human rights in the Asia-Pacific region, will give a talk titled "Human Rights Education: Unfulfilled Commitment, Unrealized Potential." The talk covers human rights education initiatives in various countries, its diverse forms and the types of supporting institutions.

Participation is ¥500 for SIETAR members and students, and ¥1,000 for nonmembers. No application is required. The venue is Nishinomiya-shi Daigaku Koryu Center on the sixth floor of the ACTA East building, a two-minute walk from the north exit of Nishinomiya Kitaguchi Station on the Hankyu Kobe Line.

For details, send an e-mail message to Cox of Kansai SIETAR Steering Committee at terryabc@gol.com

Toastmasters in Senri issue public invitation

The Senri Toastmasters Club, a branch of the international organization dedicated to improving communication skills in English, invites people to attend its monthly meeting Feb. 21 in Toyonaka, Osaka.

The meeting will be held between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Senri Kominkan (Senri Community Hall) near Senri Chuo Station on the Kita Osaka Kyuko Railway Line.

Advance applications are required by phone or via e-mail. Participation is free. To become a member, participants are required to pay an entrance and membership fee.

For applications and further information, contact Kotake at (06) 6855-6455 or send an e-mail message to senritoastmaster@gmail.com

Cultural exchange day slated in Nishinomiya

Nishinomiya International Exchange Day 2009 will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 15 in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture.

The event will feature multicultural stage performances, tea ceremony performances and origami workshops, juggling lessons, presentations on foreign cultures, and food-tasting opportunities. A disaster prevention seminar for international residents will also be held.

No admission fee or applications are required. The venue is on the fourth and fifth floors of Frente Nishinomiya Building, which is near Nishinomiya Station on the JR Kobe Line.

For more information, contact the organizer Nishinomiya City International Association at (0798) 32-8680, access the Web site at www.nishi.or.jp/homepage/nia/ or send a message by e-mail to nia@nishi.or.jp.

Chuo Ward offers free 'nohgaku' performance

The Chuo Ward Office in Osaka will host a traditional performance of "nohgaku" from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 10.

The program is the third in a series for introducing the Japanese musical drama called "noh" and features Akihiro Yamamoto, a noh actor from the Yamamoto Nohgaku-do theater. He will give an explanation of the story line for "Shoujou" and of the musical instruments in Japanese before presenting a short performance of the repertory.

The venue is the Chuo Ward Office, which is about a two-minute walk east of exit 3 from Sakaisuji Honmachi Station on the Sakaisuji or Chuo subway lines. No admission fee or reservations are required.

For more information, access the Web site www.city.osaka.jp/chuo/ or contact the ward office's lifelong learning section at (06) 6267-9774 (in Japanese).

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