| Peace
Winds Japan 2-11-5 Sakurashinmachi, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 154-0015 Japan Telephone: +81-3-5451-5400 Facsimilie: +81-3-5451-5401 www.peace-winds.org meet@peace-winds.org |
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| Top Message from chairperson Summary of 2004 Iraq Mongolia Indonesia East Timor Sierra Leone Liberia Afghanistan Iran Nigata Strengthening Ourselves and Our Civil Society Major Activities in FY2004 Organizational Time Line Organizational Structure Financial Statement PWJ English Top |
| PWJ
Successfully Responded to Earthquakes that Frequented in 2004 The support activities of Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) in 2004 began and ended with earthquake relief. In addition to the relief effort in the aftermath of the earthquake in southeastern Iran, which we continued from the previous year, we had the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake in October, followed by the earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean off Sumatra Island, Indonesia at the end of the year. Each was a test of our accurate judgment in times of emergency, our ability to respond with prompt action, and the quality of our expertise particularly in engineering and logistics. PWJ had refined these capabilities in its previous activities in conflict areas and we were able to utilize them fully in 2004 in our aid to quake-stricken areas. Currently, studies are underway, based on the experience gained in Niigata, on ways and means of tackling other anticipated domestic disasters such as an earthquake in the Tokai region. At the same time, PWJ has remained active in areas of conflict, beginning to work on the rebuilding of countries like Iraq, as well as West Africa and Afghanistan, while continuing to give full attention to the changing security situation in the area. PWJ's Initiative Among the Quickest in the World  It
was during the afternoon of December 26, 2004 thatPWJ received first word of the earthquake andtsunami off Sumatra Island. PWJ called an emergency meeting of managers that night and, although information was scarce due to breakdowns in communication, concluded that Nanngroe Aceh Darussalam Province (Aceh Province), near the earthquake epicenter, would most likely suffer catastrophic damage. PWJ decided to carry out emergency relief in this area, while many other Japanese NGOs focused their assistance on Sri Lanka, where tsunami damage had already been reported. As we learned more of the actual conditions, the number of deaths in Indonesia soared to over 100,000, proving that PWJ's decision had been right. Two members of the international staff at our Tokyo office departed for Indonesia the next day. They entered Meulaboh on the west coast of Aceh Province and began to deliver medicines and foodstuffs to victims on January 1st.  This
was the quickest provision of assistance by any international organization to
this region, which had been cut off by the tsunami. By mid - January, PWJ, utilizing
chartered helicopters, small planes and many trucks, managed to deliver a massive
quantity of relief aid weighing over 70 tons to the earthquake victims in Meulaboh.
The establishment of this steady supply line was highly praised by other relief
workers in the area. After an earthquake hit the Niigata Chuetsu region, PWJ staff
and volunteers left Tokyo very early the next morning and managed to reach the
site of the disaster before noon that day despite severe conditions including
closed and sunken roads. In collaboration with a leading supermarket company,
PWJ was able to set up large emergency-shelter tents called g balloon sheltersh,
in the parking area of a supermarket in Ojiya city, within 24 hours of the quake
hitting the region. Over 150 victims, whose houses had collapsed or who were afraid
of staying in their homes, utilized the balloon shelters from the first night
they were set up.Contribution by Engineers and Logistic Teams  Forty
thousand people reportedly died in the earthquake that hit the southeastern part
of Iran at the end of 2003. The fragile structure of the brick houses in the area
aggravated the damage. To contribute to the reconstruction of the region, PWJ
introduced a new method of building construction, which combined quake-resistant
techniques with the traditional local form of building, in order to minimize future
earthquake damage. PWJ's team of engineers played the central role in this endeavor.
The team held a gworkshop to disseminate earthquake - safer designh
in quakestricken Bam, mainly for those who were engaged in construction work.
It proved to be a great success and stirred much interest, having a big impact
on the reconstruction work in the region.
This can be seen in the fact that the model house selected by the Iran Housing
Corporation adopted the PWJ-proposed quake-resistant construction method that
strengthens the building structure by using concrete and iron reinforcing rods.
The engineer team also found a role for its expertise in Niigata. The balloon
shelters, which the team had developed in collaboration with a leading textile
manufacturer in 1999, were put to actual use in the past in such places as India
and Afghanistan. However, this was the first time in which a balloon shelter was
made available for people tog live inh for a period of many days.
The engineer team adjusted the ventilation system to maintain the long-term shape
of balloon, reinforced the tent to enable it to endure severe rains and strong
winds, repaired it when needed, and did everything else necessary to deal with
other problems that came up. Many quake victims expressed gratitude to the team
members for their sincere, unrelenting efforts to help them.Preparing for Large-scale Earthquakes  Learning
from our experience at the time the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake, PWJ is currently
working on plans to formally launch a domestic disaster relief team in FY2005.
Our attention is being focused in particular on a possible earthquake in the Tokai
region (an area Catastrophic damage by tsunami (Banda Aceh, Aceh Province) Balloon
shelters set up at the parking area of a supermarket (Ojiya City) of Japan on
the Pacific coast between Tokyo and Osaka). It is reported that there is a high
probability of an earthquake in this region in the near future and a forecasting
system for it is working. Negotiations to finalize a relief agreement are underway
between PWJ and Fukuroi City in Shizuoka Prefecture, where damage from a future
Tokai Earthquake is expected to be severe and include the collapse of housing.
 As
a result of our worthwhile experience in Niigata, a number of needs have come
to light that are different from our overseas activities. These include the organization
of stand-by teams, training for staff, advance consultation with a variety of
people concerned with earthquake relief, and the storage of relief supplies. Training
on how to set up balloon shelters was conducted repeatedly and attended by almost
all the members of our Tokyo office in December. We considered it necessary for
as many staff members as possible to learn the structure of a balloon shelter
and to master the basic technique of its installation, maintenance and withdrawal.PWJ Continued Playing an Important Role in Conflict Areas While making every effort to aid earthquake victims, PWJ expanded its activities in the other relief areas. In Liberia, PWJ began supporting the returning refugees who came back from nearby countries following the end of the civil war. Although the security situation was still unstable, two PWJ staff who used to work with Liberian refugees in Sierra Leone opened an office in Liberia and distributed construction tools, such as shovels and hatchets, and roof materials. Since last fall, PWJ has developed its activities in response to the expansion of the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) program to encourage the return of Liberian refugees to their home country. The role of PWJ is expanding and it aims to advance the stabilization of the refugees' lives in places where government functions have not completely recovered. In Iraq, the insurgency continues. Three Japanese were taken hostage in April and a total of three Japanese were killed in May and October. Public opinion on whether to provide assistance for Iraq wavered considerably. In Iraq, rivalries intensified with an eye on the National Assembly elections at the end of January 2005 and the launch of the new Government. The situation remained tense. As top priority was placed on the safety of relief workers, the dispatch of PWJ's international staff to the region had to be suspended for quite some time. Nonetheless, PWJ started new programs such as the support of Kurdish IDPs (internally displaced persons), who had been forced to leave their homeland by the Hussein regime. Delays in the restoration of government functions and an unstable society may lead to further worsening of the security situation. In Iraq too, given PWJ's political neutrality, more and more will be expected of its contribution to reconstruction activities. |
