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Are we reaching out???
Are we reaching out to people? Is the information getting out and people getting roofs over their heads?
Are we getting take up?
How can we better reach out?
Has anyone spoken to Japanese media, authorities, aid organisations and authorities? I'm in the UK and I'm not sure
what the best channels are in Japan to reach out to people. I hope people spread the word to news papers and TV channels so that the efforts and will to help here is put in place.
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Don't get me wrong. I'm not worried about if people reach me specifically. I'm worried if people reach someone or anyone.
Couchsurfing.org has the framework in place to help. If the information about this group here can be spread to the people who needs the help then we all might be able to make a difference.
I emailed and informed the British Red Cross to ask them to help channel the information about this group in Japan to help ease pressure of the Japanese authorities and help organisations.
There might be better channels locally in Japan. In that case please help and notify these channels.
I don't assume that people will travel abroad to find accommodation but there are people outside Japan who are left displaced as tourists, foreign workers or students.
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I don't think we are reaching out very well. Don't get me wrong, I do not think you are doing anything wrong or that you should try much harder now (or should just stop trying at all), but I think CS is not the ideal medium to deal with a crisis like the one in Japan.
I do not think at this point that it is likely that people from Japan will flee the country.
However - and I say this because I am a skeptic and a pessimist when it comes to mankind and his inventions - I do think there is a very real danger lurking in those nucleair power plants and the situation in Japan will get worse before it gets any better. And once there is radioactive air in Japan and people start seeing the consequences of that, I think more of them will flee the country.
But not yet. I do not understand the Japanese in that regard... I would probably already be in the south of Spain if one of the nearby power plants had problems like the ones in Japan... But I suppose that the fact that they live on an island is not making it any easier. I could just drive myself to safety, they would need to travel by aeroplane or boat to get away...
I'm rambling.
The point I actually wanted to make: I think it's too early for the Japanese people to travel abroad. If the nucleair situation escalates, I think there might be more people that flee away and then this group can prove its use. But at this point I get the idea in the media that the Japanese are not panicking as much as some of us in Europe. ;-) (like me)
If we can really help, I am sure the news will get out and people will come to couchsurfing for help.
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I really, really hope you are wrong about all what you say Adrian!!
But I have to be honest and say that I also fear that those reactors will just go BOOM soon... I tend to be pessimistic/realistic when it's to do with those things... I have grave distrust in governments (come on, I live in Belgium, we just broke a record held by Iran when it comes to forming a government...)
I am not religious, but I do pray, in a way... Or rather: I hope. I really hope that all will turn out for the best. But sometimes it's not bad to prepare for the worst.
I have some doubt as to whether anyone is going to actually find this sub-forum. It's filed under 'Other'.
If those affected are already CSers, they're probably doing normal CS searches already. So, to ensure they find those of us really eager to help Japanese denizens, I suggest we:
1) Change our mission to something like "Helping those affected by the Japanese earthquake" (so they see us on the results page)
2) Raise the number of people we can host, in case there are stranded families that need four or six beds (we can always reject groups of hippies that aren't affected by the quake)
Good practical advice Damian,lets do that right away!
1) Change our mission to something like "Helping those affected by the Japanese earthquake" (so they see us on the results page)
2) Raise the number of people we can host, in case there are stranded families that need four or six beds (we can always reject groups of hippies that aren't affected by the quake)
i'll pass the world
I have spent the last 24 hours trying to contact the powers that be at Couch Surfing to put a "Japan Crises Housing" box on the top page, in Japanese - so that new people finding the site (following reports in local media) can actually FIND us and all these offers.
NO BLOODY RESPONSE from Couch Surfing powers.
I have friends in San Francisco trying to track down a phone number or fax. There is an SF address buried on the site.
Bu, like Wikileaks, this website is run by people from their computers all over the place.
It is so so frustrating.
If anyone has any better ideas - or would like to deluge the Contacts page with requests for a special box on the top page....please be my guest...
amanda
Dear Johan,
Yes, very good thought. I am also wondering whether there have been any requests by Japanese people at all - perhaps in Japan itself...
Already days ago I have contacted the Japanese Government through their web site, the Red Cross Japan, the Japanese Embassy in Denmark, several Emergency Organisations (Nødhjælp) connected to the crisis in Japan and a very large Japanese newspaper through Facebook.
I did not get any responses, but do not expect any either, if just the message with the relevant links is given to the people in need.
Best wishes
Britta (Antonia)
That is exactly what I have been wondering for days since the quake. Language may not be the only issue because I'm Japanese (born and raised) but haven't gotten a single request. I also offerred our space in other Japanese site, specifically for an expecting woman (and a family), but again, no response.
I suspect that the affected ones in Tohoku are still without food, electricity, and other basic needs, not to mention an access to the internet.
We will have to be patient and wait until they are able to get an access to the internet, which may take some time.
Please do not give up on us!
Miwa
My friend came back to my town last weekend. She said that people seems not to be able to see this message, because it has not Internet at that place. But I want to be known to many Japanese people this massages from all over the world. And, it contributed to the program with the radio station of Tokyo FM. I expect that people know this desire.
I left a voicemail message for Casey Fenton, at a telephone number in New Hampshire.....my friends found Couch Surfing registered there.
But...surprise surprise...NO ANSWER!
Makes me angry this.
I know a doctor in Sapporo who has taken patients from a hospital in Sendai, I will probably offer my accomodation to the families of those patients.
I am giving up almost with the CS idea of reaching people and if I find another way to use my accomodation to help someone I will take that way.
Amanda
Dear CS friends,
Please be patient and don't give up on us. Very few Japanese know about this community. Needless to say, language is a huge issue, much more than you think it is.
I consider myself reasonably international, having been educated and worked in Japan, US and Europe. Still, I have never heard of this community until very recently. Imagine evacuatees of a small fishermen town in Tohoku who doesn't understand a word of English. How many of them will even try to access to us in the midst of the crisis , when they are trying to look for their love ones? How many of them are bold enough to leave their shelters, leaving their family and friends, to move in with a complete stranger?
It may take some time, but there will be a day when our prayer will be heard. Until then, please do not give up on us.
I am nowhere in a position to represent Japanese people, but I am truely grateful to our CS friends who are doing their best to help. Thank you.
Miwa Seki
Hi there!
This is Hiro one of moderators of Japan crisis.
First of all thanks for joining this group.
I am very appreciate and don’t know how to express my feeling to everyone who pray for Japan and willing to help for Japan.
I myself am a new comer but at the same time I am working on CS Japanese translation team.
as you concerned, we (moderators) also are wondering how many people will be able to reach CS community.
So that we try to be on the Media (newspaper, well-known Website etc) or something.
Apparently one of newspaper companies picked our activity,,,,though it still English paper in Japan…cry
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20110322a1.html
Also we are seeking to coordinate other Volunteer groups or whatever we can do.
Still don’t know the answer yet, but we try our best.
What we can do now is(if you are in Japan or have someone who work on media company etc)please let us know or tell our activity.
As Japanese translation team, actually we (all translation teams of every country) had been stopped our translation work for many months because of some reasons.
But The Japanese team starts to our translation works so that we can offer Japanese translated info as much as we can for Japanese people.
However, moderators and the translation members have limited time as well.
(we know we cant excuse for it though,,,,)
But we all try our best so please be patience.
we never forget the people who help,pray for us and our Japanese mind is full of gratitude.
I believe that we can learn lots of things from this (even our activity will be ended up very trivia)
if something similar happened somewhere another time we can do better approch, job for people in need.
If you have a good idea for improving,or need Japanese language (translation etc)
Please contact me.
http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/hirohiro1124/
Hotmail: hirohiro1124@live.co.uk
TEl from japan: 090-6032-3237
from overseas :0081-90-6032-3237
I can translate personal message, info, anything.
and again thanks for your kindness
Best regards
Hiro
Thank you Miwa for putting this all in perspective.
I know that if an 9.0 earthquake struck CA we would still be reeling from the destruction and probably not able to have access to the internet or be able to speak with our Japanese friends.
I think you're right, I was being optimistic that our government would step up to help the Japanese people. It would have been compassionate to bring people to host families waiting to host them around the world, at least while the country deals with the immediate aftermath.
There is another thread of people offering to drive to the quake are to cook and clean and distribute supplies. Maybe it's more realistic to contribute in a much more practical way?
Please advise. You seem to have a handle on what's going on.
Every day I'm following the Red Cross and the Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support on Facebook to see if they're actually able to help anyone.
It's a terrible feeling to not be able to reach out and help.
soo....this whole idea is great in theory, but totally worthless in practice...?
makes me sad because it could be great. has anybody been set up with a spot because of this? from what i've seen...no. would love to be proved wrong...
Hi Victoria,
Thanks for your message.
Here are the web-sites of the NPOs who are already on the ground and helping Tohoku people affected by the quake.
Japan Red Cross and UNICEF have set up a fund specifically dedicated to the evacuatees in Tohoku region. There are other trusted NPOs distributing supplies and providing medical and other support.
Please take a look. Again, I thank you and CS friends for your thoughts and prayers.
http://civic-force.org/english/index.html
http://www.peace-winds.org/en/
http://www.jen-npo.org/en/index.html
http://www.joicfp.or.jp/eng/
http://www.amdainternational.com/english/index.php
http://www.msf.or.jp/
(Medicins Sans Frontiers Japanese Branch)
http://www.kyoto-nicco.org/english/index.html
http://www.adrajpn.org/
The ones listed here have excellent track records and you can trust them. By far, Civic-force is the largest and the most active. Jen is my favorite, helping mothers (to be) and small children in a crisis zone. MSF, as you all know , is one of the most global NPOs. MSF Japan is also active in dispatching medical professionals to the quake region.
Hope this helps,
Miwa
Miwa san,
Thank you for this list!
I am planning to turn out the japanese okonomiyaki yatai that I run every year in paleofestival (switzerland) into an humanitarian project for fundraising. We will rely to one of those organisation listed above.
The first organisation I thought giving money was redcross but I wanted to know others, so your list is a great help to me.
Difficult to know wich organisation is the most helping peoples, I would say that any little help, but on my side I am selling food, so at the end I'd like the money to be turned out into meal served to the victims.
I know poverty as existed in Japan before the tsunami because I was leaving in Osaka for a little while and the image of those blue tents spreading into parks, down the bridges and so on… I saw the same one in tokyo, kyoto and even rural area (a little less though)is still haunting me.
I know that japanese government will very unlikely help them and many of the victim will just be on their own…
If we cant host we must give, or at least pass the information
I will let you know about the Okonomiyaki project soon,
best regards,
Yashka
paleo.ch (website of the festival)
okonomi.ch (just an holding page right now)
Thank you, Yashka for your fundraising effort. It sounds like a lot of fun! I love Okonamiyaki!!!
Actually, Japanese government was quick to set up shelters for victims who lost their houses. Currently, over 300,000 people are accomodated in public shelters and have been provided water, food and other basic needs. Having said that, they are still short of much resources needed. Gasoline, electricity and medical supplies to list a few.
Also, the ones who did not lose their houses and cannot be accomodated in public spaces are suffering from isolation. Without gasoline and electricity, nor support from the government which is provided to the ones in shelters, they are desperately trying to search for means to survive. Local NPOs are doing their best to reach out to the isolated ones, while they also lack much resources.
So, your contribution to the local NPOs helps.
Here's another reference on how you can help.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/14/iyw.howtohelp.japan/index.html
best regards,
Miwa
Hello, I'm new to CS and in fact I signed up just to offer my house to any victims that might need accommodation for a few months (I have an empty rental property in Nagoya). I realize that those in need probably won't be searching on CS, but my hope was that the community here would include the type of activists that might be volunteering and helping to get the word out. Here in Nagoya we've set up a website to act as sort of a information clearing house for those in need of, or wishing to give help.
www.SupportingJapan.com
For anyone wishing to donate money, we are setting up an account to receive in-country and overseas donations through the ACCJ.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, also feel free to let anyone know about the house.
Cheers,
-jp
www.TheMeatGuy.jp
A problem is, most of them dont even know about Couchsurfing.
Best would be to make it public to them. How can we do this?
Maybe everyone having a Mixi account should spread the news with the つぶやく button or write something about it.
www.mixi.jp is still massively used in japan. It require both an invitation and an email recorded in japan (such as docomo.co.jp and so on)
I think that's both the cheapest and the most efficient way to do it
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Dear all,
As it has been highlighted many times, the main question is "Are we reaching out??" And the answer probably is unfortunately "Not yet." Besides CS not being known well in Japan, there are many issues people in Tohoku area facing with information. First thing first, no electricity, no Internet, not even TV in some regions. Even volunteers working individually or small groups are not allowed to enter in the core disaster struck areas. So I guess our only option here is to go by the old messenger way. We can probably create a quick list of available couch information and hand it over to the few NGOs and request to get information of people who need help in turn. If someone can act as a bridge or common window, we can pass on their contact details and then information can be fanned out thru CS website.
Miwa san, Toshimi san, thanks a lot for the information. I have registered on all these sites.. But the question still remains, if even these sites are reaching out in Tohoku region... And the answer is probably negative.
Your thoughts please?
Regards,
Shital
Also, keeping apart going abroad, I heard currently people who want to evacuate from close to Fukushima are not even able to travel to Tokyo due to fuel shortage. One guest on a NHK talk show mentioned rightly that if you want to offer help, you can't ask those people to come over to your place.. They simply can't do it at this time. He suggested if you can drive to their home to pick them up, that is the best option.
I don't think many of us will have car or access to transportation, so may be we can create a chain of people - Those who can offer transportation > Offer food > one night couch during transition > Long term couch..
Your comments please.
Shital
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Toshimi san,
Even I am trying to check with some NGO if they can handle this information. I will update once I get some response. Meanwhile, looking at the fuel situation, I think we need to make an attempt to make it into a relay race. If people can travel at least 10-20 Km away from the disaster area, situation will start getting positive and more options will be available.
How about placing all the couches and help available on a map to trace out routes radiating out (not the radiation from Nuclear Plant :-)) from the disaster area. I am not sure if that needs admin rights on CS and I am not expert in handling all that digital data, but may be that can be done by any one, even from out side Japan to start with. :-D can anyone in this group help with this?
Instead of thinking of a big jump, we can start small. May be with one family at a time, or even one person at a time. The key remains reaching out though.
Regards,
Shital
Regards,
Shital
<後で英語版をUPします。もしどなたか出来れば助けて頂ければ幸いです。>
CSでgroupが立ち上がり、たくさんの人が助けになればと手を差し伸べてくれていることに感謝します。
ただ現実問題、日本でCSの知名度は低く、日本人登録者も少ないです。そして海外へ一時的にでも移動するなんてことは1人の日本人としてなかなか現実味がないようにも思うのです。。。
日本にお住まいのメンバーの方であれば、他のサイトにも既に登録しているかもしれませんが、いくつか登録できるサイトのリンクを貼っておきます。
メディアにも紹介されているようですので、CSよりも日本人の方にはとっつきやすそうです。
被災者の方達の目に留まるようになるには時間がかかるかもしれませんが
こういったサイトにも登録するのもひとつの手段かな。と思ったのでpostしておきます。(toshimiさんとダブってるサイトもあります。)
・roomdonor.jp
http://roomdonor.jp/
住宅の無償提供、滞在期間は主に3ヶ月～1年以上、やりとりは提供者と利用者間で行う
・被災者ホームステイ『earthday money』
http://earthdaymoney.org/
住宅の無償提供など、滞在期間は主に1か月～3か月、やりとりは事務局が介在、登録数3000強
・震災ホームステイ
http://www.shinsai-homestay.jp/
住宅の無償提供、滞在期間は主に1ヶ月～1年以上、やりとりは事務局が介在
・仮住まい情報掲示板『Lococom』
http://www.lococom.jp/common/guideline/karizumai/
住宅の無償提供など、やりとりは提供者と利用者間で行う
・『うちくる？(ver.β)』
http://uchiku.ru/
住宅の無償提供など、やりとりは提供者と利用者間で行う
・『sos-host』
http://sos-host.com/
住宅の無償提供、やりとりは提供者と利用者間で行う、被災した方からも情報を発信しメッセージでやりとりができる
・『仮り住まいの輪』
http://www.karizumai.jp/
住宅の無償提供など、滞在期間は主に1ヶ月～3ヵ月、やりとりは事務局が介在、不動産・建設業界の方々が発足
※全てのサイトに目を通したわけではないので、各自で確認してください。
Hello,
I don't translate word per word but basically what Matsudo is saying is that so far as CS home page is in English and that CS is not very known by Japanese people, it will be difficult to reach people this way.
He gives a few links of association that are doing the same kind of thing (offering "couch" for tohoku people) that are in Japanese. Some of them got presentation in the medias so it sounds like the best way to reach people in need:
・roomdonor.jp
http://roomdonor.jp/
住宅の無償提供、滞在期間は主に3ヶ月～1年以上、やりとりは提供者と利用者間で行う
・被災者ホームステイ『earthday money』
http://earthdaymoney.org/
住宅の無償提供など、滞在期間は主に1か月～3か月、やりとりは事務局が介在、登録数3000強
・震災ホームステイ
http://www.shinsai-homestay.jp/
住宅の無償提供、滞在期間は主に1ヶ月～1年以上、やりとりは事務局が介在
・仮住まい情報掲示板『Lococom』
http://www.lococom.jp/common/guideline/karizumai/
住宅の無償提供など、やりとりは提供者と利用者間で行う
・『うちくる？(ver.β)』
http://uchiku.ru/
住宅の無償提供など、やりとりは提供者と利用者間で行う
・『sos-host』
http://sos-host.com/
住宅の無償提供、やりとりは提供者と利用者間で行う、被災した方からも情報を発信しメッセージでやりとりができる
・『仮り住まいの輪』
http://www.karizumai.jp/
住宅の無償提供など、滞在期間は主に1ヶ月～3ヵ月、やりとりは事務局が介在、不動産・建設業界の方々が発足
Hi. I write to japanese embassy in Düsseldorf/Germany. I recive the answer, i am on a list... Thats all. No answer from Japan. Think, the flight is the problem...
Hi all,
I'm looking to interview someone involved in Couchsurfing about how successful the program has been in reaching out to the Japanese.
I work for a news agency in Toronto. I am looking to interview someone TODAY (April 11).
I have lived in Japan and also went there after the earthquake to work so I'm very interested in how agencies are reaching out to the people.
Contact me ASAP if you can talk to me. amber.hildebrandt@cbc.ca
Thanks,
Amber Hildebrandt
CBCNews.ca
Online reporter
Hi Amber
The brutal truth is that we have been very unsuccessful at reaching out and offering homes to anyone.
People in need of housing don't:
a) know about Couch Surfing
b) have access to computers
The Couch Surfing top page is not user friendly to a non-English speaker.
We appealed to the Couch Surfing inner circle in the US to at least put a special box on the top page, in Japanese and linking it directly to the information here.
After 2 weeks we finally got one reply from a CS inner circle person. Sorry - no can do.
Personally, I have pretty much given up on the idea that anyone is going to find my housing thru this website. I have registered with a charity group here in Sapporo and offered my housing to them for a family from the Fukushima area. We are waiting to hear. They advertised in the Japanese media and had about 150 offers of homestays and apartments..I hope to help someone thru that.
Part of the problem too is that I think it is in the nature of Japanese people to wait for someone in authority to instruct everyone what to do next. So people in evacuation centers are waiting for temporary housing units or mass evacuation to public housing.
Others may follow up an offer from a recognised charity group.
I doubt anyone is going to go online and find a group of mainly non-Japanese offering somewhere to stay.
I love Couch Surfing, but I don't think it is going to help in Japan this time.
I urge everyone who has somewhere to contact a charity group in your area and offer your accomodation thru non-CS channels.
Amanda
Just a few words from France to suggest you to create a more friendly tool than the poor CS editor.
Forums oblige susbcribers to log on over and over again for, often, see that the most recent topics are not that important. With a mailing list, one can filter/modify/send a private response and many others advantages (like banning spammers, Netiquette violatorts, edit a ML policy and so forth)
What is your feeling ?
I am coming to japan march 328 and i Hope to find ways I can volunteer and help out , so far I have found nothing . If there are volunteer groups or any organizations I should contact please message me .
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