International Meeting of Practitioners for 21st Century Sustainable Development Conference and Exchange Program November 3-15, 1995 Tokyo and Heiwa Peace Village in Japan Funded by: Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Implemented by: ICA Japan
Twenty five practitioners of sustainable development joined with Japanese practitioners and discussed the future of sustainable development. Concerned with problems such as the decline of effective rural living, lack of access to technology, illiteracy, political instability, and the weakness of NGOs to sufficiently affect global change, they built their vision for 21st Century Sustainable Development and began planning how they can collaborate effectively to strengthen their impact on the world. The conference resulted in a thirty page strategic plan which will guide their development efforts, and the participants made commitments to begin operating together toward their common vision. A highlight of the event was an exchange program in Heiwa-cho (Peace Village), where they were joyfully welcomed and taken to individual homes for an overnight stay.
	1. 40 people from 17 countries participated in the "International Meeting of Practitioners for 21st Century Sustainable Development".
The Conference Opening Presentations
	2. Mr. Yuji Hamada, from the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Center for NGO Cooperation, lectured on Japanese official assistance to third world countries at the opening ceremony.
	3. Mr. Michio Ito, Secretary General of the Japanese NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC), lectured on Japanese NGO assistance to third world countries.
	4. The staff reflect upon and interpret the significant relationship of the workplace, family and community through the Community Building Workshop methods that were introduced over the first weekend.
	5. Mr. Ellsworth and Ms. Sato (Japan) present details of the daily schedule and purpose, after accepting suggestions from the participants.
Discerning Global Trends in Sustainable Development
	6. Team members work together to remember and review the past events of the world, sustainable development, and local development achievements.
	7. The participants put cards on a large chart so that they can quickly see all the information and discuss its significance.
	8. Mr. Vingo (Kenya) leads the group in refining the past events and look for meaningful trends that will affect the future of sustainable development.
Planning for the Sustainable Development Network
	9. Mr. Jadhav (India) leads the group in making a strategic action plan for the global Sustainable Development Network. Earlier the participants created their Vision for Sustainable Development, and discerned the contradictions blocking effective development action.
	10. The participants thinking deeply about their future.
Interchange
	11. Participants exchanged ideas with others during the conference. Mr. Esaud from ICA: PERU and Mr. Matsumoto from Fuji Xerox Japan are talking.
	12. ICAs send staff and specialists to development projects, so some of the participants had known each other before the conference. Mr. Dei (Japan) who is talking with an ICA: Egypt staff, worked in Egypt for two months as a desert irrigation specialist.
	13. People from different countries gathered and exchanged information informally as well as in the conference sessions.
Cultural Exchange
	14. Each participant presented a cultural performance at the cultural exchange evening. Mr. Esaud and Ms. Quiuoy are dancing a traditinal Peruvian dance.
	15. Sustainable development can be successful when we learn to respect each others' cultures.
	16. Participants visited Meiji Shrine. There they experienced a formal prayer ceremony with blessings for participants and for the conference.
	17. It was Shichi Go San (seven, five, three) season, and there were many children wearing Kimono in Meiji Shrine when the participants visited.
Exchange Program in Heiwa-cho
	18. An exchange program with Heiwa Peace Village was held in Aichi prefecture for two days. Ms. Shizuyo Sato gave a speech at the Villager's conference.
	19. The mayor opened the conference. Earlier in the year, ICA staff lead the villagers in making plans for their village using ICA's participatory methods. Ideas of the villagers are important to the local government, and their ideas will be implemented in the village.
	20. ICA members participated in the conference with the aid of interpreters. Mukesh (India), Zeny?@(Philippines), German?@(Kenya), and Catalina?@(Spain) presented in the panel discussion.
	21. ICA members had a homestay program with villagers after the conference. Members could experience Japanese family culture through the one night stay.
	22. They moved between Tokyo and Nagoya using the Shinkansen, one of the most important means of public transportation in Japan.
Note: For a complete list of conference participants and a detailed report of conference learnings, contact ICA Japan.

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