Application Deadline: 4.30 p.m., 28 July, 2017

What is the HANDs! Project?

A product of The Japan Foundation Asia Center, the Hope and Dreams (HANDs!) Project serves as a platform for mutual learning, knowledge-sharing and collaboration among young Asian leaders who actively address social issues through their work. The first two editions of the annual programme saw Fellows explore best practices in tackling disaster education, preparedness, and post-disaster recovery in order to apply them in their respective communities. Participants from the third cohort onwards take on an additional dimension, looking at how environmental protection is vital towards reducing natural disaster impact.

HANDs! aims to get the younger generation more involved in region-wide issues of common interest. To this end, the fellowship focuses on solutions that utilise the creative arts, including animation, architecture, dance, drama, design, film, fashion, graphics, journalism, literature, and music.

Two Malaysians will join counterparts from nine other countries in research tours of the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia to observe past and ongoing local efforts, as well as develop project proposals for funding consideration. If approved, they will be awarded grants to implement the plans.

What Happened at Past Editions of the HANDs! Project?

Indonesia

Year 1: 20142015
Film screening and discussion with prominent Indonesian director Riri Riza
Site visits to the Mount Merapi post-eruption area and national broadcaster TVRI
Dialogue with people displaced by the Mount Merapi eruption
Disaster simulations and disaster education festivals

Year 2: 20152016
Site visits to areas struck by the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
Dialogue with survivors of Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
Lectures on post-disaster recovery by UNICEF and local tourism & culture office
Community-based activities with rehabilitative arts group Komunitas Tikar Pandan

Year 3: 20162017
Lectures on cross-disciplinary, community inclusive, and age-appropriate projects
Site visit to an environmentally sustainable farming village
Discussion and ideation sessions with non-profits Kopernik, TEMESI, STEP and Green School
Hands-on management of disaster education festival for pre-school children

Philippines

Year 1: 20142015
Lectures on the impact of Typhoon Haiyan
Community-based activities with Philippines Communitere
Dialogue with students of San Fernando Elementary School and Leyte Normal University

Year 2: 20152016
Lectures on social entrepreneurship, systems thinking, design thinking, civic engagement and alternative forms of disaster risk reduction
Discussion with Disaster Education and Experiential Learning (DEEL), a project by first-year HANDs! Fellows
Workshop on research tools

Year 3: 20162017
Lectures on systems thinking, design thinking, ethnography, and impact measurement
Site visit to disaster refugee community
Dialogue with disaster displaced persons and attendant organisations
Workshops on prototyping and data analysis

Thailand

Year 1: 20142015
Discussion with national broadcaster Thai PBS on the role of media during disasters
Workshop on using gamification for disaster education
Site visits to areas affected by the Chiang Rai earthquake
Dialogue with a revered Buddhist monk on religion’s part in post-disaster recovery

Year 2: 20152016
Discussion with Thai PBS on the role of media in DRR
Dialogue with Save The Children Thailand and Roo Su Flood on creative methods of information dissemination
Workshop on using gamification for disaster education
Hands-on management of disaster education festival for two different audiences of children
Site visits to high-risk villages and dialogue with local leaders

Year 3: 20162017
Site visits to mangrove reserve and at-risk fishing village
Cultural mapping with local leaders on community-run disaster risk reduction
Dialogue with survivor of Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
Workshop and lecture on educational gamification
Hands-on management of disaster education festival for children of disadvantaged backgrounds

Japan

Year 1: 20142015
Symposium on creative approaches to post-disaster recovery
Site visits to areas hit by the Thoku earthquake and tsunami
Dialogue with local people and disaster-related NGOs

Year 2: 20152016
Site visits to areas hit by the Thoku earthquake and tsunami
Dialogue with local people
Hands-on management of disaster education festival for 300+ local children

Year 3: 20162017|
Dialogue with persons of interest related to Toga river flash flood
Site visits to flash flood area and Kobe earthquake memorial
Hands-on management of disaster education festival for local children

What are the Action Plans of Past HANDs! Project Fellows?

1. DEEL Project by 2014-2015 Philippines and Thai Fellows
2. KIDSASTER EDUAKSI and KIDSASTER Movie Teller by 2014-2015 Indonesian Fellows
3. Safe Travel Tips by 2014-2015 Thai Fellows
4. Children Safety Learning Games by 2014-2015 Indian Fellow

What to Expect in Year 4?

First phase

1. Research tour #1: 10 days in Philippines and Japan (819 October, 2017)
2. Research tour #2: One week in Indonesia (February 2018)

Second phase

1. Build a network of contacts pertinent to disaster education and environmental protection issues.
2. Propose a new disaster education and/or environmental protection related project to the Japan Foundation Asia Center.

Who Can Apply?

Applicants must fulfil ALL of the following criteria:

1. Applicants must be a young professional (social worker, creative worker, journalist, etc.) with at least one year of work experience.

2. Applicants must be interested in or have experienced community engagement in such fields as disaster risk reduction and environmental protection. Individuals who have worked on other issues of interest are also encouraged to apply.

3. Applicants must be eager to learn from other countries’ experiences with regards to natural disasters and environmental issues.

4. Applicants must exhibit a willingness to utilise the creative arts in their planned disaster education and/or environmental protection related project.

5. Applicants must be aged 35 years and below at the time of application (28 July, 2017).

6. Applicants must have excellent English proficiency and good communication skills.

7. Applicants must be able to commit to the full length of the programme:
a) 819 October, 2017
b) February 2018 (TBC)
c) March 2018 onwards (for project proposal and implementation)

8. Applicants must be in good physical and mental shape.

WHAT MUST I PREPARE AND SUBMIT TO APPLY?

1. HANDs! application form (download here)
2. CV in English (must not exceed 5 pages)
3. Two work samples, e.g. short essays, news articles, journal articles, graphic designs, illustrations, photo essays, videos, etc.

All documents should not exceed a cumulative 10MB. Should you exceed this file size, please upload them to the relevant hosting website (e.g. YouTube for videos, Behance for illustrations) and send us the link.

WHEN, WHERE AND HOW SHOULD I SEND THESE DOCUMENTS?

Attach the documents to an email and send it to press [at] jfkl.org.my with the subject line “HANDs!/Applicant’s Name” by 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 28 July, 2017.

WHO SHOULD I CONTACT FOR ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE HANDS! PROJECT AND APPLICATION PROCESS?

Please contact the Malaysia Programme Coordinator, Tristan Toh, via email at press [at] jfkl.org.my or call 03 2284 6228.

This call for applications is for Malaysian citizens only. If you are an overseas national, please contact your local participating Japan Foundation office:

For Japanese applicants
The Japan Foundation Asia Center
TEL: (+81 3) 5369 6025 | WEB: jfac.jp | E: Maki_Kudo@jpf.go.jp

For Indonesian applicants
The Japan Foundation, Jakarta
TEL: (+62 21) 520 1266 | WEB: jpf.or.id | E: hands@jpf.or.id

For Philippines applicants
The Japan Foundation, Manila
TEL: (+63 2) 811 6155/56/57/58 | WEB: jfmo.org.ph | E: mocampo@jfmo.org.ph

For Thai and Myanmar applicants
The Japan Foundation, Bangkok
TEL: (+66 2) 260-8560-4 | WEB: jfbkk.or.th | E: wathana@jfbkk.or.th

For Indian and Nepalese applicants
The Japan Foundation, New Delhi
TEL: (+91 11) 2644 2967/68/71/72 | WEB: jfindia.org.in | E: query@jfindia.org.in

For Cambodian applicants
The Japan Foundation Asia Center Phnom Penh
TEL: (+855) 023 214 581 | WEB: jfphn.org | E: info@jfphn.org

DOWNLOADS

1. Application form (docx/297kb)
2. Application guidelines (pdf/417kb)
3. HANDs! Project 2015-2016 programme booklet (pdf/3.32mb)
4. HANDs! Project 2015-2016 action plan reports (pdf/8.61mb)
5. Flyer (pdf/632kb)

SUPPLEMENTARY LINKS

HANDs! Website | handsproject.asia
HANDs! Facebook page | fb.com/HANDsProjectforDisasterEducation
HANDs! Medium blog | medium.com/hands-magazine
HANDs! 20162017 Malaysian Fellows’ reports | jfkl.org.my/reports/hands-2016-2017
HANDs! 20152016 Malaysian Fellows’ reports | jfkl.org.my/reports/hands-2015-2016