FY2017 Community Core Leaders Development Programme

February 2018

Delegation of Japanese

A delegation of Japanese people working in the disability sector visited New Zealand between the 9th and 16th of October 2017 as part of the Community Core Leaders Development Programme 2017. The aim is for them to learn about the cultural background and social systems in New Zealand, where people comprehend social barriers as the main cause of disabilities. They are then expected to use this knowledge to establish a system applicable in respective communities in Japan and resolve negative recognition against disabilities.
The New Zealand Disability Support Network (NZDSN) and the Office for Disability Issues cooperated with the Embassy of Japan to jointly host the delegation during their stay in New Zealand. The young leaders spent time in both Wellington and Auckland, hearing presentations from groups involved in support and strategies in New Zealand being developed and put in place to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

Delegation of New Zealand

As reciprocation for the Japanese delegation who visited in October 2017, a delegation of New Zealand people visited Japan as part of the Community Core Leaders Development Programme 2017.
The visit was between the 13th and 27th of February, 2018, and the participants from New Zealand were mainly from the Disability, Youth Sectors and in Elder Care. Participants learned and had discussions about Japan’s social systems, and also learned about Japanese culture.
The Community Core Leaders Development Programme 2017 aimed at all participants learning about the support systems put into place in the Disability, Senior or Youth sectors in one another’s countries, and then discussing how to improve upon these structures for a more inclusive society.