2025 OISCA International Board of Directors Meeting held in Tokyo

 The annual OISCA International Board of Directors Meeting was held on October 15 at the International Conference Room of the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center in Yoyogi, Tokyo. This year, a total of 71 delegates, representatives and observers from 13 countries and regions (Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan, and Uzbekistan), participated in the meeting.

   The notable of the delegates who took part this year’s meeting, was YBhg Datuk Khair Razman bin Mohamed Anuar, Secretary General, Malaysia’s Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, which oversees MARA serving as the OISCA Malaysia Chapter. Concurrently, he is the Deputy President of OISCA Malaysia.

   Mr. Kitsuki Fumio, Secretary General of OISCA International, declared the meeting open with his short remarks. The participants were introduced individually following a silent prayer for the souls of Mr. Khayai Thongnunsui, Board Member of OISCA Thailand and high-ranking official of the Thai Ministry of Natural Resources, Mr. Mario Lopez, Project Manager of Nueva Vizcaya Reforestation Project, Philippines, and Mr. Fumihiro Okada, Councilor, OISCA Japan, who passed away earlier this year, and also for all the victims of the international armed conflicts and natural disasters occurred in Japan and elsewhere.

   Mr. Alok Narain Sinha, Vice President of OISCA International and Trustee, National OISCA & Alarin India; Mr. Nagaishi Yasuaki, Executive Vice President of OISCA International and Executive Managing Director, OISCA Japan; and Mr. Jett Castor Rojas, Vice President of OISCA International and Vice Mayor, Municipality of Ajuy, Philippines, were selected as Co-Chairpersons of the meeting.

   The highlight of this year’s meeting was a message from Mr. Shigeru Ishiba, Prime Minister of Japan. The content of his message was announced in English by Ms. Sitora Karimova, a young Uzbek lady staff who joined the OISCA secretariat last April. In the message, Prime Minister Ishiba stated that for many years, OISCA has been promoting rural development and environmental conservation projects, particularly in the Asia-Pacific Region. Based on its founding concept, OISCA tried to create a world where people of diverse backgrounds live together in harmony, naturing and protecting the very foundation of all life on Earth.

   Mr. Ishiba noted specifically OISCA put emphasis on the development of human resources and accepted young trainees from the Asian and Pacific countries to Japan for providing them with agricultural and leadership training. Many of them, after returning home, are now serving as local leaders in their communities.

   He went on to say that through large-scale tree planting, OISCA has so far reforested about 22,000 hectares of land. These activities do not just end with planting. Continuous awareness and education efforts, community-based reforestation, and livelihood improvement programs after planting have supported local independence and built the foundation for true coexistence between people and nature. He stressed: “I deeply respect the dedication and perseverance of all involved in these efforts”.

   Afterwards, Ms. Etsuko Nakano, OISCA International President, delivered a keynote speech. She started her speech by emphasizing the historical background of OISCA since it was founded by Rev. Nakano Yonosuke in 1961 with the hope of creating a world where all people coexist regardless of differences, living in harmony with Nature.

   As Japan was experiencing phenomenal material prosperity in the post-war high-economic growth era, however, the founder of OISCA felt a growing sense of crisis that Japan was losing its traditional spiritual culture. He believed that realizing true happiness in human life requires both spiritual enhancement and material development. He also observed that Asian countries that had won independence were in a similarly worrying state. So, he called for cooperation and consultation from these countries and established OISCA.

   The founder firmly believed that agriculture is the foundation of nation’s life. Many Asian countries were suffering from food shortage. So, OISCA dispatched experienced Japanese farmers to Asian countries help achieve increased food production and set up training centers both within Japan and outside Japan.

   After OISCA started agricultural development and training programs, the people in the Asian countries voiced their difficulties to the OISCA Headquarters. Although they wanted to expand agriculture, they could not do so due to water shortage. It was found out that they lost trees because of massive felling in their mountains. Then, we recognized the importance of protecting environment and environmental conservation activities, including tree planting. Today, not only OISCA but many groups all over the world are trying to preserve and rehabilitate the environment to flight against the deterioration of natural environment and worsening effects of climate change. The worsening conditions, however, appear to go on. Armed conflicts are occurring here and there, threatening human lives and causing enormous environmental destruction.

   In conclusion, President Nakano stressed the Asia-Pacific Rim Strategic Partnership Initiative which has been discussed for the past three years, is a theme of great significance and hoped that we would continue information exchange through the OISCA network.

   After the President’s keynote speech, Mr. Kitsuki, Secretary General of OISCA International, presented an overview of OISCA ‘s activities over the past year through video showing. He reported concisely major events such as the visits of President Nakano, Vice President Nagaishi and Japanese delegation to South India, Palau, Taiwan, Malaysia and Maldives, etc. He also mentioned Tokyo Forum (unofficial meeting with Tokyo-based foreign diplomat) held in Tokyo, fundraising campaign for helping the victims of the devastating earthquakes in Myanmar, Thai Foreign Ministry’s donation of a fund amounting to BAHT 500,000 for OISCA project, and so on. In addition, Mr. Kitsuki mentioned the achievements and results of various projects and programs implemented by OISCA in various fields.

   Subsequently, 3 newly formed local chapters in South India and Uzbekistan National Chapter were approved.

   After the coffee break, the meeting moved to session 2 in which the respective national chapters presented the results of implemented or ongoing projects, programs, and activities.

The points of note in these presentations are the following: Azerbaijan delegate reported on the Sakurai apple growing in cooperation with Yamanashi, Malaysia Chapter’s plan to hold a business matching forum in Langkawi next February, Mexican Chapter received assistance from Rotary Foundation, OISCA Sabah Former Trainees Organization donated \40,000 to the victims of the earthquake in Myanmar.

   Following a coffee break, the meeting proceeded to the third session: discussion on “Greater Asia and Pacific Rim Strategic Partnership Initiative”. Firstly, Mr. Nagaishi Yasuaki, OISCA International Vice President, comprehensively explained the basic concept based on the distributed document. He enumerated 6 basic purposes of the concept. In order to deal with these 6 purposes, he mentioned two methods: EBS (Eco-system based solution) and BBS (Business based solution). For specific activities, he raised promoting environment restauration project, children’s forest program (CFP), sustainable agricultural development, and capacity building. As for BBS, he mentioned promoting technical intern training programs and social businesses.

   On OISCA’s human resources development program, he presented two successful cases. The first one is Mr. Mario Lopez, a former trainee of OISCA Chubu Training Center, and after returning home in home in Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines, he started to rehabilitate the denuded mountains in cooperation with the local communities and government, and through the assistance of Japanese companies, groups, and OISCA members. Unfortunately, he passed away in March 2025. Unfortunately, he passed away in March 2023. But his eldest son, Mr. Lorenzo Lopez, also a former OISCA trainee, is carrying on his father’s work.

   As the second case, Mr. Nagaishi cited Mr. Damend Gounder of Fiji who underwent agricultural training at Nishi Nippon Training Center in the 1980s. He is now Chairman of the Fiji Development Bank and a successful businessman. He is currently in discussions concerning the purchase of vegetables produced by OISCA Fiji and support for coral reef conservation project. He is also cooperating for the OISCA Fiji’s 35^th anniversary this year.

   He stated: “We would like to implement specific actin plans, starting with those that have the greatest potential for implementation, in cooperation with the Headquarters Secretariat and each other’s chapter. We hope that together with you, we will be able to develop more active and sustainable activities that make the most of OISCA’s unique characteristics”.

   Afterwards, a variety of comments and suggestions were expressed. For example, the Bangladesh delegate said for setting up two training centers, they hoped that the OISCA Headquarters would dispatch Japanese technicians. In reply, Mr. Nagaishi raised the difficulties of declining number of Japanese technicians competent in the English language.  The Taiwan delegate suggested that OISCA International should set up a “task force” for studying carbon credit funding. Mr. Nagaishi responded that they may create a task force.

   Meanwhile, Mr. Jett Rojas, Co-Chairman, made a general overview of the 2025 Board of Directors Meeting.

   The long-hours discussion sessions finished, and Mr. Alok Narain Singha, Co-Chairperson, concluded the Board Meeting with closing remarks.    In the evening of the same day, a social gathering with drinks and food took place at the reception hall of the Olympic Memorial Youth Center. The foreign delegates and observers as well as the OISCA staff joined the gathering. The special feature of this reception was that representatives of OISCA member companies belonging to the OISCA Metropolitan Branch also attended the gathering. A total of 8 companies which have long supported OISCA activities received certificates of commendation from Mr. Toshio Wakui, President of the OISCA Metropolitan Branch.