Organization Introduction in the 2027 Materials
Vision
Young people from Japan and Myanmar learn from one another through international collaboration and become a bridge connecting the two countries
Mission
By providing a setting for active learning and deeper mutual understanding, we aim to increase interest in Myanmar and develop people who address social challenges and take action.
Value
- Equal Collaboration and Mutual Understanding
- A commitment to lifelong learning and acceptance of diversity
- Connections that last
Year founded: 2014 (60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Myanmar)
About IDFC
International Developmental Field Camp for Myanmar and Japan Youth Leaders (hereafter IDFC) refers to:
This is a student conference where young people from Japan and Myanmar live together, discuss ways to address social issues, and share the results with society.
Organization Overview
IDFC is a student conference founded by students in April 2014, the year marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Myanmar.
Our guiding principle is that “young people in Myanmar and Japan create their own opportunities for exchange and build relationships for the future.” Every February, executive committees in both countries, made up primarily of students, plan and run an international conference in Myanmar attended by students from both countries.
At the main conference, students from Myanmar and Japan live together for about two weeks while discussing how to solve social issues they have identified themselves. They then share the results with society through formats such as a symposium. Alongside discussions, they promote mutual understanding through a range of activities, including visits to local universities, public institutions, and NGOs/NPOs; fieldwork; and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Through IDFC, we aim to help participants develop leadership that can serve them globally and deepen their understanding of other cultures. We also hope this project will become a platform connecting Myanmar and Japan in the future.
Founding background
Myanmar, sometimes called “Asia’s last frontier,” has accelerated its engagement with the international community since the transition to civilian government in March 2011 and is turning toward economic growth driven by foreign capital. Relations between Japan and Myanmar are also becoming more important politically and economically. Amid these rapid changes, Myanmar students were developing a need for international exchanges, expressing wishes such as, “I want to interact with Japanese students.”
Meanwhile, Japanese students also wanted to “experience present-day Myanmar as it is transformed by change.” Students launched this initiative themselves to meet the needs on both sides, deepen political and economic relations between Japan and Myanmar, and create opportunities for young people to interact. In December 2014, they brought together 15 participants from Japan and 15 from Myanmar.
Since holding the first IDFC, we are now approaching its seventh edition this year.
