Guidelines for applicants from countries/regions with an established BRIDGE CLUB

The APCC will invite former Junior Ambassadors as ‘Peace Ambassadors (PAs)’ to the 24th APCC during the summer of 2012. PAs will exchange ideas about BRIDGE CLUB (BC) activities and tighten their friendships through various activities in Fukuoka during the APCC invitation project. If you are interested in participating in the 24th APCC as a PA, please read the following guidelines thoroughly and apply to come back to Fukuoka!

Schedule of the 24th APCC:

From July 13 (Fri.), 2012 to July 25 (Wed.), 2012

Objectives:

1. To foster leaders with a global perspective who promote or launch BRIDGE CLUB activities in their local community.
2. To build and expand a friendship network with the participants and people of Fukuoka.
3. To support the Junior Ambassadors as a role model in your delegation.

Participation Criteria:

• Must have taken part in APCC between 1989 (the 1st APCC) and 2007 (the 19th APCC) as a Junior Ambassador (JA). * Those who have already been PAs are NOT eligible for selection.
• Must currently participate in the activities of the BC in your country, and have a strong willingness and enthusiasm towards them. 
  1. To manage your BC as the next president. (If you cannot be a president because of your BC’s regulations, you must take aother leadership role.)
  2.Must be able to stay in your home country and continue to participate in BC activities at least ONE YEAR after the APCC Invitation Project and report the activities of your BC to the BCIO Head Office every month.
• Should be recommended by the president of their BC and also preferably by the Liaison Office.
• Should have ideas about BC and be able to express them well in English.
• As a leader of the BC, to interact with other participants and build the network of friendships with them.
• Must be willing to help Liaison Officers and chaperons in preparing JAs for their trip to Japan, and act as a good leader. This may include telling the JAs about your experience as a JA and helping them to understand the objectives of APCC.
• To adhere to the whole APCC schedule and fully participate in the program designated for PAs. Please refrain from taking part in transactions designed for personal gain or any activities that fall outside the APCC/BCIO objectives (ex. Commercial transactions, religious missions, etc). *Requests such as extending your stay or changing of your host family for personal reasons will not be accepted

• Must adhere to the RULES as noted below:

  
  1.Not to pester your Host Family to take you sightseeing or shopping unless the family is willing to.
  2. Parents/relatives are not allowed to accompany the PA to Fukuoka.
  3. Must adhere to the rules of your Host Family. Unless in an emergency situation, to refrain from contacting friends/family via telephone, email, etc. during the PA program and your homestay.
  4. Do not leave your delegation during the journey to and from Fukuoka, or while staying in Fukuoka.
  

If applicants do not meet this criteria (ex. cannot speak English well, will be away from his/her home country after the PA invitation program, etc.), we may choose to cancel the applicant’s invitation, even after the selection has been made.

Selection Process: BRIDGE CLUB Nomination

< Applications must reach the BCIO Head Office by February 28th, 2012.>

Applicant:

• Contact the president or representative of your country/region’s BC, tell him/her your intention to apply, and get instruction/information about the application process from BC officers. *Each BC’s contact information is on the BCIO website (http://www.bcio.org/). Please click on your country/region and get their information if you do not know it.

BRIDGE CLUB officers:

• The BRIDGE CLUB can select a maximum of 4 applicants to be sent to the BCIO Head Office as nominees for the Peace Ambassador position. The BCIO Head Office must receive all applications by February 28th, 2012.

BCIO Head Office:

• February 28th, 2012: Collect all nominee applications
• March 2012: Select PAs and announce results to Liaison Offices *　We may ask to conduct an online interview as part of the selection process.

Liaison Office:

• Inform all nominees of the results.
• Have PAs fill out the required forms and Medical Certificates and return them to the BCIO Head Office.
• Have PAs join in on the JA training and keep them updated on necessary information, such as a flight schedules.

Selected PAs:

• Start preparation for the Convention with the BCIO and the delegation in your country/region, keeping in constant contact with the Liaison Office.
• Submit documents and reply to e-mails by the deadlines assigned by the BCIO Head Office or the Liaison Office.
• PAs will be invited to join a “Mailing List” and should actively participate in conversations with the other PA.

Advertisement for the PA Invitation:

BCIO will advertise the PA Invitation Program through the following channels:

1. BCIO / APCC website (BCIO: http://www.bcio.org APCC: http://www.apcc.gr.jp/)
2. APCC Facebook page
3. BRIDGE CLUB mailing list
4. APCC Liaison Offices
5. Presidents of all BCs

Necessary Documents for PA Application:

Any applications that do not meet these guidelines, (ex. incomplete or missing documents, submitted past the deadline, using an old Application Form, and so forth.) will not be accepted.

The following documents are required for PA application:

1. Application Form (Must use the Application Form for BC countries.) Download the application form from the BCIO/APCC website. Be careful not to use the old version Application Form.




2. Short Essay (1 page, A4-sized paper, should be TYPED or sent ELECTRONICALLY)
   Theme: “How has the APCC changed your life?”
3. Two Letters of Recommendation
   * One letter of Recommendation from your BC President.
   * The second one should be from the Liaison Office. If it is difficult to receive from Liaison Office then you can ask your educational institution or company instead.
4. Curriculum Vitae / Resume of Personal History

The APCC or your Host Family will cover the following PA expenses:

1. Round-trip airfare including airport tax between Fukuoka and the airport of departure as chosen by the APCC.
2. Transportation within Japan as designated by the APCC or your Host Family.
3. Accommodation in Japan or abroad as designated by the APCC or your Host Family.
4. Meals during the entire stay in Fukuoka

Note: The following expenses will not be paid by the APCC.

1. Domestic transportation fees between the participants’ homes and your local airport
2. Expenses incurred for obtaining a passport and/or visa
3. Any other personal expenses

Insurance for injury and illness during the APCC:

1. The APCC will purchase an insurance policy for each participant.
2. The insurance will cover the participants for all injuries and illnesses incurred during the trip.
3. The coverage will begin when the participants leave the designated airport and will run continuously until they arrive back at the airport upon completion of the APCC.
   
   ＊Dental treatment and chronic illness such as asthma are NOT covered by this insurance policy. Thus, any expenses incurred and the medicine for the chronic illness will need to be covered by the individual, not by the APCC. If you have some medicine you take for the chronic illness, please make sure to bring it to Japan.

We plan to implement a registration fee for Peace Ambassadors within the range of $10-30 (US dollars) for each. The fee amounts are decided by the APCC office, and are different depending on the countries/regions. Please ask your Liaison Office for more information. *If you don’t know your Liaison Office’s contact information, please contact office@bcio.org.

Contact: BCIO Head Office
(c/o The Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention in FUKUOKA)
1-10-1-5F Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0001 Japan
TEL: +81-92-734-7700 FAX: +81-92-734-7711
E-mail: office@bcio.org
BCIO Website: http://www.bcio.org
APCC Website: http://www.apcc.gr.jp/

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