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Respect the Difference

APOCC is an NGO, which was established by Japanese photographer HASHIGUCHI George in 2003.

●Report of previous workshops:(Work in Progress)
  Augsburg / Germany (2003)
  Varanasi, Leh / India (2004)

Photographs taken by Workshop participants are displayed here


                                            07,March, 2010
Workshops for Experiencing Photography&Drawing/Exhibition
in Vietnam, 2007


Produced by George HASHIGUCHI and APOCC

(Aug 10-Sep 3, 2007) 

    


3/7
●Voices of the students from the photography workshops in Vietnam


9/17
●Messages from visitors
Introducing messages from visitors who have left a message on our comment book which we have placed at the Vietnam Workshop Exhibition.

Click here to read the messages.


2008/11/3
The photo exhibition have successfully ended on 26th Oct.Thank you very much.

Here are some heart-warmig scenes from the final day.

    
   2nd floor display with beautiful lighting.           A leaflet installation.             A family,sitting side by side
                                                  watching the video.

10/16
12th Oct. we held a Talk Event.Many people came to visit us and enjoyed the exhibition.
    
   At the panel discussion.From the left ,          At the exhibition room.           Many people stopped by to watch  
       Mr.Hashiguchi,Ms.Hoshino,                                        the video of the workshop which
       Mr.Tsukada and Mr.Nagayoshi.
                               was broadcast on NEWS23.

●After the talk event, we had a DVD message shoot with the visitors.We will send the message to Vietnam

    
     Ms.Kae Tagaya talking in front of             A leaflet installation              Mr.fukuda talking in front of
             Thu's work.
              made by Mr. Tsukada.             Vuong's work.

.

10/10
Enlarged photo display.
   

Photo exhibition set up and the exhibition.
    
    
Mr,Hashiguchi at a loss in front of      Mr,Tsukada putting together the easel.     Ms.Hoshino writing down the workshop
              the easels.
                                  flow chart on a board.


    
      Ms.Mitsumi Irahara setting up               1st floor display                   2nd floor display
             the art works.




9/28
●Click here to see the Vietnam Workshop Exhibition leaflet.


Exhibition of Experiencing Photography Workshop in Vietnam, 2007
      ----The Inner Side of Vietnamese Youth----

       Produced by George HASHIGUCHI and APOCC


Date : 1st Oct  
~ 26th Oct    9:30-18:00
Place : JICA Yokohama Gallary 1F,2F
Address : 2-3-1 Shinminato, Naka-ku, Yokohama city
Tel : 045-663-3251
http://www.jica.go.jp/yokohama/

While exhibition terms, we will hold Talk Event like this,

Talk Event 1 :<What can arts do ? ?The power of arts for finding happiness of living ?>
Date : 12th Oct (Sun), 14:00-16:00

Talk Event 2 :<Workshop Report ? VietNam, Indo,Germany ?>
Date: 19th Oct (Sun), 14:00-16:00



2007/12/30

Click the portraits of participant that is attached a bell mark to see each participants’ works.



11/23
APOCC's activity in Vietnam 2007 is introduced by Vietnamese government and some media. 



11/22
Click here to see articles Newspaper and Website of Viet Nam Workshop 2007
These articles of Newspaper and Website were translated from Vietnamese to English by JICA Vietnam Office .(JICA: Japan International Coopeation Agency)


●Click here to see the Vietnam Workshop leaflet.


8/28
The latest news of workshop in Vietnam has just arrived.

Experiencing Photography & Drawing Workshop in Vietnam, 2007
Produced by George HASHIGUCHI & APOCC


Experiencing Photography Workshop Part 1, for Students:
Aug 1316 at Children’s Palace, Tuy Hoa City



24 students from age 12 to 18 have
participated in the workshop Part 1.

They look so serious and concentrated
to here HASHIGUCHi’s advice.


The relationship between each student
has also grown day by day.

The most important moment
to confront themselves



Experiencing Photography Workshop Part 2, for Working Children:
Aug 1821 at Children’s Palace, Tuy Hoa City


10 Working children from age 10 to 21 have participated in the workshop Part 2.


Nam(left) and Nhat(right) taking photos in the market.



They just couldn’t stop smiling to grab the camera for the first time.


Students from WS Part1 help them to select photos.



Students taking a nap



24 Participants of Photography Workshop Part 1  

Click the bell mark to see each participants’ work.


Duong (15)


Van (15)


Dat (15)


To Ha (14))


Loc (12)


Long (14)


Thuong (12)


Hang (16)


Cuc (16)


Thang (15)


Huy (18)


Vu (17)


Phuc (14)


Hong Vu (16)


Ly (16)


Vy (14)


Ha (16)


Thu (17)


Vi (12)


Trang (17)


Chau (17)


Minh (13)


Thao (14)


Man (14)




10 Participants of Photography Workshop Part 2



Nam(16)


Vuong(21)


Nhat(17)


Thuy(14)


Nhi(11)


Anh(12)


Phuong(12)


Bao(12)


Thanh(14)


Dung(10)





24 Participants of Photography Workshop Part 1
Favorite Color/What you want to beWhat is important to you


Name Question Answers    

Duong (15)
Color Purple(Color of student)/Blue(Sea and Hope)
Dream Newspaper Journalist.I want to express myself through writing.
important My Family.They live up to what I want.

Van (15)
Color Pink,Yellow,Green.(Beautiful and cheerful).
Dream Newspaper Journalist. I want to succeed in business and contribute to the society.
important My Mother.She gives me love and teaches me a lot of things.

Dat (15)
Color Blue(Color of sea)
Dream President
important My Family.Family is my basis.With that basis I can do a lot of things.

To Ha (14)
Color

Green(Color of plants,environment and nature) / Blue(Peace)

Dream Tour Guide
important Studying and family. If my family is happy, there are nothing more than that.

Loc (12)
Color Blue(Hope) / Red(Victory)
Dream Architect. I want to build beautiful houses.
important My Family.Because they have always helped me,and they will yet.

Long (14)
Color Yellow(Because it is a cheerful color)
Dream Doctor.To cure illness is important and so that I can contribute to the society.
important My Mother

Thuong (12)
Color Blue(Peace)
Dream Singer
important My Family.They give me all what I need.

Hang (16)
Color

Blue(Sky) / Pink(Romantic)

Dream Newspaper Journalist.I want to travel around and write.
important Love.To love family and community.

Cuc (16)
Color Pink(Cute and feminine)
Dream Newspaper Journalist
important My Family and friends

Thang (15)
Color Orange(Warm)
Dream Computer specialist.
important

My Family.They are always there to help me since I was born.Also,because my father gives me allowance.


Huy (18)
Color Blue(Color of youth)
Dream To travel abroad.
important Affection between human beings.

Vu (17)
Color Blue(Young color)
Dream Game-Show Host
important Studying

Phuc (14)
Color I love any color.
Dream To study in Japan. I want to know more about them and there culture.
important Family.They love me physically and mentally.

Hong Vu (16)
Color

Pink(Dream) / Blue(Hope)

Dream To study in Japan. To study environment.
important Family

Ly (16)
Color Red and Black.I can't take my eyes off them.
Dream My dream changes every year. I want to become a psychologist at this moment.
important Studying

Vy (14)
Color Purple and Green(My favorite flower's color).
Dream To become a manga artist like Yumiko Takahashi.
important Manga.My favorite is “Inuyasha”.

Ha (16)
Color Blue(Color of sea.I feel myself small in front of the sea.)
Dream Bacteria Researcher.Bacteria and virus are the smallest creature but strong.
important To be confident.To trust others.

Thu (17)
Color I love any color.Each color has its own character.
Dream I want to become someone who can help others.
important To enjoy working and studying.

Vi (12)
Color Blue(Color of sea and sky). I like sunny days.I feel depressed when it is cloudy.
Dream I want to build an animal hospital.
important To find delight.

Trang (17)
Color White(Simplest color)
Dream Mathematician
important I love people, because they are compllicated.I want to cherish my family, friends and teachers.

Chau (17)
Color Blue(Color of sky). I love sunset sky especially.
Dream To suceed in trading business and help people.
important I feel uneasy to find poor people around me. I want to help them.

Minh (13)
Color White,Black and Purple.(Deep)
Dream To study in U.S.A. I want to run business after coming back.
important My Family and studying

Thao (14)
Color Yellow. I love sunset color especially.
Dream I have never thought about my dream. I want to become a fisherman like my father.
important I'm not sure.

Man (14)
Color White and Black are beautiful.There are other colors, but those beauty is surface.
Dream I can not decide my dream yet.
important I am not sure, but I feel very anxious if someone around me disappears.



10 Participants of Photography Workshop Part 2
Work/Favorite Color/What you want to be/What is important to you

Name Question Answers

Nam(16)
Work Making egg baskets.
Color Pink
Dream Painter
important Family Happiness

Vuong(21)
Work Mixing sand and water at building sites
Color Red(Color of my country)
Dream Photographer or Video / Movie Cameraman
important My Family and work

Nhat(17)
Work Painting at building sites
Color Blue
Dream Singer
important Work

Thuy(14)
Work Helper at cafeteria
Color Yellow(Bright and beautiful)
Dream Painter
important Family

Nhi(11)
Work Baby-sitting my relative children
Color White(Bright and catchy)
Dream I'm not sure yet.
important Family

Anh(12)
Work No job. I baby-sit my little brother, sister and relative children.
Color Black(Beautiful)
Dream No dream. I have never thought about it.
important To live and play with my brothers and sisters.

Phuong(12)
Work Helper at an Ice Candy Shop
Color Pink(Beautiful and full of dream)
Dream Hair Designer.I love to do haircut and hairmake.
important Family

Bao(12)
Work Helper at my mother's noodle shop.
Color Red(Color of my country)
Dream I'm not sure yet.
important Family

Thanh(14)
Work I don't have a job at this moment.
Color Nothing special
Dream I haven't thought about it yet.
important Family

Dung(10)
Work No job. I baby-sit my 2 brothers and sister.
Color Blue
Dream School teacher.I love to teach children.
important To live with my parents





George HASHIGUCHI
is a Japanese photographer. He has published many books of documentary photographs so far, and especially these couple of years, he has devoted most of his spare time to the social activities through method of art. In 2003, HASHIGUCHI has established a nongovernmental organization APOCC, which literally means Artistic Peace Operation for Connecting Citizens, and whose motto is Respect the Difference, to continue his activity all over the world. HASHIGUCHI was appointed Special Advisor for Cultural Exchange by the Appointment of the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan in 2004. 

Here we are pleased to announce that we are going to have Workshops for Experiencing Photography and Drawing in Vietnam in Aug. This project is organized and produced by George HASHIGUCHI and APOCC, subsidized by Japan Foundation, supported by Embassy of Japan (Hanoi), JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), Canon Marketing Japan, Fuji Film and Pentel co,ltd..

The Aim of Our Workshops:
The age groups around 15-to-20, are the participants of the photography workshop. They use cameras which are all brought from Japan, and take photographs of what they are fond of, what they are attracted by, and what makes them stop to look at. When people have cameras in their hands, the instruments will stimulate their senses, and the emotions, which remained hidden within them and even themselves have not noticed, will come out. The purpose of this workshop is not to teach the students how to take nice looking photographs, but to help them find their own characters and talent through photography, to help them find dignity, and even more, to share the pleasure “to express” with them.


Considering the possibility for more children to join the workshop regardless of their age, we reached the idea as doing drawing workshop, in parallel with the camera workshop. The aim of this workshop, as same as photography workshop, is not to teach how to draw the drawings, but to confirm their feelings or interest, or to find out the difference between "myself" and "others", or to share the pleasure "to express" with them through the drawings.

People in Vietnam and Japan live in completely different cultures and different circumstances, of course. However, we are sharing the same period of time on earth. To connect people who live in completely different places is another important purpose of our workshops. After the workshops and exhibitions in Vietnam, we will bring back all these works to Japan and will plan to have exhibitions in Japan too, so that Japanese people can imagine how the life in Vietnam is like, what the children in Vietnam are thinking about, what kind of dreams they have.Like this, our workshops will keep on going around the world, connecting people who are living in different cultures.

In addition to above workshops, we will also show Still Movie “A Journey to Know Our Contemporaries”. Still Movie is HASHIGUCHI’s original method of showing photographs combined with monologue and music, just like a movie. HASHIGUCHi, as a photographer, has been taking portraits of ordinary people in Japan and interviewing them. The characters that appear in the Still Movie are Japanese citizens, and talk about their dreams, personal worries, family problems, occupational conflicts, love and so on. You may surprisingly find the universality that emotions of Japanese people and Vietnamese people are similar, regardless of their race, nationality and culture. Still Movie is going to be shown in cooperation with students and faculty of Department of Japanese Language, Foreign Trade University, Ho Chi Minh City.

Photography Workshop :
13-18 Aug at Children’s Palace / Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen Province


Drawing Workshop :

20 22 Aug at Children’s Palace / Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen Province

Exhibition:
25-26 Aug at Children’s Palace / Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen Province


Still Movie:
1 Sept at
Vietnam-Japan Human Resources Cooperatin Center,Foreign Trade University / Ho Chi Minh City



Producer: George HASHIGUCHI
Co-producer: Hiromi HOSHINO
Project Planner : Hozumi HASHIGUCHI
Coordinator: Shozo TSUKADAJapan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, JICA)
Coordinator: Yukari USUKI(Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, JICA
Staff : Miho MATSUO
Interpreter : DO Than Dan
Art Director: Satoshi MACHIGUCHI


What is APOCC?                               
We have held the camera workshop for teenagers in India and Japan since 2000. Unlike the activity such as sending necessities to the certain area, the aim of our workshop is to share the pleasure to experience culture or art and pleasure to live with the people who rarely have such opportunity, through the “expression”.

At the same time, we tried different approach in the area where people can experience culture and goods in their daily life. Surrounded by plenty of information and knowledge, people unconsciously wear too many things for fear of being eliminated from the community they belong to (e.g. family, friends, personal relationship and school). Is it possible to remove such armors and discover each one’s original emotion by the “expression”? Hoping that our workshop would be some help, we have continued our activity.

We believe that the pleasure “to express” is very important feeling that cannot be taken away from anybody. Although it may not be indispensable for life, it can make people feel dignity for their existence, enrich their emotion, and make their feeling free in the hard daily life.

Therefore, we kept our workshop not as self-satisfied way like just sending goods or letting people experience something new, but for sharing emotion and confirming the dignity of each other.

To continue this workshop in a certain way, we established a non-governmental organization APOCC in May 2003. Our motto is “Respect the Difference” and the name APOCC, Artistic Peace Operation for Connecting Citizens, literally represent our activity and desire.

Today, our world is divided by various elements ―― such as religion, nationality, thought, generation, class and wealth and poverty. In all aspect, no one is exactly same as others. There is the expression like “one world” or “all human are brothers”. But, we think, such idea become the cause of forcing one’s sense of value on others and brings about war and oppression. Is it possible to remove the obstacle to communication by “expression”? Though it is not so easy to understand each other, is it possible to give the chance to make them just stop and look at each other? Let’s start by recognizing the differences of each other and respect it. We started our workshop with such desire.

Traditional cultural exchange tends to be just for very limited people. We, on the contrary, have continued our activity for the people with little opportunity to experience art and culture to make them feel close to the “expression” and share the pleasure “to express” with them. By continuing our activity regularly, we expect that it will not only help the aim of our workshop penetrate into the area, but also let people there know about the Japanese and its culture.

Finally, we would like to refer to the uniqueness of our workshop. Many media or writers, including us, have visited many places in the world, took picture and reported what they found. But no matter how hard we try, we can not go beyond one’s own perspective based on one’s own sense of value. However, the photos taken by the participant of this workshop is the world they actually look at based on their own sense of value. It is not too much to say that it is the world that we have never seen or experienced before. This is, actually, really important.

In parallel with the workshop, we will hold the exhibition of their photography and do the report of our activity. Like this, we would like to keep on connecting to the people and places all over the world.

Biography of Workshops:

2000 India (Bangalore, Varanasi) *dispatch project of Japan Foundation, 2000

2001 Japan (Tokyo)

2002 India (Vishakapatnam, Delhi) *subsidy project of Japan Foundation, 2002

2003 Germany (Augsburg)
*subsidy project of General Consulate of Japan, Munich and Germany-Japan Association, Augsburg

2004 India (Varanasi, Leh) *subsidy project of Japan Foundation, 2004

2005 Germany (Augsburg, Berlin, Frankfurt Oder, Grimma, Salzmann) 
*cultural activity assigned as a special  Advisor for Cultural Exchange by the Appointment of the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2004

2007 Vietnam (Tuy Hoa City) 
*subsidy project of Japan Foundation, 2007
*supported by Embassy of Japan(Hanoi)and Japan International Cooperation Agency

2008 Japan (Kanagawa) 
Exhibition of Experiencing Photography Workshop in Vietnam, 2007


Workshops in India, 2004
“Experiencing Photography / Drawing”
Project in India, 2004


Produced by George HASHIGUCHI and APOCC

(Jul 1 - Aug 1, 2004)      


Organized & Produced by George HASHIGUCHI & APOCC
*Subsidized by Japan Foundation
*Supported by Canon Corporation / Pentel Co.,Ltd

*Producer: George HASHIGUCHI
*Co-producer: Hiromi HOSHINO
*Coordinator: Akio SUGIMOTO (Varanasi)
*Sonam Norboo SPURKHAPA (Leh)

Staff
Hisayoshi MATSUMURA

Maki FUKUHARA
Ken OKAMURO
Yukiko TAKIO
Ayumi ITO
Mio MIYASAKA

*Designing and Bookbinding: Ken OKAMURO

<Schedule>

*Varanasi
Photography Workshop: Jul 4 -8 at Nishad Raj Temple
Exhibition: Jul 9 -10 at Assi Gaht

Drawing Workshop: Jul 12 -15 at Sundar Bagiya Secondary School
Exhibition: Jul 16 at Assi Gaht

*Leh
Drawing Workshop: Jul 20 -23 at Ramdon Model Senior Secondary School
Exhibition: Jul 24 -25 at Ladak Buddhist Association Front Yard

*Delhi
Grand Exhibition: Jul 29 -Aug 4 atHabi Art Gallery, Habitat Centre
Mini Drawing Workshop: Jul 31 at Valmiki Temple, East Delhi



Projecet Details
George HASHIGUCHI is a Japanese photographer. He has published many books of documentary photographs so far, and especially these couple of years, he has devoted most of his spare time to the social activities through method of art. In 2003, HASHIGUCHI has established a nongovernmental organization APOCC, which literally means Artistic Peace Operation for Connecting Citizens, and whose motto is Respect the Difference, to continue his activity all over the world. HASHIGUCHI has also been appointed Special Advisor for Cultural Exchange by the Appointment of the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan in April, 2004.


Photography Workshop
The age groups around 15-to-20, are the participants of the workshop. They use digital cameras which were all brought from Japan, and take photographs of what they are interested, what they like best, what they are attracted by, and what makes them stop to look at. When people have cameras in their hands, the instruments will stimulate their senses, and the emotions, which remained hidden within them, and even themselves have not noticed, will come out. The purpose of this workshop is not to teach the students how to take nice looking photographs, but to help them find their own characters and talent through photography, to help them find dignity, and even more, to share the joy of artistic expressions together with them.


Drawing Workshop
On photography workshop, we think that the participants of the workshop should be children of a certain age- such as age of around middle teens to early twenties who understand their identity or who can identify themselves in the society. Therefore, since the participant is very limited, we have been worrying the fact that children under that age cannot have an opportunity to join our workshop. Especially, in India, we cannot forget the scene that children of low school age, or those who live near school was looking enviously at our workshop from the entrance of the classroom.

Considering the possibility for more children to join the workshop regardless of their age, we reached the idea as doing drawing workshop, in parallel with the camera workshop. The aim of this workshop, as same as photography workshop, is not to teach how to draw the drawings, but to confirm their feelings or interest, or to find out the difference between "myself" and "others", or to share the pleasure "to express" with them through the drawings.


The result of the photography / drawing workshop are displayed at school and common place in each town, which means we open its result to the public so that many people in that community can see their works. Moreover, at the end of the tour, we displayed photographs and drawings of all the participants from Varanasi and Leh at HabitatCenter, Delhi from Jul 28 to Aug 4.


This time, we also would like to mention one new trial especially; All 4 artists we chose have bookbinding skill as well. As for now, the final result of each workshop take the form of "album" of each students and we let that album keep by them. However, at this time, we plan to not only make the album and leave it to them, but to make "book" (by scanning / printing their photographs / drawings by PC and bookbinding) and provide it to each school or association, and Japan Foundation Delhi office. Keeping their works as a "book" allows many people to see their work all the time. Having such a view for the future, we invite the artists who have bookbinding skill.

People in India and Japan live in completely different cultures and different circumstances, of course. However, we are sharing the same period of time on earth. To connect people who live in completely different places is another important purpose of our workshops. After the workshops and exhibitions in India, we will bring back all these works to Japan and will plan to have an exhibition in Tokyo too, so that Japanese people can imagine how the life in India is like, what the children in India are thinking about, what kind of dreams they have.  Like this, our workshops around the world will keep on going, connecting people living in different cultures.

Hereafter, our workshop will continue to communicate with people in each country not only through photographs, but also through various direction or field of tools. That is what we would like to, and we feel that we are getting closer to grab the ideal style of workshop. We believe that this coming workshop can be the very first step for our dream.

George HASHIGUCHI
Producer / Photographer


インド地図
Notice:

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discount resevation of every classes of hotels, seat reservation for flights and trains, car arrangements, picking up & sending off at the airport, tour escourt, Japanese interpreting, and more.

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Mr.Shobit Parikh (English, Hindee, and Japanese available)


Sa 6/186-2, Shree Nagar Colony, Paharia, Varanasi-221007, India
tel:+91-542-2586907 fax:+91-542-2585388
parikh1@sancharnet.in shobipari@kanko.co.jp



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