A gathering was held to celebrate the publication of "Future Immigration Policies Proposed by Citizens: From the Activities of the NPO APFS and Global Trends."

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Commemorative lecture by Professor Tetsuo Mizukami

On May 20, 2015, "Future Immigration Policies Proposed by Citizens: From the Activities of the NPO APFS and Global Trends" was published by Gendai Jinbunsha. In this book, APFS, which has been providing support to foreigners for 30 years, raises issues from the perspective of civic activities regarding the current situation and challenges in immigrant-receiving countries in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, as well as how to proceed with foreigner and immigration policies in Japan.

This book raises questions about foreigner and immigration policy, and I hope that all members of Japanese society will participate in the discussion. Simply chanting "multicultural coexistence" in the midst of open hate speech will solve nothing. It is necessary to build a just and open society through action.

Therefore, with the aim of receiving opinions and criticisms regarding the book, we held a book launch event at the Itabashi Ward Cultural Center on August 1st, 2015 (Saturday). Approximately 60 people attended.

We also asked Professor Tetsuo Mizukami (Faculty of Sociology, Rikkyo University), one of the editors, to give a commemorative lecture titled "Considering Immigration Policy." He gave a clear and easy-to-understand explanation of a wide range of topics, from the changes in support for foreign residents in Japan to global trends surrounding immigration, the concept of transnationalism, and the potential that APFS may play in the future.

The event proceeded smoothly following a toast by Mr. Hisanobu Narusawa, President of Gendai Jinbunsha. There was lively exchange among researchers and practitioners involved in immigration, as well as among foreign residents.

Towards the end of the event, we were joined by the band Uthlon, who perform Bangladeshi music. Everyone listened attentively to their unique rendition.

We also received a donation of 35,011 yen from attendees. We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude.