This article needs additional citations for verification .(September 2020) |
This article contains promotional content .(November 2024) |
Abbreviation | KIF |
---|---|
Formation | 10 March 2008 |
Founder | Shin Koyamada Nia Lyte |
Type | International NGO |
Headquarters | Los Angeles, United States |
Area served | Global |
Services | Youth leadership Gender Equality Disaster relief Citizen exchanges Habitat Space |
Methods | Community service |
Membership | Member Organizations in the following countries: United States Japan Colombia Brazil Kenya Tanzania Ghana Togo Democratic Republic of the Congo |
Official language |
|
Board Chairman | Shin Koyamada |
President | Nia Lyte |
Affiliations | Guardian Girls International |
Website | kifglobal |
Formerly called | Shin Koyamada Foundation |
Koyamada International Foundation, commonly referred to as KIF or KIF Global, is an international non-governmental organization promoting global peace and sustainable development. It has affiliated national chapter members in nine countries. [1]
It has global partnerships with UN agencies and international organizations such as United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UNICEF's Education Cannot Wait (ECW), World Karate Federation (WKF), Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA) [2] and others.
The organization took shape through the shared passions of Shin Koyamada and TEDx Talk Speaker Nia Lyte. Initially, their efforts began with distributing relief provisions to underprivileged families in Downtown Los Angeles. Alongside a group of friends, they also championed cultural exchange activities spanning across the nation.
KIF has established first National Chapter in Japan in 2011 in response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and expanded its operations and programs internationally in South America, Africa, North America and Europe.
The Guardian Girls stands as a global program aimed at preventing and responding to gender-based violence, empowering adolescent girls and women to confront and combat all manifestations of violence through the platform of sports and martial arts.
The Guardian Girls program operates on a global scale under the administration of Guardian Girls International (GGI), an international nonprofit organization affiliated with the Koyamada International Foundation. Collaborating with governments, international sports federations, non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies, and corporations, GGI spearheads specialized projects tailored to specific targets and issues, amplifying its impact and reach.
Its inception traces back to Shin Koyamada, who conceptualized the program during his participation in the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). This significant event, hosted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with the governments of Kenya and Denmark in Nairobi, Kenya, marked the genesis of this transformative program.
In December 2019, KIF solidified its commitment by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the UNFPA, followed by a collaboration with the World Karate Federation (WKF) in May 2022. [3] Together, under the expansive Guardian Girls program, they inaugurated the global specialized "Guardian Girls Karate" project in October 2022. This pioneering project expanded its reach to countries including Egypt, Morocco, Spain, Japan, United States, Ireland and Hungary throughout 2023. [4] [5]
The StarAngel program stands as an educational lifeline, specifically designed to offer quality learning resources for children and youth grappling with the aftermath of conflicts, natural disasters, and displacement in emergency and conflict zones. The program is administered by the StarAngel International on a global level.
In May 2020, KIF fortified its global dedication by joining hands with the Education Cannot Wait (ECW), administered by UNICEF. [6] This pivotal partnership was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, aimed at bolstering ECW's extensive education programs. These programs cater to children and youth enduring the aftermath of conflicts, natural disasters, famine, displacement, and crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Operating from the initial stages of crisis through recovery phases, KIF's national chapters in Latin America and Africa actively support ECW's mission.
Successfully initiated by Koyamada International Foundation Colombia (KIF Colombia) in 2022 and 2023, the program has made significant strides across Colombia, furnishing hundreds of schools with essential educational materials and establishing playgrounds for these resilient children.
The 1000 Ways To Give program serves as a vital disaster relief program dedicated to extending humanitarian aid and essential relief items to those impacted by natural disasters.
In response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, KIF swiftly launched a disaster relief program and established its inaugural national chapter, KIF Japan, headquartered in Tokyo. This chapter was specifically crafted to aid victims affected by the triple disaster. KIF orchestrated relief efforts by initiating fundraisers and coordinating the collection of relief goods and items in Southern California. These efforts culminated in shipping a 20-foot container filled with essential supplies to assist those in need. [7]
Expanding its outreach, in 2019, KIF forged a strategic partnership with the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA). This collaboration empowers AMDA to deliver crucial emergency medical aid to individuals affected by both natural calamities and human-induced disasters across Asia and other regions.
Zeal Up stands as a dynamic youth leadership program designed to inspire the upcoming generations, fostering their ability to instigate meaningful community transformation and assume roles as engaged community leaders and global citizens. To achieve this, the program has forged collaborations with several universities, facilitating a series of speaker programs. These initiatives aim to empower students across various countries, nurturing a global mindset among the youth and encouraging proactive engagement in creating a better world.
KIF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Junior Chamber International (JCI) as a Global Partner in February 2019.
Subnational X is an international exchange program to foster mutual understanding and respect and strengthen people to people ties by implementing grassroots activities of cross-cultural, economic, sports and educational exchanges globally.
In 2010 and 2011, KIF orchestrated the United States Martial Arts Festival (USMAF), a global event featuring 1,000 participants from 10 countries alongside renowned martial arts grandmasters. [8] The aim was to champion peace through sports and cultivate a sustainable worldwide martial arts community. in 2013 and 2014, Hollywood stars Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse engaged Japanese youth on education during KIF's United States-Japan Discovery Tour, shared widely on social media. KIF partnered with Sister Cities International (SCI) for bilateral summits, including the Japan-Texas Leadership Symposium in March 2019. Hosted by San Antonio and supported by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it strengthened U.S.-Japan ties through cultural and economic exchanges.
Amazon Habitat is a habitat program to help protect, preserve and promote tropical rainforests and wildlife in the Amazon Jungle in South America.
Safari Habitat is a habitat program to conserve wildlife habitat and preserve and promote cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples in Africa.
Spacestellar is a space program to attract and engage young people globally to; interact with each other; share and deepen mutual interests, passions and understanding about outer space; cultivate strong team leadership skills; and gain knowledge and experience of space science and technology through space-themed activities.
KIF Global is an international umbrella organization consisting of its global board of directors, management leaderships, standing committees and its national chapter members.
Each national chapter member is an independent nonprofit organization exclusively licensed to operate in a specific country, governed by its own national boards and officers with national committees, and funded by its supporters and contributors of a designated country. All members of national chapters are local chapter member organizations and individual and corporate members.
KIF Chapter | Year: | country: | region: | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|
KIF USA | 2013 | United States | North America | kifusa.org |
KIF Japan | 2011 | Japan | Asia | kifjapan.org |
KIF Colombia | 2017 | Colombia | South America | kifcolombia.org |
KIF Brazil | 2019 | Brazil | South America | kifbrazil.org |
KIF Kenya | 2019 | Kenya | Africa | kifkenya.org |
KIF Tanzania | 2021 | Tanzania | Africa | kiftanzania.org |
KIF Ghana | 2020 | Ghana | Africa | kifghana.org |
KIF Togo | 2019 | Togo | Africa | kiftogo.org |
KIF DR Congo | 2020 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Africa | kifdrcongo.org |
Karate (空手), also karate-do, is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts under the influence of Chinese martial arts. While modern karate is primarily a striking art that uses punches and kicks, traditional karate training also employs throwing and joint locking techniques. A karate practitioner is called a karate-ka (空手家).
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies and protocols, increasing access to birth control, and leading campaigns against child marriage, gender-based violence, obstetric fistula, and female genital mutilation.
CARE is a major international humanitarian agency delivering emergency relief and long-term international development projects. Founded in 1945, CARE is nonsectarian, impartial, and non-governmental. It is one of the largest and oldest humanitarian aid organizations focused on fighting global poverty. In 2019, CARE reported working in 104 countries, supporting 1,349 poverty-fighting projects and humanitarian aid projects, and reaching over 92.3 million people directly and 433.3 million people indirectly.
Mercy Corps is a global non-governmental, humanitarian aid organization operating in transitional contexts that have undergone, or have been undergoing, various forms of economic, environmental, social and political instabilities. The organization claims to have assisted more than 220 million people survive humanitarian conflicts, seek improvements in livelihoods, and deliver durable development to their communities.
Islamic Relief Worldwide describes itself as "a faith-inspired humanitarian and development agency which is working to support and empower the world's most vulnerable people".
Shin Koyamada is a Japanese actor, producer, philanthropist, and martial artist. He is best known to the international audience for his co-starring roles in The Last Samurai (2003) as Nobutada and the Disney's Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (2006) as Shen.
Zonta International is an international service organization with the mission of Building a Better World for Women and Girls, in support of Sustainable Development Goal 5.
The World Karate Federation (WKF) is an international governing body of sport karate with 198 member countries. It is the only karate organization recognised by the International Olympic Committee and has more than a hundred million members. The WKF organizes their Junior and Senior Karate World Championships, which are each held every other year. The President of the WKF is Antonio Espinós, and the headquarters are located in Madrid, Spain.
The Japan Karate Federation (JKF), a.k.a. Japan Karatedo Federation, is a national governing body of the sport karate in Japan. The JKF is officially affiliated with the Japan Olympic Association (JOC), World Karate Federation (WKF), Japan Sports Association (JSA), and Japanese Budō Association (JBA). The styles recognized by the JKF are Gōjū-ryū, Shitō-ryū, Shotokan, and Wadō-ryū. Its headquarter is located in Tokyo, Japan.
The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) is a non-profit organization with offices in Washington, D.C., United States, New Delhi, Ranchi, and Jamtara, India, Nairobi, Kenya, and Kampala, Uganda. ICRW works to promote gender equity, inclusion and shared prosperity within the field of international development.
Global Fund for Children (GFC) is a Washington, DC–based nonprofit organization whose mission is to transform the lives of the world's most vulnerable children. GFC pursues this mission by making small grants to innovative community-based organizations that provide services and programs for children that government and large aid organizations often do not reach.
Humanity First is an international charity that provides disaster relief and long term development assistance to vulnerable communities in 52 countries across 6 continents. The organisation is run by volunteers with diverse skillsets across the world and has access to thousands of extra volunteers worldwide. Volunteer staff in all areas often pay their own expenses to support the international projects.
The Asian Karate Federation (AKF) is the governing body of sport karate of about 44 countries of karatedo federation in Asia. The AKF is a non-profit organization and performs its activities on an amateur basis in compliance with the principles set forth in the Olympic Charter, duly recognized by the World Karate Federation, the largest international governing body of sport karate with over 198 member countries. It is the only karate organization recognised by the International Olympic Committee and has more than fifty million members. The AKF organizes the Asian Karatedo Championships, the Junior and Senior AKF Championships in every two years in between the Olympic and Asian Games and participates in WKF World Karate Championships. The current president of the Asian Karate Federation (AKF) is Major Gen Nasser Al Sayed Abdulrazak Alrazooqi of UAE and Mr. Kuong Im Che of Macau, China, serves as the secretary general.
The European Karate Federation (EKF) is the governing body of competitive karate in more than 50 countries across Europe. The EKF's stated goal is to promote, organize, regulate, and popularize the sport of karate. It is one of the five continental federations recognized by the World Karate Federation.
The Asian Karatedo Championships are the highest level of competition for sport karate in Asia. The competition is held in a different country every two years organized by the Asian Karatedo Federation (AKF) under the supervision of World Karate Federation (WKF), the largest international governing body of sport karate with over 180 member countries. It is the only karate organization recognised by the International Olympic Committee and has more than ten million members. The AKF organizes the Junior and Senior Asian Karatedo Championships in every two years in between the Olympic and Asian Games and participates in WKF World Karate Championships which its member Japan play as a powerhouse country when it comes to sport karate vying for world titles with counterpart opponents from the powerful nations such as France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Spain and Italy in many world championships.
7 Billion Actions is a worldwide campaign established by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2011 to commemorate the world population milestone of 7 billion people. UNFPA is a United Nations organization that works on population and development issues, with an emphasis on reproductive health and gender equality. 7 Billion Actions works with multiple corporations, organizations and individuals to address the 7 Key Issues such as poverty, gender equality, youth, ageing, urbanization, environment, and reproductive health and rights. The UN has declared the World Population surpassing 7 billion on 31 October 2011. Prior to this date, the UN celebrated the Day of Six Billion in October 1999.
Kūdō (空道) is a Japanese hybrid martial art. It is a full-contact combat sport that aims to achieve safety, aggression and practicality, a style of mixed martial arts practised with headgear and gloves. It features stand-up striking, with throwing and grappling techniques being also allowed in the competition, including restraint, locks and chokeholds.
Karate began in the 14th century on the island of Okinawa. Karate as a word first emerged due to Gichin Funakoshi. Karate was introduced to mainland Japan in the 1920s.
Karate was first introduced in the United Kingdom by Vernon Bell, a judo instructor who attended karate classes with Henry Plée in Paris.
Guardian Girls International is an international non-governmental organization focused on violence against women and gender-based violence, with its headquarters in the United States. The mission is to build the self-agency of women and girls for prevention and response to all forms of gender-based violence through sports and holistic martial arts training. It operates in 15 countries.