IBARAKI REPORT July 1997

By Campbell Naish

The Flow of a New TIDE.

One evening in April 1995 Jun Sato and Daniel Currie, two residents of Takahagi city in northern Ibaraki made a providential agreement to breach the limitations inherent in many volunteer organizations and create a volunteer group that encompasses people of all races, ages and mental or physical disabilities. The fruit of their brain child is TIDE.

TIDE stands for Takahagi Integrated and Developed Education. TIDE's aim is to promote a self development education program, working with the local community and the people all over the world. Ultimately it is about encouraging one another to communicate and to raise self esteem.

TIDE's catch phrase is "Let's stand together, we can make a better world", and judging by the warm interaction that I witnessed at the annual TIDE camp on the 26-27 April this year, the activities of TIDE are making the world a better place for all those who are involved with it.

At the camp were a wide range of people from throughout the community including preschoolers, junior high and high school students, local workers, artists, foreigners and many people of varying disabilities with their friends and families, come together for a couple of days of fun and games, talking around the campfire, hiking and generally enjoying each others company.

The evidence from this event and the board range of activities in the future program is that TIDE is clearly well down to the road to achieving it's goal. That is to avoid the isolation and categorization that can occur in volunteer groups, be they for young people, the disabled, the elderly or any group which by giving itself a category instantly alienates other members of society. Daniel Currie comments that even when TIDE first began there was a certain amount of tension between all the different members of the group. This however, appears to be well in the past judging by the enthusiastic group participation by all in every activity from rugby and baseball to some wild dancing and music (including a few "shy?" junior high school and high school girls) played by several participants until late in the evening.

TIDE is relatively new venture but one only has to look at the projects accomplished so far and the busy schedule ahead to see that although TIDE has no fixed membership system it is run by a group of dedicated volunteers and it is here to stay. There's is clearly a lot of thought that goes into creating the activities. There is the monthly bowling meet, a chance for everyone to get together and have a break. also events such as a alternative learning classes such as Rudolf Steiner workshops, dances and concerts frequently involving visitors from overseas using their skills to contribute to lives of all involved.

TIDE is taking it's message out to the rest of the world through a number of major projects. They have already had a highly successful trip to England where among other things they visited other groups for desabled. There is also a song and dance performance written, choreographed and performed by the members of TIDE. This show has been a great success in utilizing the talents of the members of the club, and as an activity to help them raise their self esteem.

The dance will be performed again on Sunday, July 27th as a part of a TIDE event called Hearts and Hand Together at the Hitachi Civic Center. The event will include a workshop "Language Acquisition of Children with Learning Disabilities" to be given by MD. Chie M Paik of the U.S.Naval Academy.

On 5th & 6th August TIDE is hosting the Kizuna Concert featuring the Keiko Matsui Band from Los Angeles in Juo town. This is a benefit concert that TIDE is dedicating to the "voiceless victims who have been isolated from society".