Japan's Role in Asian Social Work
Purpose of Paper
This paper will examine whether Japan (the 2nd largest economy in the world and the only welfare state in Asia) has a global role in Asian Social Work or otherwise.
Scope of the Paper
(i) (a) Issues and Challenges in Asian Social Welfare & Social Work and (b) Japan's social problems and status of social work (practice and education) including its strengths, weaknesses and shortfalls.
(ii) Are Japanese social workers sufficiently trained and equipped to play an active role in cross border issues involving Japan and Asian countries e.g. documented and undocumented migrant workers, prostitution, pornography, drugs etc.?
(iii) Are Asian developing nations particularly national governments as well as NGOs including self-help organization, advocacy groups, etc ready to cooperate and collaborate with Japan on the above issues?
(iv) Can Japan and Japanese Social Work organizations;
(a) provide leadership and resources to redress exclusion among marginalized communities in Asian developing countries and
(b) contribute towards capacity building and empowerment of the civil society particularly NGOs in Asian societies?
(v) Japan's position vis a vis human rights in Asian nations.
Concluding Remarks
Cross border issues will increase pressure on Asian nations to cooperate and collaborate in some aspects of the human service industry. In addition, complementary factors such as globalization, mutual self-interest and growing initiatives for regional networking among national NGOs and self-help groups will also induce Asian governments to work collectively ( and in conjunction with other international organizations and institutions) in selective areas of social work e.g. prostitution, migrant workers etc. In this respect Japan which is confronted with an aging society, declining fertility rates, manpower shortage (in certain sectors of the economy) and a number of cross border issues (mentioned above) will likely forge closer linkages in Asian Social Work.