adminSaturday for a three-day working visit, JCI Zimbabwe said in a statement.
JCI Zimbabwe president Mr Patson Mahatchi believes that the visit by Mr Harada is historic in that it is the second consecutive year that the country has hosted a sitting world president, particularly after a similar visit by Mr Roland Kwemain, the 2010 JCI president from Cameroon.
The last time Zimbabwe hosted a JCI president before Mr Kwemain’s visit was in 2005, when Mr Kevin Cullinane from Ireland came to the country.
“This is an honour, not just for JCI Zimbabwe members but for all young people in Zimbabwe. His visit gives us an opportunity to appraise the world on the work young Zimbabweans are doing to advance such issues as the realisation of the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) and the high level of support we are getting from Government, business and our civic partners.
“On the other hand, to have the world president of the global network of young active citizens visiting us in consecutive years shows the thrust this organisation has in empowering young Zimbabweans to create positive change through running projects in their communities,” said Mr Mahatchi.
Presently Mr Harada is on a tour that will take him to over half of the 115 countries from which JCI draws its membership.
While in Zimbabwe, he will pay courtesy calls on senior Government officials, business, as well as holding high-level meetings with JCI partner organisations, UN agencies, community leaders and potential members.
However, JCI Zimbabwe has mainly been receiving support from three main pillars of society – Government, business and civic society – for its projects.
Some of the projects include the JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Zimbabwe program, Lifeskills Training programmes for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and the on-going JCI Nothing But Nets
Campaign, an anti-malaria programme that is working to raise funds for the procurement of long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets to be distributed in malaria-prone areas.
Mr Harada is expected to participate in some of these projects and visit institutions and project sites supported by the various JCI Zimbabwe local organisations.
“This is a unique opportunity for young Zimbabweans to learn how they too can play a role in bettering themselves and their communities. This is why we are inviting even non-members of JCI to take time to meet this inspiring man and learn from him.
“Mr Harada believes young people must lead the world to sustainable peace through the JCI Active Citizen’s Framework, in which individual citizens rather than nations take action to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals. This will be an important message for all young Zimbabweans,” explained Mr Mahatchi.
In Japan, Mr Harada is the president of Harada Kogyo Co. Ltd., a steel processing firm specialising in steel coils, furniture manufacturing and transportation.
Having joined JCI Fukuyama in 2001 and became 2007 JCI local president, he first served at international level as 2007 JCI Asia-Pacific Development Councillor and then 2008 JCI vice president assigned to a group of European countries.
In 2009, he served as JCI treasurer before becoming JCI executive vice president in 2010.
He was nominated by JCI Japan and was elected the 66th and 2011 JCI president at the 65th JCI World Congress held in Osaka, Japan, in November last year.
Mr Harada is a member of the Fukuyama Kita-Kai, a group that preserves the traditional Japanese musical drama form, Noh, and is a member of the National Association of Underwater Instructors.
As JCI president, he will be promoting the JCI mission and inspiring action among young people across the globe.
JCI is a membership driven, non-profit organisation that provides development opportunities that empower young people aged between 18 and 40 to create positive change. Through projects in more than 5 000 communities in more than 115 countries, JCI members worldwide seek targeted solutions to local problems to create a sustainable global impact.
The local chapter of JCI has branches in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Kwekwe, Mutare and Bindura.
Online Reporter