We spoke with Dora Tamari-Tutnjević, a Japanese-Croatian intercultural navigator working on building a sustainably multicultural society. With a special emphasis on refugee and migration issues, Dora has educated and engaged both minorities and host communities in dialogue and co-creation through lectures, corporate trainings and events at companies and universities including Aoyama Gakuin, Chuo University, International Masters Program for Managers (IMPM), Yamaha Motors or Konica Minolta. Her passions include civic engagement, and public private partnerships. She firmly believes in the power of ordinary citizens to create lasting change, and lead the way in transforming societies.

Dora grew up in Croatia, and spent 4 years in Japan during the Croatian War of Independence in the 1990s as a child. Together with her family, she was an evacuee (refugee) in Japan though she is a Japanese national. Since her late teens, she has lived in 8 countries, a ship and an island over 10 years - a background relatable to migrants on a short notice and minimal resources. 

Below are some of the Japanese organizations that support asylum seekers: 

Japan Association for Refugees (JAR)

https://www.refugee.or.jp/en/

Help with basic lifeline necessities (shelter, medical care, clothes, food bank tickets, and more)

Japan Evangelical Lutheran Association (JELA)

https://www.jela.or.jp/refugees/

Shelter for asylum seekers until the government support becomes available, scholarship.

WELgee (Welcome + Refugees)

https://www.welgee.jp/about/english

Employment of highly skilled asylum seekers. Switching to stable visa.

Catholic Tokyo International Center (CTIC)

https://ctic.jp/en/activity/self-reliance/#hongo

Daily life consultation, volunteer Japanese lessons for asylum seekers in Japan for less than 1 year.

International Social Services Japan (ISSJ)

https://www.issj.org/en/

International social services (including pregnancy-related matters), counselling on health, welfare, and social integration.

Arrupe Refugee Center

https://arrupe-refugee.jp/english/

Shelter, counseling and cultural services.

For more, please see the full list of organizations here: http://frj.or.jp/member

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