Nationality: American
Time Living in Japan: More than 20 years
Employer(s): Self-employed
Current Job Title: Nonprofit NGO Consultant
Area(s) of Expertise: Nonprofit Sector Development
Education: Masters of International Affairs, Columbia University, Human Rghts in East Asia
Publications Featured In: ACCJ Journal, Being A Broad Magazine, The Japan Times, HESO Magazine, Metropolis Magazine, Polish Social Science Journal
Favorite Thing About Living in Japan: Fresh local veggies and cooking and eating with my husband!
Favorite Place to Visit in Japan: The beach in Kanagawa
BIO: A 25+ year Tokyo resident, Sarajean has worked with nonprofit NGOs in Japan and the US her entire career. She develops projects and training programs aimed at developing skills, knowledge and effective partnerships between organizations and across borders. Sarajean has coordinated programs targeting experts in community health, humanitarian response, persons with disabilities, and HIV/AIDS. She has assisted corporations develop community engagement, CSR and philanthropy programs. At Temple University, Tsuda International Training Center, Japan Campus, Meiji Gakuin and Sophia Universities she teaches courses on the Japanese civil society, NGOs in cross cultural context, NGO management, the SDGs, Gender perspectives on the SDGs and Understanding Issues Development through Theater. Sarajean has served as the Tokyo representative for several international organizations such as the San Francisco-based Give2Asia Foundation for whom she worked with close to 50 organizations through managing their Tohoku Recovery Fund 2011-2014.
As a project based consultant, Sarajean has worked with Jarman International, IE3 Global Internships, The Washington Center and People Make Places, Sarajean has served as an advisor on business development, CSR, training and travel programs. As a founding member of the Japan Alliance of Conflict Mediators (JAM), she has been developing training programs that promote inclusion, sensitivity and enhanced conflict management skills.
Sarajean has served on the Board of Directors and Councilors for a number of organizations including FEW, For Empowering Women Japan, Mirai no Mori, the Asian Rural Institute, and A Place to Grow.
Before 2005, when she began working as an independent consultant, Sarajean spent four years coordinating the bilateral exchange of nonprofit professionals between the US and Japan for Japan-US Community Education & Exchange (JUCEE). She worked for 6 years with the Tokyo YMCA before completing her graduate studies in human rights in East Asia at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She also holds certificates in Disaster Management (UNU Tokyo), Humanitarian Response (Harvard online program) and Conflict Mediation (Hitotsubashi University / NY Peace Institute).
Recently Published Work
December 2016: From challenge to opportunity: Japanese non-profit organizations harness post-3.11 civic engagement in Educating for Sustainability in Japan: Fostering resilient communities after the triple disaster, Singer, J. et al. Eds. Routledge Publishers.
May 2015: Bridging the Grassroots: A Study about the Influence of ARI on Rural Leaders.
草の根の架け:農村リーダーにおける、アジア学院の研修効果に関する調査
(English and Japanese editions) The Asian Rural Institute (ARI).
November 2014: Servant leadership training: changing communities from the grassroots. Pp. 225~234; Bridging the Grassroots: Education programming promoting agents of social change. Pp 215-224; Conference proceedings, 7th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation.
Fall 2009 & 2011: FEW Community Service Directory, FEW (For Empowering Women in Japan).
Spring 2004 NPO: 法制定の過程とその重要性 (The significance of the NPO Law development) 草の根活動をつなぐ：なゼグロバルに考え、ロカルに協働する必要があるのか？(Bridging the grassroots: Why it’s important to think globally while acting locally) in プロとしてNPO働く、関わる (Working and committing oneself professionally to nonprofit organizations), Published by Japan-US Community Education and Exchange, JUCEE. Shinpusha Publications.