2006 Annual Report
(from April, 2006 to March, 2007:Japanese fiscal year 2006)

1. Strengthening the Total Power as a Supporting Organization for Civil Activities by Business Cooperation
   Business cooperation was promoted by moving some sections into The Osaka NPO Plaza in May 2006. We further enriched the function as a general supporting organization for civil activities, and improved efficiency in the secretariat.
   
2. Positive Business Promotion Based on "Medium-range Plan"
   We have implemented the project which "increased the students who encountered with and participated in civil activities" through cooperation with some college volunteer centers and the opinion exchange meeting between the corporative persons in charge of CSR and students. We have also promoted "the system where pioneering proposal could be easily made and business conclusion is put by proper business evaluation" by developing "Idea space" where projects were gathered from the staff. Further we have concretely considered "integration of function divided into three centers and one section" with realization of the one base of the secretariat. We also established the new mailing list for our members.
   
3. New Turn for Promoting Participation in Civil Activities to "Baby Boomers"
   Every Saturday we offer information to "Volunteer Navigation" carried as a special feature article in the newspaper, and every forth Saturday contribute an article to "Seminar; the First step," special stories on volunteer. On the contrary, we set up "The meeting for the study of participation in society by baby boomers," and implemented hearing for civil activity bodies in which seniors played active parts. In addition, we studied how to support volunteers in the private sectors.
   
4. Commencement of Support for Civil Activities Involved in Multicultural Commensalisms with Foreign Newcomers
   Civil participation is indispensable to build regional community with foreign newcomers. We cooperated in planning and managing "The meeting and training for volunteer coordinators in charge of international relations," and took over business from Osaka Prefectural Foundation of International Exchange. Apart from the above, we actively pour our efforts into daily volunteer coordination and various other projects.
   
   

<The Change Situation Surrounding Civil Activities>

1. Spreading Serious Social "Gap"
   We often hear such symbolic words as "working poor" or "gap society" because the number of people is increasing who have not been fully rewarded for their efforts. In this situation public concern with CSR has been growing, and realization of local "multicultural and commensal society" is urgent with the decreasing number of workers owing to domestic fewer children. Through the volunteer coordination project, we try to actively listen to the voices of people who are having difficulties.
   
2. "Subcontractors as Cheap Measures" or "Promotion of Self-government"
   A policy to hold down expenditure for welfare work has been endorsed with an　amendment to the nursing insurance system and the enactment of "Supporting Independence for People with Disabilities Law." Therefore, paid activities have been introduced as substitutional staff in some public institutions. On the other hand, promotion of cooperation with civil activities has been undertaken. This situation has a grate possibility of extending the area where citizens can tackle many social problems though the role of local government is excessively reduced.
   
3. Increasing Pressure of Obliged Service-Learning
   "Compulsoriness of service-learning in high school to teach every children precepts and social fundamentals" was proposed in the Educational Regeneration Council. Fruitful result is obtained in the independent and self-directed participation, while compulsion may make an negative impression of "voluntary toil." "Another experience program of social activity" which gives citizens joy and self-confidence without obligation to service-learning should be required.
   
4. The Slow-moving "Baby Boomers"
   Actual "baby boomers" volunteers are now much less than they were expected because they have been worrying about their old age and their retirement age has been prolonged. We need to make the system where such retirees can easily participate in various civil activities.

<Important Projects in 2007>

1. Enriched and Strengthened Movement for the Protection of Human Rights
   Strengthening of study and enlightenment project, such as "Serial study meeting of Supporting Independence to People with disabilities Law." Full-scale implementation of "Promotion project for multicultural and commensal civil activities." Enrichment of "Kansai CSR forum." We try to actively listen to the voice of people who are in difficulties through the volunteer coordination project.
   
2. Active Appeal to Local Governments and Private Corporations to Improve "Self-government Ability" of Citizens
   Cooperative promotion between civil activities and local governments has been one of the expected roles in OVAC. We tackle study and enlightenment so that cooperation between civil activities and administration may be evolved to enhance civil "self-governance power."
   
3. Activation of Free and Creative Civil Activities by Youths
   It is another major role for us to provide youths with free and creative civil activities other than "service-learning" with a view to the devotion to authority and power, which leads to realization of the strengthened object of "increasing the youths who encounter with and participate in civil activities in their student lives. We promote the study on embodiment of "Field Interaction Training for Youth" project, and try to activate free and creative civil activities by youths.
   
4. Challenge to Providing Workers with Opportunities Easy to Participate in Civil Activities
   It is important to create opportunities for workers to participate in civil activities. We inspect and study "New York Cares," an NPO in the U.S.A. which supports in large scale participatory social activities for working members of corporation, to prepare the condition for workers in Kansai area easy to participate in civil activities. We also actively cooperate with "Wise club," a project for the senior generation.
   
5. Great Change of the Secretariat Staff
   There is a great change of the secretariat staff in 2007. We must deal effectively with this situation, and try to maintain the secretariat system and to improve its quality.
   
6. Effort to Establish Financial Independence
   We have been three years in the red since 2004. We grapple with how to balance the budget by expansion of the self-source of revenue, undertaking the new project to meet the necessity of the age, and maintenance and expansion of ordinary and supporting members.