A Fund for Innovation in Cultural Exchange
Connection across cultures and nations matters, especially when division and distrust are growing. The American Friends of the I-House created Courage to Connect in response to this urgent need. Courage to Connect will create new opportunities for people in Japan and North America to meet, learn from one another, and work together on shared challenges.
Why Connection Matters
Some of the most important relationships between Japan and North America began with a simple but ambitious idea: bring people together and give them the space to listen, exchange ideas, and build trust.
That work is just as important today. The challenges facing our communities cross borders, but the relationships and institutions needed to address them cannot be taken for granted. They have to be built—and renewed.
Through Courage to Connect, AFIHJ will support fresh approaches to cultural exchange that deepen relationships and turn connection into action.
What Your Gift Will Support
Your donation will help make possible initiatives such as:
COURAGEOUS CONVENINGS
Gatherings that use cultural practices, including tea ceremonies, music, and the arts, to create space for candid conversation, strengthen relationships, and advance peace.
COMMUNITY EXCHANGES
Opportunities for people and organizations in Japan and North America to learn directly from one another, share experience, and develop practical responses to common challenges.
NORTH AMERICA–JAPAN PHILANTHROPY FELLOWS
Experiences that equip emerging leaders to build lasting relationships across borders and carry the work of international cooperation into the future.
Building on a Powerful Legacy
Courage to Connect is inspired by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, whose commitment to cultural exchange helped establish enduring connections between Japan and the United States after the Second World War.
JDR3 understood that institutions matter, but so do the relationships behind them. His example continues to show what is possible when people have the courage to reach across borders, invest for the long term, and turn ideas into action.
HELP US MEET THE 2026 CHALLENGE
Every gift matters.
We have received $50,000 in challenge funding to inspire our donors to match dollar for dollar by the end of 2026.
Together, we can open new doors for dialogue, exchange, and cooperation between Japan and North America.
Have the courage to connect. Give today and help us meet the challenge!