Japanese Govt honours Sameen

On June 17 this year, the Government of Japan decided the conferment of "The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette" upon Isfahani Sameen, Former World President of Junior Chamber International and former Provincial Councillor of the Western Provincial Council, in recognition of his invaluable contributions in promoting bilateral relations between Japan and Sri Lanka as well as international relations between Japan and other countries.

Isfahani Sameen

A congratulatory message was sent by Takeaki Matsumoto, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, on June 18 upon the announcement stating: "Please accept my sincerest congratulations on the conferment of 'The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette', in recognition of your outstanding contribution, and my best wishes for your continued good health and happiness".

Isfahani Sameen was an old boy of St. Aloysius College Galle and Carey College Colombo. He was an active member of the Jaycees in Sri Lanka and the founder member of the Wellawatte Jaycees in 1973. He was unanimously elected as the 44th World President of Junior Chamber International for the year 1989. As World President of Junior Chamber International, Sameen contributed significantly to promote international relations between Japan and other countries including Sri Lanka.

As President of the Wellawatte Jaycees Sameen was successful in signing a Sister Chapter Affiliation agreement with the Kitakyushu Jaycees of Japan and since then has been engaged in numerous activities to promote bilateral relations between Japan and Sri Lanka".

Being conversant in the Japanese language Sameen served as project chairman of the Sri Lanka Trade Fair in Kitakyushu City in 1977, which also won the World Award at the Jaycees International World Congress. Sameen was also the Leader of the Organization when the Asian Pacific Conference was held in Yokohama City in 1989, which attracted a record 16,650 delegate participation from 52 countries and regions at which His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Japan was the Chief Guest at the opening ceremony.

Since 2005, he has also played the roles of coordinator and Host Family to many Japanese children visiting Sri Lanka under the Asian Pacific Children's Convention. In the aftermath of the tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2004 Sameen was instrumental in spearheading numerous post-tsunami rehabilitation projects as well as securing numerous other donations to help various educational as well as welfare projects in Sri Lanka between 1977 and 2010.

These were some of his major contributions among many others. The conferment ceremony of this prestigious decoration will be held at Colombo in due course.