Although he still has a long runway ahead of him, today’s guest, who has spent decades living in Japan, has already had enough experiences to last multiple lifetimes.

Who is he?

Meet Charles McJilton.

Charles’ journey took him from living in a cardboard house along Tokyo’s Sumida River to founding Japan’s first food bank and graduating from The John F. Kennedy School of Government, commonly referred to as “Harvard Kennedy School” of Harvard University. Believing that tools, not charity, create real change, he pioneered innovative approaches to hunger relief, disaster response, and nonprofit management in Japan. Currently, at Frontline Associates, he is applying AI and negotiation tools to address some of the world’s most complex humanitarian challenges. McJilton’s story embodies resilience, authenticity, and a redefinition of societal contribution.

Key Takeaways

* First-hand Experience of Living in a Japanese Slum: As part of his involvement with the Missionaries of Charity Brothers founded by Mother Teresa, Charles spent 15 months living in a cardboard box on the banks of Tokyo’s Sumida River with a community of day laborers, both current and former. This experience, vastly different from how most foreign residents experience the country, changed Charles’s outlook on life entirely.

* Second Harvest, Japan’s First Food Bank: Charles helped found Second Harvest, Japan’s first food bank. Although he has since left the mission-based organization, Second Harvest continues to provide free hot meals, act as a harvest pantry, deliver food directly to those in need, supply other food banks, and promote advocacy and development to create a food safety net for Japan. Second Harvest and the Alliance of Japan Foodbanks provide disaster relief in the event of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods.

* Using AI as a Frontline Negotiator: Charles attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, also known as the Harvard Kennedy School. He is now working with the Japan Red Cross and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative to use new artificial intelligence (AI) tools to conduct initial 48-hour assessments, manage supply chains after natural disasters, and negotiate access.

Timeline

Substack does not yet have the functionality to allow you to use a link to jump to a specific section like YouTube’s “chapters.” Please refer to the times listed below to navigate through our hour-long conversation. Thank you for your understanding.

Key Contacts

* Substack:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-mcjilton-5482615/

* Missionaries of Charity Brothers: https://www.mcbrothers.org/

* Harvard Humanitarian Initiative: https://hhi.harvard.edu/

* The John F. Kennedy School of Government, commonly referred to as “Harvard Kennedy School” of Harvard University: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/

* Alliance of Japan Foodbanks: https://foodbanking.or.jp/

* Frontline Associates: https://www.frontline-associates.org/

#CharlesMcJilton #SanyaTokyoSlums #SumidaRiver #CardboardHouse #FoodBankJapan #SecondHarvestJapan #JapanNonprofitInnovation #TohokuDisasterReliefNGO #AIInHumanitarianAid #FrontlineNegotiator #HarvardKennedySchool #MissionaryOfCharityBrothers #マクジルトンチャールズ #三亜 #東京のスラム街 #段ボールハウス #フードバンクジャパン #セカンドハーベスト #日本の非営利団体 #交渉担当者 #ハーバード大学ケネディスクール #神の愛の宣教者会 #RealGaijin #リアル外人

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