Report on Summer Camp 2022
~Think about Diversity as A Global Citizen~
Summer Program for university students was held
Overview
In this program held face-to-face for 4 days, they had discussed how we achieve “diversity as a global citizen” mainly with people who work in various organizations like an embassy in Tokyo or for helping refugees. After that, they had had conversations about these gained topics from them with members of their team and students from foreign countries. As a result of these discussions, the students finally reported “What Do We Do to Achieve a Diverse Society in Japan as a Student Who Wants to Become a Global Citizen.” as a main theme on the last day.
Schedule
First Day : Orientation/Visiting an Embassy/Sharing the students’ experiences
Second Day : Speaker Session/Lecture by Guests/Disscussion in Team/Interaction with People from the United States
Third Day : Interaction with foreign Students/Lecture by Guests/Midterm presentation
Forth Day : Proposal presentation/Reflection
Purpose
Because overseas training was postponed by COVID-19, the “Summer Camp 2022” program had been held for the young who will build the future to give them opportunities which were able to interact with people around the world and widen their views even if they are in Japan.
Some people came to Japan as a immigrant, as a refugee, or as a foreign student for education or working from many countries. By meeting people who have various backgrounds, thinking about problems swirling around them and overviewing the present situation of a society in Japan, it is possible for them to think about what they can do and improve their consciousness as a global citizen.
Theme of Summer Camp
“Diversity as a Glonbal Citizen”
In this program, it is possible to understand diversity and multicultural, harmonious soceity which consists of people who have various backgrounds deeply. Even here in Japan, there are people from various countries, cultures, religions, and other backgrounds living in Japan, including those who came to Japan in search of work, those who were forced to leave their homeland and arrived in Japan, and foreign students who came to Japan to study.
For them, is Japan an ideal country with respect to diversity and comfortability? How does an ideal multicultural, harmonious society look like?
To achieve this, this program’s aim is to think about what university students can do. Because they have experienced difficult conditions, they will make a presentation which includes various perspectives as people concerned for the future of Japan.
Program Highlight on First Day : Visiting Embassies
To realize diversities in the world, the students went to embassies of Romania and Sweden on the day. They learned not only the histories and cultures of the two countries, but also efforts done in both countries to achieve diversity. In addition, they learned the differences between Japan and the countries. By the lectures, they thought about how Japanese society should be from views given by other countries.
Program Highlight on Second Day : Learning about Refugees
On the second day, the students learned the problems of refugees in the world including Japan by a cooporation from social welfare corporation “Support 21” which works together with UNHCR Japan Office and supports refugees. In addtion, they met people who came to Japan as a refugee and talked with them to know about life in Japan and struggling points based on their past experiences which they have.
Program Highlight on Second Day : Fieldwork
The students visited a restaurant in a Myanmar community of Takadanobaba. Eating Myanmar cousines, they listened to the story from Cho-Cho-So who came to Japan as a refugee and now runs the restaurant as a head. “I will never forget people left in Myanmar.” and “When I want to work hard for something, it is possible to do so in Japan” he said. What he said was very impressive.
In addition, the students visited a mosque named “Tokyo Camii” in Yoyogi-Uehara. Overwhelmed by the beauty of the mosque’s structure, they listened to the stories made by Sigeki Simoyama who is a personnel in the mosque about the contribution to the world which Isramic culture has and misconceptions which Japanese people have to this culture.
Murase Jiro Memorial Scholarship Enterprises
In the program held at night in August 12th, the students interacted with people in the United States online. The program which had been held every year by Beyond Tomorrow as a Summer Program in the United States from 2012 is now held as Murase Jiro Memorial Scholarship Enterprises from 2015. This program was able to be held by a willingness of Murase Satoru who is a son of Murase Jiro and a commisioner of Beyond Tommorow. He wanted students to interact with people in the United States even if it is difficult to go to this country because of COVID-19.
In this program held online, Paul Hastings who was a President & CEO of Japan International Christian Foundation attended. He talked about his experiences which he had had during the childfood in Japan, the history and a present situation of diversity in the United States. While the students of Japan Future Scholarship Program introduced themselves, they expressed their opinions and asked some questions about diversity. These made this program fulfilling.
Program Highlight on Third Day: Interaction with Students from Overseas
On the third day, the students talked with students who came to Japan to study and has foreign backgrounds about the difference in terms of culture and things which they felt in their lives in Japan. Through interactions in English which the students do not speak so often, they used their brain 100%. This was a catalyst for them to realize that things which they regard as natural were not necessarliy natural for foreigners by listening to what the students from foreign countries like or had diffculties about Japan.
Program Highlight on the Third Day : Speaker Session
J. Marshall Adams from Waseda University Intercultural Communication Center attended a session and he talked about the history of diversity in the United States and what the society which respects diversity should be. J. Marshall Adams, who has spent over 20 years and experienced so many things in the country, discussed what an inclusive society in Japan should be with the students.
Program Highlight on the Fourth Day : Suggestions
On the last day, the students made a presentation about “What Can We Do Who Aim to Become a Global Citizen to Make a Inclusive Society in Japan?”. In this presentation, Hayashi Reiko who is a vice president in BofA Securities Japan Co., Ltd., Nabeshima Mika who is a superviser in an unit of Group Diversity & Inclusion in Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc., and Hashimoto Daijiro who is a representative director of Beyond Tomorrow.
The students who were divided into two groups gave a presentation which they can do for people who have different backgrounds to live in Japan comfortably based on experiences and learnings gained during the 4 days. Ideas like “Sign Project” which can be possible to express a will to accept minority people or “Multicultural Gacha” which is a subscription serveice for experiencing foreign cultures and values were presented. These action plans made by the students were so unique.
Voice of the Students
“Through this program, because I was able to play a role as a leader, I want to apply this experience to acitivities like group works in my university. I also realized that making a good atmosphere that members of a team could express their idea easily is a role of a leader even if he/she was not good at leading a team.”
“I think that by meeting people who have many difficulties in a society like minority without any biases, it leads to the first step to make a symbiotic society and it makes my personality rich.”
“I want to work in a international NGO because I want to make a symbiotic society. When I thought about the difinition of the society in this program, the difinition became my beginning point to think about what I wanted to do and purposes. Regarding refugees and UNHCR, though I already had the knowledge before I participated in the program, I did not know about the strcture of a society or a global citizen. As a result, I felt frustrated when I discussed these topics because I felt as if I discussed superficially. So, I want to listen to lectures in my university very avidly.”