Women's Initiative for Sustainable Empowerment

Dear Supporters:

We are immensely grateful for your unwavering support. We are excited to share that we have successfully hosted a youth roundtable event to promote Women's Initiative for Sustainable Empowerment (WISE), marking our first in-person gathering after years of navigating the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this event, students from Japanese girls' high schools and the British school in Tokyo, spanning grades 9-12, came together to engage in collaborative roundtable discussions aimed at addressing social challenges.

JSIE's Youth WISE Roundtable workshop is specifically designed to offer young individuals a platform for exchanging ideas with peers from diverse backgrounds. The participating students had a valuable opportunity to gain insights into unconscious bias and gender inequality issues by learning from others' perspectives. The session was skillfully facilitated by JSIE directors, enabling students to comfortably express their own opinions through group discussions with peers of varying backgrounds.

We will continue to keep you updated on our activities and are deeply appreciative of your ongoing support.

Best regards,

Hiromi Murakami

We express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support. Our flagship social innovation program, 2023 WISE in Saku-Karuizawa, Nagano, was a tremendous success, thanks to the dedication of our talented mentors and facilitators. We were delighted to welcome 29 participants from various countries, including the United States, Cambodia, Venezuela, Colombia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, Norway, and Japan.

Our esteemed mentors included Mr. Tatsuya Matsui, a globally-active robot designer, and Ms. Marika Tazawa, the owner of Kurabito Stay, where travelers can immerse themselves in the sake-brewing experience in Saku. The program took place at Yuai Sanso, a beautiful garden in Karuizawa, where we all shared invaluable moments together. After COVID years, we strongly believe that such an engaging and intimate event within our WISE program will have a profound impact on the participants.

The winning team, composed of energetic individuals aged 16-19, showcased remarkable ideas and enthusiasm. We sincerely hope that the experiences they shared here will create a ripple effect, ultimately bringing about positive change on a broader societal level. As you may be aware, rural areas like Nagano, younger generations and women continue to face challenges stemming from unconscious bias and traditional gender-based roles imposed upon them. Breaking free from the conservative mindset deeply rooted in tightly knit communities remains a significant hurdle for them. JSIE remains committed to providing opportunities for these younger generations and women to unlock their full potential.

We would like to extend special thanks to our supporters at GlobalGiving for their invaluable assistance in running this program. Once again, thank you for your continued support. We are thrilled to announce that we will be continuing this project for 2024!

Links:

• Ms. Marika's Kurabito stay continues to attract many sake lovers
• Mr. Matsui's artistic way of life really attracts everyone!

• 2023_WISE_SakuKaruizawa_report_E.pdf (PDF)