What comes to your mind when you hear about Diversity? I had the opportunity to participate in the Crossing Borders workshop on “Diversity” for Japanese youth, and I must say it was an enriching experience. As a member of the Crossing Borders team, this workshop allowed me to interact with people from Japan for the first time, and it was both exciting and eye-opening. Prior to this workshop, my knowledge of Japanese culture was primarily limited to what I had seen in movies, which had always fascinated me.ย ย
ย ๆฅๆฌ่ช่จณ๏ผin Japanese):ย ย
ใใใคใใผใทใใฃใใจ่ใใฆไฝใๆใๆตฎใในใพใใ๏ผ็งใฏๆฅๆฌไบบใฎ่ฅ่ ใๅฏพ่ฑกใจใใโDiversity Workshop(ๅคๆงๆงใใใผใใซใใใฏใผใฏใทใงใใ๏ผโใซๅๅ ใใๆฉไผใใใใพใใใCrossing Bordersใฎไธๅกใจใใฆใใใฎใฏใผใฏใทใงใใใ้ใใฆๅใใฆๆฅๆฌไบบใจไบคๆตใใๆฉไผใๅพใใใใใใฏ้ๅธธใซๆฅฝใใใพใ็ฎใ่ฆๅผตใใใใชใใฎใงใใใๅๅ ใใๅใฎ็งใฎๆฅๆฌใซ้ขใใ็ฅ่ญใจใใใฐไธปใซๆ ็ปใฎไธญใง่ฆใใใจใซ้ๅฎใใใพใใใใใใฏใใคใ็งใ้ญ ไบใใฆใใพใใใย

One aspect of the workshop that I particularly enjoyed was the various activities that were designed to facilitate our interactions and encourage us to express our opinions on what diversity means to us. Among these activities, the one that stood out to me the most was the exercise where we formed a line in the room and positioned ourselves based on whether we agreed or disagreed with a given statement. This activity was promoting discussion and self-reflection.ย
ย ๆฅๆฌ่ช่จณ๏ผin Japanese):ย
ใใฎใฏใผใฏใทใงใใใงๅใ็ตใใ ๆงใ ใชใขใฏใใฃใใใฃใฏไบคๆตใไฟ้ฒใใใพใๅคๆงๆงใ็งใใกใซใจใฃใฆใฉใใชๆๅณใใใใฎใๆดป็บใซๆ่ฆใๅบใๅใใใใใซๅทฅๅคซใใใฆใใพใใใ็งใซใจใฃใฆๆใๅฐ่ฑก็ใ ใฃใใฎใฏใๅใใซ้จๅฑใฎไธญๅฟใงไธๅใซไธฆใณใใ้ก๏ผ่ช่บซใฎๅคๆงๆงใซ้ขใใ็ต้จใป่ใๆน๏ผใ่ใใฆ่ชๅใฎ่ณๆๅบฆใปๅๅฏพๅบฆใซๅใใใฆ็งปๅใใใขใฏใใฃใใใฃใงใใใใฎๆดปๅใ้ใใฆไบใใซ่ฉฑใๅใใใพใ่ชๅ่ช่บซใฎ็ต้จใๆฏใ่ฟใใใจใใงใใใใใซๆใใพใใ

What made this activity special was the freedom it gave us to adjust our positions as we heard different opinions from our fellow participants. It encouraged us to actively listen to one another and be open to changing our perspective when we resonated with someone else’s point of view. This dynamic approach created an environment where diversity of thought was not only acknowledged but celebrated. It reminded me that diversity is not just about our backgrounds or identities but also about the diversity of ideas and perspectives that everyone brings to the tableย
ๆฅๆฌ่ช่จณ๏ผin Japanese):ย
ใใฎๆดปๅใงใฏไปใฎๅๅ ่ ใฎๆ่ฆใ่ใใฆ่ช็ฑใซ่ชๅใฎไฝ็ฝฎใ็งปๅใใใใจใใงใใพใใใใใฎใใใไบใใฎๆ่ฆใซใใฃใใใจ่ณใๅพใใไป่ ใฎ่ฆ็นใซๅ ฑๆใใๆใซๆ่ปใซ่ชๅใฎ่ฆ็นใๅคๅใใใใใจใไฟใใใฆใใใๅคๆงใช่ใๆนใ่ชใใใใใ ใใงใฏใชใๆญ่ฟใใใ็ฐๅขใไฝใๅบใใใพใใใใๅคๆงๆงใใจใฏ็งใใกใฎ็ใ็ซใกใใขใคใใณใใฃใใฃใ ใใๆใใฎใงใฏใชใใ่ช่บซใฎๆ่ฆใ่ฆ็นใฎๅคๆงๆงใๅซใพใใฆใใใใจใซๆฐใฅใใใใพใใใ

Perspective from CB member from Japanย ย
I was in charge of translation into Japanese for the first time. I found some words, for instance, โintersectionalityโ and โinclusionโ are difficult to translate directly because these concepts havenโt been widely used in Japan yet. This experience once again made me realized that Japan is pretty much behind in terms of diversity. I think that people in Japan know that Diversity is a โgood thingโ and have a partial understanding of it, but do not understand completely and do not put into practice enough. As the saying goes, โๅบใๆญใฏๆใใใ(the nail that sticks out gets hammered down)โ, there is a tendency to prefer to behave like others in order not to attract attention by behaving differently. I think this makes it difficult to promote diversity.ย ย
The workshop provided a fantastic opportunity to think about ways to foster diversity in Japan. After enjoying various games, we had discussions like “Besides fun, what was the point of the activity?โ and โHow do you think it could relate to diversity?โ. At that time, participants realized that these activities were intended to help them experience diversity to deepen their understanding of it. ย
In the final activity, our team difined diversity as a โRainbowโ, because everyone has different โcolorsโ but in the end, they come together to create something beautiful like a reainbow. I believe that respecting peopleโs differences and cooperate together with taking advantage of differences can make our society much better. ย
ย ๆฅๆฌ่ช่จณ๏ผin Japanese):ย
Crossing Borders ๆฅๆฌไบบใกใณใใผใใย
ๅใใฆๆฅๆฌ่ช็ฟป่จณใๆ ๅฝใใพใใใ็นใซใintersectionality๏ผไบคๅทฎใใๅคๆงๆง๏ผใใใinclusion๏ผๅ ๆ๏ผใใฎใใใชๅ่ชใฏใๆฆๅฟตใๆฅๆฌใงใพใ ๅๅใซๆฎๅใใฆใใชใใใ็ด่จณใ้ฃใใใจๆใใพใใใใใใงๆนใใฆๆฅๆฌใๅคๆงๆงใฎ้ขใงใใชใ้ ใใฆใใใใจใๅฎๆใใพใใใๆฅๆฌใฎไบบใ ใฏๅคๆงๆงใใ่ฏใใใฎใ ใใจ็่งฃใใฆใใใจใฏๆใใพใใใๅฎๅ จใซ็่งฃใใฆใใใใๅ ๅใซๅฎ่ทตใงใใฆใใชใใใใซๆใใพใใใๅบใๆญใฏๆใใใใใจใใ่ซบใฎ้ใใไป่ ใใใฎๆณจ็ฎใๆตดใณใชใใใใซไปใฎไบบใ ใจๅใใใใซๆฏใ่ใๅพๅใใใใพใใใใใๅคๆงๆงใฎๆฎๅใๅฆจใใฆใใใจ่ใใพใใย
็งใซใจใฃใฆใใฎใฏใผใฏใทใงใใใฏๆฅๆฌใงๅคๆงๆงใไฟ้ฒใใๆนๆณใซใคใใฆ่ใใ็ด ๆดใใใๆฉไผใงใใใๆงใ ใชใฒใผใ ใๆฅฝใใใ ๅพใใๆฅฝใใไปฅๅคใซใใใฎใฒใผใ ใฎ็ฎ็ใฏไฝใงใใใใ๏ผใใใใฎใฒใผใ ใๅคๆงๆงใจใฉใฎใใใซ้ข้ฃใใใจๆใใพใใ๏ผใใจใใฃใ่ฉฑใๅใใฎๆ้ใใใใพใใใใใฎๆๅใใฆใๅๅ ่ ใฏใใใใฎใฒใผใ ใๅคๆงๆงใไฝ้จใใๅคๆงๆงใใใๆทฑใ็่งฃใใใใใซๆๅณใใใฆใใใใจใซๆฐไปใใฎใงใใย
ๆๅพใฎๆดปๅใง็งใใกใฎใใผใ ใฏๅคๆงๆงใใ่นใใจๅฎ็พฉใใพใใใใใใฏ่ชฐใใ็ฐใชใใ่ฒใใๆใฃใฆใใฆใๆ็ต็ใซ่นใฎใใใซ็พใใใใฎใซใชใใใใงใใ็งใฏไบบใ ใฎ้ใใๅฐ้ใใ้ใใๆดปใใใฆๅๅใใใใจใง่ฏใ็คพไผใซใชใใจ่ใใฆใใพใใ

Overall, the Crossing Borders workshop on “Diversity” for Japanese youth was a fantastic experience that allowed me to broaden my horizons and gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of embracing diversity in all its forms. I believe that workshops like these are instrumental in promoting understanding and inclusion. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of it and to capture through my photography these beautiful interactions.ย
ๆฅๆฌ่ช่จณ๏ผin Japanese):ย
ไปๅใฎใฏใผใฏใทใงใใๅ จไฝใ้ใใฆ่ชๅ่ช่บซใฎ่ฆ้ใๅบใใใใใใๅคๆงๆงใๅใๅ ฅใใ้่ฆๆงใๆทฑใ็่งฃใใใใจใใงใใพใใใ็งใฏใใฎใใใชใฏใผใฏใทใงใใใๅคๆงๆงใซ้ขใใ็่งฃใๆทฑใใไบใใฎ้ใใ่ชใๅใๅๅใใใใจใไฟ้ฒใใๆฉไผใซใชใใจไฟกใใฆใใพใใไปๅๅๅ ใงใใใใจใใใใฆใใฎใใใช็พใใไบคๆตใๅ็ใซๅใใๆฉไผใไธใใใใใใจใซๆ่ฌใใฆใใพใใ

Authored by Lustin Baisanย and Eimi Yamashita
Great, arigato ๐
Very nice blog ๐
Keep on the good work
Garba