The report on 30th SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Seminar “People, Place to Stay, Dialogue, Community and Welfare: Focusing on Living Together”(June 2023)

2024年6月3日更新

Lecturer Mr. Ayumu Ishikawa

On June 12, 2023, the 30th SDGs Seminar, titled "People, Place to Stay, Dialogue, Community, and Welfare: Focusing on Living Together," was held. Mr. Ayumu Ishikawa, director of Comarch, a voluntary organization, led the seminar. During the seminar, he talked about his activities and provided various insights for the participants. Mr. Ishikawa worked at a nursery school in Mie Prefecture after finishing graduate school and later joined the Toshima Children’s WAKUWAKU Network as a staff member. He is currently living between Miyagi Prefecture and Tokyo while serving as the director of Comarch.

The lecture began with a brief workshop on “Facing Your Emotions.” Mr. Ishikawa stated that, in addition to verbalizing one’s feelings, using art materials to symbolically express thoughts through pictures can be a way to communicate and reflect on emotions that are often difficult to convey. In fact, I became aware of my emotional balance when I used colors to express my thoughts, which is something I usually don’t pay attention to.

Scene from the venue

Mr. Ishikawa introduced his activities at three organizations: (1) Nogawa no Engawa Komachi, (2) Toshima Children's WAKUWAKU, and (3) Awairo. According to Mr. Ishikawa, Nogawa no Engawa Komachi specifically targets people of all ages, from infants to the elderly, and aims to serve as a place of rest and relaxation where individuals can "calm themselves down" in their daily lives. He explained that through his activities, he values providing support that is close to people, rather than just assistance. His spirit of compassion calms the minds of those who gather there and creates a space that fosters self-understanding.

At the end of the lecture, Mr. Ishikawa cast the questions he had encountered through his interactions with children: “What does it mean to be there for someone?”, “What does it mean to support others?”, and “What does it mean to be rich?” These questions prompted me to consider the importance of preserving and nurturing the sensitivity and will to live that people possess. While I believe it is difficult to find quick responses, I think that the concepts of human kindness, richness, and compassion, combined with the theme of today’s lecture, "Facing Emotions," could create a solid connection between individuals. Mr. Ishikawa is grappling with questions that go straight to the heart of society. He mentioned that while he wants to be there for others and continue to provide support, he also needs to manage his own life without self-sacrifice, which highlights the difficulties of choosing to work for an NPO as a career. I believe today’s seminar provided a valuable opportunity for participants, who will be choosing their own careers in the future, to hear authentic voices from the field.

（Shoko Ando, junior student, Comparative History Course, Department of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Letters and Education）