Facilitating our Future: Japan Study exchange

Japan Study exchange 2023 description

Two of our colleagues in Japan, Hiroko and Kanae, contacted us at CFOR with an idea.

They are dedicated to introducing Worldwork facilitation in Japan. They have a deep wish to pass on the importance and possibility of facilitating dialogue around current community issues. And to underscore the importance of grappling with the past, including both the profound suffering endured, and taking accountability for atrocities committed and their impact.

Hiroko and Kanae contacted us at CFOR because of our work applying ‘worldwork’ methodology in different countries and cultures, with communities grappling with historic violence, reconciliation and building the future.

They met with Arlene, Director of CFOR and our colleagues, Innocent Musore and Gimu Shykiro, from Rwanda.

Hiroko and Kanae arranged to conduct an interview with Innocent, and invited Innocent to lead a class in Japan (online). He told the course participants about the 5 Forums we facilitated in Rwanda, and the ongoing reconciliation work GER is doing among youth in Rwanda, in cooperation with CFOR. He also talked about how their small NGO, GER, supports the National Reconciliation processes and cooperates with local authorities in 6 Districts.

He described how they gathered together perpetrators and survivors of the Genocide, youth and elders, into large 3-day community forums facilitated by Arlene and Jean-Claude Audergon, and the impact of this work on healing community-wide trauma and community processes of accountability.

And he spoke about the ongoing work that Gimu and Innocent are leading, in relation to youth, reconciliation, and gender, the strong feedback they have received, and the call to continue and bring this work further into their communities.

Hiroko and Kanae also invited Arlene to lead a further online class in Japan, to discuss worldwork skills, and her experiences working in Rwanda and other post-conflict zones, in dealing with dynamics of community-wide trauma and issues of accountability.

During these classes, there was a great sense of excitement for learning, and developing as facilitators. The participants were very warm-hearted and welcoming, and the time together a pleasure.

The courses represented an opportunity for in-depth sharing of our learning across countries and cultures, which is one of our key goals.

Japan Study exchange 2024 description

After our successful collaboration during 2023, where CFOR introduced our Rwandan colleagues to our Japanese colleagues with the goal of sharing the learning, CFOR has continued to collaborate with Japan Processwork Center – Social Action Club in 2024.

In 2023, Japan Processwork Center organised a course with a series of seminars, and they invited Innocent Musore from GER, who was also interviewed, and Arlene Audergon from CFOR to share more about their work in Rwanda.

This year, Hiroko and Kanae interviewed Gimu Shykiro to learn more about his life, work and his project Rwanda Youth – Gender Awareness, Reconciliation and Violence Prevention, which was one of the projects in CFOR’s FIFO programme.

As a part of the Japan Processwork Center 2024 classes, Gimu held a seminar on June 6, as did Innocent on June 13, and Arlene on June 20, and the underlying themes of seminars were accountability and healing collective trauma.

These conversations are continuously supported by our long-time interpreter Denyse Umuneza.

Once again, the response of participants was both touching and motivating for continuing this kind of work, and exchange of experiences and learning.

CFOR Films with Japanese subtitles

For this project, CFOR also arranged to create Japanese subtitles for some of the videos of CFOR and GER’s work.

PATRICK へのインタビュー〜ルワンダで行われたワールドワーク PATRICK Interview: Worldwork in Rwanda, Japanese Subtitles

Watch here.

加害者と若者たち〜ルワンダで行われたワールドワーク PERPETRATORS and YOUTH: Worldwork in Rwanda, Japanese Subtitles

Watch here.

Photos

Arlene and the group, online class on June 20, 2024

Innocent and the group, online class on 13 June, 2024

Gimu, Arlene and the group, online class on June 6, 2024

Arlene and the group, second online class, October 2023