April is the beginning of new academic/fiscal year and since the month started I have had several opportunities to notice moves here and there for creating new society.
One of them was an invitation to a gathering on ‘Innovation to Change the Society’ in a broad sense, to listen to the story ofKahena-san and Leanne Grillo-san of Reos Partners, who, through a moving experience of participating the processes of ending Apartheid of South Africa during their young age, are working to promote dialogue between opposing parties. As you may somehow feel from their web site, their talk was about a very important basic stance that they acquired through experience of a very difficult situation of working with many groups of different stakeholders.
There were about 10 or so people invited. Half of them were women and none of them had ‘single track career’. The remaining men also had a variety of careers including those at overseas, rather than ‘single track career’, working actively making positive changes to this society. There were only a few men on ‘single track career’ but they were joining in social activities outside from their regular job duties. This event was organized by SoL (Society for Organizational Learning) Japan branch.
It was a very nice meeting. I could feel the will to make positive changes in society or the flattening world through actions of each Japanese individual where change has been very difficult for various reasons that people use as excuses. I was fascinated to see these wonderful people.
Another was the annual meeting (in Japanese) of ACP (American College of Physicians) Japan Chapter (Ref.1, 2). I felt that this meeting is growing steadily and nicely involving more young people as active participants discussing issues such as women doctors, ‘professionalism’, skill ups of case presentation. This year again we welcomed several American physicians including Dr. Gremillion as well as Japanese physicians who have been back from residency training in USA, which apparently demonstrated the power and contribution to young physicians and medical students. I joined nijikai (post-party party) and sanjikai (post-post-party party) and was delighted to see many highly motivated young physicians and students and residents motivated with high spirits. Thanks to you all!
Also, I was able to spend a short time at ‘Nexus’ – a meeting hosted by International Society of Nephrology ? to see, after some time, many old and new friends from all over the world.
It would be wonderful for the future of Japan if young people could connect to the broad world while they are young, nurture their talents/potentials so as to be able to consider careers in international as well as in our country.
It was a truly encouraging and happy experience to see many young Japanese at many different places making various efforts to find new values for the new flattening world and sense/witness the growth of the new generation.