Women's Initiative for Sustainable Empowerment

Dear Supporters:

We are immensely grateful for your unwavering support and excited to share the success of our recent Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) workshop, organized to promote the Women's Initiative for Sustainable Empowerment (WISE). This event aimed to raise awareness about how majority and minority groups feel within a community, foster empathy for individuals from different cultural backgrounds, and address unconscious biases that may influence interactions.

The workshop began with an engaging lecture by our guest speaker, followed by collaborative roundtable discussions where school faculties and students came together to address DE&I challenges. Participants shared overwhelmingly positive feedback, expressing that while they were aware of diversity, they were surprised to discover the extent of their own unconscious biases.

JSIE’s DE&I Roundtable workshop is designed to provide individuals with a platform to exchange ideas with peers from diverse backgrounds. Through these discussions, faculties gained valuable insights into societal biases and unconscious beliefs by learning from others' perspectives.

Skillfully facilitated by JSIE directors, the session created a safe space where participants could comfortably express their opinions and engage in meaningful dialogue with peers from different experiences and viewpoints.

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

Dear Supporters,

We are deeply grateful for your continued support. Following the tremendous success of WISE Nagano, we are excited to announce our next initiative: WISE Suwa-Shiojiri, scheduled for 2025!

Even on a smaller scale, we firmly believe that the WISE program will have a lasting impact on participants, eventually creating a ripple effect across society. We are proud to share that the total number of WISE Fellows has now exceeded 330—a milestone that reflects our collective achievements. This September, we visited the Suwa and Shiojiri areas in Nagano, engaging in discussions with local leaders and municipal officials, and securing talented mentors to guide the program.

The Suwa region, like many rural areas in Japan, has been deeply affected by the COVID-19 crisis, and its local economy continues to struggle due to the loss of inbound tourism. Shimosuwa, the site of our upcoming WISE program, is renowned for the beautiful Suwa Shrine and the Iwanami family’s Japanese garden. Unfortunately, local youth and women still face challenges, including unconscious bias and traditional gender roles. The tight-knit, conservative values of the community can be a significant hurdle for them to overcome.

At JSIE, we are committed to offering opportunities for these younger generations and women to unlock their full potential. Your support makes this possible, and we cannot thank you enough.

We look forward to keeping you updated on the 2025 WISE program in Suwa-Shiojiri! We hope you will join us in visiting the Shimosuwa area.

Warm regards,