WORLD CAFé - a collaborative event with 'STAGE'

We hosted a 'World Café' event on December 23rd as a collaborative event between the student group STAGE and the MPKEN staff.

STAGE, established in 2022 as a student group of MPKEN, operates on both online and offline platforms to address various world issues and raise awareness among young Japanese students. Beyond problem-solving and information dissemination, STAGE actively promotes international exchange and cross-cultural understanding.

The 'World Café' event, proposed by STAGE members, took place in a hybrid format at the MPKEN office, incorporating both face-to-face and online participation. The concept behind 'World Café' revolves around discussing international and environmental issues in a relaxed café-like setting.

The initiative aims to provide a space for students to express their personal opinions and create opportunities for those interested in international and environmental issues to engage in discussions. Following the plan, we delved into discussions on the themes of "Global Warming" and "Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation" while enjoying Vietnamese tea, Indonesian sweets, and Christmas cake.

The event saw participation from three MPKEN staff members, a representative from STAGE who is a first-year university student, a high school senior member, and two working professionals from STAGE.

In the laid-back atmosphere, everyone freely shared their individual opinions, and time felt insufficient for the rich discussions.

Post-event, STAGE representative Mr. Takeuchi shared, "I gained new perspectives and values that I hadn't considered before, making it a meaningful experience. This event reinforced the importance of forums for exchanging opinions."

Discussions, including insights from MPKEN's Vietnamese staff, illuminated aspects that Japanese participants hadn't previously considered. It was a stimulating and valuable experience, exploring not only individual opinions but also perspectives stemming from diverse backgrounds and roots.

Looking ahead, we are contemplating hosting future events with external participants, and we encourage you to join when we do!