“TOMODACHI FamilyMart SDGs Leadership Program in Tohoku -Beyond Tohoku to Japan, and Finally, the World-” Completed with 50 Participants Talking About the Future of Tohoku
“TOMODACHI FamilyMart SDGs Leadership Program in Tohoku -Beyond Tohoku to Japan, and Finally, the World-” concluded on December 9, 2021. The online event titled “Updating the Future of Tohoku! 50 Participants of U-30 Heated Debates -Tohoku Special Live to Support Each Other-” was attended by 180 participants and audience members.
This program provided leadership training over five months to young people working on solving regional challenges in Tohoku (Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures). The kick-off event in August, “Tohoku Academy to Support Each Other,” was held online. Entrepreneurs in Tohoku were invited to a panel discussion on why they had chosen to tackle social issues in the area. Participants split into small groups to discuss Tohoku community needs. An “Action Course” started in September with 50 participants who worked on their own projects to solve regional challenges, guided by advice from mentors, coordinators, and fellow participants. At the culmination of the program, all program participants joined in as panelists to discuss what is needed to make Tohoku a sustainable area and shared their projects and passion to general viewers.
The event also commended efforts made throughout the program. The winners are the following 5 people.
<FamilyMart SDGs Leadership Award>
・ Karen Yamakoshi for Supporting Participants of the “Tohoku to Support Each Other” by “Visualization of Feelings”
・ Yasutomo Matsuda for OHIRA SUSTAINABLE VILLAGE, a Village Where People and Things Can Gather and Circulate
・ Kota Ishimaki for the Specialized Pumpkin Farmer in Miyagi Prefecture
<TOMODACHI GO ABROAD Award>
・ Hiromu Nagatomo for the Lake Inawashiro Hishi Fruit Branding Promotion Project
<Tohoku to Support Each Other Award>
・ Tsukasa Togashi for the Food loss x Fukushima Project
Kanako Kenjo, who completed the program commented, “Before the program I thought ‘taking actions’ meant making big changes. However, through the conversation with other participants, I learned that many small actions could lead to big changes. I found actionable steps to overcome barriers through participation in the program.”
・Visit this link to watch the program videos.
・Click here for more information about the efforts made by the younger generation to solve regional challenges in Tohoku. This advertorial is taken from the Nikkei morning newspaper published on Sunday, December 19. (Available only in Japanese.)
