What you Missed… FEW x FAJ Partner up for Education on Climate Solidarity
FEW Japan kicked off our first Regional Gathering event of the 2024 fall season on September 29th with a successful Climate Fresk workshop. Held at the Impact Hub Tokyo and co-hosted with our sister organization FAJ (Facilitating Women’s Ambition) with contribution of expert facilitation by support from Ichigo Bloom, we welcomed over 20 women for a fun-filled afternoon of debates, revisiting knowledge from high school science classes, and great teamwork.

Key Takeaway

• Small actions matter, because small actions add up.
• Individuals can make a difference. But you don't have to do it all alone!
• Together, through education and collaboration, change can happen.
• We cannot fix what we do not understand. The science of climate change is clear, by understanding the basics of the causes and consequences of climate change we can take informed and effective action.
• Through working together to understand what we are facing, we are able to somewhat predict the future and therefore plan for it better.

Key Actions

• Individual level: Reduce consumption of meat (especially beef), and introduce more plant-based food to your diet. Take fewer flights to travel abroad for holiday, and instead explore the abundant beautiful places in Japan by public transport.
• Household level: Switch your electricity supplier to one that sources from renewable energy!
• Company or organizational level: Measure greenhouse gas emissions and the other environmental impacts of your company, and then create and implement an action plan.
• Societal level: Spread the word, and encourage your friends, family, co-workers, and local politicians.
• Educational level: Get in touch with Ichigo Bloom to book a workshop!

Climate Fresk is a globally run educational workshop that supports participants to better understand the complexities of climate science. Using a creative, gamified approach in conjunction with science-based findings, participants of different ages, knowledge and experience levels discuss a range of concepts to gain clarity and insight on the intricacies of climate change’s causal relationships. This information is then used to discuss changes groups, individuals and corporations can make on a macro and micro scale. These discussions helped participants truly understand the impact one person can have, the difference they can make and the value of their contribution.

Led by Mahi Patki, Vice President of Member Engagement for FEW Japan, the event kicked off with a warm welcome and an invitation to participants to create a physical world map based on where they were born. We were all scattered across the room exemplifying the diversity of the group activity. Guided by co-facilitators Diana Benikhlef (Member Experience Leader FAJ), and Sakura Hamaoka and Bageshree Katneshwarkar (both representing Ichigo Bloom), we split into groups to solve a card-based puzzle that explained key scientific concepts about the causes and effects of climate change. Through the use of arrows and notes under the concepts, participants could visually represent and therefore see just how interconnected all the elements being discussed are. It supported the consolidation of knowledge and enabled more in-depth reflections to be shared.

Participants engaged in discussions about their experiences and the impacts of climate change in their communities, offering solutions at individual, collective, and governmental levels, while also thinking strategically about how FEW and FAJ as impactful women’s empowerment organizations can incorporate sustainability into our practices. After a thought-provoking three-hour session, the event concluded with friendly exchanges, networking and refreshments. The conversations and discussions supported the learning of the participants in an open and collaborative environment with the overall aim of adding to the collective knowledge.

Many participants commented on how well-structured the workshop was, calling it a great opportunity to refresh both old and new knowledge on environmental issues and actions they could take afterward. We thank FAJ for collaborating with us to make this event possible, Ichigo Bloom for running this well-prepared and engaging workshop, and Impact Hub Tokyo for providing an awesome venue with delicious food and drinks. We look forward to your participation in future events later this year!