We conducted leadership training for volunteers from overseas.

APFS aims to operate based on mutual assistance between Japanese people and foreign residents, rather than having Japanese people unilaterally support foreign residents. To embody this philosophy, we have been implementing the training described above since this fiscal year, with funding from the Tokyo Volunteer and Citizen Activity Center.

On October 12th (a public holiday), the third workshop, "Workshop to Get to Know Yourself and Others," was held, following the first workshop on "Psychology" and the second on "Law." More than 20 foreign volunteers and individuals from other countries participated. Through workshops such as "Fruit Basket" to get to know each other, "Portrait Drawing" where participants draw without lowering their gaze to their hands, and "Introducing Others" where participants act as if they were the other person, even those who only knew each other well were able to open up to each other and "get to know each other."

The "introduction of others" session included the question, "What is the most important thing you want to tell everyone right now?" Almost all participants responded with, "I want to work hard with everyone to get a visa." Since it became clear that they had a strong fear of being reprimanded at the immigration office, we conducted a role-playing exercise that was as realistic as the real thing. A volunteer from a foreign country who had gone through the same experience gave a passionate performance and serious advice on how to confront the immigration office, and one participant who had been in tears said, "It was very helpful." It seemed that they had absorbed something for themselves. With each session, an environment of mutual learning is being created. I am looking forward to seeing what more will emerge from the remaining two training sessions.