World's first! An international symposium to promote the Miyawaki Method was held at Yokohama National University!

　【Organized by】　Public Interest Incorporated Foundation　MORINO PROJECT

　With the aim of passing on the Miyawaki Method to the next generation and reducing the world's deserts and wastelands by 50% by 2040, a delegation of 55 people from 27 countries gathered at Yokohama National University for the world's first international symposium on Friday 11th October, with a total of around 130 people in attendance.

　The G20 Global Land Initiative was established by the G20 countries in Riyadh in 2020, when Saudi Arabia was chairing the group. The initiative aims to reflect the G20 leaders' commitment to reduce degraded land by 50% by 2040.

　Raising awareness among children and local communities about the issue of land degradation and opportunities for restoration is an integral part of the G20 Global Strategy. With this in mind, the G20 Global Land Initiative, in collaboration with its partners, plans to hold an international symposium on Miyawaki-style forests and urban forests in Japan in 2024 with the aim of ‘creating Miyawaki-style forests as nature classrooms for schools’. (Excerpt from the MORINO PROJECT HP)

　After an explanation of the purpose of the international symposium by Dr.  Muralee Thummarukudy, Director of the G20 Global Environment Division of the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Dr. Fujiwara, Professor Emeritus of Yokohama National University, gave a lecture on the importance of passing on the Miyawaki Method to the next generation and spreading it around the world, and the session with the delegates began.

  Ms. Kawashita, the representative director of Silwa, was invited to speak as a panelist at the workshop 2 (moderated by Dr. Fujiwara) from 15:40, where he gave a talk on ‘Fundraising Strategies for School Nature Lab Projects’ as an example of an innovative approach to securing forest resources and providing educational outcomes.

　First, let me introduce a specific example. Each speaker had 13 minutes to speak. In the training we had done up to that day, we had comfortably cleared the 12 minutes and 50 seconds (in Japanese), so the time allotted to the representative was more than enough. However, just before the event, it was decided that the audience's understanding would not be deepened by English subtitles

　As a result, I was only able to speak for half of the 13 minutes I had been allocated. The bell signaling the end of the speaking time rang early, but Dr Fujiwara told me that it was okay to continue because the content was important, so I was able to give my presentation on the four school forest projects and fundraising strategies.

　However, I later learned that the members of the delegation I met afterwards thought I was the Japanese person who ignored the bell and continued talking. I don't want to contribute to any misconceptions about Japan, so I would like to correct this through my website. I only continued with my presentation as instructed by the MC, Mr. Fujiwara. Please don't misunderstand.

　After the four speakers from each country's Workshop 2 had finished their presentations, it was time for the talk session. There was a lively discussion about how to pass on the Miyawaki Method to the next generation, with a variety of questions being asked from the audience.

　It was very attractive to see how unafraid the overseas participants were to raise their hands in these kinds of situations.

　A commemorative photo with Mr. Shinkawa, the Secretary General of the Shinto Forest Project, a public interest incorporated foundation, who offered us the opportunity to speak at the international symposium and take part in the Miyawaki Method Tree Planting Festival in the Shonan International Village Forest (left). Thank you very much for inviting us to this prestigious event, the first of its kind in the world, to pass on the Miyawaki Method to the next generation and spread it around the world. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude.

　Kawashita, the representative director, participated in a red and white kimono that was inspired by the Japanese flag as a gesture of thanks, and it was well received by the overseas guests. On this day, there were nine people from Shirwa in the audience. They all supported the event, including distributing materials about the school forest project, as forest regeneration instructors. Thank you to everyone.

　The time when leaders from around the world who have inherited the Miyawaki Method gathered together to consider the future was a special time of great density and memory. As a measure to mitigate global warming, we must promote forest creation as soon as possible.
　And what we Japanese need to be aware of is that the birthplace of the Miyawaki Method is Japan, and that the Miyawaki Method is a Japanese original brand. As a specialist in forests, Silwa also became aware of its role in Japan, the home of the Miyawaki Method, on a global level, and it was a day that renewed its determination.