Sacred Heart Collaboration to Support Coexistence

by High School students Anna and Rio

SOFIS is the association of the five Sacred Heart schools in Japan, including student representatives from Obayashi, Fuji, ISSH, and Sankocho. Every year, students from the Japanese class attend this SOFIS workshop over the summer break, held at other Sacred Heart schools in Japan. This special event allows them to facilitate learning and dialogue around particular social concerns, fostering the creation of practical strategies to address these issues within their individual school communities. This event stands as a unique platform, allowing our students to connect and engage with their counterparts from other Sacred Heart schools across Japan.

This year, students visited the Obayashi Sacred Heart School in Hyogo. Spending two nights at a hotel, students were able to connect with peers from various sister schools. The theme for this year’s SOFIS workshop was 「日本におけるヘイトスピーチ、外国人排斥の現状と支援」which translates to “The Current State of Hate Speech, Xenophobia, and Support for Foreigners in Japan.”

Each school shared their insights on xenophobia through specific lenses, and attended lectures delivered by Professor Nozaki, NPO founders, and other alumni. This experience enabled students to deepen their understanding of Japan’s urgent need for support for foreigners as well as the implementation of multiculturalism, and brainstorm potential solutions to implement after returning to school.