Every year, SOFIS brings together delegates from Japan's five Sacred Heart schools: Sapporo Sacred Heart School, Obayashi Sacred Heart School, Fuji Sacred Heart School, International School of the Sacred Heart, and Sacred Heart School, Tokyo. The purpose is 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 Sankocho Sacred Heart School in Tokyo. Despite the workshop being held within Tokyo, they were fortunate to be able to stay at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center for two nights, allowing them to connect with peers from various sister schools. The theme for this year’s SOFIS workshop was 「移住者との共生『ともに暮らす』という視点から」, which translates to  “Coexisting with Immigrants and Refugees: From the Perspective of 'Living Together as a Community'”

Students presented their own perspectives on the refugee crisis in Japan and attended lectures delivered by university students, professors, NPO members, and individuals who shared their firsthand experiences of living in Japan as refugees. This experience enabled students to deepen their understanding of the challenges faced by immigrants in Japan, deliberate on pertinent issues, and brainstorm potential solutions to implement upon returning to school.

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