[Event Report] Diversity and Inclusion Week (AY 2021)
Event Date
Event Venue
April 27, 2022
The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion held an awareness-raising event titled "Diversity and Inclusion Week 2021" from Thursday, March 3 to Thursday, March 17, 2022 (co-hosted by the Keio University FD Committee and in cooperation with the Waseda University Diversity Promotion Office).
Related to the three themes of the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion's activities—"work-life balance," "barrier-free," and "diversity"—we held six diverse events, inviting speakers active in various fields for talk events, film screenings with after-talks by the cast, seminars, and demonstrations. Many people participated, including students from our affiliated schools, as well as all Keio students and faculty/staff members. The events featured lively Q&A sessions, providing an opportunity to reflect on the inclusive environment at Keio University.
Furthermore, we also made efforts to ensure information accessibility by providing real-time captioning for all events and sign language interpretation for some.
Here we share feedback from participants of each event, along with photos.
Thursday, March 3
Disaster Preparedness for Everyone
—What We Can Do for Ourselves and for Everyone Before an Emergency—
〇 From Professor Oki's lecture, I learned that Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries and also about the scale (magnitude) of earthquakes. Additionally, from Mr. Tanaka's lecture, I learned about innovative initiatives to promote disaster preparedness in society.
〇 I was originally interested in disaster preparedness at Keio University. I was particularly interested in the specific characteristics of each campus, and I'm glad I could learn about them. I was also concerned about how information is disseminated to international students, so I hope the initiatives at SFC will be expanded to the Mita, Hiyoshi, Yagami, Shinanomachi, and Shiba-Kyoritsu campuses.
Friday, March 4
Symposium: "What Should Support for Students with Disabilities at Private Universities Look Like?
—The Impact of the Amended Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities—"
〇 Events related to disabilities often end with generalities like, "It's challenging, but let's work on it positively." However, the points raised by the Keio University alumni this time were very specific and, in a sense, strict, which I found very stimulating. I want to do what needs to be done.
〇 I learned about the need for constructive dialogue and that this is an opportunity for innovation. I think it would be great if there were mandatory opportunities for everyone, not just students, to hear and learn from today's discussion.
Thursday, March 10
Film Screening and After-Talk for "HAFU"
—Multiculturalism and Diversity Within Us—
〇 I felt that the film, which depicts how Japanese society is seen by different people and how they try to find hope, has content that is relevant in various contexts, as it fosters an awareness of building a community based on an understanding of diversity.
〇 The film made me realize the important things in life as a human being. I want to sincerely engage with each individual and accept my own minority status.
In the lecture, I was captivated by how wonderful David was. I respect him from the bottom of my heart.
Friday, March 11
Lecture by the Director of the Film "Until the Rainbow-Colored Morning Comes"
〇 This film is very significant as a representation of deaf people. I also learned from online interviews that some of the actors were members of the LGBTQ+ community, and I was surprised, thinking, "Wow, a film like this exists in Japan!" It was an eye-opening experience.
〇 To be honest, when I first watched the film, I felt it depicted a world that was relatively friendly to deaf people, so I thought it might be focusing on the difficulties of sexual minorities. However, after listening to the talk, I realized that wasn't the case at all. I'm glad I was able to realize that it depicted not only the difficulties of sexual minorities but also the challenges of being deaf or having a double minority status in ways I hadn't noticed.
Monday, March 14
What are the Benefits of Mixing Things Up? —Considering a "Kyosei" (Inclusive) Society—
〇 Discussions about disability can often become heavy, but thanks in part to the personalities of the speakers, the event was very approachable while still providing us with important topics to consider.
〇 It was easy to understand and enjoyable from start to finish. The hour and a half flew by. It was a fresh and new realization to hear directly from a person with a disability that they turn it into a strength, and that it can even be seen as a business opportunity. I was also struck by the idea that diversity can be a form of risk hedging, since I myself might be in that position in the future.
Thursday, March 17
The Unnaturalness of the Natural, the Naturalness of the Unnatural
〇 It was great that the event itself was conscious of various biases on a meta-level—it didn't standardize the gender, age, or physicality of the speakers, and even the role of the moderator was switched midway through. It was also good that it delved into taboo topics such as sexuality and the sex industry.
〇 I felt that there are probably many things I judge unconsciously, more than I can even think of. I thought that if I could judge things from various perspectives instead of just one, different ideas might emerge. The lectures and facilitation by all the instructors and Professor Okahara were very easy to understand, and I was able to hear valuable stories.
Please note that an archive of this event will be posted at a later date. It will be uploaded to the news section of the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion website, so we encourage those who are interested to watch it.
(You can watch the archive for AY 2020 here ⇒ Diversity and Inclusion Week 2020 )
We would like to once again express our deepest gratitude to all who participated and to everyone who cooperated in making these events possible.