[Event Report] “What Does Peace Mean to Me?”

We held an event at the “3rd Study Session of the Meguro Learning Groups Liaison Council.”

This was Forum2050’s first event in Meguro City.

In Part 1, we welcomed three guests, who shared valuable stories:

• TODA Takao, President, Forum2050
• Igor Yevtushuk, Vice Chairman, NPO Japan-Ukraine Friendship Association KRAIANY
• Kanji Yamagiwa, junior high school member, Forum2050

In Part 2, building on the talks in Part 1, participants split into groups of seven or eight for a workshop. Each person reflected on three questions and shared their views:

Q1) What is precious to you, and what does peace mean to you?

Q2) How do you think you would feel if you lost peace, as the people of Ukraine have?

Q3) How can we get people who are not interested in the world to take an interest?

In the group work, every team not only shared their own ideas but also listened carefully to others and kept the dialogue going.

Participants ranged widely in age and background, from elementary school children to people who had lived through war, and people of other nationalities. What struck us most was how everyone talked as equals, across age, gender and nationality.

We also invited graphic creator Moe Harunaka. Harunaka carefully picked up the key words from the Part 1 talks and the Part 2 group presentations and brought them together in a single illustration. Participants looked at it with great interest, and many took photos of the finished illustration.

In the presentations after the group work, one participant said: “Places where we can talk about peace are important, but there are still few such opportunities.”

Through this event, we at Forum2050 felt we want to put even more effort into “creating spaces where people from all over the world can talk about the future on equal terms.”

Starting with small steps, we will keep working so that this circle grows wider.

Akari Itaya

Event overview

• Date: Sunday, July 26, 2026, 14:00-16:00
• Venue: Nakameguro Square 9F (Meeting room, Meguro City Gender Equality Center)
• Capacity: 42 (first come, first served)
• For: elementary school 1st graders to adults
• Fee: 100 yen (materials)
• Program:
  • A short talk inviting participants to think about the world
  • Group dialogue built around questions such as “What does peace mean to you?”
• Other: childcare available
• Organizer: Meguro Learning Groups Liaison Council / Co-organizer: Meguro City Board of Education