Hashimoto Yu (Part 2)

Question: What scenes stand out in your memory from holding the first IDFC in 2014?

　

There are so many. One particularly memorable moment was after the opening ceremony. The ceremony was held in a university meeting room, with the president of the University of Yangon also attending. At first, the Japanese and Myanmar participants were seated facing one another across tables. But as soon as the ceremony ended, everyone stood up, gathered at the back of the room, and started introducing themselves. At that moment, I thought, “Ah, they've come together.” People meeting for the first time and introducing themselves may, in a sense, be just one ordinary scene. Even so, it was the moment when what all of us on the organizing committee had long envisioned unfolded right before our eyes. I will never forget how moving that moment was.

 

 

 

Question: By the way, did you meet again with the Myanmar students who had asked you to bring Japanese students?

 

　

Yes, we did meet again! A boy named Alex really did come to IDFC. After we had finished the entire 2014 program, the Myanmar participants also boarded the bus and came to the airport to see the Japanese participants off. He was crying then and said to me, “You really did it.” He had been moved by this encounter, and I was very happy to think that perhaps I had brought about even a small change in him.

 

 

 

 

Question: When the first year of IDFC ended, what were your thoughts about the following year and beyond?

 

At first, I was honestly worried about whether we would find organizing committee members for the following year. I even thought that if we could not, perhaps that was unavoidable. But in the end, every participant in the 2014 conference who was in Japan and in a position to join the organizing committee applied. That may have been the thing that made me happiest of all. (Laughs.)

 

Because the pure intention behind all our hard work “for someone else” came across, the next people could also feel that they wanted to do it “for the participants.”

 

In the second year, I devoted myself entirely to being a facilitator. Among the executive committee members, those who had actually experienced IDFC as participants were clearly better at improving its quality. I felt that bringing each person’s aspirations and wishes to life was also a matter of how well I could coordinate things.

 

 

 

Question: Now that you have completed two IDFC conferences, what dreams do you have for the future?

 

By the age of 30, I would like to work with local people in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, to build a business that contributes to local development. Founding IDFC was, of course, what inspired this dream, and the sense of fulfillment I gained from that experience is my driving force. At the same time, it helped me recognize my own challenges, and I see this as a period for building my abilities. When I find an economically sustainable idea and feel that I have developed the ability to take responsibility for the people I work with, I think that will be the time to take on the challenge. My specific ideas may change, but I feel that the tourism industry, in which I currently work, has great potential.

 

 

 

Question: Finally, please share a message for students considering participating in IDFC.

　

Spending 1 week speaking English, visiting Southeast Asia for the first time, and other aspects of the experience may make you anxious. Even so, I want you to take that first step and try. I sincerely hope you will. Each of you has your own dreams and goals, and the reasons you were attracted to IDFC are surely different for every person. That is why, as the members who have built the conference, we hope that each participant will see IDFC as a stepping stone rather than a final goal and use it to move on to the next stage.

Members who have experienced IDFC continue to thrive in various fields after entering working life. The chance to meet those older members may also be one of the benefits of participating in IDFC. We look forward to seeing you take on the challenge.