“Our language and culture might be different, but what mattered most is the emotional connection we had in the ISLF. This allowed us to be more open to cross our borders” That was how Yohana Pegas Syane, a student leader from Gonzaga College (Jakarta) described the recently concluded 4th Ignatian Student Leadership Forum in Japan.
The delegates and the organizing team in the obligatory group photo
A total of 70 student leaders gathered on the Sophia University Junior College Hadano campus for the unique student leadership forum . Representing 19 high schools from Asia Pacific, the delegates arrived on a stormy day, the 8th of August, accompanied by their teacher-chaperones, but by the time they reached the Hadano campus right outside Tokyo, a full rainbow blazed in the sky to welcome them.
On behalf of the Sophia School Corporation and the Japanese Province, Fr. Sali Augustine SJ, Trustee for General Affairs, welcomed the delegates to the event and presided at the Opening Mass. It was a sight to see student leaders from Japan, Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, and East Timor huddled in the college chapel that first evening.
We were especially happy to welcome the two East Timorese delegates from the Colegio de Santo Inacio de Loyola. Aprilia de Jesus and Jania Martins, as it was the very first time for their school to participate.
Our two student leaders from Colegio de Santo Iancio
It didn’t take long for the delegates to bond, especially with the sports activities the very next day.
As in every ISLF, our student leaders quickly made new friendships among one another.
The ISLF began six years ago when five high schools in Asia Pacific decided to get together and hold a gathering of student leaders. This very first ISLF was hosted by Xavier School in Manila.. The ISLF was envisioned to offer our student leaders a chance to gather, get to know one another better, and learn from one another about Ignatian leadership based on their contexts and experiences.
The organizers of the very first ISLF held in Xavier School, Philippines
This year’s ISLF featured the theme: “Beyond the Border”— challenging the student leaders to go beyond their own cultures and comfort zones as they discussed such world issues as migration, war, and ecology, and offering the delegates an opportunity for immersion in various places. Scholastic Naoki Ochi SJ, who had conceived of this ISLF theme, explained that he opted not to use the verb “cross” because as he said, “to cross the border is a grace.”
The student leaders were in for a special treat. The variety of activities designed for them by the organizers are evident in the photographs taken by the participants and posted on social media. The one thing all these have in common are the happy and smiling faces of the participants.
Of course, no Ignatian event is complete without time carved out for reflection on their many experiences.
At the end of the meeting, we asked the participants these questions: “How was your ISLF experience? What is your biggest takeaway from the ISLF?” Listen to what they have to say…
Danielle Francine Reyes of Ateneo de Iloilo (Philippines): “The border due to differences in language and culture did not hinder the camaraderie among us. ISLF became a bridge over these differences, built strong friendships among countries, and brought us fruitful experiences. We were able to see the beauty of other countries’ cultures, and also the agonies that they have. It made me understand that despite these differences we also share commonalities. This forum made me realize that we must reach out despite our differences to be able to overcome the borders that hinder the unity among us.”
Aprilia de Jesus of the Colegio de Sto. Ignacio de Loiola (East Timor): “Our differences in cultures and languages do not separate us because we are united as sons and daughters of St. Ignatius.”
Dionisius Reinard Ardiyanto of Canisius College, (Jakarta, Indonesia): “I have learned that adjusting to a language that is foreign to me is in itself a border that I have to cross.”
Ruka Matsumoto of Sophia Fukuoka (Japan): “There are many borders around us – language, color of skin — we need to change the way we look at our borders. I grew up in a country where it is so easy to create a lot of borders. But this is not helpful for my country and for the world. I’ve realized that I can begin to change this perspective if I change my own perspective first. Living with friends from other cultures in the past days have exposed me to their ways that are very different from my ways of doing things. I chose to go beyond this border by focusing on establishing relationships and winning friends.”
Jules Malhabour of Ateneo de Iloilo (Philippines): “The most significant lesson that I had was the realization that our ‘borders’ only exist within our minds. I realized that we are the ones that create our own ‘borders’ and therefore, only we have the ability to erase our ‘borders’. The ‘borders’ that we have are only seemingly impossible to overcome because we think that it is indeed impossible, but to overcome our ‘borders’, we only need the willingness to exert the effort in overcoming them. The ISLF experience truly opened both my eyes, and my heart.”
Rosemarie Arbis of Ateneo de Iloilo (Philippines): “I am inspired to make a change within myself in order to be the catalyst of change for my country that will then bring change to our world. Now, I am not stuck with just one perspective of life, but with the perspective of life through different lenses — different cultures.”
Kei Fung Vic Chan, a Teacher Companion from Wah Yan College (Hong Kong): “In the classroom, teachers at times focus on strategies rather than the person of the students. This is in itself a border that divides. With this ISLF I saw how the students learned more deeply than what is taught in the classroom. I saw how the potential of our students are far more than what we expect of them. And they become more successful if we allow them to discover what they can do and give them some flexibility to explore their own personal growth.”
Needless to say, by the end of the 2018 ISLF, the participants had not only learned much about Ignatian Leadership and Asia Pacific, but they have also met many new friends, which we hope they will continue to keep so that they can work together in the region.
The organizers were led by Fr. Lee Sung-il SJ, Sophia School Corporation Trustee for Jesuit Secondary Education, who dropped in for the final evening to congratulate the participants as well as the organizers.
The dedicated organizing committee was headed by Jesuit scholastic, Kotaro Mori SJ, assisted by Ms. Mayuko Sakura of the Jesuit Education Center. A hardworking and dynamic team of university students, many of them graduates of the Jesuit high schools in Japan, shared their time generously to help prepare and facilitate the sessions–including three who had attended previous ISLFs.
Kotaro Mori SJ and Mayuko Sakura
One of them, Yoshitoshi Kado, a volunteer from Tokyo University, shared: “With students of Jesuit schools in Asia, I played cards, sang, ate, attended the Mass, shared our experiences and feelings. It was the first time in my life to talk about our faith im the Lord with teenagers from other countries and very stimulating. This will be my unforgettable memory in my whole life.”
Scholastic Naoki Ochi SJ, who just completed his regency in Xavier High School (Micronesia) noted how the ISLF ended with a very emotional and tearful farewell. He also shared his hopes for the student leaders: “I hope these participants will become the next leaders those who can cross the borders which still exist in our world. Some students who I interviewed said they did cross the border–for example, language difficulties, shyness, anxious, history and culture, and so on. And also, I think we can promote inter province events more and more because differences of provinces are not boundaries.”
Ms. Muyako Sakura of the Jesuit Education Center Office provided the valuable service as liaison among all concerned. Of her own experience she said: “I was happy to see the students gradually open up their eyes and hearts to issues of migrants, wars, and ecology. They surely have the sense of feeling to overcome the borders now, no matter what happens!”
Kotaro Mori SJ probably summed it up best when he described the collective ISLF experience: “We had a very important experience in ISLF. It is ‘beyond the border’. We found our own border and own feeling by the border. We thought how to over come the border. And then we could be beyond our own border through this event.”
There were nine Jesuits who showed up in the event, including Fr. Lee Sung-il SJ, the Japanese education secretary whose office spearheaded the event, and Fr. Johnny Go SJ, the Asia Pacific Education Secretary. We thank the Sophia School Corporation, the Japanese Province, and all the organizers who made the event unforgettably fruitful for our student leaders.
Some of the Jesuits at the 2018 ISLF
At the end of the event, Kotaro Mori SJ likened the ISLF experience to the disciples’ on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). The participants and the staff ended the last day feeling a burning in their hearts. We pray that this common flame will inspire each one to go out into the world and beyond their borders.
Watch the video of memories created during the ISLF and edited by Haruka Matsushima, one of the student volunteers at ISLF.