June 2019 SIETAR Kansai Co-sponsored with: The Society of Business Administration Ryukoku University Cross-Cultural Business Communication Kenkyu-kai (Study Group)

Documentary Film: 600,000 Tries – the Osaka Korean high school rugby team. Towards a Japanese society where all are equally respected

Speaker:　 Park Donsa　(Co-director)
Date: Saturday June 29, 2019　
Time: 14:00-17:00
Venue: Takatsuki Shiritsu Sogo Shimin Koryu Center (2 minutes walk from JR Takatsuki Station), Audiovisual room (5th floor) 　https://goo.gl/maps/Q5jm7UxbGZVqyQ1X9　Tel. 072-685-3721
Fee: Free for members and students; 500 yen for non-members. No preregistration required.
Language: Film in Japanese and Korean (with English and Japanese subtitles, an interpreter is available for Q & A )
Social event (optional): Dinner after the session at a restaurant nearby. Reservations for dinner required by June 26th. Contact: fujimotodonna@@gmail.com

Description of the program:
The Rugby World Cup will be held in Japan this year from September, and the Hanazono Rugby Football Stadium in Higashi-Osaka City is one of the venues for the matches. Osaka Korean High School has a powerful rugby team, and the school is located near this stadium. The efforts of this rugby team were closely followed for three years, and the result was this documentary film depicting the students of the rugby football team. The film captured the students’ youthful energy along with their love of K-pops, J-pops, as well as the popular songs of North Korea.
Recently, Korean schools in Japan have been facing great difficulties. They are excluded from the law allowing free education, and funding from the local governments has been suspended or reduced. Furthermore, equal opportunity for the employment of Korean residents in Japan is not fully promoted. After the film there will be an opportunity to talk with one of the two directors. Through watching the film and talking with the director, it will be a good occasion to reflect upon the possibility of a Japanese society where everyone is equally respected.

Profile of director:
Park Donsa is the Co-director of 600,000 Tries. He is a third-generation Korean resident in Japan. He was born in Kyoto and raised in Kobe and Osaka, and he began his career in filmmaking in 2008. In 2010 he founded a film company named, Komapress, together with Park Sayu, who is a journalist from Seoul and the other director of the film. The two started to make this film in 2010 and completed it in 2013.

May 2019 SIETAR Kansai: Brahma Kumaris – Raj Yoga meditation and philosophy

Speaker:　　 Lalita Pathela

Date: Sunday, May 26, 2019　

Time: 14:00-17:00

Venue: Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Centre, Aotani Plaza #301, 4-1-3, Aotani- cho, Nada-ku, Kobe

Telephone: 078 882 5019

Directions:

From Sannomiya station, bus no.# 2 or #18 bound for Rokko. 15 mins. get off at “Aotani Bashi”.

The bus stop is in front of an apartment building, “Aotani Plaza”—go to #301

From Hankyu Rokko station, bus no #2, bound for Sannomiya. 7-8 mins. get off at Aotani Bashi. Cross the road to the apartment building “Aotani Plaza”–go to #301

Fee: Free for members, students, and friends

Language:　 English and Japanese

Sign up is required. To sign up, contact Donna Fujimoto (fujimotodonna@gmail.com). Include your name, how many people, and cell phone number Sign-up Deadline: May 22, 2019

Sign-up Deadline: May 22, 2019

We request guests not to carry any non-veg food in the centre.

Description of the program:

Brahma Kumaris is a worldwide spiritual movement dedicated to personal transformation and world renewal. Founded in 1937, Brahma Kumaris, with its spiritual headquarters in Mount Abu, India, comprises a global network of more than 8500 centers in over 130 countries, and it is an international NGO (non-governmental organization) of the United Nations. It is the largest spiritual organization in the world led by women. Brahma Kumaris offers a wide variety of programs, workshops, and retreats on the spiritual dimension of personal development, community building, and the well-being of our planet. It has also been actively participating in climate change conferences.

Participants in this session will see a brief video about Raj Yoga meditation and philosophy. There will be a guided meditation followed by a question and answer session. In the latter part, there will be a workshop on Virtues, a hands-on game called Discovering Virtues, and finally a guided meditation commentary on Virtues. Questions about the organization, the philosophy, and about the experience of meditation will be warmly welcomed.

Profile of speaker:

Lalita Pathela grew up in Assam and Delhi and came to Japan in 1978. After a few years, she became interested in studying different religions. This was probably preparation for opening her mind to spirituality, as soon afterwards she came across a Brahma Kumaris meditation teacher visiting Kobe. Lalita’s logical and rational mind, coupled with an unconventional character, had finally found a teaching that made complete sense and quickly brought her back to a disciplined lifestyle.

Lalita is a meditation teacher at the Kobe Brahma Kumaris center, conducting courses, workshops and parents’ retreats in Japan and other countries. She has also worked as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japanese high schools, has taught English at the Kobe YWCA, has been a Hindi tutor to Indian children studying at Canadian Academy, has been a judge for oratorical contests, and has taught Indian vegetarian cooking classes.

April 2019 SIETAR Kansai Co-sponsored with Osaka JALT : Upgrade Speaking Skills Through Toastmasters International

Speaker:　 Ludlow Gibbons (Ritsumeikan University)

Date: April 28th (Sunday)

Time: 14:00-17:00

Venue: Nishinomiya Daigaku Koryu Center (ACTA East Tower 6F, Room 2). 2 minutes from Hankyu Nishinomiya Kitaguchi station (0798) 69-3155

https://www.nishi.or.jp/access/sonotashisetsu/daigakukoryu/daigakukoryu-gaiyo.html
Fee:Free for members and students; 500 yen for non-members

Language:　English

Social event: Dinner after the session at a restaurant. Reservations for dinner required by April 26th. Contact: fujimotodonna@gmail.com

Description of the program:

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Founded in 1924 and headquartered in Colorado in the U.S., the organization has more than 357,000 members in more than 16,000 clubs in 143 countries. It has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders.

In this presentation, the audience will be given an overview of Toastmasters International and Toastmasters in Japan. Stories about Toastmaster’s members’ experiences both inside and outside the Toastmasters environment and how those experiences have been personally beneficial will be shared. The audience will then experience a Toastmasters demonstration meeting. In addition, there will be an interactive workshop called “Thinking and Speaking on Your Feet,” a session which aims to help people practice their impromptu speaking skills. These skills will help people feel more confident in common, everyday situations.

Profile of speaker:

Ludlow Gibbons came to Japan from the U.S. in 1992 and has taught English at the elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels. He has been active in educational organizations and served as President of Osaka JALT and as a member of JALT’s Executive Board. He joined the Osaka Toastmasters Club in 1995 and has been actively involved in establishing clubs in Kansai, volunteering as an officer in the Toastmasters International organization, and occasionally participating in speech contests to maintain his public speaking proficiency.