Seven Generations, the Pachamama Alliance community of Facilitators in Japan was re-inspired by Pachamama Alliance co-founder Lynne Twist's visit last year.
The Birth of a Community in Japan
In 2008, Pachamama Alliance’s flagship educational program, the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium was presented in Japan for the first time, and by 2009, the Pachamama Alliance Community of Seven Generations had been born. Seven Generations is not only the Pachamama Community in Japan, but also a non-profit organization committed to expanding the vision of the Pachamama Alliance. Their goal is to expand this vision by cultivating a community of awakened global citizens who are actively bringing forth a sustainable, just and fulfilling future for all.
Japan’s receptivity to the Symposium came as an unprecedented surprise, such that by 2009, not even a year after the first Symposium was presented, two Symposium Facilitator Trainings had been held. In 2010, the Pachamama Alliance held a program in Japan to train new Facilitators. 17 Facilitator Trainings have been held and today there are 200 Symposium Facilitators.
2014: A Year of Renewal
The Seven Generations Community, continues to source from the energy generated by Pachamama Alliances co-founder Lynne Twist’s visit in May of 2014. During Lynne’s visit, the community held one of the most impressive Symposiums ever. The event was hosted by 70 Facilitators, including the local partners at the Brahma Kumaris, and it had over 400 participants. Because the team in Japan is focused on and committed to sharing the message of the Symposium with both businesses and families, this series of events included not only the large Symposium for adults, but also a Symposium for children, and a networking event with potential business partners.
A day after the Symposium, Facilitators gathered with Lynne for a planning session which re-inspired the eighty Facilitators from all over Japan who made their way to Tokyo to convene with Lynne. By the end of their half-day session, they left feeling appreciated, re-inspired, encouraged and connected to the global movement. "Lynne brought the fire to Japan with her, and now I want to spread it all over Japan," said Hachaku—a Facilitator in the Community—as he added that the Seven Generations Board of Directors plans on expanding the reach of the Symposium on a larger scale starting in the fall.
Devoted to such vision, the team in Japan set some high goals for the months to come. Also, between October 2014 and February 2015, 38 Symposiums were held in 29 cities in Japan. Some Facilitators travelled to as many as 5 different cities to spread the message of the Symposium all around the country, and as Facilitator Kaku Suzuki asserts, “the success comes from doing things together. We partnered with Brahma Kumaris and Transition Towns to make this dream possible.”
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Delivering the Symposium in English
We have also learned that Lynne’s visit stirred the idea of having the first Symposium presented in English in Japan. Aware of the various English-speaking communities of coaches, activists, conscious leaders who don’t speak Japanese, and ten years after learning about the Symposium, Skip Swanson, a long time follower of Lynne Twist’s work, joined Seven Generations to support the planning of her visit in 2014.
Having attended several of Lynne’s events in Japan, Skip became clear that he now had enough new partners to collaborate with in order to realize his dream of presenting the Symposium to the English-speaking community in Japan. Skip explains that “Even before Lynne arrived, it was clear that something extraordinary was happening; I believe Lynne's physical presence in Japan was a catalyst for people and communities to come together in new ways, including an unprecedented increase in collaboration and connection. There is also a powerful sense that the level of conversation has been permanently raised.” And no doubt are we seeing the ripple effect of Lynne’s visit all over Japan now!
Plans For 2015
Seven Generations is in the midst of planning the next phase of their work in Japan. Their plans include the creation of communities that offer a space for Symposium participants to stay connected to one another and engaged in the important work that our world is yearning for.
