How we can foster peaceful & payful world

OK..  Here's a Pop quiz for ya!
Who can save the world?

This brain-teaser landed in my lap 20 years ago and, boy, did it flip my view of society and our big, wild world upside down!
Instead of playing the waiting game for someone else to wear the cape, I started wondering, 'What superpowers do I have up my sleeve?'

Right around that time, I bumped into 'Yes, And.' 
Talk about a lightbulb moment! I thought, 'Why not use Yes, And to sprinkle some peace around the globe?' Fast forward twenty years - time zipped by like a superhero in flight, filled with twists, turns, and a few faceplants. But every stumble was a step forward, teaching me something new and fueling my inspiration tank to the max!

It's not that hard to connect with the world though...

At the beginning of 2023, I got the email asking if I'm available to start GPB Japan from the directors of GPB (Global Play Brigade) , which is a volunteer community of play and performance activists, improvisers, clowns, musicians, educators and therapists from all over the world.   Since I have already launched AIFA (Applied Improving Facilitator Academia) with the same kind of mission, I have taken a liberty of taking bigger mission of fostering GPB One Asia Pacific and GPB Educator Salon for global educators. 

Keeping the connection alive is like a juggling act

Keeping the connection alive is like a juggling act – it takes patience, a heart as big as the ocean, and a hearty 'Yes, And' to yourself as well as to the others. 
In my own mission-driven saga, these elements were my guiding stars. so I spent a year cultivating the soil of each community, spending a considerable amount of time and effort. What is necessary to create soil is to create an environment where people can trust each other and be open.
Creating fertile soil for a community? It's all about crafting a cozy, trust-filled nook where everyone's open as a sunflower on a sunny day.

The secret ingredient?

Heaps of chit-chat! Like planting seeds for a healthy community, we brewed our core mission in a cauldron of conversations.
Kicking off each meeting, we'd toss in a fun, playful check-in topic – because why not?  Diving into a pool of diverse cultures and customs needs a bucketful of patience and a backpack of tolerance. And yes, it's as wacky and wonderful as it sounds!
Each country's unique twist meant I had to be a chameleon, blending my support style to match – broadcasting over several social media platforms and picking just the right tools for one-on-one chats.

During event time, it's like a tug-of-war inside my head – my 'give up' gremlin on one side, my mission mantra on the other. Phew!
And when it gets too much?  Hit the reset button! Time to put on my oxygen mask first. Soothe my mind and body.  I always had to remind myself of if I can't play 'Yes, And' with myself, how can I be kind and gentle to others?"

Every day is a holiday! ? ! ? So, what's the game plan

Now what exactly can we do to play together then? ?
Over a bunch of weeks, through our weekly one-hour ZOOM meet-ups, we cooked up a plan. We wanted to transform the humdrum of daily life into a non-stop holiday fiesta!! we came across Barbara's idea of ``HoliDaily" and after talking with the team including Barbara about things that could be done in daily life with as few hurdles as possible, we came up with Food Face Festival (FFF). 
FFF is your golden ticket to share your story through the universal language of food and food culture. We hosted 'play shops' and live online shows, dishing out a chance for folks to dish out their life stories through their culinary creations. This led to hearty, deep conversations, cooking up an environment ripe for dialogue.
And here's our cheeky catchphrase: 'Hey, were you ever told as a kid, 'Don't play with your food!'? Well, now's your chance to break the rules! Let's play with food and chat about our cultures!'
The aim? To stir up a playful vibe, sparking open chats and brewing understanding across borders. How, you ask? Just whip up a food face – think food art that looks like a face – snap a photo or video, and share it with a zesty story on our Facebook group during the festival.

Although there are some pics that are not Feed Face, the aim is to share food and food culture.
It's not according to the rules! ! We wouldn't say such boring things!

And if the food is not made into a food face, there is a way to process it later. lol

The middle two photos on the bottom row are taken from a playshop I held with some moms who are raising kids by Yes,ANd while I was on a business trip to Osaka. Since it was a potluck playshop, each of us had the opportunity to create food face using the wonderful food prepared by them

Playful Wonderful facilitations from Asia Pacific countries

During the event, facilitators from Australia, the Philippines, Japan, New Zealand, and India also provided playshops related to food.

Play as an 8-year-old with Yvette from Australia and Toto from the Philippines.  At the end, it was a warm moment where each of us sent a message from current self to my 8-year-old self.

Mamiko and I delivered a FB LIVE about Yin-Yang 5 elements and the connection between body, mind, and food. In the end, it was a time where we realized that nabe (hotpot) is the perfect food for winter while sharing and talking about the topics.

From New Zealand, Nicola brought us an hour of laughter.

From New York, USA, Marian, Jeff, and Barbara sent us a warm and full of love video letter
during the Thanksgiving Day.

And GPB India hosted a beautiful interactive playshop. There were really deep meaningful discussion about how we can create a society where all the people of all over the world can eat satisfactorily.

So again…… who can save the world?

The first event was held in July.  This was the second GPB One Asia but first GPB One Asia Pacific event!  We stretched it out longer this time, and everyone was buzzing more than a hive of bees. Throughout the event, I often found myself wondering, 'What am I doing?!?!  What's everyone up to now?' Mixed feelings kept popping up, but when the final curtain fell, my heart was toasty warm.
At the closing ceremony of FB live, we had a blast! I was so jazzed seeing all my comrades' faces that our 15-minute gig magically doubled in length. It was like time flew on a rocket!
Now, when you think about the world's woes – conflicts, bombings, poverty, crime – it's like staring at a mountain. It's so massive, you feel like throwing in the towel. But then, you catch yourself thinking, 'It's not about waiting for someone else to step up. It's about asking, 'What can I do?''

Sure, your bit might seem like a drop in the ocean, but hey, every drop counts. So, don't throw in the towel. Believe in your sparkle, keep at it, and remember – even the tiniest step can make a world of difference."

Now here's a quiz for you!! Can you find a smily food face in this pizza?
This was a quiz by TOTO from Phillippines nobody could find!! lol

You can read this in Japanese here.