Screening and Lecture of the Documentary Film "School of Babel"

This is an announcement about a film screening and lecture to be held on March 10 (Sunday) at the Kobushi-en Promenade Hall in Meguro Ward. This event is organized by the Meguro 5-chome Neighborhood Association and the Pro Bono Network, with cooperation from JII. After the screening, Yang Miao, JII's director and secretary-general, will discuss JII's activities and the current state of support for foreigners.

The title is "School of Babel." This documentary film depicts the journey of children aged 11 to 15 from around the world, including Ireland, Senegal, Brazil, Morocco, and China, as they spend a year together in an adaptation class at a French middle school. The film shows their process of acquiring the necessary academic skills and French language proficiency to transition into regular classes. Their evolving friendships, often marked by conflicts, left a profound impact on audiences worldwide when it was produced in 2013.
For example, even among children who share the same religion, their perspectives can vary depending on the country or region. This can lead to differing opinions among students, even regarding something as simple as the interpretation of greetings.
"That's not true, is it?" "I'm talking about my country. What do you know about it?"
However, Bridget Selboni, who has lived abroad for 14 years herself, does not intend to stop that discussion.

"The reason we encourage discussion is that through talking, students realize, 'I am different from this child, but we can live together while remaining different.' They won't understand this if it's imposed on them through the teacher's words or textbooks saying, 'This is what religion is.' We value learning from their own experiences."

During my time living in America, I had the opportunity to learn alongside people from various countries. My first friend was a Turkish person my age. We had interesting exchanges, such as them teaching me about Islamic prayer and their meals, while I was asked why Japanese people don't have a 'god' and how we can live without one. When I introduced Japanese origami as part of a project showcasing unique cultures, I was surprised to hear strong claims from people of different nationalities saying, 'That's part of Turkish culture!' and 'No, we have that in my country too!' Being 'the Japanese person' I didn't insist, 'No, origami is definitely Japanese culture!!' but I remember going home later and researching it, confirming to myself, 'Yep, it really is Japanese culture.'

After that, she remained a good friend of the family until I left America, but I often wonder how things might have turned out if I had been more assertive at that time, as I reflected on Professor Selboni's story.

The media often sensationalizes stories about foreigners, creating certain images in society, both positive and negative. However, I truly believe that engaging in real-life interactions with people from different cultures, and sometimes overcoming differences in opinions to build relationships, is a significant source of enrichment and joy in life. I think this film conveys an interesting message even to those who have not yet had such experiences.

This event is part of the "Tokyo Metropolitan Community Strength Development Project Grant for Fiscal Year 2023," so anyone who is a resident of Tokyo is welcome to participate. We encourage you to take this opportunity to join us!

You can apply here (for the Shimomeguro 5 Community page) https://www.shimomeguro5.tokyo/2024/machimarus5campus20240310/