Part 1: icebreaker and discussion
Once the groups formed, a serving ward assembly member joined each team as an adviser, and students and members put questions to each other. "What's good about a ward assembly specifically?" "We want more support for families!" — the students' own view of the world was everywhere in the room, and it was a lively session.
Part 2: the mock election
After lunch the mood changed entirely. Heads down, teams picked an issue from those provided and worked out a policy for it. In a short window that demanded they take charge of themselves, they split the roles, used whatever technology helped, and arrived at the stump speeches.
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A student organization working on civic education and teenage participation in public life, driven by the gap in who gets opportunities. Our mission: every teenager should get to meet the person they have not yet become. Around forty high school and university students from Tokyo and the three neighbouring prefectures run it. Our programs include the Mock Ward Mayoral Election — held in the ward office and the assembly chamber, taking participants from drafting policy through candidacy to the count — and Osouji-tai, which builds a sense of ownership over shared space through cleaning. More than 1,000 people have now learned how democracy feels from the inside.
For the press: contact@teigenjp.org(please put [PRESS] in the subject line) Press contact and fact sheet
Related: See the project →