~Will the Day Come When Social Contribution Becomes a “Lifestyle”?~ A Report on the “RockCorps@Fukushima Prefecture” Experience Connecting Volunteering and Music [Part 2]
Continuing from Part 1, we bring you more about volunteering in Fukushima Prefecture. The cleanup activities are… honestly quite steady work. Continuously cutting grass around the cherry trees and along the roadside, picking up trash.
The members who participated from SSU are also drenched in sweat.
Of course, so am I (laughs).
We also took proper breaks. By the way, participants receive an original T-shirt. Some have participated for five consecutive years!
And during the break, a certain “surprise” occurred.
ⓒRockCorps supported by JT
The four members of BLUE ENCOUNT, a domestic artist performing at the September celebration, appeared! Just when we thought they came to support the volunteers, they announced they would be volunteering together with us!
A four-member rock band that has garnered attention, selling out Budokan concert tickets on the first day just two years after their major debut. And these four were cutting grass right next to us (laughs).
ⓒRockCorps supported by JT
ⓒRockCorps supported by JT
One of the BLUE ENCOUNT members, whose family runs a farm, actually taught participants how to use a sickle. Time flew by as we worked up a sweat, and the four hours of volunteering came to a successful end.
■After Volunteering ~Will the Day Come When Social Contribution Becomes a “Lifestyle”?~
One of the messages that “RockCorps” conveys includes this statement:
“RockCorps” aims to make volunteering a part of one’s lifestyle, just like sports, music, fashion, and gaming, bringing social contribution activities closer to young people’s daily lives.
We often hear that volunteering is part of daily life overseas, but in Japan, the reality is that the barrier to youth participation in volunteering is high.
The way to lower that barrier, I realized, is to find a “small trigger.”
“Because I want to go to my favorite artist’s concert,” “Because a friend who loves events invited me,” “Because I might meet wonderful people”… (Regarding that last trigger, there are actually people who got married after meeting through RockCorps! (^^))
Find a small trigger within yourself and just “give it a try.” If such small actions accumulate, the day when social contribution becomes a lifestyle shouldn’t be far off.
I hope this blog can become someone’s “small trigger.” See you again!
ⓒRockCorps supported by JT
*The volunteer event is scheduled to run until Friday, August 31, 2018. For registration, please visit the official website (https://rockcorps.yahoo.co.jp/).
