FEC (The International Friendship and Economic Exchange Council) Secretariat 
Former Tokyo LFEC Representative Director
To Kazue Toba
<Organization overview>
"LFEC" (Women's Members) was established as a committee within the Association for the Promotion of Private Diplomacy. Its purpose is to bring together a wide range of women to discuss what Japanese women should think about and how they should act in the age of globalization, and to advance their roles together through international exchange as their roles become more important.
At the same time, we see this as a time to consider a worldview and values appropriate for the new era, and to re-examine social disciplines such as freedom and responsibility. We think and act together, and at the same time, we are working on future issues through exchanges of opinions with women from various countries, addressing the development of the next generation, welfare issues, and global environmental conservation issues.
I joined in 2008 through an introduction from Ms. Tomoko Noda, a former executive committee member of Tokyo LFEC. Unlike other international exchange groups, I heard that this was a study group rather than a glamorous one, so I joined to learn about international affairs.
In today's rapidly changing international climate, our policy of maintaining neutrality and unwavering principles is essential. We believe our advantages and value lie in being able to learn the latest information from experts in the field and, through exchanges with various embassies, gain a deeper understanding of each country's true character, beyond the tourist aspects.
In July 2016, when I was the representative of the former Tokyo LFEC, a cultural exchange event was held at the Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in Japan, co-hosted by the Embassy and Tokyo LFEC. 100 people from Tokyo LFEC participated.
Embassy staff and their associates also participated, and they presented traditional music and dances that they had spent a considerable amount of time preparing, and Burmese cuisine was also served. Myanmar is a multi-ethnic country with 135 ethnic groups and is a place where conflicts are constant, but at this event, there was a scene where many people dressed in their respective ethnic costumes danced hand in hand, holding white handkerchiefs, conveying the message of "harmony and unity."
The enthusiasm of the embassy, combined with the enthusiasm of the 100 Tokyo LFEC members, led to continued exchanges afterward. When preparing this response, I asked the former Tokyo LFEC executives what their most memorable experience was, and they all unanimously answered, "The exchange with Myanmar."
In addition, we interacted with embassies from many countries, and in some cases, the ambassadors themselves even hosted cooking classes for us. I have many such memories of LFEC that are unique to FEC.
By participating in FEC, I was able to deepen my understanding of various kinds of information that I previously would have just glossed over. For example, I was able to listen to a lecture on the latest international affairs by someone who had been providing news commentary on television every day until just yesterday, and I was able to learn broadly about economics and other fields that are prerequisites for understanding international affairs.
Maintaining neutrality and having an unwavering stance is crucial. In situations involving debate or conflict, it's important to remain neutral, not take sides, and calmly observe the situation.
Those participating through their companies will likely find it directly useful in their respective jobs, but focusing on the cultural exchange aspect, I hope that people who are not affiliated with companies but are interested in international exchange, regardless of gender, will also participate and take advantage of this valuable opportunity to learn about international affairs in a broad sense.
If FEC's activities overlap with your areas of interest, I think it would be a good idea to start by participating in those activities.
FEC engages in a variety of activities, offering many opportunities to interact directly with relevant parties through lectures and embassy visits. However, lectures and other events are sometimes held online, making it possible for people from distant locations to participate.