Highlights of the Global Pro Bono Summit TOKYO 202325/12/2023
Highlights of the Global Pro Bono Summit TOKYO 2023
We express our sincere gratitude to everyone who participated in the Global Pro Bono Summit TOKYO 2023. Thank you for coming to Japan and being part of this incredible event. We hope that you had an unforgettable experience and we are grateful for your presence. We would also like to thank those members who could not attend the summit but still supported us. Here are highlights of the summit, and a detailed report will be published separately in the upcoming months.
Outline of GPBS TOKYO 2023
Schedule
29th November – 2nd December 2023
Host Country
Japan (Service Grant Japan)
Area
Tokyo (Shibuya, Otemachi, Shirokane and other locations around Tokyo)
Participants
- Global Pro Bono Network members and related guests from abroad: 32 individuals in 18 organizations from 14 countries
- Participants for Open Seminars and Exchange Meetings (including online participants): 221
- Pro Bono & Volunteer Staffs: 35
- Host Organization Staffs: 20
- Japanese NPOs involved (Scopathon and Site Visit): 9
GPBN Member Organizations
Asian Charity Services / Hong Kong
Beijing Huizeren Pro Bono Academy / China
Beijing Pro Bono Foundation / China
Conjunct Consulting / Singapore & U.S.
CROSS FIELDS / Japan
Empact / Singapore
Fundacion Trascender / Chile
Ghadan Foundation / Saudi Arabia
iVolunteer / India
Pro Bono Lab / France
Pro Bono Venture / Mexico
Service Grant Japan / Japan
Taproot Foundation / U.S. (Online)
Thai Young Philanthropist Network / Thailand
Volunteer Involving Organizations Society / Kenya
Work for Social / Spain
(alphabetical order of organizations)
Strategic Partner
BMW Foundation / Germany
Others
National Council of Social Service / Singapore
Highlights of Summit Activities
DAY1 – Nov. 29
Check-in & Introduction
Time: 18:00-20:00
Venue: Turntable Shibuya
As a kick-off to the summit, we organized a casual party where attendees celebrated their long-awaited reunions and welcomed new members with a traditional ”Kagami Biraki”. This traditional Japanese ceremony involves breaking and opening sake barrels, at the beginning of the event. The event featured three presentations.
Presenter
Michael Tse (Asian Charity Services)
Shalabh Sahai (iVolunteer)
Maria Carracedo (Pro Bono Lab)
DAY2 – Nov. 30 Thu.
Travel to Otemachi area
We got on the Tokyo subway and traveled from Shibuya to Otemachi. We took a group photo of the beautiful ginkgo trees displaying yellow leaves against the clear autumn sky.
Peer Interviews
Time: 11:00-12:10
Venue: MIRAI LAB PALETTE
We conducted 30-minute interviews in pairs to learn about each organization’s story.
Open Seminar For Corporations
Time: 13:30-16:00
Venue: MIRAI LAB PALETTE + Online
Participants: GPBN members / Corporate managers & officers
This session provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of corporate pro bono programs around the world, all within a compact 2.5-hour timeframe. It was an inspiring session for corporate officers to bear ideas of new pro bono programs by learning what has been done, understanding the value of their strategy, and knowing prominent examples of pro bono in various countries and industries
Presenter
Michiko Ikeda (Keidanren – Japan Business Federation)
Markus Hipp (BMW Foundation)
Lindsay Firestone Gruber (Taproot Foundation)
Jumana Jamal (Ghadan Foundation)
Miyuki Egusa (Sumitomo Corporation)
Maria Carracedo (Pro Bono Lab)
Jing Li (Beijing Pro Bono Foundation)
Shalabh Sahai (Volunteer)
Click here for details
Corporate & Intermediaries Networking
Time: 16:30-18:30
Venue: MIRAI LAB PALETTE
Participants: GPBN members / Corporate managers & officers
In the first half of the event, participants engaged in small group discussions based on their interests and regions of the world. The second half of the event was dedicated to free-form discussions and networking among attendees.
DAY3 – Dec. 1 Fri.
Networking Meeting
Time: 9:00-11:00
Venue: Turntable Shibuya
During the meeting, the members discussed the future of GPBN. They divided themselves into groups of 3-4 people to facilitate the discussion.
Lunch at a Japanese Restaurant
Open Seminar For Public/Social Sectors
Time: 13:00-14:45
Venue: Shibuya Commerce and Industry Hall
Participants: GPBN members / Government officers/ General public
Diverse government partnerships were discussed in a presentation focused on strengthening the development capacity of beneficiaries.
Presenter
Shivawn Leong (National Council of Social Service), Keng Hwee Yap (Empact)
Frederick Sadia (VIO Society)
Ikuma Saga (Service Grant Japan)
Vicente Gerlach (Fundacion Trascender)
Jean Lau (Asian Charity Services)
Jia Chuan Kwok (Conjunct Consulting)
Shibuya Scopathon
Time: 13:00-14:45
Venue: Shibuya Commerce and Industry Hall
Participants: GPBN members / Local Organizations Government officers
Five local non-profit organizations in Shibuya and around Tokyo presented their obstacles and problems to the members of the GPBN. They worked collaboratively to sort out and prioritize the problems and try to scope the pro bono projects to build their capacity.
Facilitator
Keng Hwee Yap (Empact)
Pro Bono Place Global – a time for exchange & networking-
Time: 18:30-21:00
Venue: BPM Tokyo
Participants: GPBN members / Local Non-profits & Pro Bono Workers
This session provided GPBN Members an opportunity to exchange stories with local pro bono intermediaries, workers and beneficiaries.
Presenter
Keisuke Fukunaga (Pro Bono Worker / Digi Bono)
Shunsaku Toyoda (Pro Bono Worker / Digi Bono)
Jia Chuan Kwok (Conjunct Consulting)
Fredrick Sadia (VIO Society Kenya)
Mina Lopezlugo (Pro Bono Venture)
Zhai Yan (Beijing Huizeren)
DAY4 – Dec. 2 Sat.
Site Visits
Time: 8:00-12:00
Venue: designated site visit locations
The participants were divided into four groups and taken on tours of various local non-profit organizations (NPOs). It was a great opportunity for them to learn about the activities of each organization and discover the essence of what they would like to incorporate into their own organization with the help of pro bono.
1. SAKAI WO KOETE (Beyoud Boder)
2. JUON Network
3. Buddy Team
4. Mamabono by Service Grant Japan
Future Sessions Innovation for Future with Pro Bono
Time: 13:00-18:00
Venue: Meiji Gakuin University
Participants: GPBN members / General public / Students
During the session, the focus was on exploring innovative models for pro bono work that can have a positive impact on society in the future. The discussion also touched upon how pro bono work can be leveraged to empower the youth and incorporated into education. Each presenter shared their unique ideas and challenges and pitched their frontier solutions to drive social change.
Presenter
Maria Carracedo (Pro Bono Lab)
Andrea Sanchez Angulo (Work for Social)
Jia Chuan Kwok (Conjunct Consulting)
Ada Chirapaisarnkul (Thai Young Philanthropist Network)
Mina Lopezlugo (Pro Bono Venture)
Hideki Ishihara (Meiji Gakuin University)
Ikuma Saga (Service Grant Japan)
After the sessions, participants wrote down their commitments and delivered them to the participants.
Finally, we concluded the intense four-day summit with a workshop discussing actionable plans for the upcoming years. This served as a fitting culmination to the entire experience.
