In this week’s SoroptiVoice Blog, Sumie Ito, SIA Japan Higashi Region and SIA Board Member, writes about attending the 2012 Annual Meeting IMF/World Bank Civil Society Policy Forum at Tokyo International Forum from 9-13 October.

It will become an unforgettable five days in my life! The Forum brought together IMF and WBG staff, CSO representatives, academic professionals, government officials and others to discuss various issues: the global economy, social and environmental safeguards, global health, gender, and disaster resilience.

Since I became a Soroptimist in 1989, I have attended 9 Biennial SIA Conventions, more than 30 Region Conferences including Camino Real and Desert Coast Regions Joint Conference in USA in 2011. It was only once that I attended SI Convention as a programme delegate in Glasgow, which opened a new window into another world in me. I knew this forum was too big for me to challenge. Luckily enough, however, most of the sessions I was interested in offered Japanese language interpretation, and I decided to enter it.

The most unique and appealing introduction at the Global Town Hall of the first day was Mr. Raymond LLOYD‘s. It was an amazing idea to have persuaded governments and banks to portray distinguished women on their banknotes. He is World Bank/ IMF Boards of Governors ( See www.shequality.org)

And more fantastic thing was to be able to communicate with inspiring women and men from the various countries: Tanzania, Afghanistan, Pakistan, United States, and so on.

When the forum ended, I enjoyed the garden of “Wa” set by Japanese government there. The ancient Japan was called Land of “Wa”.  And “Wa” means integration and harmony. I left the place, wishing the world in future would be filled with cooperation and co-existence.