私が目指していた就職先は「国際協力」。はっきり言ってかなり大雑把なもので、この抽象的すぎて具体性に欠ける働き方をネット上で探す日々だった。ただずっと思い抱いていたのはアフリカに貢献したい、その一点だった。

「国際協力」の就職先というロールモデルが大学構内では見つけられなかった

　悶々とした日々を抜けだそうと、私はとある日に大学のキャリアセンターに赴いた。正直に「国際協力の就職先を教えて欲しい」と訊ねると、もらった答えはシンプルで、「国連かJICAかNPOもしくはNGO」だと。私の発したあまりに抽象的すぎる「国際協力」という言葉は、就職先の具体的ロールモデルを持ち合わせていなかった。

　しかし、「国際協力」というものに惹かれる学生は多い。それは年々増えているように思う。しかし、就職先として「国際協力」そのものを選ぶ学生は本当に少ないように感じる。皆、就職先として、金融や商社、メーカーをいわば"次善の策"として選ぶ。それを悪いとは思わない。けれど、世界の何処かで手を差し伸べてくれる瞬間を待ち望んでいる人がいるにも関わらず、大学生活を彩る一部であるかの如く「国際協力」をして、卒業したら何もしなくなるのは、私はちょっと違う気がした。

世界の活動家に会うため、２年間の休学を決めた

　世界には私たちを必要としている人が確かにいる。それは間違いない事実。でも、大学内ではどのように関わり続けられるかが分からない。ならば、私自身が世界を直接巡って、実際に現地で活動されている方々に会いに行き、話を聞いていけば具体的な働き方やロールモデルが見えるのではないだろうか。そう思い、私は2年間の休学を決め、今年2011年6 月から旅に出た。

この旅で、"考え挑戦し続け、行動を辞めないこと"の重要性に気付く

　この旅で「社会を変える」を仕事にしている活動家に、のべ20人に出逢った。自身が四肢に障がいを抱え車椅子で生活をしていながら、ベトナム全土にいる車椅子生活者の職業訓練とその製品の販売をしているベトナム人男性。中国で有機野菜の栽培とその販売促進をしている中国人男性。カンボジアでは、伝統医療と自然を活かしたアロマ製品の製作販売をして持続可能なビジネスをしている日本人女性。そこには、多様な生き方・働き方で、この世界を少しでも良くしようと活動している人たちがいた。

　彼らに話を聞いて、気付いたことが一つある。

　それは、「考え挑戦し続け、行動を辞めないこと」だ。私が話を聞いた人たちは皆、初めから働き方を分かっている人はいなかった。現地に何度も赴き、そこを取り巻く様々な状況をよく理解した上で、自分たちに出来ることを探し続けて見つけた働き方であった。

　結局のところ、どんな形であれ世界で働くことはできる。何よりも大切なのは、「自分が何を大切にして、どう関わりたいのか、そしてそれはなぜなのか」を頭で考えながら行動を続けることにあるように今思う。時には壁にもぶつかりながら、立ち止まらずに彼らは動き続けていた。

行動を起こすことでのみ、"社会を変える"ことは始まる

　悩み続けることは悪いことではない。ただ、動き出すことを恐れていては何もなせないことを私はこの旅でひしひしと感じている。なぜならば、行動を起こすことでのみ、「社会を変える」ことは始まるのだから。

これから私の進む道は、ザンビアにあり

　あと一年、この「社会を変える」に出逢う旅は続く。その後、復学し、四回生としての大学生活を過ごした後、私はアフリカのザンビアで働くことを決めている。あの雄大な自然や友好的な人々との触れ合いを通して観光地としてのザンビアを盛り上げるため、より多くの人にザンビアに触れる機会を持って欲しいと考えている。まだまだ知られていない国だからこそ、旅行という視点から変えていきたいと思う。帰国したら、そのための準備にすべてを注いでいきたい。

ブログ：『社会を変える』に出逢う旅〜The First Step to the World〜

twitter：@ShunsukeYagi

What I Consider On The Way Of "Meeting Social Change Makers"
Shunsuke YAGI（Kwansei Gakuin University）

The Reason I Decided To Take A Registered Absence From University Was To Undertake A "Job Search"
On November 2010, when I was 3rd grade of university, I had undertaken a job search positively. To be honest, all I did was search only some companies I had interest in. I spent days lacking positivity, while my friends were attending company exhibitions and engaging in "self-analysis for recruitment".
What I wanted to do in the future was "international cooperation", however I lacked determination and I had no clear vision. I had been spending my days vaguely searching this work on the Internet, but I had been sure that I wanted to contribute to Africa for a long time.

I Couldn't Find A Role Model Of "International Cooperation" In University
Trying to regain my positivity, I visited my university's career centre. I honestly asked the staff to advise me of the choices of companies or organizations for international cooperation. The staff advised me of "UN, JICA, NPO or NGO". These were my choices. The term "international cooperation" was too vague to show any definite model of work.
There seems to be a lot of university students who are interested in "international cooperation" and I think the number of them has been increasing every year. However, I think very few of them choose "international cooperation" as their work. They start to work for other companies such as banks, Business Companies or Manufacturers as the "next best choice".
Though I don't think it's bad, I had a sense of incongruity for their action. While there are people around the world who await help and aid, most of the university students are engaged in "international cooperation" during their campus life and do not pursue this after graduation. This is very different from what I imagined and wanted to do.

I Decided To Take A Two Year Registered Absence From University To Meet "Social Change Makers" Around The World.
There surely are people who need our aid and help, there is no doubt about that. However, many Japanese don't know how to continue to commit to 'international cooperation' during their university days. So I wondered if I travelled around the world and met with the people who do commit to it in the field. By meeting and interviewing them, I thought I might be able to identify and take note of their definite commitment and position as role models. Considering such, I decided to take a two-year registered absence from university and started to travel in June 2011.

Continue Thinking, Challenging And Taking Actions - Those Are The Importance I Noticed Through My Travel.
I had met twenty "social change makers" through this travel. One, a Vietnamese male, supports the people's vocational training around Vietnam. They spend their life in wheelchairs and he also deals in their products. His limbs are also handicapped. Another is a Chinese male who cultivates and sells organic vegetables and produce. I met a Japanese female in Cambodia who owns a sustainable business that produces aroma goods with the combination of traditional medical treatment and nature. They create diverse life/works and were trying to make this world a better place.

One thing I noticed through their stories is that they continued thinking, challenging and didn't stop taking actions. No one knew how to work or how to create jobs. They visited the field many times and then comprehended their surroundings, by doing so they visualised what they can do there and finally found how to commit.
After all, we can work in the world in many ways. What is more important than any other thing is that one continues taking actions by asking oneself what one considers an importance, how to commit and why one chooses to do so. Sometimes they faced hardships but they didn't cease to take actions.

The Only Way To "Change The Society" Is Taking Actions.
Continuing to show concern is not bad thing, but worrying about taking actions can produce nothing. This is what I noticed and learned through this travel. By making actions is the only way to start to "change the society".

My Way From Now On Is In Zambia.
My travel to meet with "social change makers" will continue for around one more year. (He finished his travel and came back to Japan in September 2012).
I've already decided my future path, to work in Zambia after finishing University. I'm planning to make opportunities for more people to know of the African country Zambia. I plan to promote the country as a tourist destination through grand nature and the people's affinity. Very few people know of this country, I want to change that through the view of tourism. When I come back to Japan, I'll give all of my time to go there.

（Translated by Tatsuya YABUUCHI, A Visiting Fellow at the Gap Year Institute of JGAP）