Rumiko Seya, Board Chair of REALs, Speaks at 'KYOBASHI International Women's Day'

Overview

Rumiko Seya, Board Chair of the certified NPO REALs (Headquarters: Shinjuku, Tokyo), an organization dedicated to preventing conflict and creating a society where people can coexist, served as the keynote speaker at 'KYOBASHI International Women's Day,' held at TODA BUILDING on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

This event was co-hosted by Toda Corporation, Cosmo Energy Holdings Co., Ltd., and Pilot Corporation, all of which support the United Nations-designated 'International Women's Day.' The event was attended by Kiyosuke Otani, President and Representative Director of Toda Corporation; Shigeru Yamada, President and Representative Director of Cosmo Energy Holdings Co., Ltd.; and Fumio Fujisaki, President and Representative Director of Pilot Corporation. In her keynote address, Board Chair Seya introduced case studies from conflict zones where REALs has achieved results through the empowerment of women. Approximately 290 employees and stakeholders from the three companies, which are headquartered in Kyobashi, Tokyo, participated in a hybrid format, both online and in-person.

In her keynote, Board Chair Seya introduced the realities of peacebuilding activities in conflict zones across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, guided by the REALs motto: 'Implementing realistic alternatives for peace.' She presented data analyzing over 170 past peace processes, showing that peace agreements in which women participated proactively have a 35% higher probability of lasting more than 15 years, and that the probability of failure is 64% lower when representatives of civil society are involved. On the other hand, she pointed out the current reality that women participate in only 9% of peace processes worldwide. She stated that there is room to make the world more peaceful by addressing these issues, and that to bridge these gaps, REALs is working toward the realization of 'true participation' that goes beyond mere formal involvement, actively sharing this expertise in collaborations with companies and organizations.

Specific achievements highlighted included the evacuation support for over 320 people to third countries, which REALs realized using its unique network after the collapse of the Afghan government by the Taliban in 2021, as well as conflict and terrorism prevention initiatives through local human resource development in Syria and slum areas in Kenya. In the latter, it was reported that the trained personnel identify and address over 800 disputes and crimes annually, and that 70-80% or more of disputes can now be resolved through the building of trust between residents and the police.

Following the lecture, a panel discussion was held featuring Board Chair Seya, along with Noriko Ruzonka, Managing Executive Officer and CDO of Cosmo Energy Holdings Co., Ltd.; Kazumi Atago, Executive Officer of the Corporate Headquarters at Toda Corporation; and Mashiho Oji, Executive Officer and General Manager of the Overseas Sales Division at Pilot Corporation. Moving beyond the framework of 'women's empowerment,' they engaged in a lively discussion from their respective industry perspectives on building an organizational culture where diverse talent can thrive.

Profile of Board Chair Rumiko Seya Born in Gunma Prefecture in 1977. Inspired to work in conflict zones after seeing photojournalism from Rwanda as a high school student. Graduated from the Faculty of Policy Management at Chuo University and holds a Master's degree in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford, UK.

Worked in Rwanda, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, and other locations as a UN PKO staff member, diplomat, and NGO worker. Specializes in peacebuilding in conflict zones, security improvement, and Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) of soldiers.

After graduating from university, she began her activities in conflict zones in 2000 as an NGO resident representative in Rwanda.

After obtaining her Master's degree in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford, she worked from 2002 as a DDR officer for the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), engaging in support for the social reintegration of former soldiers. Subsequently, she served as a Second Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan, where she worked on the disarmament of warlords, and later served as a DDR officer for the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), working on the front lines of peacebuilding in conflict regions.

In 2007, she became the Secretary-General of REALs (formerly the Japan Center for Conflict Prevention) and has served as Board Chair since 2013, developing a wide range of peacebuilding activities, including conflict and terrorism prevention projects in Gaza, Syria, Afghanistan, and South Sudan; projects to train women and youth as agents of conflict resolution; promotion of coexistence in local communities; and emergency assistance.

Major Awards and Selections 2000: Yutaka Akino Memorial Award 2009: Appeared on NHK's 'Professional: Shigoto no Ryugi' 2011: Newsweek Japan's '25 Japanese People Respected by the World' 2012: Nikkei Woman of the Year 2013: Avon Women's Award Grand Prize 2015: Selected for the UK Government's International Leaders Programme 2022: The New York Times' '10 Women Who Are Leaving Their Mark on the World' 2025: Yomiuri International Cooperation Prize

Books - Sole author: 'Shokugyo wa Buso Kaijo' (My Profession is Disarmament) (2015, Asahi Shimbun Publications) - Bestseller, later released as a paperback. - Her activities and books are used as subject matter in high school English textbooks such as 'CROWN English Communication III' (Sanseido), Japanese language textbooks, and university entrance exams.

Corporate Support We are looking for corporate partners to implement joint projects with REALs or to provide support and cooperation. We also accept requests for various keynote speeches for internal staff and employees. For inquiries or questions, please contact contact@reals.org.

Donations and Support REALs' activities are supported by your donations. Donations to REALs, a certified NPO, are eligible for tax deductions. (Up to approximately 50% of your donation can be refunded.)

We receive many urgent requests from conflict zones asking us to 'implement REALs' initiatives in our region as well.'

To respond to these voices and keep the wave of change moving, we need your support. Why not become a member of the team creating world peace with REALs while staying in Japan?

Donations received from everyone will be used for activities such as the following: - Peacebuilding and conflict prevention: Training agents of peace, building community mechanisms - Human resource development: Training next-generation leaders such as community leaders, conflict resolution experts, and mental health professionals - Economic self-reliance support: Employment and entrepreneurship support for women and youth - Mental health care and education: Trauma care, provision of educational opportunities, strengthening community cohesion - Emergency humanitarian aid: Distribution of food, medical care, and daily necessities; improving living environments for displaced persons - Organizational management: Administrative costs such as personnel expenses and office operating costs to continuously implement these activities

*Donations will be flexibly used for REALs' overall peacebuilding and emergency assistance activities, including these, in the places and for the purposes where they are most needed.

▼ Support here Donation: https://reals.org/support/donation.html Monthly Supporter: https://reals.org/monthly/index.html Other support: https://reals.org/support/index.html Consultation on legacy giving: https://reals.org/information/other/izokifu_2025.html

About Certified NPO REALs (Reach Alternatives) Certified NPO REALs was founded in 1999. It engages in 'activities to prevent conflict and build peace' and 'emergency assistance to save lives currently in crisis' in conflict regions. Currently, it operates in Gaza, Syria, Turkey, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Kenya, and other locations. By training people in conflict zones and honing their knowledge and aspirations as agents of conflict prevention and peace, 'people' change. These people then divide roles and collaborate to solve problems, changing the 'mechanisms' of the community, and by creating ripple effects on politics, policy, other regions, and the next generation, the organization implements activities aimed at changing 'society.'

In fiscal year 2024, it trained a total of 403 agents of peace in conflict zones around the world. By training personnel to detect signs of local disputes early and prevent conflict before it happens, it has prevented 93% of disputes within communities. It incorporates next-generation development and gender perspectives into all projects, working toward the realization of more comprehensive and sustainable peace.

Location: Shinjuku, Tokyo Representative Director: Rumiko Seya Website: https://reals.org X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/NPO_REALS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NPOREALs/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/npo_reals/ Activity reports are published annually on the website: https://reals.org/about/document.html

Inquiries regarding this matter NPO (Certified NPO) REALs (Reach Alternatives) Public Relations: Yuka Yuasa Email: contact@reals.org TEL: 03-5579-8395