Our Team.

The world is getting too busy to notice who's being left behind — the elderly, people with disabilities, and anyone our societies find it easier to overlook. That's what brought us together — and what keeps us getting up early, or sitting down just before dinner, or stepping away in the middle of the day, twice a month for a Zoom call across three countries.

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Some of us have been part of this group for decades. Others joined recently. We live in Japan, Ohio, and Canada. We are volunteers, friends, and people who care — some of us welfare professionals, others simply curious citizens who believe things can be better. What we share is a belief that understanding how other cultures approach social welfare makes all of us better at it.

Governments and institutions, stretched thin, can be slow and rigid toward change. We think communities can do better — by learning from each other, one conversation at a time.

WISE is small. We're still figuring it out. But after more than forty years of human connection across oceans, we believe we're on the right path. And we'd love for you to join us.