DEW Magazine #55 The Flourish Issue Pre-Summer 2025. This season, we take the time to learn, grow, and speak for what is right. To flourish means to reflect, question, and recognize how our actions can impact not only our own lives but also those of others.
We have entered another month, inching closer to the middle of the year. By now, many have found their footing, setting the course for the months ahead. But finding stability can be difficult when so much is unfolding in society. That is why this is a time for reflection. It is a time to use our voices, to evolve into our unapologetic selves, free from society’s constraints.
Sometimes, it’s hard to figure out what we truly seek in life when the world moves at such a fast pace. Taking the time to flourish into who we are, understanding our role in life, our passions, and what truly drives us can feel overwhelming. Yet, by seeking our true selves and defining our moral grounds, we must speak up for what is right—especially by being vocal for those who are oppressed.
Many injustices have occurred recently—especially in politics, where those in power do everything they can to hold onto it, no matter the cost. In Indonesia, the administration altered a law granting the National Armed Forces authority to claim positions in the DPR, the People’s Representative Council. Many are outraged, viewing this as a move to expand military influence and secure allegiance to the ruling elites. Protests have erupted, demanding that this law be rescinded. But those who have bravely spoken out have faced brutal repression. Many have been silenced, assaulted by police and military forces simply for fighting for their rights as citizens. The very institution meant to represent the people has now turned against them.
One of the many ongoing injustices is the relentless attack by Israeli settlers on the people of Gaza. Israeli forces arrested the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, while a Palestinian journalist was also killed recently. When those who speak the truth about their country are silenced—whether through imprisonment or death—how will the truth ever spread? And when will justice be served? These are questions without clear answers, precisely because of the injustices committed by those who abuse power. As those with the privilege to speak freely, we must continue to amplify the voices of those who have been silenced.
Flourishing means growth within ourselves and using our voices for those who have been silenced. Within ourselves, it means expanding our knowledge, seeking truth, and understanding the world around us. To flourish is to reflect, question, and recognize how our actions and awareness can impact not only our own lives but also those of others.
This season, we must take the time to learn, grow, and speak for what is right, for the world is shifting rapidly, and with it comes the responsibility to stand against injustice, to seek knowledge beyond what is given to us, and to use our voices to inspire change in the face of oppression. (Text Emily Naima)
CREDITS
Cover story Mona Kawasaki at TOMORROW TOKYO in ANUTHA
Photography Tomofumi Usa at Perle Management
Styling Nana Iwata
Hair and Make-up Chiho Hatae at CEKAI