Share the pain. Share the hope. Share the future.

Transcription

1 Share the pain. Share the hope. Share the future.

2 What sort of society does The Nippon Foundation hope to achieve through its many activities? Many peope around the word are unabe to reaize their fu potentia because of disabiity, disease, poverty, or the pace or circumstances of their birth. We beieve they shoud be incuded in creating a society in which everyone can fuy deveop his or her abiities. Our projects strive to eiminate socia barriers so as to buid an incusive society where everyone is respected and abe to pay an active roe. What is The Nippon Foundation doing to achieve this? The word today faces many probems. We cannot sove a of them, so we set priorities and concentrate on the issues where we can be effective. We work out soutions with affiiated organizations,ngos, and internationa organizations that speciaize in particuar fieds. These partnerships encompass diverse approaches to specific issues. Conversation with our Chairman Yohei Sasakawa on the Foundation s phiosophy and activities Coud you give us an exampe of this approach in practice? Among the many diseases in the word, we are particuary committed to eiminating eprosy and the stigma it causes. This invoves both medica and socia chaenges. With effective medica treatment, eprosy can be cured, and in some parts of the word eprosy is considered a disease of the past. In reaity, however, more than 200,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. From 1995 we provided free drugs to a patients for five years, and we continue to work with the WHO, nationa governments, and partners to ensure that the cure reaches a who need it. 2

3 Discrimination against eprosy is deep-rooted. Those affected by the disease sometimes ose their jobs or are driven out of their community. Some who contracted eprosy at an eary age have been unabe to receive an education and are forced to beg on the street, even after being cured. Our projects incude schoarship programs and vocationa training to equip peope with skis to earn a iving. The probem of discrimination and stigma reay comes down to a ack of feeing for others based on ignorance of their situation. Through our activities with various partners, we seek to promote greater awareness and correct the misunderstandings peope have about eprosy. What is The Nippon Foundation s approach to grantmaking? Our roe is to hep grantees become abe to sove their probems themseves. At the end of the project, if the grantees are not abe to set out on their own, they wi not be abe to reay sove the probem. For exampe, we have been engaged in a project in Africa to increase agricutura food production, but this is not simpy a matter of dispatching experts, exporting technoogy, and increasing yieds. This particuar project trains oca agricutura extension workers who support farmers in the region, instructing them in agricutura methods and techniques. By fostering oca human resources through education and training, we ensure sustainabiity after the project ends. Your work invoves a great dea of overseas trave. What do you enjoy when you go abroad? I enjoy meeting the more than 30,000 eaders who have been trained in our feowship programs over the years. Many are paying important roes as poicymakers, researchers, government officias, and grassroots program officers in areas ike ocean governance, peace buiding, and regiona studies. They are a motivated by a strong desire to appy their knowedge and expertise to resove society s probems. Listening to their stories and earning about their work, I am inspired and encouraged by their energy and commitment. (Interviewed by Kana Saji of The Nippon Foundation) CONTENTS 2 Conversation with our Chairman 4 About The Nippon Foundation 5 Fieds of Activity 12 Affiiated Organizations 14 About our Funding 15 At a Gance 3

4 Founder Ryoichi Sasakawa Second Chair Ayako Sono The Nippon Foundation was estabished by Ryoichi Sasakawa in 1962 as the Japan Shipbuiding Industry Foundation, to promote the reconstruction of postwar Japan through the deveopment of the shipbuiding and shipping industries. Over the years, the Foundation s activities in Japan expanded to incude projects that support heath and hygiene, and firefighting and disaster preparedness. We aso became active in areas incuding food security in Africa and the eimination of eprosy, and we continue to engage in these activities today. In December 1995, author and phianthropist Ayako Sono succeeded Mr. Sasakawa as the Foundation s second chair. At that time, our primary activities were supporting grassroots vounteer groups and NGOs, which had just begun to deveop in Japan in the wake of the Great Hanshin- Awaji Earthquake of We aso began working to ensure incusive communities through improved socia wefare services for oder persons and activities to empower persons with disabiities. In keeping with The Nippon Foundation s origina focus on ocean-reated issues, projects to maintain navigationa safety in the Straits of Maacca and Singapore, and feowship programs to cutivate eaders in oceanreated fieds, were expanded. In Juy 2005, foowing Ms. Sono s retirement at the end of her term, Yohei Sasakawa, then serving as president, assumed the position of chair. Continuing its humanitarian and maritime projects, The Nippon Foundation is aso taking up new chaenges in promoting socia innovation. We are working together with various stakehoders to formuate the mutifaceted approaches required to address increasingy compex goba issues. The Nippon Foundation s fieds of activity are introduced in the foowing pages. About The Nippon Foundation 4

5 Fieds of Activity Toward Human Security We support activities in areas incuding medicine, education, agricuture, and socia participation by disabed persons in the deveoping word. We focus in particuar on the eimination of eprosy and advocate for the human rights of peope affected by the disease. Major Initiatives >> Eimination of Leprosy We work around the word to eiminate eprosy as a pubic heath threat and do away with the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease. >> Support for Confict-Affected Communities in Myanmar We offer assistance to confict-affected communities, working through ethnic armed organizations in coaboration with the Myanmar government, whie supporting confidence buiding measures to encourage continued diaogue in the peace process. >> Schoo Construction in Myanmar We have supported the construction of more than 300 eementary schoos in the Shan and Rakhine states and the Ayeyarwady region of Myanmar. >> Disabiity Support Projects To buid an incusive goba society, we work with disabed peope s organizations and ike-minded partners to promote disabiity-incusive deveopment and in educationa, cutura, and other projects. >> Agricutura Assistance in Africa Through the Sasakawa Africa Association, we provide technica guidance, fertiizers, and seeds to create a vaue chain that boosts yieds and increases the incomes of smahoder farmers. >> Medicina Pant Cutivation We have buit faciities for the research and cutivation of pants used in traditiona medicine, and sponsor programs to teach and promote their use, in Myanmar. 5

6 The Future of Our Ocean We work to protect the oceans and keep the seas safe, hep peope experience and earn more about the oceans and ships, promote seaside community revitaization, and enhance human resources in ocean-reated fieds. Chaenges ike poution and the depetion of fish reserves can ony be overcome by individuas and groups working together effectivey. To pass on the riches of the oceans to future generations, we are cutivating human resources abe to create a better future for the seas, and buiding networks to enabe those peope and organizations to work together. Major Initiatives >> Goba Human Resource Deveopment Through schoarship and feowship programs at universities and research institutions around the word, we are cutivating the next generation of eaders with cross-discipinary expertise in oceanreated fieds. >> Kirin KIZUNA Reief-Support Project We have partnered with the Kirin Brewery group to restart and support aquacuture and fishery businesses in areas damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake. >> Support in Micronesia To protect the oceans that surround the sma isand nations of Micronesia, we are providing sma patro boats and other assistance in cooperation with invoved parties to improve maritime security in this wide expanse of ocean. >> Nagisa-no-Koban Project We buid Seaside Patro Stations as foca points for seaside communities and a source of information regarding various oca activities.

7 Fieds of Activity Forging Goba Ties We are working to address issues incuding poverty, inadequate heath care, and environmenta degradation, to hep peope around the word achieve true sef-sufficiency. We aso organize internationa symposiums, cutura and personne exchange programs, projects to introduce modern Japanese cuture to the word, and activities to foster the goba eaders of tomorrow. Major Initiatives >> Nippon Foundation Schoarship Programs Through programs incuding The Nippon Foundation Internationa Feowship Program and The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Feowship Fund (Syff), we provide opportunities for researchers, poicymakers, and peope working in the pubic interest to study at research and educationa institutions around the word, to cutivate community and internationa eaders, promote mutua understanding, and buid internationa networks. >> Literary Exchange The Read Japan project makes books from Japan avaiabe to goba readers through book donations and support for transators. >> Support for Nikkei Communities around the Word We support Nikkei-jin (Japanese-descendant) communities around the word. This incudes The Nikkei Schoarship for young Nikkei-jin from Centra and South America to study in Japan and buid bridges between their home countries and Japan. In the Phiippines, we hep Nikkei-jin who were affected by Word War II and have ost the documents that prove their Japanese nationaity, to have their Japanese nationaity restored. We aso organize internationa iterary festivas that bring together authors and audiences from Japanese and overseas. 7

8 Enriching Cuture We ensure a vita future for Japan s traditiona performing arts and provide opportunities for peope to experience them. We aso support young scientific researchers, fund sports research, and promote sports activities, incuding support for the Tokyo 2020 Paraympic Games. Major Initiatives >> Paraympic Support Ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paraympic Games, we are supporting the Japanese Paraympic Committee, nationa parasport federations, and para-athetes, incuding through The Nippon Foundation Paraympic Support Center. >> Art Brut Support We store the works from the highy successfu Art Brut Japonais exhibition and dispay pieces at appropriate venues. During , some of these works were featured in a specia touring exhibit that visited four museums across Japan. >> Nippon Bunraku Project To reaffirm the vaue of this traditiona Japanese art of puppetry, we have buit a mobie stage that can be used for performances that recreate the traditiona atmosphere of a traveing show.

9 Fieds of Activity A Future for Youth We provide support for education, adoption and foster care systems, chidren s hospice faciities, and student vounteers to create environments that meet the needs of a young peope. Major Initiatives >> ROCKET Project for Taented Chidren We identify eementary and midde schoo-aged chidren who have taents but cannot adapt to today s educationa environment and avoid going to schoo, and provide them with ongoing support for their studies and daiy ives. >> Happy Yurikago Project This project aims to create a society in which chidren who cannot be raised by their bioogica parents can grow up in a oving househod through specia adoption programs. >> Chidren s Hospices Together with partners, we are constructing hospice and respite faciities across Japan to provide care for chidren with serious inesses and support for their famiies. >> Tooth Fairy Project Working with dentists across Japan, this project raises funds by recycing precious metas, incuding denta impants and fiings, to improve the ives of chidren. >> Gakusei Vounteer Center (Gakuvo) We support student (gakusei) vounteer activities that aim to take one step forward today to deveop activities for society 20 years into the future. 9

10 In the Cause of Life We hep to boster socia safety nets, train hospice care staff, support popuations in disaster-affected areas, and carry out other activities to protect and enrich human ife. Our first major domestic natura disaster reief activities were in response to the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995, and the experience we gained through those efforts enabed us to respond quicky and effectivey when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck northeastern Japan in March Major Initiatives >> Hospice Program In cooperation with the Sasakawa Memoria Heath Foundation, we support activities incuding expanded hospice care to enabe peope to ive their fina days in comfort and with dignity. >> Mama Pro The Project to Support Mothers organizes activities for young famiies to support mothers and encourage famiies to enjoy and appreciate mothers. >> Yume-no-Chokinbako Using vending machines as Piggy Banks for Dreams, a portion of soft drink saes and other donations are directed to areas of support seected by donors. >> Disaster Reief and Reconstruction We stand ready to assist reief and reconstruction efforts foowing major disasters through financia support to individuas and organizations, and coordination among oca governments, NGOs, and companies.

11 Fieds of Activity Enhancing Communities We support wefare, anticrime, and disaster preparedness measures, as we as oca education activities, that hep peope improve the quaity of ife in their communities. To provide mobiity for edery persons and persons with disabiities, since 1994 we have been providing vounteer groups with cars, vans, and buses, many of which are equipped to accommodate wheechairs, and as of September 2015 we had donated 35,000 of these vehices. Major Initiatives >> Wefare Vehices We provide vehices speciay equipped to support the mobiity of persons with disabiities and oder residents of communities in their daiy ives. >> Socia Impact Investment In addition to supporting the activities of the Japan Venture Phianthropy Fund, we partner with oca governments to create innovative structures ike socia impact bonds that direct private-sector financing to seek new ways to address socia issues. >> Disaster Preparedness through Tree Panting Broad-eaved evergreen forests provide ground cohesion and resist fires, and we support tree panting to protect against natura disasters. >> New Day Charity Fund This fund was estabished with the proceeds of a charity art auction, for the purpose of passing on northeastern Japan s treasured history and cuture, and creating a new sense of vaue. 11

12 Affiiated Organizations The Nippon Foundation is a part of a famiy of professiona organizations that work in their respective areas of expertise, both independenty and in cooperation with The Nippon Foundation. These foundations work around the word for the betterment of humankind, in a diverse range of areas incuding maritime safety, food security, heath, and regiona networking. Fieds of Expertise cuture deveopment education heath internationa exchange maritime issues poicy science sports Bue Sea and Green Land Foundation Works to deveop the heathy minds and bodies of young peope through outdoor activities, with a particuar focus on maritime sports. Foundation for Encouragement of Socia Contribution Pubicizes good works and heroic actions that go argey unnoticed by the press and by society in genera. Fondation Franco-Japonaise Sasakawa Faciitates cutura and inteectua cooperation between France and Japan. Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation Aims to deveop good reations between the United Kingdom and Japan through educationa, socia, and cutura activities. Japan Gateba Union Umbrea organization promoting gateba, a unique sport that originated in Japan and can be enjoyed by peope of a ages. Japan Science Society Promotes scientific education and internationa ties within the scientific community. 12

13 Museum of Maritime Science Aims to deepen pubic understanding and awareness of the oceans through proactive initiatives highighting ships and the sea. Nippon Ginkenshibu Foundation Promotes the traditiona Japanese arts of Gin-ei (poetry recitation), Ken-bu (poetry accompanied by a sword dance), and Shi-bu (poetry accompanied by a fan dance). Nippon Music Foundation Custodian for some of the word s most famous stringed instruments, which it oans to promising musicians. Aso organizes concerts in which they are payed. Nippon Taiko Foundation Promotes the traditions of the Japanese taiko drum, both in Japan and overseas. Sasakawa Africa Association Works to improve the food security and iveihoods of smahoder farmers in sub- Saharan Africa. Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation Works to end the stigma against eprosy, and to ensure equa socia, economic, and cutura opportunities for those affected by the disease. Sasakawa Memoria Heath Foundation Works toward the eimination of eprosy as a socia and a medica probem, and to improve hospice and paiative care, and pubic heath. Sasakawa Peace Foundation Engages with the changes continuay occurring in the natura and socia environments, seeking whoesome and sustainabe deveopment for our increasingy compex and diverse society. Ocean Poicy Research Institute, SPF Do-tank dedicated to seected research activities invoving ocean poicy and the dissemination of usefu ocean-reated information and poicy proposas. Sasakawa Sports Foundation Think tank in the fied of sport poicies in Japan, with activities guided by its mission of Sport for Everyone. Scandinavia-Japan Sasakawa Foundation Provides grants to organizations and individuas in Japan and Nordic countries to promote academic research and deveopment. Tokyo Foundation Carries out poicy research and formuates new poicy proposas, with second focus on nurturing of human resources. 13

14 About our Funding The Nippon Foundation draws the majority of the funds needed to support its many projects from the proceeds of Japanese motorboat racing. Motorboat racing in Japan is a phianthropy-oriented enterprise, which was estabished in 1951 specificay to aid a maritime shipping industry that had been devastated in Word War II. Motorboat racing venues are ocated across Japan and are independenty operated by oca municipaities. Under this unique system, the majority of the funds taken in by motorboat racing is returned to bettors as winnings. A sma percentage, however, is earmarked for phianthropic purposes. This money is managed by the Foundation, which seects projects that show great promise of affecting fundamenta change. Athough the percentage that passes through the Foundation is sma, the amount generated is significant, averaging approximatey 25 biion yen annuay for the past severa years. In recent years the Foundation has aso partnered with private-sector companies on specific projects, and engaged in fundraising campaigns that coect funds and raise awareness of socia issues among the genera pubic. Fow of Funds from Motorboat Racing (as of Apri 1, 2015) Returned to bettors as winnings 75% 25% Race gross revenue Aocated to 107 municipaities nationwide operating racing venues Grants to The Nippon Foundation Grants to Foundation of Japan Motor Boat Racing Association Used to ensure fairness and safety of races on behaf of operating municipaities Payments to Japan Finance Organization for Municipaities Used for water and sewerage infrastructure and other oca improvements Race expenses Administrative, personne, and faciity expenses, drivers compensation, etc. Municipaities operating racing venues approx. 2.7% approx. 1.3% approx. 1.0% Actua Remainder Added to municipa budgets and used to buid pubic faciities incuding schoos and hospitas 14

15 At a Gance Name: The Nippon Foundation Overseas Activities by Region Chairman: President: Address: Yohei Sasakawa Takeju Ogata The Nippon Zaidan Buiding Akasaka, Minato-ku Tokyo , Japan Estabished: October 1, 1962 (as the Japan Shipbuiding Industry Foundation) Oceania 2% Others 2% Africa 4% Midde East 5% Centra and South America 11% North America 20% Asia 32% Europe 24% Empoyees: 109 (fu-time) (As of October 2015) 15

16 The Nippon Foundation The Nippon Zaidan Buiding Akasaka, Minato-ku Tokyo , Japan Te: Fax: ,000C