From the Chairman
[Jul. 19, 2007]Bilateral, regional and international
foundations and funds
United States-Japan Foundation:
Established in the U.S. in 1980, this is currently the largest private foundation working to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between these two countries.
Scandinavia-Japan Sasakawa Foundation:
This foundation, inaugurated in 1984 and headquartered in Stockholm, promotes academic and cultural exchanges between Japan and the Scandinavian countries.
The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation:
Founded in London in 1985, this foundation fosters friendship and cultural exchanges between Japan and the UK.
Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF):
Since its establishment in Tokyo in 1986, SPF has grown into one of the largest foundations in Japan dedicated to the promotion of international understanding and cooperation. It conducts both grant-making and operational projects. Under its auspices. Mr. Sasakawa has developed the following five regionally focused funds:
-Sasakawa Africa Association:
This association, created in 1986, carries out the Sasakawa Global 2000 Program fostering agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa.
-The Sasakawa Pacific Island Nations Fund:
Established in 1989, this fund promotes exchange programs, human resource development and communications in the Pacific region.
-The Sasakawa Central Europe Fund:
This fund was set up in 1990 to support the development of democracies and market economics in Central Europe in the post-Cold War era.
-The Sasakawa Japan-China Friendship Fund:
Founded in 1990, this fund has promoted exchange programs, personnel training, research and survey projects targeted at launching a market economy in China.
-The Sasakawa Pan Asia Fund:
This fund was created in 1992 to provide assistance in education, policy-making and human networking in Pan Asian region.
Foundation Franco-Japonaise Sasakawa:
This foundation, created in Paris in 1990, promotes cultural exchanges between Japan and France.
The Tokyo Foundation:
The research division of this foundation, established in 1997, is Japan's first genuinely autonomous, private, non-profit think tank. Activities include organization of international conferences, research programs and policy research.
Sasakawa-India Leprosy Foundation:
A local trust in India established in 2007 to assist leprosy affected people as they work toward economic independence and social rehabilitation, by providing micro-finance, scholarships, and vocational training.
Major projects in wide-ranging fields
Agricultural Development:
Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG-2000):
Launched in 1986, this ambitious project seeks to enable African nations to achieve self-sufficiency in staple crop production.
Promotion of Public Health Care and Aid to the Disabled:
Elimination of Leprosy:
Through the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation (SMHF), established in 1974, Mr. Sasakawa has made control of this disease his life's work. In cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), The Nippon Foundation has helped to achieve a remarkable reduction in the incidence of leprosy worldwide in recent years.
Chernobyl-Sasakawa Medical Cooperation Project:
In the wake of the 1986 nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl, The Nippon Foundation, again working through the SMHF, has furnished ¥5 billion to monitor and screen more than 185,000 children affected by that disaster.
Assistance to Persons with Disabilities:
Among numerous initiatives in this area, The Nippon Foundation provides scholarships to deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the United States and supports training of prosthetic- orthotic specialists in Cambodia and Thailand.
Human Resources Development and Network Building:
Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF):
This is a grant-in-aid program, started in 1987, that has already furnished $1 million endowments to 68 universities in 44 countries across the globe.
Sasakawa Medical Scholarship Program for Friendship between Japan and China:
Since 1987 this scholarship program has enabled more than 1,000 physicians in China to pursue advanced studies in their disciplines in Japan, thereby elevating medical care in their home nation significantly.
Nippon Foundation Fellowships for Asian Public Intellectuals (API Fellowships):
Established in 2000, this program provides public intellectuals in five Asian nations (Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand) with opportunities to pursue research projects in other Asian countries.
Educational Opportunities:
Primary School Building Projects:
Starting in 1993, under Mr. Sasakawa's leadership The Nippon Foundation has supported the construction of primary schools in Peru, Cambodia and Myanmar.
International conferences
Forum 2000:
Initiated by Mr. Sasakawa and former Czech president Vaclav Havel in 1997, Forum 2000 is an annual conference that brings world leaders, intellectuals and artists together to identify ways to promote global peace and justice.
Japan-South Pacific Forum Summit Meeting:
Under Mr. Sasakawa's leadership, the second meeting was convened in Miyazaki, Japan, in April 2000.
Global Appeal to end Stigma and Discrimination Against People Affected by Leprosy:
Starting in 2006, Mr. Sasakawa has brought together leaders at both the international and grassroots levels to issue an appeal around the world with the purpose of raising awareness of the human rights violations endured by those affected by leprosy.