The Nippon Foundation will launch its new year international activities on 26 January in London with a major event, "Global Appeal 2009," calling for the end to stigma and discrimination against people affected by leprosy throughout the world.

The London Global Appeal conference on 26 January will be held at Church House in Westminster. It will be attended by approximately 500 people -- inter-faith religious leaders in the UK, people affected by leprosy, representatives of NGOs active in leprosy elimination around the world, leprosy research experts, and the British media.

The Dean of Westminster, the very Reverend John Robert Hall, will welcome all the guests and participants. Mr Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of The Nippon Foundation, who has worked to eliminate leprosy for 30 years, will give a speech encouraging participants to continue working together to eliminate discrimination against people affected by leprosy, and his remarks will be followed by comments from leaders of other religious organizations in Britain in support of the Global Appeal initiative and activities.

Two people affected by leprosy, one from Ghana and the other from Indonesia, will address the participants and read the Global Appeal calling for the end to stigma and discrimination against people affected by leprosy throughout the world. An art exhibition of 25 paintings by people affected by leprosy will be displayed during the event.

Speakers will also call upon the international media to drop its use of the stigma word "leper," which in itself has a strong discrimatory nuance, in favor of expressions such as "people affected by leprosy." An appeal will also be made to immigration authorities to stop blocking the movement across international borders of people who have been cured of leprosy.

The London Global Appeal 2009 builds upon similar Global Appeal gatherings of world leaders in various countries each year since 2006. Last year in June 2008 the momentum of the Global Appeal movement resulted in a resolution from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva calling for an end to discrimination against people affected by leprosy.

It is the first resolution to be tabled by the Japanese government, and was developed in response to an appeal by Mr Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of the Nippon Foundation, who has persistently stressed the need to abolish discrimination against people affected by leprosy and their families in his dual roles as World Health Organization Special Ambassador for the Elimination of Leprosy and Japan's Goodwill Ambassador for the Human Rights of People Affected by Leprosy.
In his speech Mr Sasakawa is expected to emphasize the importance of the resolution passed by UNHRC last June 18th entitled "Elimination of Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy and their Family Members" as a decisive moment in the battle to confront discrimination and the stigma associated with the disease.

Today leprosy is a curable disease, and treatment can be obtained anywhere in the world. However, people affected by the disease and their families continue to be subjected to unjust social discrimination. Mr Sasakawa believes every possible means must be used to protect the basic human rights of these individuals.

The London Global Appeal 2009 is the latest in a series of decisive actions designed to change the way society has stereotypically thought about people affected by leprosy.