Final Push in Battle against LeprosyVariety of events including Bibliobattle Global Appeal to be delivered on January 26

Poster
Bibliobattle poster

The Nippon Foundation’s THINK LEPROSY NOW campaign to eliminate leprosy-associated prejudice and discrimination will hold a variety of events to coincide with World Leprosy Day, which will be observed this year on January 31. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Japan’s repeal of the Leprosy Prevention Law, which for many years forced leprosy patients into isolation. Another important milestone is the fact that Brazil – the only remaining country that has yet to meet the WHO’s definition of eliminating leprosy as a public health problem (i.e. below one case per 10,000 population) – is nearing the achievement of this goal.

The campaign’s main event will be the ceremony to deliver the Global Appeal to End Stigma and Discrimination against People Affected by Leprosy. Other scheduled events include a World Café networking event with people affected by leprosy from around the world, a Mankind Heritage World Conference to preserve the history of leprosy, a Bibliobattle competition to introduce books related to leprosy, and a photo exhibition.

From February, in cooperation with Junior Chamber International and organizations of people affected by leprosy, events to promote awareness of leprosy will be held in India, Brazil, and Indonesia using two videos produced by The Nippon Foundation (links below). An exhibition of paintings and drawings by former leprosy patients who still reside at national sanatoria has also been scheduled. The major events are as follows:

Think Now Leprosy videos:

Global Appeal 2016

January 26 (Tuesday); 10:00 – 18:00
The Sasakawa Peace Foundation Building
1-15-16 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
The Global Appeal to End Stigma and Discrimination against People Affected by Leprosy has been held to coincide with World Leprosy Day every year since 2006. This year, the 11th Global Appeal will be delivered together with Junior Chamber International (JCI), as a call to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against people affected by leprosy around the world. The morning will feature remarks by representatives of The Nippon Foundation, JCI, and other organizations, and the official delivery of Global Appeal 2016. An international symposium, “Discrimination and How to Prevent It: Lessons from Leprosy,” consisting of two panel discussions and a talk event, will be held in the afternoon.
Schedule: http://leprosy.jp/english/ga2016/

World Café: Let’s Start a Movement!

January 27 (Wednesday); 18:30 – 21:30
The Nippon Zaidan Building
1-2-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Photo
An orange, ribbon-shaped lapel pin has been created to represent the hope for a world without prejudice and discrimination

This session will provide a venue for direct dialog and interaction between people affected by leprosy from around the world and Japanese young people, to think about what can be done to eliminate discrimination. People affected by leprosy, most aged 20 to 50, from Japan, India, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Brazil, and China are scheduled to participate.

Mankind Heritage World Conference (sponsored by the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation)

January 28 (Thursday); 9:30 – 16:30 (The Sasakawa Peace Foundation Building)
January 29 (Friday); 9:30 – 17:30 (The Nippon Zaidan Building)
January 30 (Saturday); 9:30 – 13:45 (The Nippon Zaidan Building) The conference will bring together representatives from NGOs involved in preserving the history of leprosy from 20 countries around the world, to discuss how to preserve this history going forward. A Tokyo Declaration will be announced on January 30.

Bibliobattle: Social Book Review Game

January 31 (Sunday); 13:00 – 16:00
“umu” event space Roppongi
6-9-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Five “battlers” selected from the general public will give a five-minute presentation introducing a leprosy-themed book, and the audience and participants will vote to select a “champion book of the day” based on which book they most want to read. Former leprosy patient and IDEA Japan Chairman Miyoji Morimoto, author Durian Sukegawa, and actress and author Yuri Nakae are scheduled to attend as guests.

Photo Exhibition:

Think about leprosy, think about people

Tokyo:

January 29 – February 2 (Friday – Tuesday); 11:00 – 19:00
oo Square, Marunochi oazo 1F
1-6-4 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Osaka:

March 1– 5 (Tuesday – Saturday); 11:00 – 19:00
Twin21 Atrium
2-1-61 Shiromi, Chuo-ku, Osaka

Fukuoka:

March 9 – 13 (Wednesday – Sunday); 11:00 – 19:00
IMS Plaza
1-7-11 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka

Photo
Photograph taken at a sanatorium in India in 2010

Photographs by The Nippon Foundation photographer Natsuko Tominaga, with additional photographs by Nobuyuki Yaegashi and Akira Kurosaki, on the theme “Think about leprosy, think about people” will be displayed. The exhibit will feature 46 photographs of persons affected by leprosy taken by Ms. Tominaga in 17 countries over the past 14 years, and 25 photographs taken in Japan by Messrs. Yaegashi and Kurosaki.

Contact

Communications Department
The Nippon Foundation

E-mail
cc@ps.nippon-foundation.or.jp