True Colors Film Festival

Video Message

Greetings to cinema fans around the world. My name is Yohei Sasakawa. I serve as Chairman of The Nippon Foundation.

I have a vision of an inclusive society, one in which all people can be actively involved. To achieve this goal, I have engaged in various humanitarian activities. These include my effort to end stigma and discrimination against people affected by leprosy.

Many people with experience of leprosy appear in the documentary “The Last Mile: On the Road to Eliminate Leprosy,” which is being screened as part of the True Colors Film Festival under the theme of “One World One Family.”

Leprosy is curable, and the treatment is free. Yet the discrimination continues. Such discrimination has existed since the days of the Old Testament. Even today, people are rejected by their families, isolated from society, and deprived of their freedom.

We still have a long way to go to achieve a society in which people affected by leprosy feel included. To reach that goal, we need the support of as many people as possible. That includes you, the viewers of this film.

We are all part of the global human family. Let us work together to end the discrimination and stigma that still plague our society. And let us strive together to achieve a truly inclusive world.

*This video message is available at The Nippon Foundation YouTube.