Announcement of Partnership with Valuable 500

Video Message

Mr. Paul Polman, Chair of The Valuable 500, Ms. Caroline Casey, Founder of The Valuable 500, and Mr. Jeff Dodds, COO, Virgin Media.

The Nippon Foundation has been in constant pursuit of supporting persons with disabilities around the world since our establishment in 1962. I myself have committed to activities towards the eradication of leprosy and discrimination that it brings for more than 40 years as my lifework. Whether it be disability support or support for persons affected by leprosy, all of our activities are based on our keen desire to realize an inclusive society. I am a firm believer that the solutions lie where the problems lie. So, I would like to spend a few moments to share some of my firsthand field-based experiences.

It used to be considered a disgrace use sign language in public instead of the oral method in Vietnam. At that time that I met many people with hearing disabilities who immediately stopped signing when I passed by. In order to revive the use of sign language as the primary source of communication, we established an integrated school system from primary to tertiary levels where deaf children would be able to study proudly in sign language. Sign language has since brought about empowerment of deaf people with more opportunities for social participation, some being university professors. Bilingual deaf education is gaining momentum in Asia today. It took 20 years to come this far.

But at the same time, I realized the challenges facing deaf people around the world in accessing to postsecondary education. We therefore established a scholarship program at Gallaudet University and Rochester Institute of Technology in the United States for them to provide the higher education required for their advancement. This eventually resulted in a creation of a multinational network that is active even today after 30 years.

I have met many people in South Eastern Asian countries who had lost their limbs from either landmines, terrorist activities, or traffic accidents. To help these people regain their confidence and dream, we established a program to train local medical professionals capable of making prosthetic and orthotic devices of international standard in six countries. To date, we have been able to provide assistive devices and services to many people leading the way to their increased social participation.

Now a little about leprosy. The history of leprosy goes back even to days before the Old Testament. I was shocked to learn of the most inhumane discrimination towards persons affected by leprosy throughout the world. My first reaction was that I must visit these ostracized people. The majority of them live in the remotest parts of the world escaping from the social discrimination. In the deep innermost areas of the Amazon, on remote islands, and in the scorching desert… In 2010, I took the issues to the United Nations General Assembly where the resolution to eliminate discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their families was approved. Yet my struggle with discrimination for over 40 years is yet halfway complete.

Having spent a major part of my life in supporting marginalized people left behind the mainstream of society, I am fully convinced that supporting minority disability groups just by reaching out to public institutions such as governments and the United Nations will not bring about effective social change. Unless the majority of the society changes, the world will never change. The initiative of The Valuable 500 is the first challenge towards of bringing inclusion commitment into the global CEO community through the promotion of disability employment based not simply on the concept of social welfare.

Social participation for persons with disabilities means to be able to work and to become taxpayers. Work blossoms talents leading the way to self-confidence, pride, and happiness. A new work environment is created when diverse groups of people, with or without disabilities interact freely and take action. The initiative of The Valuable 500 coincides with my conviction. I am very happy that we, The Nippon Foundation can cooperate with The Valuable 500 as its Global Impact Partner. I sincerely hope that we will be able to be a “game-changer” in order to realize a better world, an inclusive society, together by using this new initiative of The Valuable 500 to its full capacity. Thank you.

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