[FYI] Environment pledge

Standard Charterd Bank, Africa 2008 Campaign Suppoter, promotes "Environment Challenge" as a part of "Greates Race on Earth"

---

Standard Chartered Bank is globally rolling out the ”Environment Challenge” as a part of the “Greatest Race on Earth (GROE)”.

Our “Environment Challenge” aims to encourage people to think and take personal action for the environment by participating in this programme. You can start with simple things, such as the pledge and action “I won’t leave the tap running while I am cleaning my teeth”. 

Your pledge will benefit both the environment overall and specific projects in the 3 countries which attract the most votes of support.

 Here are the simple and easy actions you need to take to participate in the programme.

Click on the picture below and make your pledges. (closing date: Monday, March 17)

1. Choose your environmental pledges; what you can do for the environment.
2. Select the country you want to support.
3. Input your personal information.
4. Enter.

---

as for detail, http://www.thegreatestrace.com/your_enviro_pledge/eng/

Africa Essay Competition start

(Jan.10, Tokyo) Africa 2008 Campaign start 'Africa Essay Competition'. The details are below;

I. Purpose
Japan hosts TICAD IV (Tokyo International Conference on Africa’s Development) in Yokohama in 2008 and G8 Summit at the Lake Toya in Hokkaido.  There is an increasing interestconcern about the African development and climate change, two major themes of these meetings.  This 'Africa Essay Competition' project provides the public an opportunity to think about the relationship between Japan and Africa in the age of climate change and to make a proposal on the way the relations should be in the future. 

II.  Outline of the Proposal
*Sponsor: Africa 2008 Campaign 

* Supported by: Africa Diplomatioc Corps in Japan, Asahi Newspaper, Asahi Newspaper for Students, Yokohama City, DFID/British Embassy Tokyo, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  UN Development Programme (UNDP)

*Cooperated by: Africa Rikai Project, Africa & Shumpei Kambe Fellowship, Community Action Development Programme (Can Do), Ehime Global Network, 

*Secretariat: Africa 2008 Campaign

*Schedule: 
-Entry: Thursday 10 January 2008 – Friday 14 March 2008
- Announcement of winners: Saturday 29 March 2008
- Award ceremony: weekend of the early April (near Tokyo) 

* judges:
-Mr Ichiro Aizawa (Member of the House of Representatives, secretary-general of Japan-AU Friendship Parliamentary League)
- Dr. Prof. Yasushi Katsuma (Director, Waseda University Institute of African Studies and Associate Professor, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda Universirsity)
- Mr. Ryoichi Kawaguchi (Executive Director, 150th Anniversary of the Port Opening & Creative City Headquarters, City Yokohama)
- Mr Michiya Kumaoka (Director at Japan International Volunteer Centre (former representative)) 
- Mr Tsuneo Kurokawa (Director General, Regional Department IV(Africa), JICA)
- Sir Graham Fry (the British Ambassador to Japan)
- Mr Jin Matsumoto (Journalist, ex-columnist of Asahi Newspaper)
-Mr Masaki Miyaji (former Advisor to Mitsubishi Corporation)
- H.E. Mr E.E.E. Mtango (Head of the African Diplomatic Corps in Tokyo/Ambassador of Tanzania)
- Mr Shun-ichi Murata (Representative of UNDP in Tokyo) 
- Mr. Yasuo Takase (Special Coordinator for Sub-Saharan African Affairs, MOFA)
- Mr. Akihiko Tsujimoto(Senior teacher at Musashino Municipal Daiichi Junior High School, Tokyo)
- Dr. Tatsuo Hayashi(Representative Director of Hottokenai Sekai no Muzushisa)

III. Content of the Essay Competition
The essay competition will be conducted in three categories. 
The central theme is “Africa and we in Japan”.  
The title will be created for each category under this central theme.

Section for elementary school pupils:
- 800words in Japanese
- title: “Message to Africa people striving for the better future"
- prize: "Grand Prix", “prize for excellence”, “prize of Mayor of Yokohama”( It will be selected from those who live in Yokohama)

Section for junior high school students:
- with 800-1200 words in Japanese
- title: “What Japan can do for Africa
- prize:  "Grand Prix", “prize for excellence”,  “prize of Mayor of Yokohama”(It will be selected from those who live in Yokohama) 

Section for general public:
 with 800-1200 words in Japanese
- title:“Japan – Africa relations in the age of climate change ”
- prize: "Grand Prix", “prize for excellence”,  “prize of the British Ambassador” 
* Thewinners of "Grand Prix" and "prize of the British Ambassador" will visit Africa during the Golden Week.  And Their reports aboutv the visit to Africa will be uploaded on asahi.com(http://www.asahi.com/) immediately before TICAD IV.

The award-winning essays will appear in asahi.com(http://www.asahi.com/).  Announcement of the competition and the article reporting the award ceremony may appear in Asahi newspaper. 

---

Contact
as for the datail, please go to Africa 2008 Cmapaign website (only Japanese)

Run for Africa

MARATHON PROJECT; “RUN FOR AFRICA”

---

To incite awareness toward Africa, Africa 2008 Campaign promotes "Run for Africa" T-shirts. Collaborating with Standard Chartered Bank, Africa 2008 Campaign supporters run with Mr. Henry Wanyoike, blind Marathon Runner from Kenya, and his escort runner, Mr. Joseph Kibunja. 

Campaign arranged the PR activities with the Public Cooperation Bureau of the Bank. Cooperating with Africa Club of Takushoku University, around 20 people joined the Marathon wearing the T-shirts.

Cofee Hour with African Ambassadors

World Bank Tokyo Office (PIC Tokyo) and TCSF have co-organized Coffee hour with African Ambassadors since 2005. Since April 2007 we hold it as a part of Africa 2008 Campaign. At the seminar African Ambassadors introduce their own countries. See below, the schedule of the 12^th Coffee Hour;

 

Lecturer： H.E. MR. DENNIS N. O. AWORI, AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA TO JAPAN

commentator：Ms. Asuka Fujita

Date：16^th Nov. 2007, 18:30-20:00

Venue: World Bank Public Information Center (PIC Tokyo)

SADC Ambassador Lecture@Kobe Gakuin University

Date: Fri. 16^th Nov. 2007 13:45 – 14:45

Place: KOBE GAKUINN University Port Island Campus, B-Bldg. 210

Lecturer: H. E. Mr. Marcel MULUMBA TSHIDIMBA, Ambassador of Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Japan

Theme: Toward African hope and future (will be translated from English into Japanese)

Target: Students of this university, faculty member, open to public (free, unnecessary application on ahead)

Sponsor: Law faculty of KOBE GAKUINN University