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)

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

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)

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.

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)

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

*Each event was organized by each area's executive committee.

(1) Komagane, Nagano (29th Sep.)
JICA Komagane, a training center for Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, in Nagano on 29^th Sep. The main Host group are Society for Zimbabwe represented by Kumiko HAYASHIMOTO, and JICA Komagane. The timeschedule of the day was like below. 

10:30　Opening Ceremony
11:00　Soccer with ex-player on Yomiuri, Mr. Nahmo
13:00　Panel Discussion
15:10　Mbira concert
16:10　Djembe Workshop（Sabunyuma）
17:10　Dance Workshop
18:20　Presentation of Workshops
18:35　SabunyumaLIVE
19:00　Abrai・Sankhon& ASAKUI LIVE

(2) Matsuyama city, EHIME（7^th Oct.）

◇    

Venue: general community center in Matsuyama city

Admission: free

Program:
10:00 - 17:00 Africa Exhibition / African Cuisine / Fair Trade goods sales, etc.
10:00 - 11:30 African talk show 1 : Africa and Japan – toward TICAD ( tentative title)
13:00 - 14:30 African talk show 2 : Japan and Africa – Civil Society and NGOs ( tentative title)
15:00 -           BB Mofran African charity concert (charged)

Organized by Africa Caravan Executive committee in Matsuyama (represented by Ms. Yoshiko TAKEUCHI)

Secretariat : NPO Ehime Global Network http://www.egn.or.jp/

Co-sponsored by JICA Shikoku Branch

The next day, 8^th, an article on Mainichi News Paper

(3) Naha City, OKINAWA (20^th Oct.)

◇    

Venue: Sakurazaka Theatre

Organized by JICA Okinawa

• Name: 
• Title: 
• Affiliation: 
• Address: 
• Phone: 
• Fax:
• Email:

 PIC Tokyo
TCSF
Malawi Embassy
Kohei Yamada's website

This time we are asking you to send African people’s "Voices." These voices will be shared with people in Japan and the rest of the world.

Please send us your voices together with such information as your name (nickname is OK), country of citizenship, and occupation.
Your "voices" could be your appeals towards Japan and the rest of the World on what you are struggling in your own daily lives and your aspirations for the future.

*Please note your photos and messages will be used for the Campaign. If you do not wish to mention some of the information below, you can skip it.

::::::::::::::::::Form::::::::::::::::::::
*Please send us your photo if possible.
[Name]

[Country]

[Occupation]

[Age]

[Your voice]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[Deadline]
August 31, 2007 (Fri.)

[Contact] Africa 2008 Campaign Office (Ms. Hara & Ms. Nagashima)
E-MAIL： campaign@ticad-csf.net
URL ： http://www.africa2008.jp
* As for detail, please go to http://www.africa2008.jp/voice.pdf
* You can see the voices from http://voicefromafrica.blog.shinobi.jp/