March, 2012
Keidanren
In March 2012, the Committee on Corporate Philanthropy of Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) and 1% (One-Percent) Club, jointly published a document titled "Report on Relief Activities of the Business Community toward the People and Regions Affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake — Efforts for Mutual Assistance by the Business Community —." The report was compiled based on a questionnaire survey conducted in the fall of 2011 that covered all the member companies and organizations of Keidanren.
The report shows the following five points as key characteristics of the relief efforts by the business community.
- (1) Many companies and industrial associations provided great amount of support. The total contribution from the business community, including donation from employees and consumers, reached about 120 billion yen.
- (2) Companies and industrial associations conducted relief activities in many different ways by combining funds, supplies, manpower and knowledge while utilizing their resources in core businesses.
- (3) In addition to immediate aid relief, there are some cases in which long-term support over several years is committed.
- (4) With various types of support by companies, a total number of manpower days conducted by businesspersons volunteers amounted to over 180,000 .
- (5) Companies cooperated with the central and local governments and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to expand support activities.
Keidanren believes that continued relief efforts by companies are the key to restore the affected areas. Furthermore, companies, using the most of their business characters, are expected to promote self-sustaining recovery of the local economies.
For the purpose of ensuring readiness for future large-scale natural disasters, it is necessary to enhance the functions to collect and provide information on relief needs, to establish a system for matching and to consider strengthening intermediary support organizations for NGOs. In addition, the central and local governments should implement laws and regulations in a flexible manner under emergent situations.