Relief 2.0 Projects in Japan for August - December 2011

We are focusing our efforts in Japan in three main projects:

• Relief 2.0 Marketplace: A global on-line store of local goods and services from disaster areas offered to a global audience to reactivate their local economies. The original "Business Recovery as a Disaster Recovery Strategy Pilot in Japan" has now evolved into this marketplace and the shotengai businesses, as well as Oikawa Denim Y. K. will be included in its pilot.
   
• The Sustainable Recovery in Tohoku Photo Book series: A 3 volume photo book documenting the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the recovery process of the people of Tohoku. It is a testimony of the resilience of the Japanese people and the effectiveness of disaster recovery strategies based on participation, enabling, empowerment of the disaster survivors with dignity and self-reliance through the promotion of social business and entrepreneurship.
   
• Art Exhibit and Cultural Fair in Ishinomaki: A celebration of life, art, culture and entertainment to reactivate tourism and the economy of Miyagi Prefecture. Local tradition meets modern world, old and young generations together sharing a unique space of art exhibits, open market and live performances around Ishinomori Manga Museum at Ishinomaki’s Nakaze Island on the Old Kitakami river. Artists from Japan and the world will offer their creations for sale inside the museum while business owners, artisans and traders will offer their products on the open space around the museum to raise funds and to reactivate the local economy.

All three projects are defined as social business endeavors and are to be executed with a business-like approach, taking care to make them not just sustainable, but profitable so that their proceeds can be used to support the survivors and to fund additional initiatives and continuous operation.

In addition, we will continue to collaborate with the activities coordinated and promoted by the Women Help Women initiative, Grameen Creative Lab @ Kyushu University, Impact Foundation Japan and we will be supporting the upcoming TEDxTohoku conference next October.