Social Contribution Activities (From CSR Report 2011)
Marubeni is committed to making meaningful contributions to local communities and broader society through various activities, including those undertaken through the Marubeni Foundation over the past 36 years.
In recent times, a growing number of employees have also joined volunteer efforts on their own initiative.
Priority Activities in Fiscal 2010
- Promote the social contribution of activities of Marubeni and Marubeni Group companies both in Japan and overseas
- Develop volunteer programs in which Marubeni Group employees can participate
Fiscal 2010 in Review
- During fiscal 2010, based on the "Basic Policy on Social Contribution Activities," the Marubeni Group again conducted social contribution activities in various areas.
- Employee participation in volunteer programs has been growing every year. In fiscal 2010, the number of participants in the Kanda Matsuri Festival showed a particularly significant increase.
Basic Policy on Social Contribution Activities
<Basic Principle>
In the spirit of "Fairness, Innovation, and Harmony," and being aware of our responsibility as a corporate citizen in the global community, we will actively pursue social contribution activities.
<Basic Policy for Activities>
From a universal perspective, we will adopt the following five priority areas: social welfare, international exchange, community contribution, global environment, and cultural support. We will also actively promote social contribution activities as a corporation, and support volunteer activities conducted by our executives and employees.
Specific Activity Policies
[Social Welfare]
Marubeni engages in a broad range of activities such as disaster relief, primarily through its support of the Marubeni Foundation, a social welfare corporation.
[International Exchange]
Marubeni engages in contribution activities for the international community, including personnel exchanges, with a focus on support through scholarships and donations overseas.
[Community Contribution]
Marubeni supports development activities and clean-up activities in local communities, focusing on volunteer activities conducted by our executives and employees.
[Global Environment]
In addition to our concern for the environmental impact of our business activities, Marubeni actively supports general environmental preservation.
[Cultural Support]
In addition to our cultural contributions through the Marubeni Collection, Marubeni extensively supports various cultural activities.
[Employee Support]
By planning and providing information on a range of programs, Marubeni supports volunteer activities in which employees can participate and keeps employees informed about such activities. We also improve and expand systems required for such activities, such as the Volunteer Leave System.
Marubeni Foundation
Since its establishment in 1974, the Marubeni Foundation has provided an annual contribution of 100 million yen in aid to social welfare facilities and organizations across Japan. In fiscal 2010, the Foundation provided 64 grants totaling 100 million yen to support a wide range of programs, including those for people with disabilities, elderly people and children, as well as programs to address contemporary social problems such as drug addiction and domestic violence.
Funding for the grants includes contributions from the 100 Yen Club, consisting of concerned present and former executives and employees who
make fixed monthly donations in multiples of 100 yen, and matching contributions by Marubeni. In fiscal 2010, a total of about 24.2 million yen was donated to the Foundation.
Marubeni Foundation website: http://www.marubeni.or.jp/ (Japanese only)
Marubeni's Worldwide Scholarship Funds
To support children's education and upbringing in emerging economies, Marubeni has set up scholarship funds, mainly in the ASEAN region. To date, total contributions to overseas scholarship funds have amounted to 3 million U.S. dollars in 6 countries. We strive to continue to fulfill our responsibilities as a member of the international community by providing financial assistance for education purposes.
- Marubeni Scholarship Foundation,Inc. (Philippines)
- Marubeni Educational Fund in Vietnam
- Yayasan Beasiswa Marubeni (Indonesia)
- Marubeni Cambodia Educational Foundation
- Marubeni Educational Foundation in Lao PDR
- Marubeni-Café Iguacu Scholarship Fund (Brazil)
Donations for Areas Struck by Disaster
Marubeni provides support by way of donations to regions that have been struck by disaster. In addition to corporate donations, in fiscal 2010 we called out to Marubeni executives and employees and raised an additional 440,000 yen from individuals for donation to the Japanese Red Cross Society.
Disaster Donations Made by Marubeni in Fiscal 2010 (* Including donations from individuals)
April 2010 / Earthquake in Qinghai Province, China /10 million yen*
August 2010 /Flood in Pakistan / 10 million yen*
August 2010 / Mudslide in Gansu Province, China / 10 million yen*
January 2011 / Flood in Australia / 10 million yen
March 2011 / Flood in Brazil / 5 million yen
March 2011 / Earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand / 50,000 NZD
Social Contribution Activities in Japan and Overseas by Marubeni and Marubeni Group Companies
Rehabilitating Textile Factories in Angora
Rendering of a renovated textile factory in Luanda
Marubeni won a general contract from Angola's Ministry of Geology, Mining and Industry to rehabilitate damaged textile factories in the three cities of Luanda, Benguela and Dondo. Through this project, we will help reconstruct and diversify the country's textile and agricultural (that is, cotton production) industries, which have been devastated by the longrunning civil war. We are also planning to help create job opportunities after the factory rehabilitation process is complete.
Under this project, we will install the latest equipment, including spinning, weaving, knitting, and dyeing machines, as well as utility facilities such as on-site power generation and wastewater treatment. In addition, we will offer necessary training to local employees to ensure the successful transfer of factory operations and maintenance know-how.
When finished, the project will enable Angola, which currently meets all its textiles needs through imports, to produce its own fabric for uniforms, shirts, jeans, towels and bed sheets.
Donating Baseball Equipment to Nigerian Children
Marubeni employee coaching Nigerian children in baseball
Baseball is the second most popular sport (after soccer) in Nigeria and the national team ranks second in the African league. However, many children cannot enjoy this popular sport because of the high cost equipment. When this fact came to the attention of a Marubeni baseball club member stationed in Nigeria, he took the initiative to collect donations of baseball gear from club members in Japan over a period of several month . When combined with contributions from club members outside of Japan, the amount of equipment collected weighed 100 kilograms and was then gifted to the Nigeria Baseball and Softball Association (NBSA). Marubeni's General Affairs Department and Marubeni Logistics Corporation cooperated in sending the equipment to Nigeria from Japan by air. NBSA expressed gratitude for the goodwill gesture and the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) also posted a press release about the donation on its website.
Donating a Portion of "BRAVO" Brand Banana Sales to Support Disaster-Affected Areas
"BRAVO" brand bananas
To support the independence of women and children in Asia, Africa, and other regions, 1% of the sales of our BRAVO brand bananas are donated to CARE International Japan. These bananas have been well-received by consumers since their launch in November 2008, largely because consumers appreciate the chance to make an international social contribution through the purchase of an everyday product.
In fiscal 2010, some 440,000 cases - approximately 12 million bunches - of BRAVO bananas were sold across Japan at more than 300 retailers belonging to the Daiei Group, giving rise to a donation of around 5.7 million yen.
Since March 30, 2011, a portion of the sales of the bananas - about 13 yen per case, or about 0.5 yen per bunch - has been donated to a relief fund for areas struck by the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake.
TABLE FOR TWO
Employees at the Tokyo Head Office help fund school lunch programs in famineridden developing countries by simply enjoying a healthy meal in the office cafeteria. Under the TABLE FOR TWO (TFT) program, a donation of 20 yen is included in the price of a healthy TFT meal. From the launch of this program at Marubeni in October 2010 to March 31, 2011, some 140,000 yen (including matching donations by Marubeni) had been raised, enough to provide school lunches to around 7,000 children.
Collection of Plastic Bottle Caps
We began collecting used plastic bottle caps in December 2010. Proceeds from the sales of collected caps will be used to purchase polio vaccines. A total of 45,600 caps had been collected as of March 31, 2011, enough to provide 57 vaccinations.
These activities have the added benefit of helping to promote employee awareness of social issues.
Collection of Unsent Postcards and Used Stamps
The Marubeni Group collects unsent postcards (unsent because the correspondent has made a mistake) and used stamps from employees, and donates them to different organizations. In fiscal 2010, 671 postcards and about 27 kilograms of stamps were collected. The postcards were donated to CARE International Japan, which supports the independence of women and children in Asia and Africa, while the used stamps were donated to the Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning (JOICFP), which promotes international cooperation for health education as well as maternal and child health in developing countries.
Clothing Donation Campaign
The Marubeni Group runs a campaign to collect unwanted clothing from Marubeni Group employees and their families to assist developing countries and areas struck by disaster. The collected clothing is donated to various places through the Japan Relief Clothing Center (JRCC).
Marubeni Collection
The Marubeni Group has a collection of about 600 paintings, around 400 classical costumes, and about 600 kimono design drawings, which are carefully conserved with the assistance of specialists and are sometimes loaned out for exhibitions. By ensuring these cultural heritage artifacts are preserved to be passed down to future generations, we hope to contribute to the development of art and culture.
Company Tours and Internships
Marubeni provides on-site tours to both student and adult groups. During fiscal 2010, 317 students from 21 schools and 5 adults toured our office. In addition, we hosted 2 trainees from the French National School of Administration (ENA), 2 graduate interns from Sabanci University in Turkey and 1 undergraduate intern from the University of Washington in the United States, who came to Japan as an exchange student.
Letter of Appreciation from Osaka Governor for Social Contribution Activities
SST session held in Marubeni office (2009)
In fiscal 2010, the governor of Osaka Prefecture awarded a letter of appreciation to Marubeni's Osaka Branch. The award represents the regional government's recognition of our outstanding social contribution activities, including ongoing cooperation with the Osaka Welfare Association for Children for its Social Skills Training (SST) program and Group companies' donations of daily items such as towels and clothes to children's homes. The SST program teaches children life skills such as how to manage their health, avoid legal problems, and protect themselves from unscrupulous businesses. Our Osaka Branch has been supporting this program together with other local corporations since 2007 as a way of giving back to the local community.
Volunteer Activities by Marubeni Group Employees
The Marubeni Group believes that the experiences gained by our employees through their personal participation in volunteer activities are important in the promotion of our corporate CSR activities. The Volunteer Promotion Team develops volunteer programs designed to let employees experience the enjoyment of volunteering. The goal of these initiatives is to boost employee awareness of social issues through volunteering, and to nurture better awareness of the importance of good corporate citizenship.
At Marubeni, new employees also participate in social contribution activities as part of their orientation. In fiscal 2010, 128 new recruits were engaged(ii) inserting translations into Japanese children books and sending the books to Afghanistan, and (iii) preparing materials for making rag toys and sending them to Cambodia under the guidance of guest instructors from three volunteer organizations. We received messages of thanks from donor recipients in Afghanistan and Cambodia.
Carrying the Omikoshi at the Kanda Matsuri Festival
On May 9, 2010, Marubeni volunteers carried an omikoshi (portable shrine) at the annual Kanda Matsuri Festival in Tokyo. The aim of our participation is help keep traditional culture alive so that it can be handed down to future generations, and to contribute to local communities. The 2010 festival attracted as many as 1,100 volunteer participants from the Otemachi and Marunouchi districts. From the Marubeni Group, 480 employees and executives wearing the same tenugui (a cotton towel worn on the head) joined the event, with some actually carrying the omikoshi, others walking alongside, and others providing traffic control.
Mt. Fuji Clean-Up Campaign
On September 4, 2010, 87 Marubeni Group employees and 20 international students took part in the Mt. Fuji Clean- Up Campaign, a volunteer program focused on the twin aims of environmental conservation and cultural exchange.
To gain better understanding of the biodiversity of the Mt. Fuji area in advance, the participants attended presentations from the nonprofit organization, Fujisan Club, at Marubeni's Tokyo Head Office 10 days before the event.
On the day of the event, the volunteers collected litter in the Senzui area of the mountain, located at an elevation of around 1,000 meters. As a result of the 75-minute activity, a truckload of trash, ranging from fragments of broken glass to large cans and car tires, was removed from the site. Following the clean-up, the Japanese and international participants enjoyed a barbecue and a Japanese bath.
Okutama Forest Thinning Volunteer Program
On October 2, 2010, 59 volunteers from the Marubeni Group participated in the Tokyo Greenship Action Program. We collaborate on this program in the Ome- Kaminariki Forest Conservation Area with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Bureau of Environment. The program allows participants to try their hand at tree thinning. After the instructor's briefing on the need for thinning and the status of forest management, participants worked to reduce tree density in the forest and to develop a mountain pass.
As part of the program, two naturethemed workshops to learn about creatures living in mountains and rivers were held with the participation of a number of families.
Arakawa River Clean Aid Program
On November 13, 2010, in collaboration with Daiei and Cedyna, Marubeni conducted clean-up activities and water quality testing in Akigase Park, Saitama City. A total of 140 participants, including 47 volunteers from the Marubeni Group, collected 24 bagfuls of trash and many large item of waste. They also examined the water quality of Arakawa River and reported the results to the event's organizer, the Arakawa Clean Aid Forum. One of the participants commented, "The event was a good experience for my family. My children were shocked by the amount and variety of the waste dumped in the river."
Clean-Up Osaka
On November 3, 2010, 200 employees of the Osaka Branch participated in the Clean-Up Osaka campaign and cleaned areas near the office building. The branch participates in the Osaka City Environment Bureau's annual event, which takes place on the same date. After the clean-up activity, a traffic safety seminar was provided by the Osaka Higashi Police Department.
Clean-Up Activities in Local Communities
Volunteers from the Nagoya Branch joined Nagoya Machi Pica for COP 10, a campaign to clean up the city to welcome attendees of the COP 10 convention. The branch also planted flowers as part of the Hana Omotenashi Campaign, organized by the Regional Development Committee of the Chubu Association of Corporate Executives.
At the Kyushu Branch, 14 people participated in the annual clean-up activity program held in December. Participants cleaned Kego Park near the office in Fukuoka City.
Support for Activities through the Volunteer Leave System
Marubeni has introduced the Volunteer Leave System (5 days per year) as a means of supporting employees who wish to participate in volunteer activities.
