Bringing Africa Closer to the Rest of the World through the DITLA Project
High Praise for Olympus'Efforts to Bring People Together
Many of the world's most impoverished least developed countries (LDCs) are located in sub-Saharan Africa. These are also the countries that are furthest away from the achievement of the international targets defined in Millennium Development Goals. When conflicts and famines occur in these countries, the effects also spread to neighboring countries. Floods of refugees can trigger political instability, and conditions in some countries also provide fertile ground for the growth of terrorism. Delegates to the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) in May will discuss support measures designed to overcome these problems and lead to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. In addition to official development aid from governments, private sector investment also has an important role to play in development in these countries. However, companies and banks are unwilling to put money into high-risk investments. Through its activities in 166 countries, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has built an extensive resource of detailed local knowledge, project experience and knowledge, and risk reduction expertise. We can be a powerful partner for private sector businesses.
I see Olympus as a company with a strong commitment to people-to-people links. The DITLA project has helped to bring Africa closer to the rest of the world, including Japan, and to create bonds at the human level. HIV/AIDS continues to spread. We want Olympus to continue with this campaign, and to contribute in its core areas of expertise, including imaging technology and medical equipment. I am sure that we can discover ideal projects by combining our information.
Director, United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) Tokyo Office
Shun-ichi Murata
Shun-ichi Murata was born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1953. After completing a doctoral degree in international politics and economics at George Washington University, he completed a masters course in public administration at the Harvard Kennedy School. He has served in UNDP offices in various parts of the world, including Uganda, Sudan and China and has many years of experience in Africa. Before taking office as UNDP Representative in Japan in November 2006, Mr. Murata previously served as UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Mongolia and the Philippines, as United Nations and UNDP Resident Representative in Bhutan, and as a professor at Kwansei Gakuin University.
Comments from Staff Involved in the Establishment of the DITLA Project
Minoru Matsuzaki,
Manager, CSR Department
Corporate Social Responsibility Division
I happened to be working for Olympus in the United States when planning for the DITLA project began. It was just after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and many photographers were feeling depressed because of all the terrible images that they had been asked to capture. The photographers that we spoke to jumped at the chance to try a new photographic challenge. The photographers, organizations and agencies that joined the project also supported the idea of donating all proceeds for use in HIV/AIDS education. The relationship with United Nations grew out of the photographic exhibitions staged by Olympus in Japan. The Japanese office of the UNDP informed their headquarters in New York about the exhibition. Both Olympus and the UNDP agreed that the event was highly significant in terms of the Millennium Development Goals, and it was decided to stage an exhibition at the United Nations headquarters. This was the start of a continuing collaborative relationship with United Nations agencies.
This project is significant because it has allowed Olympus to
use its technology and business activities to contribute to the solution of the
world's problem in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) and other United Nations agencies and international organizations. Olympus
will continue to seek opportunities to contribute to the solution of social problems
from a global perspective through initiatives that match its characteristics
and capabilities.
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