February 2012

Rissho Kosei-kai Donate-a-Meal Fund for Peace
Announces Allocations for Fiscal 2012

The executive committee of Rissho Kosei-kai's Donate-a-Meal Fund for Peace, chaired by Rev. Yuji Numata, director of the organization's Dharma Missions Bureau, recently announced its grants for fiscal 2012. In Japan the fiscal year begins on April 1. A total of 308,147,000 Japanese yen, collected through the organization's annual Donate-a-Meal Movement, will be appropriated for various peace projects and programs such as the Dream Bag Project, the Japan Blankets for Africa Campaign, and the revival of Buddhism and Khmer culture in Cambodia. Many of the projects are implemented in collaboration with the United Nations and various NGOs.

Funds will be appropriated for the following nine categories: (1) poverty reduction, (2) refugee assistance, (3) environmental protection, (4) education, (5) social welfare, (6) emergency relief, (7) promotion and public relations of the Donate-a-Meal Movement, (8) administrative expenses of the Donate-a-Meal Movement, (9) others, including temporary assistance and reserve funds.

In the area of poverty reduction, the committee decided to allocate 119,286,000 yen for six projects, including one promoted by the United Nations World Food Programme to save Bhutanese children from serious food shortages, and medical projects for HIV/AIDS patients in Africa, which the Donate-a-Meal Fund for Peace promotes in collaboration with the Community of Sant'Egidio in Italy.

In the area of environmental protection, the committee decided to appropriate 10,010,000 yen for various projects and programs, including a project of the Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC) to promote agriculture, protect the environment, and develop village communities.

In the area of refugee assistance, the committee decided to allocate 67,520,000 yen for five programs, including humanitarian assistance projects in Afghanistan, Haiti, and other countries that the committee develops in collaboration with JEN (a Japanese multiorganizational nonprofit group), as well as financing shipment by the Dream Bag Project of small bags of useful gifts for children.

In the area of education, the committee decided to appropriate 31,995,000 yen for four programs, including the training of NGO employees, promoted by the Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC).

The Donate-a-Meal Movement is conducted in the Buddhist spirit of compassion, prayer, and giving. This year, in line with its general objective of "protecting the dignity of life," the executive committee of the Donate-a-Meal Fund for Peace developed a grants program that emphasizes poverty reduction, environmental protection, and refugee assistance. On the basis of Rissho Kosei-kai's experience with relief activities following the earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan in March 2011, the committee confirmed that it would also aid victims of future natural disasters in Japan and other countries, by sending relief supplies and volunteers.

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