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Social Action and Principles
| Sustainability: | We pursue activities that can be maintained continuously, taking a long-term, conservative view. |
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| Efficiency: | We endeavor to undertake activities with high cost-effectiveness in order to maintain them without incurring waste. |
| Due diligence: | When we make a donation, we carefully consider whether or not it is of real social value. |
| World view: | We contribute not just in Japan but to the international community as well. |
| Skills: | We make our services and the skills of employees developed in the information communications market useful to communities. |
■Easy Internet Classes that Benefit the Individual and the Community
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Key Events to Date The 3rd Easy Internet Class - Let's try making New Year Cards using the Internet! November 19, 2005, NTT Azabu Seminar House The 4th Easy Internet Class - Let's make a blog! February 4, 2006, Iitate Village, Fukushima The 5th Easy Internet Class - Let's learn about the world using the Internet! June 24, 2006, NTT Azabu Seminar House |
■A Company volunteer assisting participants one on one |
■(5th Easy Internet Class) Reiko Hirai and children in Afghanistan |
The Social Contribution Working Group, inaugurated in 2004 to enable NTT Communications employees to plan and carry out social contribution measures on their own initiative, continued the Easy Internet Classes with the aim of eliminating the digital divide.
The 4th Class was held with the cooperation of Iitate Village in Fukushima, to span the digital divide in a depopulated village that is shut off by deep snow in the winter. This was the first class to be held in a rural area. Thirty-two people responded to the announcement for the class, with participation from elementary school children to seniors in their 70s. Together they learned how to make a blog with 15 volunteers from the Company. Those who took part were very satisfied with the program, and when filling in the questionnaire after the class, 100% of the participants responded that they enjoyed it.
The 5th Class was conducted with an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) phone link between Japan and Afghanistan, with cooperation from Peace Winds Japan (PWJ), a non-profit organization (NPO) that provides emergency assistance in all regions of the world. Twenty-one people took part, including elementary and junior high school children and their parents. After learning background knowledge about Afghanistan from the Internet, they put questions to Reiko Hirai from the PWJ Afghanistan office. The first question that the children asked her was, “What do you think Japan can learn from Afghanistan?” Ms. Hirai answered, “I feel that Japan has come to take peace for granted.” The adults who took part also seemed moved by this exchange. In the blog-writing class at the end, the children wrote their impressions of the day. In their blogs the children wrote frank comments like: “It's fantastic that we can talk to people in a faraway country over the Internet!” and “I want to learn more about Afghanistan.” The program gave them a real sense that using the Internet can bring the world closer.
For fiscal 2006, we are planning to run a program for refugees living in Japan, and we intend to continue to take active steps in the future towards bridging the digital divide.
“The class was very effective in bridging the digital divide.”
Makoto Sugioka
General Affairs Section
Iitate Village Office
Iitate village is the very image of a mountain farming village surrounded by nature and greenery, located on the northern edge of Abukuma Mountains in Fukushima Prefecture. But the village has been slow to establish an IT infrastructure, and bridging the digital divide has become a serious problem.
We thought it was a good chance for the villagers to learn how to publish information easily, starting with the means already available to them, and so we held the Easy Internet Class sponsored by NTT Communications.
The response exceeded our expectations. After the class, there were people who put up a blog right away (in their 50s!), and people from the village and from outside who got in touch to ask us when the next class would be. As an administrator, I want to investigate our ICT needs further, and bring this to bear on the policies and running of the village.
“Japanese businesses should be more involved with the international community.”
Reiko Hirai
Head of Mission
PWJ Afghanistan
It's been nearly five years now since the collapse of the Taliban government. Unfortunately, Afghanistan is getting less exposure in the Japanese media. But the situation there is still as difficult as before. As one of the people involved in assistance here, I'm very anxious that interest in Afghanistan might wane.
Recently, we were able to show everybody the actual situation here in a faraway country using the Internet and to let everybody see the significance of international aid thanks to the facilities and know-how of NTT Communications. For me, actually here in Afghanistan, the comments left on the blog were a great encouragement.
I hope that opportunities for Japanese companies to work towards international contributions will increase, using their own personnel, resources, know-how, and networks as members of the international community, as we saw with this social contribution program.
“I'm really glad I took part in this program.”
Takahito Iguchi
(Company Volunteer Leader)
Net Business Division
“Oh, look at that!”
The screen changed, and a babble of excitement broke out as Ms. Hirai, whose photo I had just shown to everybody, appeared on the screen.
“Okay!”
That's surely what many of the Company volunteers thought to themselves. It was 6,000 km from Japan, and a completely different land from Japan. Although we had tested it many times, there was no guarantee we would get a reliable link.
More than anything, seeing those children gathered in front of the screen and looking forward to what would happen next, there's no doubt that everybody was thinking “What are we going to do if we can't get a link...?”
Fortunately these fears proved groundless, and the question and answer session using the IPTV finished without incident.
In the comments on the blogs we taught at the end of the class, the children who took part wrote all of their impressions.
“I was really impressed!” and “I want to try other things too!” When I read these straightforward impressions that only children would write, they reminded me of all the efforts of the Company volunteers, working late to prepare the materials for that day, testing the connection, negotiating matters with PWJ, and everything else.
Also, I was really glad I took part in this program. I want the social contribution program to continue in the future, and I want to keep taking part in it.
■Operational Backup for the NPO Database, NPO Hiroba
■NPO Hirobahttp://www.npo-hiroba.or.jp/ (Japanese only)
Demands for more information on the operations of NPOs in each region and category are mounting on a daily basis. In every community, more and more people want to know more about NPOs working to provide social services and improve life in their community. Others want to know how to contact NPOs that support the arts in specific regions. Still others who are solicited for donations by an NPO engaged in nature conservation may wish to compare its performance with those of similar NPOs to make decisions.
To provide a forum for dialogue between the community, NPOs, and private enterprises, in April 2001 the Japan NPO Center* established NPO Hiroba. NPO Hiroba is a website that incorporates a searchable database listing nationally accredited NPOs in Japan. NTT Communications launched the NPO Hiroba site and provides ongoing operational backup for the site using SecureSmartAccess, the Company's exclusive online service. With NPO Hiroba, information about the activities and current status of NPOs and other community organizations is now at everyone's fingertips. This unique resource enables any interested citizen or enterprise to learn about and take part in NPO activities, contributing to the development and growth of NPO activities across Japan.
●Total number of organizations registered on NPO Hiroba (as of August 2006): The 26,363 accredited NPOs as of March 31, 2006 in Japan were all registered by August 2006 whereas 3,150 were registered at the time of establishment of NPO Hiroba.
* Japan NPO Center: The center was established to provide a strong base for the activities of NPOs that transcends divisions of category and region, supporting these organizations' efforts to build a better society for all, and to establish a partnership between private enterprises, government, and regional organizations.
■Used-PC Donation Program
As a company that contributes to the community as well as undertaking environmental protection and recycling, NTT Communications Corporation has donated a total of 1,490 PCs that are no longer used in the Company to regional agencies and NPOs.
In October 2003 and in December 2005 respectively, 793 and 98 used PCs were donated to joint workshops and NPOs for persons with disabilities across Japan through e-elder, an NPO.
The work of refurbishing the PCs was entrusted to organizations such as Yume Group Workshop, a social welfare corporation that operates workshops employing persons with disabilities. Here, the PCs are refurbished to like-new condition and the data on the hard disks is returned to when it was first installed, creating employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. We intend to continue carrying out this program into the future.
*OCN Pay On: This payment service allows subscribers of OCN to purchase digital content and pay service fees along with their regular OCN charges. The system is simple and easy to use, as subscribers simply enter their OCN ID and password−no extra procedures are required.
■JOLLY'S magazine, a Support Website for Guide Dog Training
■JOLLY'S magazineA support website for guide dog training http://www.ocn.ne.jp/jolly/charity/ (Japanese only)
The JOLLY'S magazine site on OCN presents a wealth of information about guide dogs, as well as raises funds online to support the activities of the Japan Guide Dog Society, which conducts a range of activities aimed at enabling the blind and visually impaired to participate fully in their communities. Visitors to the site can select the amount they wish to donate, ranging from ¥100 to ¥1,000, and submit payment using the OCN Pay On* electronic payment service. To encourage giving, the site offers all donors selected OCN original content free of charge.
As of August 2006, donations to the Japan Guide Dog Society have topped ¥3 million, for which the Japan Guide Dog Society and NTT Communications are sincerely grateful.
*OCN Pay On: This payment service allows subscribers of OCN to purchase digital content and pay service fees along with their regular OCN charges. The system is simple and easy to use, as subscribers simply enter their OCN ID and password−no extra procedures are required.
■NPO Accessibility Support Program Contest
■NPO Accessibility Support Program award ceremony
As part of its activities to promote the accessibility of information, services, and software for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, NTTPC Communications Inc., started its NPO Accessibility Support Program contest in July 2005. This was planned in conjunction with the NPO e-elder, and NPOs around the country were invited to submit proposals for improving the accessibility of their websites in a contest format, with the winning programs being awarded a financial contribution for building the site and related support.
For the first competition, there were 59 applications from NPOs ranging from public health, medical, and welfare related groups to NPOs involved in community building and social education. From among these, 14 groups were selected and subsidies were provided for their activities. Moreover, with interest growing in these specific activities for bridging the digital divide, sponsorship for the program was obtained in 2006 from the Information and Communications Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), the Mainichi Newspapers, and other backers. The Company will continue the program in the future.
■Tours of the Submarine Cable Laying Vessel “Subaru” and Submarine Cable Archives
As a company that lays submarine cables, NTT World Engineering Marine Corporation (WE Marine) offers tours of its submarine cable laying vessel “Subaru” between operations in order to publicize its mission in linking regions separated by the oceans. In fiscal 2004, the ship was opened for tours before starting operations to lay optical cable between the main island of Okinawa, Miyako Island, and Ishigaki Island. Some 200 local people came aboard the ship, including students and local residents. The visitors appreciated this rare opportunity to see uncommon equipment such as the onboard cable tank, filled with coils of optical cable, burying equipment, and underwater robot, gaining a valuable insight into the work of laying submarine cables.
Moreover, WE Marine has established the Submarine Cable Archives in Nagasaki, the home port of the “Subaru,” with exhibits on the methods and history of submarine cable laying operations. Tours of the museum are provided. Built in 1896, the building which houses the museum is a rare example of Meiji Period brick architecture and is designated as a protected cultural property of Nagasaki Prefecture.
■Children enjoying a tour of the bridge
■Interior view of the Submarine Cable Archives
■Exterior View of the Submarine Cable Archives
■Confectionery Made at Workshops for Persons with Mental Illness Sold in Company Kiosks
At NTT Communications, confectionery produced at joint workshops for persons with mental illness is sold in kiosks within the Company around St. Valentine's Day and on similar occasions.
With this small step, begun in 2004, employees are helping to support the self-help activities of persons with mental illness by the simple and enjoyable act of purchasing hand-made, delicious confectionery. Besides gaining popularity for its taste, the confectionery also attracted the employees' attention to the pamphlet of the joint workshops placed in the sales booth. An employee commented, “I feel my view has widened, now that I know there are so many people with mental health problems and yet so cheerful and forward-looking, which makes me encouraged, too.” NTT Communications will continue this event in the future as one of the steps of our social contribution in which everybody can take part easily.
■Employees buying confectionery at a Company kiosk
“Nothing is more encouraging than to hear that it tastes good.”
Ryoko Kogure
Staff Member
“2nd Work in Asuka”Joint Workshop
for Persons with Mental Illness
(Parent Organization: Asukakai NPO)
Mental illness is something that can happen to anybody, and there are about 2.6 million people in Japan with mental health problems at present. Not only is it difficult for sufferers to recover from their condition and return to a normal life, there is also little understanding of mental illness in society as a whole. Joint workshops play an important role in helping with this rehabilitation, allowing people to get back into the rhythm of life and providing training for finding work. Our activities at “2nd Work in Asuka” joint workshop are focused on producing and selling cakes and other sweets.
When we first visited NTT Communications, it was our first experience of selling to a major corporation, and we had no idea how it would go. Three of our workshop members and two staff members went to NTT Communications in quite a state of trepidation. Thanks to the publicity provided in advance by the Company, sales went very well, and our special confectionery for St. Valentine's Day, as well as our regular pound cakes, brownies, and cookies sold out in just two hours. We and the workshop members were very glad that we went to all the trouble. When we reported back to the members who stayed back at the workshop making cakes, they were amazed and thrilled at how good sales were.
Having the opportunity to sell our goods at a public company market not only expanded our market, it brought our members greater confidence. It was also important in raising awareness and understanding of the activities of our workshop. I hope that through further opportunities like this in the future, the scope for participation by people with mental illness will increase, and prejudice against them will gradually fade away.
■Matching Gift Program: Activities at Overseas Group Companies
■NTT America employees wearing shirts featuring the shining-arc logo
Twice a year, NTT America, Inc. raises funds through in-house sales of goods carrying the NTT Communications logo. Proceeds from the sale and the company's matching gift go to the United Way, a coalition of charitable organizations operating worldwide, which collects contributions from local communities and distributes them according to local priorities.
This charity sale program helps the Company to raise more funds for the organizations, as corporate donations are added in propotion to employee donations made through purchasing merchandise.
The matching gift arrangement is a commonly used approach in the United States to encourage employees to support charitable causes, empowering them with the knowledge that they are playing an active part in driving the donation process forward.
NTT America's year-round matching gift program to support individual philanthropic contributions of employees has also been very successful and nicely complements the company's charity sale program.
■Supporting Special Free Dial Services for Refugees
The Japan Association for Refugees is an NPO that provides direct support for individual refugees staying in Japan. Every month, the association receives urgent enquiries from many refugees. Refugees may have no money at hand, and to enable them to consult the association by phone without worrying about the cost, NTT Communications set up a special free dial service for refugees (0120-477472, domestic calls only), defraying part of the cost of operation. We started providing this service on April 12, 2006.
“The free dial service lets us communicate with refugees.”
Shiho Tsutsui
Secretary General
Japan Association for Refugees (NPO)
As in other countries, refugees are fleeing persecution in their own countries and coming to Japan from overseas, and every year more than 300 people seek the protection of the Japanese Government. Many of these refugees have nobody to rely on, and because they don't understand Japanese, they find it hard to communicate. They face many barriers like not knowing how to get information about the procedures for applying for asylum.
Right after the special free dial service for refugees was set up, as we had hoped, we got comments from the refugees like, “I'm glad that I can consult you without having to worry how many coins or phone card points are left.” Also, “When I have to save on food everyday, it's a real help that my phone charges are less.” I'm grateful that NTT Communications carried out a project like this as part of their social contribution activities, and I hope this program will be an opportunity for NTT Communications employees to take an interest in the refugee problem.
Social Contribution Pages on Our Website (http://www.ntt.com/community/)
See our website for details and updates on NTT Communications' social contribution activities (Japanese only).