Blogs

Interview about Relief 2.0's Phase 1 in Japan after the tsunami.

I was informed that Relief 2.0 Marketplace was the best business plan in the competition, however, as the student needed more exposure and opportunities, the winner was the student. I did not mind giving the student an opportunity for more exposure, however I am quite disappointed once again in the decision making process as a competition is a competition. If they want to run a social business plan challenge, they should pick the best business plan as I have told them, Relief 2.0 Marketplace does not need the money. We need feedback to improve our business plan.

Every time a disaster happens, a little part of me gets excited to learn more about what happened on the ground. The media coverage often paints a story of disaster, and most of the reporting is done at a macro level showing the destructive power of nature. Depending on the level of destruction, my curiosity usually makes me do some research and find out more. Through my travels, I meet people from around the world and I try my best to contact them.

Danessa Santana and Jay Aponte, Art Directors at Cumbre Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, are working pro-bono on the re-design and final layout of Relief 2.0 Photo Book - Volume 1: Disaster Strikes to be published shortly in 3 languages with images of the impact of the earthquake and tsunami, disaster response and early initiatives for sustainable recovery with inclusion, dignity, generation of opportunities and distribution of wealth.

I have often been asked what do I think of the Japanese and Chilean governments refusal to accept foreign assistance after the 2011 and 2010 earthquakes that affected extended areas and disrupted the lives of thousands of people in both countries. Having lived in Chile and Japan and having spent significant time in the field as part of relief operations of disaster areas as disparate as Japan, Dominican Republic and Haiti, I can probably provide some light on this question from a very generic and global perspective and at the same time very practical one.

The Colombian Embassy donated to Relief 2.0 the proceeds raised during the Colombian Independence Day celebration at Hibiya Park, Tokyo, last July and other sources. The formal donation ceremony took place at a fund raising dinner and party organized by the residents of Oakwood Premiere Tokyo Midtwon, thanks to the courtesy of Amy Hanashiro.

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

• Relief 2.0 Marketplace.
• The Sustainable Recovery in Tohoku Photo Book series.
• Art Exhibit and Cultural Fair in Ishinomaki.

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.

Our friend Kaori Brand and United Nations University have shared this inspirational video of the role of business and community together in the sustainable recovery process of Japan.

On Sunday July 10, a field team of Women Help Women and Relief 2.0 paid a visit to an amazing an inspiring woman, a testimony of the resilient and unbreakable spirit of the Japanese women and the Tohoku survivors. This is the story told by Ann Sado.

Oikawa Denim Y.K. is a truly amazing company with Mrs. Hideko Oikawa as the visionary, entrepreneurial CEO, having an indomitable spirit in times of hardship and crisis as the Tsunami-Earthquake that hit this mountainous coastal region of Motoyoshi-cho, about 1 hour south of Kesennuma city itself.