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| Sony undertakes a wide variety of social contribution activities to help address the needs of communities in regions around the world where Sony conducts business. Sony strives to have a positive impact through these activities by making effective use of its resources, namely, its technologies, products, business activities and personnel. |
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Social Contribution Activities
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As expressed in the key phrase "For the Next Generation," Sony places a priority on activities in two areas: promoting education for children—the next generation— and contributing to the building of a sustainable society. In the area of education for children, Sony focuses on providing support for science education, a priority set by one of Sony's founders, Masaru Ibuka, and for arts education in the areas of music and film, which allows Sony to use its vast entertainment resources. Through such efforts, Sony endeavors to encourage children's awareness of and interest in science and the arts, and to enhance their capacity for logical thinking and creativity.
As a company with worldwide operations, Sony also strives to fulfill its responsibilities as a global corporate citizen by providing emergency disaster relief and by implementing various activities in association with international agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
Sony also has a global in-house volunteer program titled Someone Needs You, the aim of which is to encourage employee involvement in efforts to help local communities. Under this program, Sony Group companies create volunteer programs tailored to local needs and encourage continued employee participation in the community. In fiscal 2006, approximately 23,000 Sony Group employees participated in volunteering activities. |
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| Following in the footsteps of Sony's Co-founder
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| In Sony's Founding Prospectus, one of Sony's founders, Masaru Ibuka, defined the enhancement of scientific literacy as one of the company's missions. Thirteen years after Sony's establishment, he set up the Sony Fund for the Promotion of Science Education to support primary schools that pursue excellence in science education. Mr. Ibuka was convinced that promoting science education would be critical for the recovery of postwar Japan and that science education for children was the key.
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Research presentation by schools assisted under the Sony Fund for the Promotion of Science Education (1982)
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Structure
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| Sony's Social Contribution Committee, located at its corporate headquarters in Tokyo, implements programs in accordance with Sony Group's social contribution policies. Group companies and six Sony foundations around the world spearhead a variety of activities designed to address local needs and encourage employees to play an active role in their communities. |
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| The Sony Group's Social Contribution Organization |
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Activities during Fiscal 2006
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In addition to its ongoing education-oriented programs, during fiscal 2006 Sony worked with such organizations as the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Médecins Sans Frontières with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in mind, to build public awareness of third-world country poverty (the rebuilding of villages after the 2005 Pakistan Earthquake) and the spread of infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS in Africa), in the belief that understanding such issues is the first step in the aid process. In these activities, effective use was made of Sony's digital cameras and digital imaging technologies, as well as such resources as the Sony Building, located in Tokyo's Ginza district.
Sony also launched a new program, Sony Student Project Abroad (China), aimed at furthering understanding of Japan among high school-age children in China.
When Sony moved its headquarters in winter 2006/2007, it donated DVD players, televisions and other equipment and fixtures made redundant by the move for use in the activities of various nonprofit organizations (NPOs). Sony also donated conference room desks and other fixtures to a volunteer center for disaster relief following a major earthquake in Japan's Noto peninsula area.
Employee Volunteer Initiatives |
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| Collecting donations at the Sony Building |
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Sony Group employees engage in fund-raising efforts for disaster relief agencies and NGOs. The cooperation of Group financial services companies Sony Bank Inc. and Sony Finance International, Inc., has made it possible for employees in Japan to make donations by bank transfer and credit card. The introduction of donations using Edy, a prepaid electronic money service incorporating FeliCa, Sony's contactless IC card technology, in fiscal 2006, has enabled even more employees to participate in fund-raising efforts.
To support employee volunteer initiatives, Sony Corporation revised its employee volunteer support system in April 2007, making it easier for employees to volunteer by allowing them to accumulate holidays for use in initiatives requiring extended leaves of absence. |
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| A Sony employee making a donation using Edy |
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Expenditures for Social Contribution Activities in Fiscal 2006
During fiscal 2006, the Sony Group spent approximately ¥4.0 billion on social contribution activities*1. Sony's activities focused on education, particularly science education, as well as the arts, music and culture. The remainder was spent in communities around the world where Sony is active, on social contribution activities that make good use of Sony's resources, such as technology and products. |
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| *1 Expenditures for social contribution activities include: (a) donations in cash; (b) sponsorships; (c) program expenses (operating cost of museums); (d) market values of contributed products; (e) employee support; and (f) renting of facilities, calculating the value of opening facilities for regional activity use based on facility rental fees. |
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| Social Contribution Expenditures by Field (Fiscal 2006) |
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| Social Contribution Expenditures by Region (Fiscal 2006) |
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*2 Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea
*3 Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa and Oceania |
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For the Next Generation
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Helping Children Realize Their Dreams |
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Science
Sony Science Education Program for Children and Sony Preschool Education Program for Children Sony Foundation for Education |
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The Sony Foundation for Education strives to foster children's curiosity and creativity through science. The Foundation does this with the aim of helping children in Japan grow into individuals who are always open to challenges.
One of the Foundation's principal activities is the Sony Science Education Program for Children, which has promoted science education for children continuously since its inception in 1959 as the Sony Fund for the Promotion of Science Education. Elementary and junior high school teachers submit education plans to apply for the program, which is aimed toward fostering an appreciation for the sciences among children. As a part of the program, particularly outstanding efforts are honored and educational subsidies are granted. To date, the program has received essays from more than 10,000 schools and honored nearly 5,000 schools.
Believing that to cultivate sensitivity and creativity we must nurture enquiring, scientific thinking during early childhood, the Sony Preschool Education Program for Children has supported educational activities for children between the ages of three and five since 2002. In addition to providing funds to the nursery school and kindergarten teaching staff nationwide, the Foundation strives to promote awareness of these activities by presenting outstanding examples on its website. |
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| Elementary schools are honored under the program |
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Wellspring of Science Inspiration - Children's Schoolhouse of Dreams Sony Foundation for Education |
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The Foundation strives to foster children's curiosity and creativity through science. The Foundation does this with the aim of helping children grow up into individuals who are always open to new challenges.
In 2005, the Foundation sponsored the first "Wellspring of Science Inspiration - Children's Schoolhouse of Dreams" program. Led by Dr. Hideki Shirakawa, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the program is comprised of a variety of science-related activities aimed at helping children learn from nature and increase their understanding of humanity.
In his opening presentation on the first day of the program, Dr. Shirakawa shed light on the program's central theme of "learning from nature." The program began with the students dividing into several groups, each including children in different school years, and choosing topics to study over the remaining 5 days. Among the unique topics selected were: "Why are wall lizards able to climb straight-standing trees?" and "What sorts of insects do ants drag back to their nests?" After discussing their chosen topics, the groups set about to conduct research. On the final day, the groups presented their findings. The children had a great deal of fun during the 5-day program as they explored nature and attempted to discover answers to their questions. |
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Environmental Conservation Activities |
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| In South Korea, the Sony Group engages in environmental conservation activities throughout the year. In fiscal 2004, Sony ran three water source cleanup campaigns, engaged in other environmental conservation activities and held a children's eco-camp. The camp has been held seven times since it started in 2001, with between 80 and 100 children participating each time. At the camp, the children conduct field studies, learn how to contribute to environmental conservation and enjoy outdoor sports in natural surroundings. |
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| Children learning about environmental conservation at an eco-camp |
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Sony Wonder Technology Lab Sony Corporation of America |
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Sony Corporation of America (SCA) operates the Sony Wonder Technology Lab (SWTL), a hands-on communication, technology and entertainment museum located at SCA's corporate headquarters in midtown Manhattan. Through its permanent exhibits and innovative programs, including science and technology workshops, ongoing screenings and associations with well-respected local nonprofit and educational institutions, SWTL aims to educate and cultivate the next generation of visionaries who will help shape the future of media, entertainment, science and the arts. Visitors to SWTL can explore the worlds of computers, television, games, music, film and digital technology, as well as attend high-definition video screenings in the Lab's 73-seat HD Theater.
In 2006, more than 200,000 people visited SWTL, an increase of 7% from 2005. The year brought close to 50,000 students from more than 1,200 schools in New York and neighboring states to the Lab, of which nearly 2,500 took part in guided educational tours focused on the theme of "communications technology." This theme was chosen specifically to support current school curricula consistent with national, state and New York City learning standards. |
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| Trying out the latest technology at the Sony Wonder Technology Lab |
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National Undergraduate Electronic Design Contest (China) |
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| This contest, in which teams of three university students design and create an electronic circuit, is held every two years through a joint cooperative effort between Sony and China's Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information Industry. The 2003 contest was the sixth in the series and attracted 3,039 teams from 426 schools throughout China. The winning team each year is awarded the Sony Cup. |
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| The National Undergraduate Electronic Design Contest awards ceremony |
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Music
Opera Fantastique—Les Paladins Sony Music Foundation |
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The Sony Music Foundation produces programs every year that offer children the opportunity to enjoy performances by world-class artists. In 2006, the Foundation offered programs to coincide with the first performance in Japan of a new production of the lyric comedy Les Paladins by France's well-known Compagnie Montalvo-Hervieu that combines baroque opera and modern dance.
In the first program, two of the dancers from the production were invited to conduct a four-day dance workshop at a Sony facility for approximately 100 people.
The second program consisted of pre-performance talks for guests by the production's artistic director. These talks covered several aspects of the performance, including how dancers convey emotions; staging features, such as the use of film and balloons during the performance; and an introduction to baroque musical instruments. The program concluded with an on-stage performance by dance workshop participants with the professional dancers and accompanied by a live orchestra. |
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Photo: Koichi Miura
On-stage performance by dance workshop participants and professional dancers |
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Film and Photography
Cooperation in Digital Photo Project for Children—UNICEF EYE SEE II Sony Corporation |
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Sony donated the digital cameras used in this digital photo project for children, organized by UNICEF. The aim of this initiative was to provide children in areas devastated by the Pakistan Earthquake with a means of sharing their perspectives and fostering creativity and, in the process, to contribute to the healing process.
More than 160 children participated in the project. The children worked in pairs, with each pair sharing one digital camera. A series of workshops was held, during which the children received instruction not only in camera use and the art of digital photography, but also in team-building and methods and techniques for portraying their communities to the world. Thus equipped, the children went out to take photographs that documented their experiences and communicated their fervent desire to rebuild.
Photographs from the project were exhibited at UNICEF's New York headquarters and in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, as well as at other locations, including the Sony Building in Tokyo's Ginza district, Sony mediage in Tokyo's Odaiba area and UNICEF House in Takanawa, headquarters of the Japan Committee for UNICEF. Each of the photographs on exhibit was captioned with a message from the young photographers.
Sony Movie Works Sony Corporation and Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc. |
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©UNICEF/HQ06-1233/Asad Zaidi
Children affected by the Pakistan Earthquake |
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The Sony Movie Works program aims to offer high school students the opportunity to make full-fledged 10-minute short films. Students in the program take part in workshops on film planning, shooting and editing, and then plan and complete their own films.
This program is supported by the efforts of approximately 30 Sony Group employee volunteers with extensive experience and expertise in film production. Employee volunteers and students form teams, taking part in workshops and working closely together throughout the actual production process, as both channel their enthusiasm into the production of superior works.
In 2006, 10 films were completed on this year's theme "Goal." The films were screened to a large audience of approximately 300 people at a special presentation, where they were judged on such considerations as thematic and creative quality. Prizes were awarded for outstanding achievements.
Digital Film Project for Children Sony Taiwan Limited |
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| High school students and Sony volunteers practice filming |
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Although Taiwan is considered an advanced IT market, there is still considerable geographical disparity in the availability of digital technology, and many children in remote areas have never used a digital camera or digital video camera. To foster their creativity and to provide exposure to new technologies, Sony Taiwan has launched the Digital Film Program for underprivileged children, to provide them with an opportunity to work with the latest equipment and to produce films and photos from their own perspective.
In 2006, Sony Taiwan's volunteers brought digital cameras and digital video cameras to 20 elementary schools in remote areas. With lessons by photographers from Taiwan and Japan, children quickly learned new skills and were able to build up self-confidence, express their talents and explore new possibilities.
A contest was also held for completed photographs and films. Throughout the web platform, children's work attracted considerable attention and created a phenomenon of discovering Taiwan from different perspectives. Children from the winning teams in the contest were also invited to visit Japan for cultural exchange activities with school children of their own age.
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| Children learning to use the latest equipment |
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Support for Education Programs Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. |
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Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. continues to support the Sony Pictures Media Arts Program, a partnership with the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) Community Arts Partnership and the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department. This program features workshops that cover drawing, painting, animation and media arts taught by CalArts faculty, alumni and students. The workshops operate at 5 different community centers throughout Los Angeles and are held twice weekly after school for students aged 10 - 14. In 2005, Sony Pictures Entertainment donated new equipment and materials, including personal computers and digital camcorders, for use by this program.
Sony Corporation of America regularly supports organizations like the Inner-City Scholarship Fund, New Visions for Public Schools and Teach For America to improve schools in some of the poorest neighborhoods in New York City and around the country.
Sony Nature Photography Project Sony (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. |
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| In 2005, Sony (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. held its inaugural "Sony Nature Photography Project" on the theme of "Living with Nature." This project seeks to promote public awareness of the environment through photography and includes nature photography talks by prominent professional photographers, a nature camp for 100 secondary school students and teachers, and a nature photography contest and exhibition. The nature photography contest was open to amateur and student photographers and attracted more than 2,000 entries, with Sony products and cash prizes awarded to 16 talented winners. |
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Scholarship Program Star Class Scholarship Program (USA) |
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| Sony Electronics has been supporting this university scholarship program for high school students in the United States every year since 1991. These scholarships are awarded to four students each year based on a combination of good academic performance during the final two high school years and voluntary community activities. Sony also awards university scholarships in other countries, including China (for science and technical subjects) and Canada (Sony of Canada Science Scholarship Foundation). |
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Sony Volunteer Program
Someone Needs You
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| Someone Needs You is a global, in-house volunteer program designed to enhance community relationships. Under the program, Sony Group companies formulate volunteer programs tailored to local needs and encourage employee participation. A few of the many volunteer programs conducted in fiscal 2006 are introduced here. |
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London
Report from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
Park Conservation Activities |
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Employees of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd. (SCEE) in London took part in conservation activities at a local park. The main goals of the park are to preserve a valuable habitat for threatened species, provide an educational resource for local schools and community groups, and provide a peaceful and tranquil site for members of the local community. Work was carried out by two groups of SCEE employees.
The first group worked to restore steps that were broken and potentially dangerous. The existing steps were removed and replaced with solid wood railway sleepers that will have far greater durability and will make access to the park easier for the local community. The other benefit is that the wooden railway sleepers are reclaimed and reused, avoiding the need for virgin materials.
The second group helped restore a marsh habitat for insects, which provides a vital feeding source for birds during winter. The marsh area is particularly important to amphibians, birds and marsh plant species, and marsh protection is a priority of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. SCEE will be sending volunteer staff back to continue this important work later this year.
Michelle Souch, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd. |
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Hong Kong
Report from Sony Group Companies in Hong Kong
Participation in Walk for Millions |
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To support the services for children and youth provided by the Community Chest of Hong Kong, employees of six Sony Group companies in Hong Kong, including Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Limited, cooperated in the "Walks for Millions—Hong Kong & Kowloon Walk" charity event. This has been the Community Chest's annual flagship fund-raising event since 1971. In January 2007, nearly 13,000 participants forming 150 teams took part.
From the Sony Group, a total of 391 employees and their families and friends joined the 10-kilometer walk. Participating employees raised approximately HK$140,000, which was donated to the Community Chest together with a donation from Sony Hong Kong. In line with the objective of this year's walk—"Invest in the Present, Nurture a Future"—all funds raised through the event will be allocated to various activities aimed at helping young people. I'm glad to have had this opportunity to do something meaningful for the community.
Grace Lau, Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Limited |
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Dubai
Report from Sony Gulf
Desert Cleanup |
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In an effort to conserve and protect the environment, Sony Gulf FZE, in association with the municipality of Dubai, organized a desert cleanup program. More than 70 Sony Gulf employees and their families took part in the program.
This desert cleanup program was undertaken in line with Sony Gulf's ISO objectives, which emphasize the importance of conserving and protecting the environment and communicating with and educating staff about its importance.
Mark D'Souza, Sony Gulf FZE |
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Tokyo
Report from Sony Hikari Corporation
Gotenyama Cleanup |
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In fiscal 2006, 108 Sony Group employees in the Gotenyama area of Shinagawa, in Tokyo, volunteered to help with a project to clean areas adjacent to company facilities.
Sony Hikari Corporation is a special-purpose subsidiary established to provide an opportunity for mentally challenged individuals to play a productive role in society and provides facility cleaning, mail and office supply distribution services for Sony Corporation and affiliated companies.
Employees of Sony Hikari participated in the Gotenyama cleanup project with employees of Sony Corporation and Sony Group companies to clean public roads near company facilities. This approach made it possible for the teams to cover a broader area than Sony Hikari employees alone had been able to cover in other public road cleanups. Participants were organized into five teams, each of which was assigned a specific area to clean. The team members were able to collect a significant amount of empty cans and bottles and other litter.
This activity was meaningful in that it contributed to the beautification of areas in the community surrounding Sony companies and even more so in that it was a Sony Group effort that involved a diverse group of employees working together.
Shingo Mori, Sony Hikari Corporation |
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Los Angeles and New York
Report from Sony Group Companies in Los Angeles and New York
Meal Service and Community Center Support |
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This year, employees of Sony Pictures Entertainment once again gave generously of their time and talents to increase momentum on a number of volunteer programs. One of the popular initiatives was the Friends Cooking Club, which grew to include 12 teams. The groups took turns cooking meals for the Downtown Women's Center, a facility for low-income women living on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. The menus included an appetizer or salad, entrée and side dish. Volunteers were also able to serve the meals at the Center the following day. A total of 110 Sony Pictures Entertainment employees took part in this worthwhile effort.
In New York, volunteers from Sony companies, including Sony Corporation of America, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony BMG Music Entertainment lent their skills to improve the facilities of a nonprofit community center that offers comprehensive services to low-income families in Western Queens.
Janice Pober, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. |
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Japan
Sony Life Volunteers' Club |
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The employees of Sony Life Insurance Co., Ltd., established the Sony Life Volunteers' Club just after the Kobe earthquake in 1995. The club operates using funds collected from employee donations. It continues to contribute to earthquake-affected areas by working with the Hanshin Support Network for the Elderly and Disabled, a local organization for victims. Many elderly victims live alone.The club plans hot-spring tours and Christmas parties to help these people socialize.
The club also supports various activities, such as the activities of Special Olympics Nippon, a non-profit organization. |
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| Earthquake victims and volunteers on a hot-spring tour |
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Oita International Wheelchair Marathon |
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| About 90 Sony Group employees in the Kyushu region helped run the annual Oita International Wheelchair Marathon, a world-class event. Contributions included setting up facilities and performing crowd control. |
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Mexico
Primary School Building Repairs |
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| For the past five years, Sony de Mexico S.A. de C.V. has been repairing local primary schools. Employees help make the repairs, which the company partly funds. |
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