Initiative Launch Press Release

2011 Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association (WHW) Begins the Global Summit of Women (GSW) Initiative with Women Entrepreneurs of GSW Initiative Japan, Emergency Relief for Japanese Women in Earthquake-Stricken Region of Tohoku

• WHW Korean delegates to visit Japan and discuss immediate aid plans with women entrepreneurs of GSW Initiative Japan with donation of 100,000 US dollars and 150,000 US dollars worth of goods
• Long-term plans for the residents, especially for women and children in the region devastated by the earthquake and tsunami

[July 7 - 8, 2011, Tokyo, Japan] Women Help Women (WHW) - Korean women's emergency relief team, which was formed to help the areas in Japan hit by the earthquake and tsunami last March - will visit Japan on July 7th-8th to provide immediate aid of 50,000 US dollars and 150,000 US dollars worth of goods and discuss the date of next mission to consider remaining donation/necessities to the affected women and children. Also a plan to make a five-year long term support with strategic planning dedicated to the recovery of Japan, especially for those women affected will be discussed.

The WHW women's aid team, together with Women Entrepreneurs of Global Summit of Women (GSW) Initiative Korea and Japan, will discuss the GSW Initiative which will help women and children, who have been devastated by the catastrophe in the Tohoku region. The meeting will start at 9:00 a.m. in the Korean Embassy (c/o Korean Culture Institute 8F, 4-4-10 Yotsuya, Shinjuku, Tokyo; Tel: 03-3356-5970) on July 8th in Tokyo with the press invited informally from 10:00 a.m.

WHW are donating cash, basic clothes, daily necessities, especially for those women and children and medical products to orphans, who lost their families and other survivors of the earthquake-tsunami. Representative members of GSW and friends will make long-term plan to encourage entrepreneurship of various businesses for the next five years to the region as well.

Sungjoo Kim, GSW International Planning Committee key member and Chief Visionary Officer of Sungjoo Group/ MCM holdings said,

“WHW was formed for Korean women to join forces with each other to spread the spirit of the GSW often nicknamed “DAVOS for Women” to engage in bringing women’s economic self-independence worldwide which is led by Irene Natividad, Chair person of GSW. Our humanitarian efforts will bring the two countries closer, beyond our dismal history, and that would mean a lot to us throughout the women’s network, such as GSW.”

She presented her mission to encourage businesswomen in Japan, who have been affected by the earthquake/tsunami, and to extend relief activities to support women’s education and to respond to the medical needs in those affected areas.

Women Help Women (WHW)

WHW is a group of women business leaders in Korea which first organized in March, 2011 with the objectives to help women and children both physically and emotionally, who are suffering from the aftermath of the major Japanese earthquake on March 11th.

Contact

For more information, please contact:

• Jung-Won Kong, Sungjoo Foundation:<jungwon.kong@sungjoogroup.com>, +82.02.2194.6825
• Ann Sado, GSW Initiative Japan: <info@atoz-sado.com>, 090-9814-1126

Women Help Women - Korean Delegates

• Sungjoo Kim, Chief Visionary Officer, Sungjoo Group and GSW International Planning Committee Key Member
• Kyungah Park, Chair, Korea Medical Women’s Association
• Sil Sim, Chair, Korea Cultural Exchange Council
• Inchoon Son, Representative, Korea Women Soldiers’ Association
• Hyangaie Lee, Director, Korea Medical Women’s Association
• Yoonjeong  Ahn, Representative, Asian Business Women’s Association
• Eusook Hong, Chair, Incoaching

Staff

• Harrie Kim, Executive Assistant, Japan Office of Sungjoo group
• Jungwon Kong, Manger,Sungjoo Foundation
• Jooyeon Kim, Manger,Sungjoo Foundation
• Yungyun Kang, Photographer,Vivid Studio

The Global Summit of Women (GSW) Initiative with Women Entrepreneurs of  GSW Initiative Japan

• Ann Sado, Representative Director, A to Z Sado Enterprises Ltd./NPO GEWEL Advisor
  • Representative of GSW Initiative Japan
• Narikou Kaneshiro, President, NPO KIFA
• Karen Makishima, Branch Representative, 17th District Kanagawa Prefecture, LDP Makishima Office
• Carlos Miranda Levy, Social Entrepreneur/Global Disaster Relief Expert, SocInfo and Relief 2.0
• Kei Ito, President, Athlemedia K.K.
• Sachiko Fujii, President, NPO GEWEL and Global Member of GSW
• Maki Sasaki, Secretariat, NPO GEWEL and Global Member of GSW
• Mizuho Takai, Associate Secretariat, NPO GEWEL and Global Member of GSW
• Chie Kubota, Director, NPO GEWEL
• Michiko Sugita, President of La Cle Global Services/NPO GEWEL director

Special Guests to the Initiative Launch

• Haruko Nishida, Secretary General, Impact Foundation Japan
• Lori Henderson, Executive Director, British Chamber of Commerce
• Damian Penston, Partner, Propel Consulting
• Ada Isabel Diaz, Office of Outreach & Partnerships, Inter-American Development Bank.
• Yoshioka Tatsuya, Founder, Peace Boat.
• Junko Kim, Co-Founder HEAL Action.
• Patrick Newell, Co-Founder, Living Dreams.