[etc.] Symposium 2 ―New Potential of NPOs―

The Capabilities of New NPOs

Kunio Hosaka: Mayor of the City of Shiki (Saitama pref.)

Kunio Hosaka was born in 1941. After working as as an official of the town of Adachi (latter the City of Shiki) and a member of a prefectural assembly of Saitama prefecture, he was elected Mayor of the City of Shiki in 2001. He also held the position of chairman of the city assembly, chairman of the prefectural assembly, and was the president of the Association of Physical Education of the City of Shiki. In 1977, He founded a medical school, and in 1981, established Jonan Chuo Hospital. Mayor Hosaka graduated from saitama university junior college of economics.

Mizue Tsukushi: President and CEO of the Good Bankers Co., Ltd

Mizue Tsukushi is the President and CEO of the Good Bankers Co., Ltd., Japan’s first and unique independent SRI advisory company. She is a Member of the special advisory committees of the Government of Japan for Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. She is a former Deputy General Manager of Institution Marketing Dept., UBS Trust and Banking Co., Ltd. in Tokyo. She received the language certificate of the French Civilization Course at the University of Paris in 1979.

Kiyoyuki Seguchi: director, Reformist Festina Lente

While serving as director of Secretariat of the Policy Board of the Bank of Japan, he established Reformist Festina Lente (RFL) in 2002. He was born in 1959. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics of the Toyko University in 1982.

Hideyuki Inoue: Managing Director, ETIC. Social Venture Center

After he worked for Andersen Consulting (present-Accenture), Strategic Service Group (99-), currently he is preparing for Social Venture Partners Tokyo Bay as Executive Director. He held a "STYLE 2002", Japan's first Social Venture Buisness Plan Compeptition (now under screening on STYLE 2003.) He finished BA 1996 in Economics at Keio University and MA at George Washington University (performance management in public sector) in 1998.

Fusao Ushiro: Chairman of Shimin Forum 21 NPO Centre; Professor, Graduate Schools of Law, Nagoya University

Fusao Ushiro was born in 1954. After working as an associate professor of Nagoya University, he studied in University of Rome (1989-1991). He became a member of 21st Century Rincho in 1996, and established Shimin Forum 21 NPO Centre in 1997.

The number of organizations registered as NPOs has exceeded 10,000, and the number is increasing by 300 a month. A great concern was expressed concerning whether the framework for NPOs would be firmly established as a system including the issue of development of law systems such as tax systems. It was pointed out that the larger the scope of NPO activities became, the greater their influence on the public and private sectors grew. Thus, in this session, discussion was made on how NPOs would change administration or business as a “new potential of NPOs”.

“Ninety percent of the work of the city government will be handed over to NPOs.” Such bold statement came from Mayor Hosaka of Shiki City, Saitama Prefecture. As the aging society with low-birth rate progresses, most municipal governments will not be able to avoid financial crisis unless new measures are taken. Therefore, Mayor Hosaka asserted that they must rely on NPOs in order to achieve both a low-cost municipal administration and to maintain the level of administrative services. Ms. Tsukushi (president and CEO of the Good Bankers Co., Ltd.), who introduced SRI (Socially Responsible Investment) financial products for the first time in Japan, said, “We are spiritually an NPO although the organizational framework is in the form of a joint-stock corporation.” Ms. Tsukushi became interested in SRI in a sense that society would be reformed through money from each individual. She said that she did not have any other choice but to form a company in order to realize SRI. She stated that the limitations of a joint-stock corporation whose purpose is to return profit to share holders could be overcome when one’s ambition was strong enough. She made a point that public activities could be conducted even by non-NPOs.

Messrs. Seguchi and Inoue, both from NPOs, agreed with the opinion of Ms. Tsukushi. Mr. Seguchi works for the Bank of Japan, and Mr. Inoue has valuable experience in business as a consultant. Both agreed about the impact of the aspiration and strong experience in the early childhood of each individual on empathy of other people. And from there, activities are able to expand. Irrespective of whether you belong to NPOs or joint-stock corporations, the objective is to fulfill needs (Mr. Inoue). An NPO is a suitable gathering place for people with ambitions to achieve their shared objectives (Mr. Seguchi).