Yohei Sasakawa

Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in Asia. A renowned Japanese leader in the philanthropic and NGO fields, he has initiated projects and worked on a global scale in such areas as public health, agricultural development, education and social welfare. He serves as the World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, as well as Japan's Goodwill Ambassador for the Human Rights of People Affected by Leprosy. Together with Václav Havel and Elie Wiesel, Mr. Sasakawa cofounded the Forum 2000 Project.