On May 12, 2008 an extremely strong earthquake struck China, centering on Wenchuan county, Sichuan province. News of this major disaster and the extensive damages it wrought—over 80,000 people confirmed dead or listed as missing, and more than 370,000 people injured—were widely reported throughout the world.

The Tokyo Foundation has been providing scholarships to graduate students in 10 universities in China through the SYLFF Program since 1992 with the aim of nurturing leaders in a diversity of fields. In view of the gravity of the situation, the foundation called out to SYLFF fellows in China for proposals concerning aid activities for the victims.

Twelve proposals were submitted, and among them, the Tokyo Foundation selected two volunteer activities led by SYLFF fellows in Lanzhou University and Chongqing University, respectively. These groups were given financial support by the foundation, and activities were conducted in August. I flew to China to observe the operations of these two groups, and the following is my report from the field.

• SYLFF Fellows in China Support Great Sichuan Earthquake Victims (Isamu Maruyama)

Chairman, The Tokyo Foundation

The Tokyo Foundation donated ¥500,000 to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China to Japan on June 4. The donation was delivered with the hope that those injured in the massive Sichuan earthquake in May would recover as quickly as possible and that the damaged infrastructure would promptly be rebuilt.

The money was donated by Tokyo Foundation staff as well as by participants in the symposium on Human Rights in China, featuring Luo Haocai (president, China Society for Human Rights Studies) and held on May 16 at the Foundation as the seventh in a series of symposiums on Reconstructing Values for the Global Age in commemoration of its Tenth Anniversary.

The donation was delivered by Executive Director Haruo Shibazaki of the General Affairs Division, who expressed his wish for the earliest possible recovery of the quake-affected areas.

Wei Deng, Counselor at the Chinese Embassy, commented, "We're very grateful for this kind gift, and I would like to convey our deep gratitude to each and everyone who made a donation."

The Tokyo Foundation would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those who kindly made a donation at the symposium.

The full text of the letter presented to the embassy is as follows:

We, the Tokyo Foundation, hereby offer our deepest sympathies and condolences to the people of China on the tragic news of a massive earthquake in Sichuan Province. We hereby present a donation from the Tokyo Foundation staff and participants in the symposium on Human Rights in China, featuring Luo Haocai (president, China Society for Human Rights Studies) as the seventh in a series of symposiums on Reconstructing Values for the Global Age in commemoration of its Tenth Anniversary.

It is our wish that this donation be used to help in the reconstruction efforts.

Donation of ¥500,000 presented

To His Excellency Cui Tiankai Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the People's Republic of China to Japan

On June 4, 2008