SPF’s central mission is to address the multi-faceted and increasingly complex issues facing our global society in the 21^st century. In the face of these challenges, we strive to promote novel solutions by taking approaches that respect diversity. To this end, we believe that all staff members should be allowed the freedom and flexibility to reach their full potential to work toward tackling these issues.

Accordingly, SPF has assembled a diverse workforce. More than half of our staff are women, and our team also includes people with disabilities and non-Japanese staff who bring their depth of experience and expertise to their work at the foundation. In addition, many of our employees – both men and women – are raising young children while working.

Many of SPF’s projects have also focused on themes related to diversity and inclusion including gender innovation, multiculturalism, and interfaith dialogues. Through these actions and more, the concept of diversity has remained front and center in the foundation’s activities.

With this focus on D&I, SPF has committed to working toward developing greater awareness and understanding at all levels of the foundation while fostering a working environment that allows our staff to tap into their individual experiences, abilities, and expertise. To this end, SPF strives in all of its actions to respect the autonomy of each individual employee by offering maximum support, promoting issue awareness, and bolstering areas for collaboration and professional development. By incorporating these reforms within SPF, we also seek to adopt these perspectives in our projects, with the ultimate aim of contributing to our society as a whole.

Making progress toward D&I may not be easy, but SPF is committed to taking on this challenge driven by the conviction that tackling this task with determination will help us achieve our core mission.

Executive Director Akinori Sugai