American Express on Tuesday launched Friends of Japan, a global program on Facebook designed to revive global attention on relief efforts since the East Japan Great Earthquake struck the region five months ago. People from around the world are encouraged to share “Messages of Hope” through the “Friends of Japan” section of American Express Japan’s Facebook page. The “Friends of Japan” Facebook experience will be translated into eight languages for the international audience. American Express, which has more than 1,100 employees in Japan, will donate $1 toward the relief efforts for every message of hope posted from anywhere in the world.
Visitors to the “Friends of Japan” area on the American Express Japan Facebook page can select one of four messages or create their own “Message of Hope” for Japan in the form of a virtual postcard. Donations from American Express will go to Japan Platform, an intermediary non-governmental organization that supports various relief agencies active in the affected areas. Facebook visitors can also view the messages of hope shared by others around the world; each postcard is customized with the sender’s first name and country. The program will run for eight weeks; however, the Facebook presence will continue to be updated with new content thereafter.