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December 6, 2006
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| November 3, 2006 |
Joint actions in Japan, Korea and throughout the world |
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60th anniversary of the Japanese Peace Constitution: Joint actions in Japan, Korea and throughout the world on November 3!
Let's create a war-free Asia!
November 3 is the 60th anniversary of the announcement of the Japanese Constitution. On this day, simultaneous actions were held throughout the world in support of Article 9, which renounces war and the maintenance of armed forces. Based on the belief that Article 9 is a shared treasure not only for the peace of Japan, but for Asia and the entire world, Peace Boat was an active organizer and participant in these events internationally. |
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Article 9 Public Notices
The Global Article 9 Campaign, with Peace Boat acting as secretariat, has placed public notices in support of Article 9 in newspapers throughout the world. In Japan, a notice was placed in the November 2 Asahi Shimbun, which reaches 21 million readers daily, asking the question, “Can peace really be created through force?” www.article-9.org/en/notices/index.html. Throughout the following days, public notices were placed continually in newspapers around the world with the support of local civil society organisations, in places as wide-reaching as South Africa to Mongolia, Switzerland to Taiwan, and Sri Lanka to Australia, eventually encompassing every continent of the globe. |
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Tokyo
On November 3 a gathering titled “Let's stop the creation of a country which wages war!” was held in Tokyo's Harajuku, with Peace Boat taking part as a member of the planning committee. At this event, guest educator on Peace Boat's 55th Voyage and representative of Korean NGO “Asian Peace and Historical Education Alliance” Kang Hae Jung spoke of Japan's Article 9 issue and the current situation in Japan as seen from Korea.
“At the moment, without the citizens even realizing, Japan is heading in a very dangerous direction. Administration, control and hostility, which are in direct opposition to the values of peace, human rights and democracy, are growing stronger. At the peak of this process is the revision of Article 9 of the constitution. That is the path to war.
The war on the Korean Peninsula is still not over, and as a Korean person who in that sense is still living in a period of war, I am envious of the Japanese feeling that 'peace is something to take for granted.' Japanese militarization would accelerate militarization throughout Asia, having a direct and negative effect on Korean democracy.
I believe that 'dialogue' is at the core of Article 9. Exchange and dialogue between Korea and Japan have been gradually increasing up until now, however we need to improve the quality of the grassroots solidarity from now on. We need a clear image of the future, and we need programmes in order to work towards that. Korean citizens who have been sharing this belief want to work together in cooperation.” Ms. Kang shared these ideas with the audience during a speech filled with enthusiasm and passion.
Waseda University lecturer Nishihara Hiroshi also spoke, giving a clear warning bell regarding Japan's current situation. “The Japan of today is trying to strengthen the structure which means that the country is led by only a few people, going against the principles of democracy. This is particularly apparent in the Fundamental Education Law issue, where a gap between 'winners' and 'losers' in schools is being created, trying to bind the people who are growing further and further apart with 'patriotism'. Following this, Zainichi Korean (Korean residents in Japan) rap duo KP expressed that “if each piece, like pieces of a puzzle, does not work together towards peace, no real peace can be born”, uniting the participants' hearts through music
Following the gathering, the participants headed out onto the streets, and walked down Omotesando, a boulevard overflowing with young people, to the final destination of Meiji Park. Peace Boat participants wore 'Article 9 masks' in a colourful appeal to people on the street. |
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Seoul
On the same November 3, an event was jointly held in Seoul by Korean and Japanese activists. In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the promulgation of the Japanese constitution, the action was an appeal against Japan's becoming a military power and against the revision of the Japanese Peace Constitution. 30 Korean activists from groups such as 'Women Making Peace' took part together with 40 representatives from Japan from lawyers' groups and workers' unions in Osaka. Peace Boat Executive Committee member Kawasaki Akira also took part. In the morning, a press conference was held in front of the Japanese embassy, followed by a symposium in the afternoon.
The participants emphasized that in Northeast Asia, a region facing the North Korean nuclear issue, now is the time to really value the principle of 'peaceful resolution of conflict' as embodied in Japan's article 9. However, the reality in South Korea is that apprehension that Japan will take an excessively hard line, including military measures, against North Korea is rising.
The afternoon symposium was entitled “Korean and Japanese Civil Society's Challenges: Creating Peace in Northeast Asia post the North Korean nuclear test.” Policy officer of Korean NGO “Unification Maji (?)” Kim Chang Soo spoke as a panelist, appealing that “we cannot allow another war to occur on the Korean Peninsula. In order to create an environment where North Korea can maintain a country in peace without relying on military power, the support of the international society is vital. For this, it is important that Japan protects its peace constitution.” Fellow panelist Kawasaki Akira of Peace Boat spoke of the importance of ensuring that the pacifism of Article 9 is a common principle of Northeast Asian citizens, and of opposing measures which would lead Japan to take military action together with the United States.
Peace Boat, through the “Global Article 9 Campaign”, will continue to spread Article 9 to the world and take the initiative to to use the principle of Article 9 to work towards achieving peace. |
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