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Special Report |
LAST UPDATE November 22, 2005
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| August 18, 2005 |
Press Conference in front of Japanese Embassy in Seoul |
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| Participants send a message of peace to the Japanese government |
Separated from the front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul by a wall of police, a large gathering of citizens and NGO representatives from Korea and Japan sent a message loud and clear that they are passionate about protecting and promoting Article 9 of Japan’s constitution (the ‘Peace’ clause). Organizations present included the Nonviolent Peaceforce, People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, and Peace Boat. |
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| Peace Boat staff member Watanabe Rika holds newspapers from Korea and Japan showing the Article 9 notices |
On August 15th, the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII, 12 newspapers around the world carried public notices about the importance of Article 9 as a model for a peaceful future on a global level. The notices were a key step in the process of raising awareness of Article 9 globally, hopefully sparking a global embracing of the ‘Peace’ clause of Japan’s constitution. |
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To conclude the event, a joint statement in both Korean and Japanese was formally submitted to the Japanese Embassy. Reflecting the importance of cooperative initiatives between civil society groups in Korea and Japan in working for peace, at least 10 media representatives attended the press conference event. In this way Peace Boat’s 50th voyage, the ”Peace and Green Boat,” is taking concrete action to pressure regional governments towards peace. |
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