FSUN NEWS, July and August, 2000

Conference 2000 on Women ----Special Session of UN Solidarity between Governments and NGOs

General Assembly Room in the UN

Seiko Watanabe, the Director of the Board

"Experienced Heated Debate"

By Seiko Watanabe, the Director of the Board

Ten Thousand Participants from 188 Countries 

Some 10,000 government and NGO members from 188 countries convened at the Special Session of the UN "Conference 2000 on Women" in NY till June 10, 2000. It agreed to adopt the outcome documents complete with the platform that each government has to address in the 21st century and some 200 items of the action plans.

The outcome documents include, "More cohesive partnership between men and women ---Men should share responsibility for gender equality," "Developed countries must play a more significant role for the assistance of women in developing countries, allotting approx. 0.7 % of GNP to them," and "Solidarity between member states of the UN and NGOs." It argued that each government should take more and more significant role for implementation of these action plans and will ensure in 2005 that the promises made herein will have been kept. There had been a heated debate over the stipulation of the outcome documents.

The major source of dissenters was Catholic countries and groups including the Vatican, which had been campaigning against "Beijing Platform for Action, in 1995" towards end of last year. Many NGO members were angry that the outcome documents of the conference 2000 had been mutilated because no phrases such as "Sexual Orientation and sexual right," were included as a result of giving in to the pressure by these conservative groups. Another complaint from NGO members was "The target figures were too low." 

The new agendas provided herein were "Honor Killing," which has been brought up since Beijing, (the practice taking place among Muslims where women involving in premarital sexual relations or divorce are accused and even killed by their parent as a dishonorable daughter.) and domestic violence against which the outcome documents urged each government to take a legislative action and establish a system. They also encourage women to use the website to demonstrate their personal experience and autobiography.

It has been proven to be more important that each government should establish links to the NGOs, as Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General stated at the NGO General Conference, "After Beijing Platform for Action, in 1995, outcome of women agenda could never be achieved without your enormous commitment."

Contrast between Japanese and US Governments

Contrast between Japanese and US Governments when they deal with the NGOs was obvious. During briefing each day, Government officials from the US told members of the NGOs, "Let us know anything you want. We need your power to improve," and they dealt directly with their questions.

On the other hand, Japanese Government officials did not only restricte the number to attend the briefing of the inter-governmental sessions but also just sent an official from the Foreign Affairs Department who did nothing more than just reporting.

Appeal for Legislative Action on Young Girls

In NGO Caucus, young girls were on the agenda. Among them I delivered a statement entitled "Legislative Action on Young Girls" to appeal the importance of humane education, and the dignity of the humans in the NGO Forum on June 6, 2000 hosted by UNFPI; in the session I especially criticized the attitude of the media overstating prostitution practiced by Japanese high-School girls. The scene of the session was published in major Japanese newspapers and aired on NHK TV.

Meanwhile during this "Conference 2000 on Women," "Japan Global Forum" took place and heated a debate was undertaken on the 12th floor of our FSUN headquarters.

FSUN "University Branch" in Tomakomai Hokkaido

On the 120th Anniversary of Komazawa University

Tomakomai Branch (Led by Mr. Daimon) has especially encouraged the involvement of young people in music activities. Meanwhile Komazawa University in Tomakomai has applied for the establishment of "University Branch" presided by Haruo Ohkubo, the president of the University.

Intercultural dialogue with Foreign Universities

Mr. Daimon has already visited the University and talked with the President Ohokubo about the plans and technical details to be addressed.

To cerebrate its 120 anniversary of the university (at the Tokyo Main Campus) in April of 2002, it plans to establish a master course entitled, "Pacific-Rim and Asian Culture Study Course" and a new department named, "International Welfare and Heath."

The University aims to create students who can play an active role in the world community, such as UN staffs, through intercultural activities with foreign university branches of FSUN in partnership with FSUN-Tokyo and Tomakomai. 

Opera "Genji Monogatari" in English the First-in-the-world Performed in the US

"I've never seen such a beautiful opera in all my life." The people in Saint Louis City were deeply touched with the new opera "Genji Monogatari," which had been planned by Ms. Hashimoto whose Branch has been featured in the cultural exchange of indigenous art throughout the world. The following is her statement.

"Old Japanese Dynasty Story Won the Highest Praise in Saint Louis" 

By Teiko Hashimoto, Tokushima Branch Leader

Opera "Genji Monogatari" was first performed in English June 15, 2000 at Webster Collage in Saint Louis. This opera was composed by the composer Minoru Miki. We, some 30 people from Japan including Tokushima Branch members, were not sure if the one thousand-old Japanese dynasty story would be appreciated in American society. It was a touchy moment for us, however, when all the audience applauded with a standing ovation. We felt the Japanese traditional culture had been fully understood. The successful performance was, in part, due to the stage technique and script by the American stage director and the absolutely splendid, luxurious costumes and stage settings by the world-number-one stage designer, Setu Asakura.

After the performance we had an opportunity to talk with the actors and actresses who stated that they had a hard time to express Japanese unique characteristics. This English opera "Genji Monogatari" will be performed in Tokyo next year.

Meeting at Tomakomai Branch 

July 23, 2000, the regular meeting convened at Tomakomai. They studied the history and principles of FSUN, by reading the booklet, "NGO Opens The Way to Peace and Welfare" The agenda was also how to penetrate the principles of FSUN into the general society. Education, nursing and welfare were also agendas.

More Broad-based Campaign Developed by FSUN

Let's Plant Trees in Australia

FSUN, one of which the main goals has been environmental conservation, launched itself on a new project of afforestation in Australia. Since the Kyoto Conference on Environment in 1998, CO2 regulation has not yet been a decisive solution. Planting trees that absorb a great amount of CO2 has been proven to be the alternative effective measure. FSUN works together with the Australian Queensland Government for this operation in partnership with Environmental NGO groups inside and outside of Japan as mediators. The project manager emphasized, "if you want to plant plenty of trees, the availability of the land itself is limited but what we are doing here is to provide the land not only to FSUN members but also to other NGO members in the world because we have here partnership with the foundation in the Tourist Bureau of the North Queensland Government. The place to plant trees is one-hour drive from Cairns where we have a direct flight from Japan. There are some traveling courses available for elderly people in this program. 

This program also offers observatory courses on animals and plants attended by experts from the foundation. A commemorative gift and certification of afforestation will be given to participants. (Contact the Tokyo Branch office for details.)

FSUN Will Have a Partnership with JICA 

FSUN has been qualified as a partner with the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) and can offer a tender for the projects by Official Development Assistance (ODA). Seizing this opportunity, we will challenge new developments of more effective non-profitable business using our long experience of operation as an NGO and the individual skills of our members. Unique ideas and effective practice in the international community has been urged in the ODA programs; especially such an operation that contributes for the betterment of the civil society of the countries we support. 

The subject countries number thirty and the term is one to three years. Many FSUN's members operating throughout Japan and the world will collaborate with each other for the best desired result when some expertise and experience are required. 

FSUN will call for volunteers for this ODA operation some time soon. The project manager who will take charge of these projects expressed his hope, "Each branch of FSUN will take a further step to educate persons and young people. We can be proud that we do not receive ODA money as a financial aid but are entrusted with a project which FSUN operates on our own initiative."

Branch Activities

Chinese Cooking at Hiroshima Branch

Some 22 people got together and enjoyed cooking Chinese cuisine, "Tenshin" July 15, 2000 at a Chinese restaurant. This was hosted by the Hiroshima Branch (leader= Kyoko Masuda). Management of the branch was discussed after cooking. \500 out of \1500 per person that participants paid for the cooking class was contributed towards a donation.

Inauguration Ceremony for Minami-Kyushu Branch

Inauguration for Minami-Kyushu Branch of FSUN took place on June 16, 2000 at a hotel in Kagoshima Pre. Senior Advisor, Ichiro Watanabe, met ten board members including founders of the branch and gave a commemorative mirror to them. 

The board members including representatives from academia, women activist, and educators made a commitment to contribution to international and local agenda in partnership with the agricultural cooperative associations and the local governments in Kagoshima Pre. Intercultural dialogue with the Mongolia Branch has already started and some of the members will be sent there soon. The branch will provide counterparts from foreign countries with the basic technical assistance and training in each area such as agriculture, education and industry. Some details of the operation have been already discussed for Mongolia and Cambodia. It will focus on the education of young people of the other branches of FSUN.

Workshop at Kamakura Branch

FSUN Kamakura Branch (led by Yoko Maeyama) had a workshop August 12, 2000. After given a 2-hour lecture entitled, "No-War Century" by Prof. Shunsaku Kato, Honor Prof. Of Kantogakuin University (Public International Law), participants, some 50 people, had opportunities for questions & answers. The shared notion was "The 20th century has been a war century and we must make the coming 21st century a peace century."

Do not close your eyes to the past

By Toshio Hagiwara, the director of the board

Our respectable Toru Maeno has published a book entitled, "Truth of History= Post-World-War II," which has drawn attention from each area. In the third chapter of his book, my suffering experience of the A-bomb is described as a survivor of the A-bomb, calling me "Last Manager."

The twenty biggest news items of this century that the world media have chosen are= 1. The A-bomb attack, 2. The Russian Revolution, 3. World War II and 4. First Landing on the Moon.

The lives of 175,000,000 human beings have been lost through war or massacre during the 20th century. The real tragedy of war, however, is not only the dead victims but also the survivors who suffered deep bodily wounds. The scars on their bodies creates a vicious circle of another kind of hatred and retaliation which destructs the environment and tortures generations of people, the A-bomb attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a defoliant on Vietnam and the destruction of fuel plants by Iraq---you name it, the especially destruction of oil facilities by Iraq which contaminated the Persian Gulf that is believed will take at least 200 years to be cleaned out. 
Fifty-five years ago I lost everything, my family, my house, my school, my town by only one bomb. In the living hell of heaps of the dead and debris, in my death throes I had to live. I have been thinking what is the meaning of this life throughout my entire life.

"Closing your eyes to your past means to be blind today," Churchill said, "Every war starts from your mind"

Charity Vender PromotionIn order to raise funds for operation, FSUN undertake various businesses as a Non-p rofittable- Organization. The following is one of the businesses.

Charity Vendor 

Vending Machines (FSUN Charity Vendor) a part of which the profit goes to operation funds, have been set up throughout Japan in cooperation with Beverage companies including Nestle Japan Ltd. 

These funds will be used for disaster relief, and education assistance including school constructions in Cambodia. 

These innovative vending machines could reduce some of the number of vending machines that have been a social problem in Japan because four beverage company machines are combined into a single machine.
We would like you to know about this idea and help to spread these vending machines not only throughout Japan but also to the rest of the world.

FSUN concern to create a better world for all mankind is clearly illustrated by the use of these vending machines to promote funds for world peace operations that FSUN is deeply committed.

We are looking forward to your support.