-IGN Japan Newsletter

International Green Network Newsletter #23 March 28, 2003 CONTENTS: 1. CHECK THE IGN LISTSERV FOR ANTI-WAR POSTINGS http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ignj/ 2. FORTY THOUSAND TAKE TO TOKYO STREETS TO SAY ‘NO’ TO WAR 3. ANTI-WAR PROTEST IN JAPAN 4. ANTI-WAR LEAFLET AVAILABLE 5. JOIN JAPAN-U.S. CITIZENS’ JOINT APPEAL FOR PEACE IN IRAQ 6. E-MAIL ANTI-WAR MESSAGE TO MAINSTREAM MEDIA 7. BOYCOTT BRAND AMERICA 8. TORN CLOTH SYMBOL FOR ECONOMIC ACTION AGAINST WAR – JOIN US! 9. IT’S THE SMALLEST ACT 10. ENVIROS AGAINST WAR 11. BUDDHIST REFLECTIONS ON THE NEW HOLY WAR 12. THE MACHINERY OF SLEEP TURNS ITS FIRST WHEEL 13. IGN ECOSTUDY GROUP MEETS FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2003 14. SYMPOSIUM ON “THE EQUITY DIMENSION IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION” 15. JAMBO NEEDS VOLUNTEERS FOR EARTH DAY 16. MT. KONPIRA FESTIVAL APRIL 29 17. GENETIC ENGINEERING: A TECHNOLOGY OF CORPORATE CONTROL 18. NEWS FROM TOKYO ENGLISH LIFE LINE (T.E.L.L.) 19. BOOKS FOR BURMA 20. FRIENDS OF THE EARTH HIKES IN APRIL 21. APRIL NEWS AND SPECIALS FROM TENGU 22. JOURNAL OF ENGAGED PEDAGOGY NO. 2 23. KYOTO JOURNAL #53 (JUST DEEDS) 24. INFO ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL GREEN NETWORK 25. ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL GREEN NETWORK ECOSTUDY GROUP (omitted from printed version) 1. CHECK THE IGN LISTSERV FOR ANTI-WAR POSTINGS (from Richard Evanoff, IGN Coordinator) Tons of anti-war material is still coming into the International Green Network. I’ve been posting everything that comes in on the IGN listserv, including articles and info about petition campaigns, boycotts, demos, and the like. If the material is particularly urgent and time-sensitive (such as notices for demos) I’ve been sending postings directly to people on the IGN mailing list (instead of using the listserv). To sign up for the IGN listserv, see the section below entitled “Info About the International Green Network.” Please feel free to post information on the IGN listserv (all information is welcome, not only anti-war info!). It’s better if you can post info directly on the listserv rather than send the info to me (it saves me oodles of time!), but I’ll nonetheless continue to post everything that is sent me. For the time-being I will also send the U.S. Greens Abroad Newsletter, which includes official anti-war press releases by Green parties in the U.S. and the U.K., to everyone on the IGN mailing list. Here is my personal list of things we can do to help the anti-war effort (I should emphasize that these are my personal opinions and not an official pronouncement on the part of the IGN): (1) send us info, articles, and analysis that can’t be found in the mainstream media — we need to get alternative perspectives on the war out to people; (2) boycott U.K./U.S.-made goods — don’t buy anything made in the U.K. or U.S.A. until the war ends; (3) participate in demos — we need to show Bush/Blair that world opinion (including the opinion of many Americans and British!) is against this war; and (4) sign petitions and join in other campaigns intended to stop this war; and (5) given that global dominance on the part of the political and economic elite is beginning to be questioned and opposed by a majority of the world’s population, let’s continue our efforts to build a mass grassroots international movement that can effectively challenge the powers-that-be and provide an ecologically sustainable, socially just, and peaceful alternative. Another world is indeed possible! 2. FORTY THOUSAND TAKE TO TOKYO STREETS TO SAY ‘NO’ TO WAR (from Mikiko Fukuda, Greenpace Japan) First casualties of war delivered to Australian Prime Minister in New Zealand. TOKYO/AUCKLAND, March 8, 2003: Today, more than 40,000 people took to the streets of Japan to join the global protests against the impending US-led war against Iraq. Citizens and students gathered at Hibiya Park, Tokyo, and paraded through the city centre as part of the World Peace Now rally, organized by 47 non-government organisations, including Greenpeace. “We’re here today to join the millions of global citizens who are saying ‘no’ to war. We’re calling on all the world’s governments, including Prime Minister Koizumi and Foreign Affairs Minister Kawaguchi, to listen to the voice of the people, to stand by democracy and stop supporting the Bush Administration’s march to war,” said Mikiko Fukuda, campaign director of Greenpeace in Japan. 80% of Japanese people are opposed to a war against Iraq (1) and more than 10 million people around the world have voiced their opposition to war over the past few weeks. Even so, only three days ago, Prime Minister Junichi Koizumi dismissed public opinion as being “not always right” and he continues to support U.S. President Bush’s intention to wage war. Many of the protestors today carried placards made from adverts placed in one of Japan’s leading newspapers by Greenpeace. During the protests, the crowds vowed to send letters to Koizumi and Kawaguchi calling on them to stop supporting the Bush’s call for war. “Since we advertised the rally on 3 March, Greenpeace has been overwhelmed by thousands of responses from people wanting to join us in speaking out against this war and today, more than 1,000 people showed their support by bringing their own placards,” added Fukuda. “This level of public protest has not been seen in Japan since Chelnoviri’s time in 1986. Decades of erosion of civil rights in this country have made many people feel apathetic about public demonstrations. The turn out today shows how strongly people oppose this war. It is a landmark in Japanese history,” she concluded. Earlier today in New Zealand, Greenpeace delivered the first casualties of war, “innocent people”, “public opinion” and “international law”, in body bags to the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, who is currently in Auckland to officially open the Australian Consulate. “In backing the U.S. push for war, Howard is dismissing public opposition to war just as Koizumi is,” said Greenpeace campaigner, Robbie Kelman. “They and all other governments of the world should be working within the UN to ensure Iraq is disarmed peacefully through the weapons inspection process,” said Kelman. Note: (1) Opinion poll conducted by ANN, February 22nd and 23rd, 2003. Greenpeace Japan’s action kit site: . See also: 3. ANTI-WAR PROTEST IN JAPAN (from Richard Wilcox) In a survey by the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper 84 per cent of respondents were against an attack on Iraq. Antiwar protest in Japan 18.01PM GMT, 8 Mar 2003: Thousands of antiwar protesters have marched in Tokyo as the Japanese government gave its backing to the latest deadline for Iraq to disarm or face war. “Our nation supports the proposed resolution as it is the final effort by the international community to put pressure on Iraq to disarm on its own,” Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said in a statement. The demonstrators gathered in Japan’s capital to oppose any war against Iraq and to criticise the government’s support for Washington. “The Japanese government always supports the US But Japanese citizens are different from the government. I want to emphasise that to the world,” said Yasuyuki Aizawa, a 31-year-old jewellery shop owner who took part in the demonstration. Japan has so far avoided voicing clear support for the United States over the Iraqi crisis, but it has been lobbying for a new UN resolution which the US is also seeking. In a survey by the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper last week, 84 per cent of respondents were against an attack on Iraq, up slightly from 80 percent in January. The protesters, many carrying placards with messages such as, “War is his answer, not mine” alongside a picture of US President George W. Bush, also urged Japanese leaders to listen to their views. “Over 80 percent of the people are against war. But (Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi) says there is no reason that the people are right. I don’t think so. Koizumi should hear what the people are saying,” said Naoko Tomita, a therapist. Police said 8,500 people participated in the rally and march through Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district. Organisers put the figure at 15,000. Japan is expected to support any US-led attack on Iraq, given its security alliance with Washington, especially at a time when tensions are increasing over North Korea’s suspected nuclear weapons programme. 4. ANTI-WAR LEAFLET AVAILABLE (from Chris Hunt) I created a leaflet. In case it’s of any use it can be downloaded in PDF format from the following link. It’s in English and Japanese. I printed the leaflet out as two to a B5 page though this original takes up a whole B5 page. It’s around 800 Kb, double sided with graphics. LINK: . I’ve (also) created some endwar pages. These are only in English at the moment though I hope Japanese will follow soon. Leaflets are available in both English and Japanese. Please have a look at The Torn Cloth Page. I’d like to see this idea taken up around the World. It’s very much work in progress and I’d appreciate comments and feedback. For example should the name be The Torn Cloth or Rags for Peace. I think a symbol for ending war is extremely important. We really can change the World system once people realise that the power rests with them. LINK: . TEXT IN ENGLISH (Japanese is slightly different due to translation issues) DIY Peace Kit! All around the World people are saying no to war, and yes to peace. The leaders are not listening. It is time to walk away. D I Y democracy is you. Democracy is me. Democracy is us. It’s time to stop believing in leaders and start believing in ourselves. The best time to be is now. The best time to act is now. Act Now! Take Action! 1. Think, think, think! Question everything, even this leaflet. 2. Be peaceful in your heart, be peaceful in your words be peaceful in your deeds. 3. If you find yourself without peace, stop and become yourself again. 4. Be local, buy local, participate in local happenings, make local happenings happen. 5. Boycott companies that profit from war. 6. Boycott US and British brands and brands from countries that push for war. 7. Talk to your friends – let them know what you are doing. 8. Remember you don’t need representatives – do it yourself! 9. Be 10. Keep being For the world you want to live in. For the World you can live in. For the world you are living in. 5. JOIN JAPAN U.S. CITIZENS’ JOINT APPEAL FOR PEACE IN IRAQ (forwarded by Terumi Terao) Dear Japanese and U.S. citizens, A petition is launched to appeal the peaceful resolution of the Iraq crisis for Japanese and U.S. citizens. Please visit and join the petition. You will find Japanese and English versions there to sign the petition. Peace, TERAO@Tajimi JAPAN-U.S. CITIZENS’ JOINT APPEAL FOR THE PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF THE IRAQ CRISIS In today’s world, where international conflicts and economic trends directly affect our individual lives, we believe thatthe foreign policy of nations should reflect the wishes of the majority of the world’s citizens, and not simply be decided by a closed circle of politicians. The U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspections Commission (UNMOVIC) has achieved concrete results in making Iraq give up its al-Samoud missiles. We believe that it is possible to solve the problems related to banned Iraqi arms by continuing and enforcing U.N. inspections. The use of force, in any form, will not only cause the deaths of innocent Iraqi civilians, but also place a huge burden on the U.S. and Japanese economies, and expose U.S. and Japanese citizens to the danger of further terrorism. We have been urging U.S. and Japanese municipalities to adopt resolutions and/or statements which call for the peaceful resolution of the Iraq crisis. As of March 6, 130 U.S. municipalities and 150 Japanese municipalities had adopted such resolutions, and the number continues to grow. We call on the governments of the United States and Japan to: – refrain from the use of force and respect the independent inspections being carried out by UNMOVIC; – abide by and respect international law and make every effort to resolve the current crisis peacefully, in cooperation with the international community. 6. E-MAIL ANTI-WAR MESSAGE TO MAINSTREAM MEDIA (from Richard Wilcox) Dear IGN members, This a call to people to send email messages to the major media in order to protest the war in Iraq. While I will grant you this may not be a brilliant strategy, given that the mainstream “news” media (see: Noam Chomsky, Propaganda and the Public Mind, South End Press) is for all intents and purposes a vast flowing stream of nitrogen rich detritus, some people may find it a waste of time to bother talking to Peter Jennings via email. At any rate, given the desperate situation and the fact that the war is not proceeding as planned, there may be a slight window of opportunity for peace activists to push the blatantly pro-war corporate media (the same media companies who profit from dropping bombs, eg., GE makes bombs, GE owns Tom Brokaw’s hairpiece) in a more skeptical direction. Most Americans and British are probably very skeptical of the war so any possibility for making the cracks in the facade grow bigger should be acted upon. (I am at a loss of how one can “support the troops” while being “against the war”, since the troops are the ones physically carrying out the war). Some of the TV news stations to send antiwar messages to that come to mind: NBS, MSNBS, ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, BBC. (All one usually needs to do is visit those websites and it is possible to find a variety of email addresses.) There may be more, I don’t know. I don’t watch any of these either but millions of people do who don’t read newspapers or the internet. Maybe this is a waste of time but if I am doing this thinking that a few others are as well, it makes me feel better in these grim circumstances as WWIII proceeds…. Everyone is going to have different aspects of the topic that they may wish to stress. I have been pushing the depleted uranium munitions issue as the media never mentions that while the US military are concerned to secure civilian lives, they are apparently unaware of the dangers of DU shell casings which release radioactive particles into the air when they explode. The effects of DU weaponry on Iraq in Gulf War I are amply documented as causing alarming cancer rates and unspeakably hideous birth defects among new borns. DU was since used in Kosovo and Afganistan by the US military (probably the British too, I don’t recall). The story broke out for the first time after the war in Kosovo when European soldiers (such as Italians as I recall) came down with cancer due to DU exposure. The effects of DU munitions are amply documented by the US military itself (previously, although now they deny their own findings); independent scientists, medical doctors and photojournalists. By the way, here is an excellent letter writing service that US citizens can take advantage of, I highly recommend it: Jim Harris’ Progressive Secretary And below are some other websites of possible interest regarding war, or this war, or permanent war, or war is hell…etc. Good luck and thank you! Thanks, Rw ALTERNATIVE MEDIA / SOURCES OF INFORMATION – Centre for Research on Globalisation. Behind the News, Analysis, Commentary and Intelligence on the New World Order – Common Dreams. . A good source for daily news updates from the US, check it every morning with your bagel and coffee… – CounterPunch. . THE indispensable political newsletter, period. – Cursor. . Helps you track the media. – Media Channel. . Unbeatable source for alternative news. – The Petition Site. . Take action on a variety of important issues online! – The Progressive Review. . Sam Smith, Washington’s No.1 reporter: banned from the Washington Post for tellling the truth! Get the amazing free e-newsletter… – ZNET. or Z Magazine . THE great source for radical views including Noam Chomsky, Barbara Ehrenreich and Edward Said. – Common Courage Press. . Books for an Informed Democracy. – Mary Knoll Productions: Videos, Books and Magazines. . Bring World Issues Into Focus. – DOE Watch. . An Epic and Open Exploration of Nuclear Issues. – Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG). . State PIRGs work together nationally to share ideas and resources and cooperate on regional and national issues [regarding the environment]. – Stop Cassini. . News from the world’s most knowledgable and indefatigable critic of all things nuclear, Russell D. Hoffman. – The Ecologist. . Simply the best environmental magazine in the entire world. – PR Watch. . Public Interest Reporting on the PR/Public Affairs Industry. – Get Your War. . A very strange website: but without question the most outrageously hilarious political satire on the entire internet. Parental guidance advised. The cartoon can also be accessed at . ANTIWAR WEBSITES: – American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). . Eloquent and effective opponents of war. – AntiWar.com. . The best place to get the world daily press coverage on the topic of war. – Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. . An eyeopener. – Center for Defense Information. . The nation’s foremost independent military research organization. – Downwinders. . Nuclear weapons: Welcome. America, We’re All Downwinders Now! – Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR). . The USA’s oldest pacifist group. – Institute for War and Peace Reporting. . UK based news source covering conflict around the world. – National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee. . The nation’s best clearinghouse for information, counseling, and local contacts for those interested in refusing to pay for war. – Peace Action. . Washington D.C. based lobbying group. – School of the Americas Watch. . The US Army School of Americas (SOA), based in Fort Benning, Georgia, trains Latin American soldiers in combat, counter-insurgency, and counter-narcotics. Graduates of SOA are responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses in Latin America. – The Council for a Livable World. . Working for Arms Control & Non-Proliferation and Peace. – The Sunshine Project. . Research and facts about biological weapons and biotechnology. – Voices In The Wilderness. . Challenging Iraq sanctions: delivering donated food, medical, and public health supplies to Iraqis. – Waging Peace.org. . How dare they! – warREPORTS.com. . In depth reportage on war. – War Resisters League. . Affirms that all war is a crime against humanity. We therefore are determined not to support any kind of war, international or civil, and to strive nonviolently for the removal of all causes of war. – Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. . – The Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. . The name says it all. 7. BOYCOTT BRAND AMERICA (from Greentalk) America’s warriors have dismissed peace marches as “irrelevant.” It’s time to build a second mass action against the war — the Boycott Brand America Pledge: Because I am one of the millions of people against the war; And because America has made it clear that it won’t listen to world opinion; And because the symbols of America are its corporations and their brands; I hereby pledge to boycott Brand America, from the moment the war begins and to the best of my ability until the empire learns to listen. Sign the Pledge: 8. TORN CLOTH SYMBOL FOR ECONOMIC ACTION AGAINST WAR – JOIN US! (from Chris Hunt) Tomorrow (March 23) a group of us are gathering outside Niigata Station (Bandai Side)again at 5pm to distribute leaflets suggesting that people take economic action for peace and against the war. We will also be offering torn cloth ‘ribbons’ for any who want them. Spread the word – show you are taking economic action for peace, take up and wear a torn cloth! This is very simple – please join in. There are leaflets for download (PFD format). Left click the links to open, right click to save onto your own computer. Leaflet in English: . Leaflet in Japanese: . Here is the text in English. If anyone can think of any improvements please let me know – constructive criticism welcome. WEAR THE TORN CLOTH TO HEAL A TORN WORLD The United States and Britain have scorned the people of the world. President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair have been cajoling, threatening and demanding war. They have been acting like spoiled children screaming “I want my war”. The war on Iraq has trampled over international law. The war on terror is in reality a war on peace. Let us give them their war. Let us give them more than they bargained for. Let the people rise up and make peace. Let’s change the way the world works. Take Economic Action For Peace! Money makes their World go around. Let us use our economic power to change the hearts and minds of these men. 1. Since the belief that time is money is strong, spend a little time every day talking about peace. Spread the word! Spread this action. 2. Since the United States and Britain are using war as a tool, think twice before buying products and services from the USA and UK. Can you spend your money in a better way? 3. Show you are taking this action by wearing a piece of torn cloth. Demonstrate your commitment to peace. No-one need tell you what action to take. Find your own level. Some people may opt for totally cutting out spending money on the countries of death. Others may wish to target big companies. Find your own way but do something today. Take up and wear the torn cloth. We will bring peace to the World! For the world you want to live in. For the world you can live in. For the world you are living in 9. IT’S THE SMALLEST ACT (forwarded by Jennifer Sauer) Dear friend, Please join me in taking a simple action for peace. Together with thousands of folks around the world, I’m putting a light in my window. If enough of us do the same, we can send a strong message of continued opposition to war and continued hope for peace. It could be a Christmas string or candle, a light bulb, or a lantern. It’s an easy way to keep the light of reason and hope burning, to let others know that they are not alone, and to show the way home to the young men and women who are on their way to Iraq. MoveOn’s keeping a count of the people who are joining in this simple act, from places all over the globe. Please sign up now at: . 10. ENVIROS AGAINST WAR (forwarded by Mitchel Cohen from Peter Drekmeier) Dear Friends, A U.S. attack on Iraq would not only cause an estimated 500,000 Iraqi casualties (according to the U.N.), it also would have devastating environmental impacts. I encourage you to check out the new Environmentalists Against War website to learn more about the issues and what you can do: . Following is a press release about the site. Please help spread the word by forwarding this message to others. – Peter ENVIRONMENTALISTS OPPOSE IRAQ WAR: COALITION LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Environmentalists Against War, a coalition of environmental organizations opposed to a U.S. attack on Iraq, has just launched a new website to raise awareness of the ecological costs of a second Gulf War. The site contains dozens of articles and reports, links to campaigns and organizations, and action tools for the public. “The first Gulf War was the biggest environmental disaster in recent history,” said Gar Smith, former editor of Earth Island Journal and a spokesperson for Environmentalists Against War. “Unfortunately, with advances in military technology, a new Gulf War has the potential to be even worse.” Such a thought does not rest well, considering these facts about the 1991 Gulf War: – More than 60 million gallons of crude oil – 6 times what the Exxon Valdez spilled off the shores of Alaska – were released into the environment, tarnishing 1,500 miles of coast and scarring the desert with 246 “lakes” of congealed oil. – More than 700 oil wells burned out of control for nine months, producing toxic clouds that blocked the sun and spread for thousands of miles. – U.S. forces fired nearly a million rounds of depleted uranium (DU) bullets and shells, leaving 300 tons of DU scattered across Kuwait and southern Iraq. – Approximately 800,000 Iraqi civilians, mostly children, have died from the lingering consequences of the war, including contamination of air, soil and water, and destruction of vital infrastructure, such as water and sewage treatment plants. “As organizations and individuals working for the environment and environmental justice, we have watched with increasing concern as the US government moves closer to an all-out attack on Iraq,” said China Brotsky, a co-author of the 1991 report “War in the Gulf: An Environmental Perspective.” “During the first Gulf War there was considerable discussion about its environmental impacts, but this time around the dialogue has been virtually nonexistent. Our goal is to raise awareness and encourage positive action.” A coalition statement titled “10 Reasons Environmentalists Oppose an Attack on Iraq” has been endorsed by more than 80 organizations, including Greenpeace, Earth Island Institute, The Ecologist and Rainforest Action Network. “All our signers realize that war will have devastating environmental impacts,” said Gar Smith. “We encourage people to visit our website to learn more about the issues and what they can do.” 11. BUDDHIST REFLECTIONS ON THE NEW HOLY WAR (by USGA member David Loy) I think Buddhism can give us some special insight into why this crazy, stupid war seems about to happen. A huge international antiwar movement has sprung up almost overnight because the “official” reasons for attacking Iraq simply do not add up. Despite extreme efforts to prove otherwise, no connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda has been discovered. Saddam is a brutal dictator? Of course; but since when is that something that bothers the U.S. government? We have supported and continue to support many brutal rulers around the world, as long as they serve our interests ƒ~ as we armed and supported Saddam when he attacked Iran and gassed his own Kurds. If his weapons of mass destruction make him so dangerous, why have been they so difficult to find? And why aren’t his neighbors more worried about them? Because Saddam’s military threat is a fragment of what it was 12 years ago. There is indeed an extraordinarily powerful nation that continues to develop horribly destructive weapons, and continues to abrogate international treaties that would control them. But that rogue nation is not Iraq. So what is really going on? This is where Buddhist teachings can help. Karma emphasizes the intentions behind our actions. We suffer, and make others suffer, because of the “three poisons” or roots of evil: greed, ill will and delusion. These must be transformed into their positive counterparts: generosity, loving-kindness and wisdom. These problems are collective as well as individual: there is institutionalized greed (e.g., corporations), institutionalized ill will (e.g., the military industrial complex) and institutionalized delusion (e.g., the media). We can see these three poisons motivating the new Gulf War. Greed? For oil, of course, as well as an opportunity to remake the Middle East according to our own liking (or so we think). Ill will? We are told that Saddam tried to assassinate Bush I. More important, probably, is that the Dad’s old guard is back in power, and they want to finish the first Gulf War. They are still angry that Saddam survived it, whereas the first Bush administration did not survive the next election.. But there is another factor: the need to divert attention from the fact that Bush II and Co. have not been winning their war against terrorism. Bin Laden escaped and al Qaeda has regrouped. Afghanistan is descending back into chaos. More terrorist attacks are expected soon. Since this failure cannot be acknowledged, attention must be diverted to a new enemy. Another face must be found for evil — or, more precisely, a new target for one’s anger and frustration. This is especially true for a presidency that only found a direction for itself on 9-11. The timing of the switch was perfect, and responsible for success in the midterm elections. This motivation is not necessarily all conscious. We are all familiar with how it works. Your boss gives you a hard time at the office, so when you come home and your kid says something mildly irritating, you slap him. Another factor that falls into this second category is the desire to test all those new weapons that the Pentagon has developed and deployed. True battlefield conditions are necessary to find out how well they really work. Afterwards they need to be replenished, which is profitable for arms companies, which brings us back to the first root of evil. Delusion? This is where it gets really interesting, from a Buddhist point of view. For one thing, there is the collective ego-inflation that results from being the world’s only hyper-power. Power is measured by its resistance. With nothing to challenge U.S. military dominance, what need is there for restraint? One is free to remold the world to the heart’s desire. The whispered word is empire, yet in the long run such arrogance is self-destructive, because it forfeits all legitimacy. But there is another, special insight that Buddhism has to offer here. It is connected with anatta, the “no-self” teaching. Anatta means that our core is hollow. The shadow-side of this emptiness is a sense of lack. Our no-self means we feel groundless, and that often makes life a futile quest to make ourselves feel more real. Individually, we seek being in symbolic ways such as money, fame, or through the eyes of our beloved. Yet there is also an important collective dimension that feeds ideologies such as nationalism and group struggles such as war. We are always relieved to discover that the sense of lack bothering us is due to something outside us ƒ~ personified in the enemy, who therefore must be defeated if we are to become whole and healed. That is why war is sacred, and why we love violence. It seems to give us clear purchase on the sense of lack that otherwise tends to haunt us in an amorphous way. Violence focuses the source of our dissatisfaction outside us, where it can be destroyed. No wonder, then, that people tend to rejoice when war finally breaks out, as even Freud and Rilke initially did at the beginning of the first world war. We feel newly bonded with our neighbors in a struggle that is no longer unconscious but something we have some conscious control over. Our problem is no longer inside us, but the evil that is over there. In Afghanistan. Or Iraq. When wars and revolutions do not bring us the salvation-from-lack we seek, though, we need repeated wars and continual revolutions. Since we can never fill up the hole at our core in this way and make ourselves really real, we always need a new devil outside us (or inside us: a “fifth column” of Islamic terrorist cells) to rationalize our failure and fight against. We hide this fact from ourselves by projecting our victory sometime into the future. If Afghanistan didn’t give us the security we crave, defeating Iraq will. When that doesn’t quell our festering sense of collective lack, we’ll find some other evil to fight. North Korea, anyone? The special problem today is that our increasing technological powers make this game increasingly dangerous. If we don’t see through this cycle and stop it, we will destroy ourselves in the process of destroying others. Ultimately, our individual and collective lack can only be resolved spiritually, because that is the only way to realize our true ground. That is the point of the Buddhist path. We need to take our projections back into us and deal with them there. Instead of running away from my sense of lack, mindfulness training (such as zazen) makes me more aware of it. When I “forget myself” in meditation practice, the emptiness at my core can transform into a “peace that surpasses understanding,” into a formless, spontaneous fountain of creativity free to become this or that. And to realize my own Buddha-nature in this way is to realize that everyone else ƒ~ yes, even terrorists, even Saddam — has the same Buddha-nature. Buddhism emphasizes non-violence so much because this path is incompatible with what has been called “the myth of redemptive violence,” the belief that sees violence as the solution to our problems. 12. THE MACHINERY OF SLEEP TURNS ITS FIRST WHEEL (poem by Mitchell Cohen, forwarded with the following comment: “here is my poem that went to visit Congress today, along with 13,000 other poems, with PoetsAgainstTheWar.org”) The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. – Steve Biko They took the owls our wolves our deer They took our words and sold the rain They took our corn and coined the pastures They took our pictures and stole the spirit They took our forests and now gasp for air They paved our paths running deserts corrugated streams They took our time the long silence between heartbeats They took our shoes still we are coming our feet Wrapped in the skins of dreams Mitchel Cohen, Brooklyn, NY, Editor of Green Politix (the national newspaper of the Greens/GPUSA) and the Red Balloon Poetry Conspiracy 13. IGN ECOSTUDY GROUP MEETS FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2003 (submitted by Richard Evanoff) PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL BE BACK IN OUR USUAL ROOM ON THE 3RD FLOOR OF BUILDING #8 DATE: Friday, April 11, 2003 TIME: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. PLACE: Aoyama Gakuin University, Shibuya (Tokyo) Campus, Building #8, 3rd floor (10 minutes walk from Shibuya station; 5 minutes walk from the Omote-sando subway station) DIRECTIONS: Come in the main entrance to the university (with the statue of John Wesley at the second floor level of the the building just to the right), walk down the tree-lined walkway until you reach the chapel (on your right). Building #8 is the next building after the chapel (between the chapel and the library). Take the elevator to the 3rd floor. As soon as you come out of the elevator follow the signs to the meeting room. PRESENTER: Todd Rho’Dess TOPIC: “U.S. Power Projection in a Post 9-11 World” FUTURE PRESENTATIONS: May 9: Teresa Schulze and Yuki Takahashi, “Ethnic Minorities in Japan” June 13: Dan Wolf, “The Role of Personal Growth in the Political Realm” July 11: Erik Kaye, “A System for Non-violent Confrontation, Part II” August: Summer vacation — no meeting September: Corinne Sutter, “Working Class Life” If you would like to give a future presentation or have any questions about the EcoStudy Group, please contact Richard Evanoff at 1933-8 Hazama-cho, Hachioij-shi, Tokyo 193-0941 or . 14. SYMPOSIUM ON “THE EQUITY DIMENSION IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION” (from Hiroshi Ohta) Everyone who is interested in this submect is welcome, but please give us notice of your attendance to this sympsium by April 14 vial e-mail to . PLACE: Soken Bldg., Conference Room 19 (Bldg. #14, 11 floor). Aoyama Gakuin University, Shibuya campus. TIME: April 16 (Wed.) 12:30-16:30 MODERATOR: Prof. Hiroshi Ohta, Aoyama Gakuin University PROGRAM: 12:45-14:30 “On the Project of Environmental Policy and Equity” by Prof. Kozo Yamamura, University of Washington “A Comparative Examination of the Link between Equity and Environmental Protection” by Prof. Miranda Schreurs, University of Maryland “The Multiple Dimensions of Environmental Justice: Equal Protection, Intergenerational Equity, and Regulatory Fairness: The Case of the United States” by Prof. Robert Percival, University of Maryland Question and Answer Period Coffee Break 14:45-16:30 “International Water and Equity” by GLOBE Japan (Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment (subject to change) “Integrating Equity Concerns in Environmental Protection: The Case of China” by Dr. Jennifer Turner, Woodrow Wilson Center, the China Enviornment Forum DISCUSSANTS (subject to change): Keiko Itoh, Asia Environment Network; Prof. Richard J. Evanoff, Aoyama Gakuin University; Prof. Keisuke Iida, Aoyama Gakuin University Question and Answer Period 15. JAMBO NEEDS VOLUNTEERS FOR EARTH DAY (from David Howenstein) Volunteers are needed to sit at the JAMBO booth at the Earth Day Festival in Yoyogi on April 19 & 20. If you can volunteer on either of those days between 10:00AM and 5:00PM, please let me know how long and the times you’d be available. Thank you. JAMBO HOMEPAGE . 16. MT. KONPIRA FESTIVAL APRIL 29 (from Richard Evanoff) An annual festival will be held at the Shinto shrine on the top of Mt. Konpira near Takao Station in Hachioji, Tokyo on Japan’s “Green Day,” April 29. Everyone is invited to attend! The festival will include a wide range of performances, including music and dance, as well as lots of food and drink. The main activities will be held from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. Several years ago a local citizens group began to hold annual festivals on the top of Mt. Konpira in protest against plans by a school to dynamite the mountain in order to make a new sports complex. The citizens group managed to prevent the mountain from being dynamited and continues to hold an annual festival on Green Day, as well as New Year’s festivities and picnics on the first Sunday of every month (except May, since the first Sunday falls soon after the annual festival). A community has formed around the shrine, which has also become a gathering point for Japanese and foreign activists. The Konpira community is also working with other groups to try to stop construction of a tunnel through Mt. Takao as part of the proposed Ken-o-do Expressway. To get to Mt. Konpira take either the Chuo Line or the Keio Line from Shinjuku to Takao Station (NOT Takao-san-guchi Station). Go out the south exit, make a sharp U-turn to the right after coming down the stairs, and you will begin to see signs directing you to Konpira. It’s about a 20-minute walk from the station to the top of the mountain (don’t worry, it’s not that high!). Look forward to seeing you there! 17. GENETIC ENGINEERING: A TECHNOLOGY OF CORPORATE CONTROL (from Jim Scheff of the Gateway Greens; forwarded by Don Fitz) BIODEVASTATION 7: A FORUM ON ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM, WORLD AGRICULTURE, AND BIOWARFARE, St. Louis Missouri, May 16-18, 2003. Dear Advocate for a GE-free-world, We would like to invite you to co-sponsor the 7th International Gathering on Biodevastation called “Genetic Engineering: A Technology ofCorporate Control.” The May 16-18, 2003 Gathering will be in Monsanto’s home town of St.Louis, Missouri, USA. The anti-genetic engineering movement has won the hearts and minds of Europe and India and respect from governments in southern Africa. In the US, there is a strong alliance between anti-GE activists, family farm organizations, and the global justice movement. Now is the time for the anti-GE movement to reach out to social justice, peace and environmental movements with which it has only begun to be successfully integrated through the ongoing series of biodevastation gatherings. The May 2003 Biodevastation Gathering will be the cutting edge event defining links between environmental racism and biotechnology industries. Subtitled “A Forum on Environmental Racism, World Agriculture and Biowarfare,” the event is organized around five main panels: a. “The International Threat to Farms and Farmers” will delve into the plight of farmers in the US, Canada and Africa, giving attention to black farmers in the US and legal cases of corporations suing farmers when GE pollen blows into their fields. b. “Corporate Greed and Environmental Racism” will examine pesticides sprayed on farmworkers, toxins released into communities of color, and the sordid long-term record of Monsanto. It will highlight the effects of consuming GE food for people who are already at risk due to repeated exposure to toxins. c. “Biowarfare” will explore the US role in developing biological weapons, paying particular attention to the current threat of their being used against Muslims and people of color and the ecosystems they have nurtured. d. “Globalization and Food Imperialism” will document efforts by multinational corporations to drive up to one billion small farmers off the land in Africa, Asia and Latin America. e. “Crop Contamination and the Future of Indigenous Agriculture” will provide scientific background on horizontal gene transfer and escape of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the ecosystem. Confirmed speakers for the 2003 event include some of the most accomplished scientists and organizers in the world: Mae-Wan Ho (Institute for Science in Society, London), Mwananyanda Mbikusita Lewanika (National Institute for Scientific & Industrial Research, Zambia), Michael Hansen (Consumer Policy Institute), Vandana Shiva (Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, India), Ignacio Chapela (University of California professor who documented GE pollen contamination of indigenous corn in Mexico), Anuradha Mittal (Institute for Food and Development Policy, California), Lawrence Tsimese (Ghana Organic Agriculture Network), Ana Ruiz Diaz (Permaculture Network of Mexico), Michael Dorsey (Dartmouth, a long-time environmental justice activist from Detroit who writes on biopiracy in Ecuador), Felder Freeman (African American farmer with the Federation of Southern Co-ops), Edward Hammond (Sunshine Project, which researches bioweapons), Percy Schmeiser (Canadian farmer in a long-term legal battle with Monsanto), Mark Mitchell (Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice), Kristin Dawkins (Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy), and Brian Tokar (Institute for Social Ecology, Vermont). There will be concurrent workshop tracks for participants to explore one of these themes in depth. The Gathering will seek to attract attendees at the May 18-20 World Agricultural Forum (WAF-also in St. Louis) to hear a different perspective. On the day the two events overlap, there will be a peaceful and publicly visible activity featuring non-GE food and a major rally at the site of the WAF. Since Monsanto and General Electric are not going to underwrite the Gathering, activists will have to support it ourselves through registration. Registration fees will be: $50 postmarked before April 1 $75 April 1 or after An organization will be listed as a supporter if it registers two or more people before April 1. Since the Gathering has expenses to meet immediately, we hope that you will save money by sending registration fees for more than two people right away. We very much need larger organizations to become co-sponsors by sending at least $1000. This allows the organization to name 20 people whose $50 registration fees are covered. (Groups are welcome to send more than $1000 and register more members.) Co-sponsoring organizations will be listed prominently at the front of the Gathering brochure. We will print 500 to 1000 copies of the 8.5 x 11″ Gathering Program which will be used for three days by dedicated environmentalists. Advertisement space in this booklet is $200 (full page), $125 (half page), $75 (quarter page), or $50 (eighth page/business card). Please confirm by e-mail or phone as soon as you make a decision to support or co-sponsor the Gathering. This will help us tremendously in financial planning. Make your check out to the Gateway Green Education Foundation, noting “7th Biodev Gathering,” and send it to 720 Harvard, St. Louis MO 63130 before April 1, 2003. Solidarity, Jim Scheff, Biotechnology Organizer, Gateway Greens 18. NEWS FROM TOKYO ENGLISH LIFE LINE (T.E.L.L.) (from by Tokyo English Life Line) 1. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER OPTIONS? Tokyo English Lifeline is a vibrant non profit organization which is celebrating its 30th year in 2003. We are recruiting at the moment for volunteers to work in a variety of interesting projects and roles. We have opportunities where you could use your skills to serve the community in management, event coordination, corporate liaisons and fundraising as well as internet web design, IT support, and database development. We will be holding an orientation and induction day in April for new volunteers for these projects. This may mean joining our Board of Directors and being responsible for our financial and policy decisions or becoming involved in planning the Annual Connoisseur’s Auction and Runathon fundraisers. We also have a Corporate Council whose members build sustainable relationships through liaising with corporations in Tokyo and keeping them up to date on our work and services with professional presentations. This is an excellent way to maintain business links and continue to be involved in the corporate world. TELL also produces an informational calendar which utilizes layout and graphic design talents and advertising sales skills. There is also scope for creating any fundraising ideas you can imagine as well as performing PR and publicity work. We are always looking for ways to increase our website access and to improve our database and IT systems. If you are interested in becoming involved in any of these roles or projects or if you would like to find out more about TELL, please give the Lifeline Services Director a call on (03) 3498 0246 or the office on (03) 3498 0261. 2. EXTENDING OUR HOURS TO 9 AM – 11 PM From TELL’s 30th Birthday on April 1st, we will be extending our hours on the Life Line to cover the entire period from 9am-11pm 365 days a year. The line is a free service for people to talk confidentially to a trained counselor about any topic they need to. People often call the Life Line to talk about relationship issues, depression and loneliness, cultural adjustment or to ask for information they need for living in Tokyo. 3. T.E.L.L. 4TH ANNUAL RUNATHON MAY 3 TELL would like to invite you to join us for our 4th annual Runathon on Saturday, May 3rd. Bring your family and friends and walk or run 5km or 10km around the Imperial Palace. 5km walk begins at 9:45 5km run begins at 10:30 10km run begins at 10:40 Free T-shirts, fantastic prizes, clowns and great fun. Registration 3,000 yen/person until April 16. Registration on the day is 3,500 yen. 10,000 yen for a family(4 or more). Visit the TELL website, for registration, map, and information. 19. BOOKS FOR BURMA (An appeal on behalf of the English Teachers of Myanmar; forwarded by Richard Wilcox) The education system in Burma has been eroded over the past twenty years to the point where it is almost non-functioning. Resources are almost non-existent and English teachers in particular have almost no knowledge of modern texts and methods and very little access to printed texts. This year, as part of the Volunteer Education Network’s (VEN) activities, I have determined to seek the help of teachers in Japan to provide English language texts, teacher resources and reading material for Burmese teachers and students. Every term, teachers go through their bookshelves and discard a large number of duplicate or sample texts, older academic books or books in which they no longer have an interest. I would like to ask you to collect all English language books, whether, teacher-resources, student texts, readers, reference books, novels or academic texts no matter what the subject matter, pack them up and send to me so that I can send them to educational institutions, through the British Council. The British Council in Rangoon are going to distribute the books through their “Millennium Centers” which are resource centers for English teachers in the different regions of Burma. Transportation of the books from Japan is likely to be taken care of by donations from the BC Rangoon and BC Tokyo, but if anyone has any other ideas for where to get funding for something like this, please get in touch. Otherwise, my leaving bonus from my old job will cover it! To answer a few questions that have come up, 1. I hope this will become an ongoing project, although from time to time I want to change the destination country (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal etc. all need books too). 2. Please send all books to my home address by March 28th for this shipping. Don’t worry if they arrive later than this as there will be more shippings this year. “BB” c/o Alan Mackenzie, 2-13-10-102 Sugesengoku, Tama Ku, Kawasaki Shi, Kanagawa Ken 214-0006 3. All takyubin expenses will have to be yours unfortunately. This is a shoestring grassroots operation. 4. ANY books relating to English teaching and learning are welcome. Novels and academic/ factual magazines are also welcome since any printed resources are almost non-existent in Burma. However, the target audience is teachers of English and the books should be primarily for the purpose of teaching/learning English at all levels. 5. Textbooks that have a lot of Japanese are not likely to be very useful so if instructions etc. are in Japanese, please don’t include them. A little Japanese is okay (forwards, glossaries, etc). 6. Single copies, publisher samples, and sample tapes or full tapes are all welcome. 7. Labeling: Please mark on the box how many books you are sending, with a big “BB” on the side of each box. 8. All contributors will receive a contribution certificate stating the number of books donated. Thank you very much to the fifteen or so people who have promised a box or ten already! Alan Mackenzie Tel/Fax: 044-949-6690 20. FRIENDS OF THE EARTH HIKES IN APRIL (from Friends of the Earth) The following Friends of the Earth hikes are scheduled for April: APRIL 6: Mitake-yama, Takaiwa-yama / Okutama (moderately easy). Meet at 7:30 a.m. at Shinjuku JR Station at the front end of Platform 9 of the Chuo Line. APRIL 13: Gozen-yama / Okutama (moderately hard). Meet at 7:30 a.m. at Shinjuku JR Station at the front end of Platform 9 of the Chuo Line. APRIL 20: Kuki-san, Kagura-yama / Yamanashi (moderately hard). Meet at 8:00 a.m. at Shinjuku JR Station at the front end of Platform 9 of the Chuo Line. For more information see the Friends of the Earth website at . You can also get hike info by e-mail: simply send an e-mail to with “mail member” in the subject line. Friends of the Earth can also be contacted at 3-17-24-2F Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-0031. Tel: 03-3951-1081. Fax: 03-3951-1084. 21. APRIL NEWS AND SPECIALS FROM TENGU (from Tengu Natural Foods) We just mailed out our Spring Tengu Times. If you have not gotten a copy and want one drop us a note or go to our homepage at www.alishan-organic-center.com and download it. Alishan’s First MUSIC EVENT on Sunday April 6th from Noon till 8 PM. Live on the deck with Yaski and also drums by Yamazaki Yamato. Nine different DJ’s in the event room all day and evening. The cafe will be offering up a range of snacks and good things. 2,000 yen entrance includes one drink. See our homepage for more info and show poster (in Japanese). Alishan Organic Center and Tengu Natural Foods will host the second Organic Market Day event on the 17th of May. We are currently looking for ecologically oriented groups, artists, crafts people, musicians, etc., to perform, set up booths, and sell their wares. There is no charge to set up a booth or perform. Please note this is not a Flea Market, no used clothes! Interested parties can contact Leon, Jack, or Heather at Alishan Organic Center. Tel: 0429-82-4811. Fax: 0429-82-4813. . . APRIL SPECIALS – PP58 Special Introductory Price – Corn Penne Pasta (wheat free and of course organic!) 250g bag for Y250. We have a limited number so order soon! – PP38 White Pita Bread – Usually Y520, now Y440 – PP39 Pure Vanilla Extract – Usually Y1200, now Y1080 – PP40 Multi Grain Bread Mix – Usually Y670, now Y600 – PP43 Meridian Strawberry Jam – Usually Y720, now Y640 – PP47 Pretzels – Usually Y400, now Y360 – PP48 Eden Apple Juice – Usually Y620, now Y560 – PP49 Black Mission Figs – Usually Y900, now Y800 – PP50 Blueberries – Usually Y650, now Y420 – PP52 Eggplant Curry – Usually Y520, now TWO for Y620 – PP53 Lentil Curry – Usually Y520, now TWO for Y620 – PP54 Ginger & Garlic Curry Paste 40% off – Usually Y500, now Y300 – PP56 Planet Spray Cleaner 15% off – Usually Y900, now Y765 – PP55 CANNED BEANS SPECIAL – our can sizes are changing so we want to clear out the old smaller size. Choose from: Canned Black beans or Canned Pinto beans – Usually Y290 each, now THREE for Y500 (we will send 2 black and 1 pinto unless you tell us otherwise) PAST DATE SPECIALS – PP44 Almond Butter (expiry date April 5th 2003) Usually Y800, now TWO for Y800 – PP45 Seven Grain Cereal (expiry date April 23rd 2003) – Usually Y550, now Y450 OR PP46 FOUR boxes for Y1000 – PP51 Tabouli (expiry date April 11th 2003) Usually Y450, now Y150 – that is 66% off 22. JOURNAL OF ENGAGED PEDAGOGY NO. 2 (from Jane Nakagawa) Issue no 2 of the Journal of Engaged Pedagogy (JEP), an alternative publication for teachers and researchers inspired by Paulo Freire and bell hooks, will be available in April, 2003. Please visit the Engaged Pedagogy Association (EPA) website to view the table of contents: . EPA membership information is also available on the website: . Forthcoming will be information about a June EPA conference held in Tokyo (please check the EPA website in April for further details). To order individual copies of JEP 1 or JEP 2, please contact Reiko Yoshihara: . 23. KYOTO JOURNAL #53 (JUST DEEDS) (from Ken Rodgers) Dear Friends of KJ, Kyoto Journal #53 will be released this week. Here is our press release/announcement of this very timely special issue: JUST DEEDS: HEART AND INNOVATION IN THE REAL WORLD Kyoto Journal, an award-winning non-profit volunteer-based international quarterly established in 1986, is dedicated to presenting fresh, thought-provoking “Perspectives on Asia.” With this special issue of Kyoto Journal we honor vision, innovation, pragmatism, and persistence. Not merely as admirable abstract concepts, but as revealed in the lifework of remarkable individuals dedicated to creating social changes that improve and enrich people’s lives in Asia and beyond. Envisioning new ways of tackling what needs to be done, these social entrepreneurs and innovators have translated ideas into actions, words into deeds. Their personal commitment demonstrates the unlimited potential of human imagination to overcome social, environmental and economic problems – thereby positively transforming the world. Living their ideals, they inspire their own communities and demonstrate humanity in action to us all – a welcome antidote to the massively destructive present-day insanity of military “solutions.” JUST DEEDS spotlights people and groups in fifteen countries in Asia who have taken up the vital challenge of finding creative, unorthodox yet effective ways to deal successfully with diverse social problems involving health, education, environmental concerns, poverty, inequality, civic empowerment and other issues desperately in need of resolution. In addition to individual profiles and success stories, we also present essays providing social context and historical overview, and other accounts of attempts to make the world a better place – even at a very local level – by people who care enough to make a difference. These are just some of the articles featured in this issue: – “Living Words” – John Hanagan. “We live in one world,” said Joseph Campbell, “and babble about another.” As a longtime professor of philosophy, I find this observation particularly unsettling. Why are words so often empty? And how is it that some people, in ways great and small, manage the heroic feat of living their beliefs? – “The Abandoned Jewels of Cambodia” – Kimberlye Kowalczyk. In 1991 Arn Chorn Pond returned to Cambodia to found Cambodian Volunteers for Community Development, a youth community service group with 60,000 members that aims to improve the quality of life for destitute Cambodians. He is also working on his more recently founded Cambodia Master Performers Program, which provides opportunities for the few surviving old master artists of traditional Khmer arts and music to pass on to youth their vital cultural legacy. – “Living Deeds” – Ken Rodgers. Since commencing its initial program in India in 1982, Ashoka Foundation has elected over 1,200 Fellows, actively promoting new ideas in health, education, civic participation, environment and economic development in 43 different countries, including six in Asia (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Thailand). – “Working for Change in Mongolia” – Paul D. Scott. Oyun, who acknowledges among her influences the Dalai Lama, fights for the ideals of her murdered brother. The principal mission of the Zorig Foundation, founded shortly after his death, is to advance the formation of a democratic society and support political reforms in Mongolia. – “This Can’t Last Forever” – Daniel Rothenberg on political change in Burma. The voices of older, educated Burmese reveal the uncertainty of past predictions, the severe impact of decades of poor governance and the essential sadness of facing a nation’s unrealized dreams. For the generation who came to political maturity with the country’s independence, Burma’s current crisis is the result of having missed one opportunity after another. – “Prison Matriarch” – Rita Dixit-Kubiak. “I told them I was not merely a correctional officer, but saw myself as a mother concerned about each of them, about their progress, protection and welfare. My intuition proved absolutely right. It transformed my workplace. I had leaped from an apparent dead end to a space of creative possibility, and I was determined to take everyone with me.” – “Living Future: What the World Wants” – Medard Gabel. Given the broad spectrum of people involved in creating this global preferred state, it can be argued that the results give a good indication of where the entire world, given the “vote,” would agree to move towards. More importantly, and very disturbingly, the global preferred state cannot be dismissed as fantasy for another good reason: it is quite achievable, and achievable with present day technology and resources. Going one step further: it is not only achievable…it is affordable. Just Deeds will be available by subscription and special order from Kyoto Journal in late March; in bookstores in Japan in early April, and in the U.S. in mid-May. (Copies will also be available at our retrospective exhibition: “Perspectives on Asia: 17 Years of Kyoto Journal,” at Kyoto International Community House, March 29 to April 5). For more information on Just Deeds and Kyoto Journal, please visit our newly updated website: With our best regards, John Einarsen, Founding Editor, Art Director; Ken Rodgers, Managing Editor; Stewart Wachs, Associate Editor Kyoto Journal, 35 Minamigoshomachi, Okazaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8334. Fax: 075-751-1196. E-mail: . KJ Website: . Kyoto Journal offers thought-provoking cultural perspectives on Asia. A non-profit, all-volunteer production now in its 17th year, KJ has been shortlisted six years consecutively in the Utne Reader’s Alternative Press Awards – with nominations for Excellence in Art and Design (awarded ’98), Local/RegionalCoverage, Writing Excellence, and (in 2002) both Design and General Excellence. 24. INFO ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL GREEN NETWORK REGISTRATION: To register with the International Green Network, please request a registration form from Richard Evanoff at or at 1933-8 Hazama-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 193-0941. Registration is open to both individuals and groups. There is no registration fee or dues of any kind. Small donations (1,000 yen or less) to help cover operating expenses are welcomed, however. NEWSLETTER: The International Green Network (IGN) Newsletter will be published irregularly and sent to all people who register with the IGN. An e-mail version will be sent to those on e-mail and by regular mail to those who are not. Items for publication may be submitted by anyone and should be sent to Andrew Welford at or at Taishido 3-28-12-201, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 154-0004. Please send general discussion items to the e-mail list (info below) rather than to the newsletter; however, if there is something you would like to share with everyone in the IGN, please send it to the newsletter so that those who are not on e-mail can receive it. We especially welcome: news items; events info; profiles of organizations and groups; alternative business advertisements (published free of charge); short articles; and opinion pieces. Please send items for publication in the form in which you would like it to be published since editing will be minimal. WEBSITE: The International Green Network maintains a website at . Information for posting on the website should be sent to Tony Boys at . E-MAIL LIST: By joining the IGN listserv, you will be able to exchange messages with other group members. To register for the e-mail list, send an e-mail message “subscribe ignj” to subscribe@yahoogroups.com>. To send messages to members of this group, simply send an e-mail to . If you do not wish to belong to the IGN e-mail list, you may unsubscribe by sending an email to . More information is available at . This information should be correct but if there are any glitches, please contact the IGN list moderator at . FAIR USE NOTICE: This newsletter may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included info