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:
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