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M. Kajikuri: Address to ILC
Written by Mr. Masayoshi Kajikuri, chairman, UPF-Japan
Friday, August 16, 2019
Address to International Leadership Conference 2019, Seoul, Korea, August 15-18, 2019
I would like to explain the activities of UPF-Japan, namely the activities of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP) and the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD). At the end of this presentation, I will announce the chapter’s goals for UPF’s World Summit 2020.
IAPP-Japan was launched on November 17, 2016 in the International Conference Hall of the upper house (House of Councillors) of the National Diet, Japan’s bicameral legislature. The launching ceremony was attended by 63 current members of the Diet. Including secretaries representing Diet members, IAPP-Japan was launched with the blessing of 100 members of the Diet.
The launch was held as a part of the International Leadership Conference (ILC)-Japan 2016, which was attended by Dr. Thomas Walsh, chair of UPF; parliamentarians; and scholars from overseas.
Currently, IAPP-Japan is supporting the elections of national and local assembly members. It only supports candidates who have signed an agreement to cooperate with the IAPP and to implement a list of policies advocated by UPF. And it appoints these candidates as Ambassadors for Peace.
One of the important activities of IAPP-Japan is to strengthen ties among Japan, the U.S. and South Korea in the interest of security. Many Japanese Diet members have shown considerable concern about the nuclear and missile issues of North Korea; so, UPF-Japan has held a series of discussions with parliamentarians and experts on security issues among Japan, the U.S. and South Korea. This is a picture of a Japan-U.S. forum held in May 2017 that was the outcome of a fact finding trip to Japan The Washington Times Foundation had organized for American congressmen and experts to have discussions with Japanese counterparts.
The forum, “Japan US Parliamentarians and Experts Forum,” which was sponsored by UPF-Japan, took place in the International Conference Hall of the lower house of the Diet. The theme of the forum was “Growing Tension in East Asia and Japan-US Alliance.”
In July 2017, UPF-Japan organized a fact finding trip to America in which it brought eight current members of the Diet to Washington, D.C. Five current parliamentarians from Korea also came and three-party talks on nuclear and missile issues of North Korea involving parliamentarians from Japan, Korea and the U.S. were held.
This picture was taken when Diet members visited the Founder’s Room in the Washington Times building.
Then, the participants of the fact finding trip traveled from Washington, D.C. to New York and took part in the Peace Starts With Me Rally at Madison Square Garden on July 15. This is a picture of the green room in the indoor arena, where UPF co-founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, met with Diet members before speaking at the event.
In November 2017, three-party talks with Japan, Korea and the U.S. were held at the Korean National Assembly building in Seoul. Parliamentarians and experts from these three countries had a lively discussion on peace and security in Northeast Asia.
Whenever an international conference of UPF takes place in Seoul, Korea, UPF-Japan tries to arrange meetings between members of the Diet and members of the National Assembly of Korea so that they can directly talk with each other. This is a picture of such a meeting that was organized in February of last year.
This is a picture of another Japan-Korea parliamentarians forum that was held in August of last year. Eight current members of the Diet visited Seoul and discussed issues of North Korea with members of the Korean National Assembly.
Diet members not only participated in events in Korea and the U.S., but also in other events around the world. Three current and two former Diet members attended the ILC in Vienna, which was held in April of 2018.
Before the event, the Diet members visited the green room of the venue, where they met with UPF co-founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, before she spoke at the Peace Starts With Me Rally.
Four current Diet members were brought to the Latin America Summit in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which was held in August of last year. One of them became a cabinet minister after the conference.
Now, let me explain about UPF-Japan’s think-tank activities.
In order to actualize the vision of UPF, there must be a process by which the chapter can translate the vision into practical policies. That is why the Institute for Peace Policies (IPP) was established as a think-tank under UPF-Japan in July 2011. Benefitting from the global network of UPF, the IPP is actively holding international conferences and meetings to offer policy proposals to policymakers in Japan.
It is expected these policy proposals will be used as educational materials in national campaigns in Japan. With support from IAPP parliamentarians, these proposals will actually be submitted to the parliament in the near future.
This is the basic concept of UPF-Japan’s think-tank. Its goals are to contribute to the policy-making process of the government and to influence public opinions in line with the directions of God’s providence.
By appointing high-level professionals as IPP Experts Committee members, UPF-Japan is building networks in areas such as 1) global issues and peacebuilding, 2) peace diplomacy and security, and 3) strengthening foundations for families.
And as a next step, the chapter plans to form groups of IPP experts and parliamentarians who will be matched according to their interests and expertise. It believes the work of these groups, which will collaborate with the global network of UPF as well as national campaigns of UPF-Japan, will eventually become one of the main activities of the IAPP in Japan.
IAPD-Japan was launched on December 11, 2018 during the ILC-Japan 2018, at which Dr. Douglas M. Johnston, president emeritus of the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy in the United States, was a keynote speaker.
Leaders of the Shinto and Buddhist faiths as well as leaders of the Christian and Muslim faiths gathered together to form the IAPD-Japan with a water ceremony and prayer symbolizing the unity of various religions. Prof. Yoshio Kawakami, a professor emeritus at Tezukayama Gakuin University, has been appointed as the first president of IAPD-Japan.
Currently, IAPD-Japan holds an interreligious forum once a month to promote interreligious dialogue and cooperation. In addition, The Religion News is published once a month to publicize the activity widely.
IAPD-Japan also holds Ambassador for Peace seminars in major cities. It is enlightening what are the mission and responsibilities of religious people for peace and development and is appointing religious Ambassadors for Peace.
IAPD-Japan is also working on strengthening cooperation among religious people in Korea, Japan and Taiwan. From July 16 to 20 this year, in collaboration with UPF-Taiwan and IAPD-Korea, IAPD-Japan participated in the 19th Religious and Peace Life Camp organized by the Taiwan Conference on Religion and Peace (TCRP).
Finally, I would like to announce UPF-Japan’s goals for World Summit 2020.
It will bring at least one former prime minister of Japan; at least one former speaker of the house; five former cabinet members; 10 current members of the Diet; 30 former members of the Diet; and 180 local assembly members.
UPF-Japan will also bring 270 religious, academic, media, women, youth and business leaders. In total, the chapter will bring 500 dignitaries from Japan to the Summit conference.
Thank you very much.
To go to the International Leadership Conference Schedule 2019, click here.