March 2010

Japanese Youth Step Up Arms Down! Campaign in Tokyo

The Youth Committee of the Japanese Committee of the World Conference of Religions for Peace promoted the Arms Down! Camping for Shared Security on March 14.

The campaign, launched in December by the Global Youth Network of Religions for Peace, calls on every nation to divert at least 10 percent of its military spending to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

On the morning of March 14, some thirty youths from youth committee member organizations attended a memorial service at Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall in eastern Tokyo's Sumida Ward for all who died in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and the air raids on Tokyo in 1945. At the same time, they rededicated themselves to work for world peace. Rissho Kosei-kai was represented by Rev. Koichi Matsumoto, director of its Youth Department and director of the youth committee of Religions for Peace Japan, and Mr. Keiichiro Fujita, director of Rissho Kosei-kai's executive committee for the campaign.

The memorial service opened with an address by Rev. Doken Yasaka, director of the steering committee of the Arms Down! Campaign in Japan as well as deputy director of the youth committee. He explained that the campaign aims to contribute to world peace and the defense of human rights. Then all the participants prayed silently for the earthquake and air raid victims and for lasting peace.

After that they moved to the Ginza, Tokyo's most famous shopping area and promoted the campaign among passers-by, with displays of banners and posters. As they distributed fliers and small cards with information about the campaign, they explained its significance and invited people to sign petitions.

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