HEADQUARTERS
2005 SUMMER SCHOOL IN OKINAWA
COUNCIL MEETING IN TOKYO
On November 5 and 6, the above meeting was held to summarize the 2nd and 3rd executive council meetings' discussion and to propose the coming activities, (1) activation of research committees, (2) ECSTA III to be held on December 11 (international symposium to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Association), (3) future forum of Article 9, and (4) enlargement of membership, which was followed by discussion of branch activity and the future activity.
13TH MINI-SYMPOSIUM FOR CONCERNING SCIENTISTS' RIGHTS IN TOKYO
The research committee "Scientific workers' rights" is to publish "Ethical code for scientific workers" and "Declaration of scientific workers" in order to establish the scientific workers' rights in every working place. The committee's drafts have openly been discussed in the Association, which is to polish and refine them in the presence of membership. The above symposium was held on November 23 in Tokyo, where the committee's organizer explained the draftfs contents, which was followed by three comments (Prof. Katahira, Toyo Univ.; Dr. Urata, Waseda Univ. ret., and Prof. Kurahara, Kogakuin Univ.) to the ethical code and declaration to be formalized in the document.
2005 JAPAN PEACE CONFERENCE IN KANAGAWA
From November 24 to 27, the above conference was held to think of how to establish world peace in the near future, where the JSA was a member of the organizing committee of the conference. There were many interesting events including international symposium and on-spot-investigations, which was carried out on the slogan: (1) 60 years after war and peaceful Asia, (2) US bases' reshuffling and tomorrow's Japan in the absence of military alliance and base, and (3) revision of Constitution, especially of Article 9 and denuclearization to construct peaceful Japan in the very near future.
ARTICLE 9 OF THE CONSTITUTION DISCUSSED ACROSS THE COUNTRY
On November 22, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), in the commemorative convention for the 60th anniversary of the Party's foundation, has approved a draft of a so-called "new Constitution" throwing away the current Convention's pacifist provisions. This is the first draft of constitutional revision to be put forward by the ruling party, and it makes a new step toward adversely revising the Japanese Constitution. The LDP's draft has deleted "cresolved that never again shall we be visited with the horrors of war through the action of government" from the current Constitution's preamble, thus discarding the wards expressing remorse for the past Japanese war of aggression to a number of countries. As for Article 9, the draft keeps the paragraph 1 that "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes" as it is. But, but, but, it has replaced paragraph 2 (prohibiting Japan from maintaining a military and denying Japan the right to belligerency) with a provision allowing Japan to establish a self-defense military that will engage in "international cooperation activities and public order maintenance activities", thus making it possible constitutionally to deploy troops abroad. It also calls on the people to jointly hold the responsibility and obligation of supporting and protecting their country and society with affection, a sense of responsibility and sprit, and on the people to recognize "this is an 'independent Constitution' in the presence of the emperor 'Tenno' as the symbol of the nation".
Against the LDP's adverse revision of the Constitution, the JSA dependently and/or independently has organized a number of meetings to open the problematic points to the public. On November 2, the Tokushima branch held a peace symposium entitled "How do we think of peace, international cooperation and Japanese Constitution?" Profs. Aiba (Tokushima Univ.) and Aso (Naruto Univ. of Ed.) gave seminars on the theme.
On November 19, the Kyoto branch held a forum of Article 9 of Constitution entitled "Thinking of Japanese security and world peace" at Kyoto University, where five speakers presented their views of how to observe Article 9: (1) Article 9 and its related economic question, (2) forefront and universality of pacific Constitution, (3) Korean view on Japan, (4) human-historical significance as for Article 9, and (5) pacifism to be materialized, respectively. Afterward, they made a synthetic discussion to realize a peaceful world.
The Saitama branch held a meeting "Iraq war and the Constitution of Japan" on November 20 in Saitama City, which was opened to the public. Mr. Yasuda (journalist: hostage taken in Iraq for 14 days in April, 2004) gave a seminar on "self-responsibility, national interest over individual dignity, and how to inform people of events", which was on the basis of his abducted hostage plotted in Iraq.
The Chugoku district and the Hiroshima branch co-organized a peace symposium entitled "If we did not have Article 9 of the Constitution ? Citizens' and scientists' responsibility" on November 26 at Hiroshima University in Hiroshima City, where five invaluable reports were presented: (1) international peace and Article 9 (Prof. Asai, Hiroshima City Univ.), (2) form of the nation (Mr. Ihara, Mayor of Iwakuni City), (3) Article 9 ? its Hibakusha's 'Polaris' (Dr. Takahashi, ex-Chair of Hiroshima Peace Museum), (4) Article 9 and citizens' movements in Hiroshima (Prof. Ishiguchi, Hiroshima Univ.), and (5) people who are enjoying 'peace' ? Current university atmosphere and what university should be (Prof. Yoshida, Hiroshima Univ.), respectively.
The Fukuoka branch also held a forum "Article 9 of the Constitution" at Kurume University Fukuoka Satellite on November 26, where Prof. Idemizu (Kyushu Univ.) gave a report on the title "Current political situation in connection with constitutional pacifism", which was followed by a number of discussions.
LOCAL ACTIVITIES IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER
1. OSAKA BRANCH
1) The meeting of the study group Energy problems was held on December 22, where Prof. Aoyama (Kinki Univ.) gave an invaluable report on how much we should estimate the cost of energy.
2) The study group Philosophy organized a meeting on October 25, where Dr. Nishida (Osaka branch.) gave a lecture entitled "Public transportation, laborers' rights and health care, and citizens' safety measures ? To publicly solve the current situation regarding to the public transportation".
3) The Kansai-area's colloquium for scientific workers in private enterprises was organized on November 6, where Dr. Omi (Osaka branch) gave an energy-saving housing comfortable to live in.
4) In the study group Contemporary capitalism
on November 24, Dr. Mukai (Osaka branch) gave a lecture on how we should break through the current economic problems.
2. KANAGAWA BRANCH
On October 29, the branch organized a regular meeting in Yokohama City, where Prof. Ujikawa (Yokohama Natl. Univ.) gave a talk on the current Chinese economics ? The direction of Chinese energy-industry balance, which was followed by enthusiastic discussions.
3. TOKYO BRANCH
1) The 16th Hachi-oji science forum wad organized on November 17, where Dr. Kunugi (archaeologist) gave a seminar on the title "A noted but unknown castle 'Hachi-oji castle'".
2) The Machida science forum was organized on November 21, where Prof. Nakagawa (Emeritus Prof. of Tokyo Den-tsu Univ.) gave a lecture on global warming which may cause 'gradual change of freshwater to salt water'.
3) The 15th peace lecture meeting was organized on November 25, where Prof. Kaneko (Rissho Univ.) analyzed the LDP's "new Constitution" and proposed those problematic points.
4. MIE BRANCH
The branch organized a regular meeting on November 23 at Mie College, where Prof. Takayama (Mie Univ.) gave an interesting seminar entitled gAnalogous thinking of the frame eenvironment and civil historyf with emicrocosmfh.