HEADQUARTERS
SCIENTISTS' RIGHTS DISCUSSED IN TOKYO
In order to establish the scientific workers' rights in every working place, the research committee "Scientific workersf rights" is to publish "Ethical code for scientific workers" and "Declaration of scientific workers". The 14th symposium was held on February 4 in Tokyo, where the committee's organizer explained the draft's contents, which was followed by three comments [Prof. Iwasa (Hitotsu-bashi Univ.), Dr. Iida (Ishikawa branch), and Prof. Aoki (Kochi Univ.)] to the ethical code and declaration to be formalized in two documents.
URBAN SOIL POLLUTION DISCUSSED IN TOKYO
The research committee of pollution and environmental question and Japan Association on the Environmental Studies jointly held a mini-symposium to think of soil pollution in town, where Prof. Hata (Osaka City Univ.) gave a lecture on soil pollution of condominium building lots and Mr. Sato (Hitotsu-bashi Univ.) reported the incident resulted from such pollution as sexivalent chrome and dioxin at urban building sites, which was followed by many discussions related to the subject.
2E11 GATHERING FOR DISAPPROVING "NATIONAL FOUNDATION DAY" IN TOKYO
On February 11, "National Foundation Day", citizens held rallies in major cities in opposition to the Day and discussed various issues including the adverse revision of the Constitution, the prime ministerfs visits to Yasukuni Shrine, and the history text book praising the Japanese war of aggression. The Tokyo-based liaison council held a rally, where they adopted an appeal stating that to defend the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution is the way to guarantee Japanfs peace and safety, and to contribute to the international society.
On the same day, the Shimane branch made a gathering to think of peace, where they discussed the prime ministerfs visits to Yasukuni Shrine, and a military nurse. The Nagasaki branch held the 2nd forum of Article 9, where they exchanged their views on the adverse revision of the Constitution. Also, the Miyazaki branch organized the 59th meeting to think of the Constitution and peace, where they analyzed the dangerous aim at adversely revising the Constitution and its relation to the National Foundation Day.
LOCAL ACTIVITIES IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY
1. OSAKA BRANCH
1) In the study group Contemporary capitalism on January 26, Prof. Oota (Osaka Univ. of Economics and Law) gave a lecture on Costa Rica's history and the meaning of globalization.
2) The study group Philosophy organized a meeting on January 30, where Ms. Teraoka (BSE Citizens' net) made a talk on a citizensf movement related to BSE (bovine spongeform encephalopathy).
3) The Kansai-area's colloquium for scientific workers in private enterprises was organized on February 12, where Dr. Nakamura (Osaka branch) gave a seminar on the liquefaction of woods cultivated in a biomass.
4) The study group Energy problems held a meeting on February 25, where Prof. Hiroshige (Hannan Univ.) discussed environmental ethics.
2. YAMAGATA BRANCH
The latest Korean-Japanese cooperative movie "Annyong Sayonara" (documentarily reports making clear why the Yasukuni Shrine's question must be solved to "peacefully say good bye" to the past terrible history) was screened on January 30 at Yamagata University in the presence of its film director.
3. TOKYO BRANCH
1) The 17th Hachi-oji science forum wad organized on February 9, where Dr. Yano (Natl. Tokyo Col.) gave a seminar on an inside story concerning ggiving a name to chemical elementh.
2) The 18th peace lecture meeting was organized on February 24, where Prof. Kaneko (Rissho Univ.) discussed the LDP's "new Constitution", where he analyzed the problematic points especially on the Diet, Cabinet and Judicature.
4. HOKKAIDO BRANCH
On February 9, the branch organized a meeting for branch's executive council members, where they exchanged their views for the coming movement, which was followed by a get-together meeting.
5. FUKUOKA BRANCH
The 2nd colloquium was held at Kyushu University, where Dr. Hagishima (Fukuoka branch) gave a seminar on a baroque urban art, which was followed by a branchfs council meeting.
6. FUKUI BRANCH
The branch held a commemorative meeting entitled "Thinking of decline of academic achievemen" on February 18 at Fukui University, where Prof. Teraoka (Fukui Univ.) gave a keynote lecture, which was followed by a symposium to discuss the above theme in the presence of teachers from elementary school to university.
7. MIYAGI BRANCH
The 4th branch's lecture meeting was organized on February 18 in Sendai City, where Dr. Saito (Miyagi branch) gave a talk on social order after the inferno, and Dr. Fuyuki (Miyagi branch) analyzed the present day dietary life in Japan.
GRASS-ROOT MOVEMENTS NECESSARY FOR ELIMINATING ALL NUCLEAR WEAPONS
The international anti-nuclear weapons' movements, including "Abolish Nuclear Weapons Now" launched 2000, stimulated the 2005 NPT Review Conference in New York and the 60th anniversary of the A-bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the New York, in order to realize a nuclear-free world, the world's NGOs began discussing how to break through the biggest obstruction, concluding that NGOs have a basic responsibility to help increase public awareness of the need to eliminate nuclear weapons. We have to therefore respond to a new international signature-collecting campaign "Swift Abolition of Nuclear Weapons"started on January 1. We have to recall the 1980s signature-collecting campaign calling for support of "Appeal from Hiroshima and Nagasaki", which was developed worldwide (members representing the JSA collected a number of signatures at international meetings), proving a major contribution to developing international opinion in support of the call for preventing nuclear war and totally banning nuclear weapons.
In addition to NGOs' movements, of course, the NPT Review Conference continues to be very important, but it is not only environment to discuss nuclear disarmament, since opposition of one member country can prevent the conference from reaching agreement as the US has done. Also, the UN is responsible for the implementation of the UN Charter to universally maintain the peace and security of the world (the first UN resolution adopted in 1946 expresses the determination of the international community to eliminate atomic weapons from the world). We are responsible as long as the NPT Review Conference and the Conference on Disarmament can not make poor progress in achieving the goal.
The problem is that the Japanese government, the only country to have been atom-bombed, is always subservient to the US instead of leading the world in the effort to eliminate nuclear weapons. It has gone to support the US policy of using nuclear weapons, and says that the US nuclear umbrella and nuclear deterrent are indispensable to the security of Japan. Also, the Japanese government is cooperating with the US in strengthening the functions of the US bases in Japan as stepping-stones for the US preemptive wars and even trying to adversely revise the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution to turn Japan into a war-fighting country.