US for Okinawa

Moving Futenma ... ?

2011-11-07T20:45:00.000-08:00

The original sin within Futenma

When U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta came to Japan last month, the first thing he did was to urge Tokyo to move ahead with the relocation of Futenma Air Base from overcrowded Ginowan City to Henoko in northern Okinawa Island. It was an international agreement, he might insist, so that he would be justified to press Tokyo to expedite its early implementation.

But would he? On what legal and moral basis does he think the U.S. can demand Futenma's function be moved to Henoko with the increased function and capability the Marines have entertained to realize SINCE the 1960's? Probably, he might answer that the Henoko relocation is legitimate because it will be carried out in line with the bilateral agreement (the 2006 Roadmap) and that it is morally justified because the relocation will eliminate a highly dangerous situation under which Ginowan citizens are obliged to live their daily life.

This argument may sound rational at first glance. However, what one should never forget is that Futenma Air Base was originally constructed on illegally confiscated land during the Battle of Okinawa and afterwards. Private lands were encroached upon with impunity while area residents were herded into concentration camps. There were five villages there which together with two other villages constituted Ginowan Village (now Ginowan City) with a joint population of more than 12,000. The encroachment of land as well as the construction of the base were carried out in clear violation of an international law (Article 46 of the Hague Convention) and, above all, universal moral principles.

The U.S.'s "taken-for-granted" rights to the land where Futenma Air Base sits is thus like a fence's putative rights to stolen goods. Certainly, the U.S. cannot demand Futenma's replacement in exchange for such stolen goods. Dealing stolen goods is severely punished by law in any country, Japan or the U.S. The bilateral agreement is thus completely void in this sense.

Yoshio Shimoji

Naha, Okinawa

Japan

A letter to the New York Times... close Futenma!

2011-10-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

Close the Futenma Air Station immediately with no strings attached

Submitted to The New York Times September 16, 2011; The Japan Times September 20, 2011; The Washington Post September 26, 2011

Albeit knowing there's a strong local opposition, Washington cunningly cajoled Tokyo into agreeing to relocate the Futenma Air Station to Henoko, Nago in northern Okinawa. It was a government-to-government agreement and so Tokyo has every bit of international obligation to carry out the agreed-upon relocation plan as soon as possible, insists Washington.

Less than two months ago, former Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and the newly appointed U.S. Defense Minister Leon Panetta reaffirmed that "Tokyo and Washington will move forward with the plan to relocate the controversial Futenma base within Okinawa."

Last week (September 7), the Noda cabinet's newly-installed Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba made an inaugural telephone call to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in which he assured her that Japan would "stick to the accord reached last year to relocate" Futenma to Henoko.

Gemba also said at his inaugural news conference that he would do his best to persuade Okinawa residents to accept the bilateral accord. How would he do it? By lavishly bribing Henoko, Nago City residents into consenting? Or else, Tokyo would probably have to resort to police force, invoking state power and thus causing bloodshed and social turmoil. By coercing Tokyo this way, Washington is actually instigating these dirty tactics, and would repeat its stock phrase: "It's Japan's domestic problem that has nothing to do with the U.S." A great democracy, indeed.

The meeting in New York on Wednesday (September 21) between Japan's new Prime Minister Toshihiko Noda and U.S. President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session was the culmination of an array of such reassurance and confirmations. Noda assured Obama that he would do his utmost to implement the 2006 accord between Tokyo and Washington.

Futenma was constructed toward the end of WW II with an aim of attacking mainland Japan by B-29's in order to end the war quickly. But the war ended before that plan was actually carried out. Futenma should have been returned at that point; instead, it has continued to be in the firm grip of the U.S. military all these years to this day.

The U.S. military seized the land in clear violation of Article 46 of the Hague Convention, which states: "Family honour and rights, the lives of persons, and private property, as well as religious convictions and practice, must be respected. Private property cannot be confiscated."

There are more than 3 thousand so-called "military-land owners" for the Futenma Air Station. This figure tells everything about its history, that is, how it came into being. Futenma was constructed, while area residents were still herded into concentration camps during the ongoing Battle of Okinawa and after in the freely encroached-upon area where there were five idyllic villages with a joint population of more than 12 thousand.

Other U.S. bases in Okinawa, 33 in all, have more or less a similar history. In the 1950's additional land was requisitioned at bayonet point and by bulldozer to expand already existing bases. Take Iejima, for instance. Jon Mitchell writes in his recent article in The Japan Times: "With all of Okinawa under U.S. administration, the authorities started by tricking the landowners (in Iejima) into signing voluntary evacuation papers... But then, when some families refused to leave, 300 U.S. soldiers with rifles and bulldozers dragged women and children from their beds, tore down their homes and slaughtered their goats." ("Iejima: an island of resistance," May 22, 2011 Japan Times)

The illegality and immorality of Futenma would not disappear even if it were to be moved to Henoko or anywhere else in Okinawa just like dirty money would not become clean how many times it might undergo laundering.

Both governments, especially Washington, must realize this and search for an alternative solution, that is, to move it outside of Okinawa, most preferably, to the U.S. mainland. The Marines themselves may have known the criminality of their base, for they already had a blueprint for constructing a new base in Henoko in the 1960's which is strikingly similar to today's relocation plan.

I repeat: Close the Futenma Air Station immediately with no strings attached. Move it to the U.S. mainland. There's no obligation for the Japanese taxpayers, Okinawa residents in particular, to foot all the bills for reclaiming the pristine coastal waters off Henoko and constructing a new, advanced base complex including military port facilities for the U.S. Marines.

Yoshio Shimoji

Naha City, Okinawa

Japan

US for OKINAWA statement on Takae

2011-02-24T14:51:00.000-08:00

February 23, 2011

US for OKINAWA Statement

WWF-Japan and JUCON (Japan-US Citizens for Okinawa Network) Press Conference:

Halt the Construction of U.S. Military Helicopter Landing Pads that Destroy Biodiversity and Threaten Local Residents

Needless to say, as an American citizen, I find it ironic that at a time when the government of my country is urging countries in the Middle East to respect democracy, it is continuing to collude with the Japanese government to deny the people of Okinawa their right to the same.

Under the cloak of “lightening” the burden of military bases on Okinawa, Washington and Tokyo have promised to give back a portion of the land that has been appropriated from Okinawa in exchange for building a U.S. megabase in Henoko and 6 more large helicopter landing pads in Takae. Both of these areas have fragile biodiversity found only in Okinawa that will inevitably suffer great destruction as a result of these plans.

To us, the promise being made to Okinawa sounds like telling a man you will give him back an arm you have cut off only as long as you can remove his leg. How can the U.S. administration ask Okinawa to accept this kind of outrageous demand, when Americans—myself included—would never allow it? How can Tokyo politicians and officials call for this when they know people in mainland Japan would reject? Why is the voice of Okinawans not being reflected in Washington-Tokyo policies?

Another guise being used in this issue is the threat of North Korea. The U.S. has more than 800 military bases around the world, a stockpile of nearly 10,000 nuclear weapons, countless conventional weapons, and the largest navy in the world. American navy battle fleet tonnage greater than that of the next 13 largest navies alone combined. And yet, we are expected to believe that we can't face North Korea—an impoverished country smaller than many U.S. states that doesn't have a single military base outside of its border--without the construction of yet more helipads in Takae and an immense base in Henoko.

Clearly, the greatest threat in this matter is not arising from North Korea. On the contrary, it comes from officials in Washington and Tokyo who are flagrantly violating democracy; who are willing to destroy yet more of the Earth's biodiversity at a time when we are starting to keenly realize how much we need it to survive as a species ourselves; who are generating more unnecessary military buildup that profits a few while the health, education and other social structures of the rest of us crumble.

As a representative of U.S. and other citizens from around the world, I call for an end to the irresponsible actions of these American and Japanese officials. It's time for them to start carrying out their duty as representatives in service of democracy, as well as of peace and regional and global sustainability. Clearly, people worldwide are calling for new changes to old harmful policies, and the time has come for Washington and Tokyo to begin listening. Build peace, not more helipads in Okinawa.

Join the action to protect the biodiversity of Takae

2011-01-03T17:57:00.000-08:00

Please Join Action for Takae at US Embassy! 高江ヘリパッド工事強行とテント損壊事件についてアメリカ大使館への抗議と申し入れへの呼びかけ

（日本語ではこちらをご覧ください。）

Please Join Us in Our Action for Preserving the Pristine Yanbaru Forest and People of Takae, Okinawa!

We invite you to join us in our protest at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo over the restart of the U.S. helipads construction in Takae, Higashi Village of Okinawa, and the destruction of the sit-in tent by a U.S. helicopter, either by sending us your message/request to the US Embassy by email by January 8, or physically joining our action on January 10 in Tokyo (see instruction at the bottom).

The Yambaru Forest is a habitat for endangered species such as Yambaru Kuina (Okinawan Rail) and Noguchi Gera (Okinawan Woodpecker). It is known internationally as a region rich in biodiversity. Takae, situated in Yambaru, is a small village of about 160 residents, including many who moved here for its pristine nature.

However, the U.S. Marine Corps has been using the Yambaru Forest for combat training. In 1957, th US military started using the area as “Northern Training Area” (Jungle Warfare Training Center), and currently there are 15 U.S. helicopter takeoff and landing zones (helipads) in Higashi Village. Residents of Takae have constantly suffered from the noise and the risk of helicopter crashes. To make matters worse, the Japanese and US governments decided to build 6 new helipads, surrounding the residential neighborhood of Takae.

Construction of new helipads will not only further endanger the livelihood and lives themselves of Takae residents, but also further destroy the precious environment with its wealth of species, forest and rivers. New military facilities also pave the way to the possibility of a new war. Residents of Takae have protested against the helipads construction for the above reasons. In 2006, we passed a resolution against the new helipads, and demanded of the relevant authorities that they review the construction plan. Takae residents and their supporters from across Japan and from around the world have continued to sit-in, monitoring the site and trying to persuade the government against the construction.

The Japanese and US governments, however, have not listened to the voices of opposition by the residents, and have not provided sincere explanation or proper opportunities for public hearing. The Japanese government even decided, all of a sudden, to prosecute some of the local protesters for obstructing traffic.

Just before dawn on December 22, 2010, at 6:30 AM, some 100 members of the Okinawa Defense Bureau, ignoring the ongoing court proceedings, barged into the site without warning to restart the helipad construction. On the next night, December 23rd, a US helicopter hovered only 15 meters above the sit-in tent, causing the tent to blow down. Such military exercise over a public road threatenｓ the safety of local residents. The Japanese and US governments are harming the people of Takae by forcing through the construction work without sufficient explanation or consent by local residents. Such an approach by the two governments is unacceptable.

Residents of the Henoko district in Nago City, where the Japanese and US governments plan to build a replacement base for MCAS Futenma, have also been sitting-in for over 2,400 days, in order to preserve their life and the beautiful ocean. We urge you also to say “NO” to the new base plan in Henoko.

Following our protest to the Ministry of Defense on December 22 and the December 26 demonstration in Shinjuku, “Save Takae/Okinawa – an urgent appeal and demonstration against construction of helipads,” we will go to the US Embassy in Tokyo and the Japanese Ministry of Defense on January 10 (Mon.), 2011, to protest. We would like to collect as many requests/demands as possible and deliver them to the US government. We accept both individual and organizational messages. Just one sentence message, such as “We do not need US helipads in the pristine forest” will suffice, or a longer message is welcome too. The Takae and Henoko issues are not just about war and military bases, but they are also about environmental preservation, biological diversity, and an alternative, “slow-life” lifestyle. Please express your message in your own words. Please follow the below instruction and send your message by January 8, 2011.

With our voices and with our actions, let us stop the helipad construction in Takae, and the base construction in Henoko. Let us bring a peaceful and fulfilling life to Takae and Henoko!

(The original document in Japanese is at: http://takae.ti-da.net/e3296164.html. Translated by Norimatsu Satoko and Gavan McCormack)

★Email your message/request to: no.base.okinawa@gmail.com

Please include in your email the following information:

*** Name (for an individual) or name of your organization
*** Your message/request (length is up to you)

Both Japanese and English messages will be accepted.

Deadline: January 8 (Sat.), 2011

★If you can physically join our action at the US Embassy, please meet us in front of Toranomon JT building, at 3 PM on January 10, 2011. (Take Exit 3 of Subway Ginza Line “Toranomon” station. Walk four minutes straight on Sotobori Street, towards Tameike Sanno). We particularly appreciate participation of people from US!

Address: Toranomon JT Building, 2-1, 2 chome, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo – see MAP here. Address in Japanese: 2011年1月10日（月・休）15時　虎ノ門ＪＴビル前集合（地下鉄銀座線「虎ノ門駅」3番出口より、外堀通りを溜池山王方面へ直進、徒歩4分）

Organizer: Okinawa o fuminijiruna (Do not trample on Okinawa!) Urgent Action Committee; Yuntaku Takae; Okinawa One-tsubo Anti-war Landowners Association Kanto Bloc (URLs below)

呼びかけ：沖縄を踏みにじるな！緊急アクション実行委員会（新宿ど真ん中デモ）

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/hansentoteikounofesta09/

ゆんたく高江　http://helipad-verybad.org/

沖縄・一坪反戦地主会　関東ブロック　http://www.jca.apc.org/HHK/

★There will be another action on the same day at the Ministry of Defense. We will meet in front of the MoD at 6:30 PM. The organizer of this action is “Committee for Not Allowing Base Construction in Henoko.” See Map of MoD here: http://www.mod.go.jp/e/access/index.html
In Japaneese, 1月10日18時半　防衛省前集合
主催：辺野古への基地建設を許さない実行委員会ttp://www.jca.apc.org/HHK/NoNewBases/NNBJ.html

★For the background information in English about the Takae issue, go to:

Voices of Takae (English version)
http://nohelipadtakae.org/files/VOT-english2010Oct14.pdf

Postcard…from Takae, by Jon Mitchell

http://www.fpif.org/articles/postcard_fromtakae

★ See a YouTube video of the Okinawan media reports on the December 23 incident of a US helicopter hovering above the Takae protest tent, which caused damage to the tent and some items in the tent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8DgIANejUA&feature=player_embedded

US for OKINAWA featured in the JAPAN TIMES

2010-11-26T20:19:00.000-08:00

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20101127a1.html

Expat peace group studies embattled Okinawa ecology

US for Okinawa tour covers harmful impact of U.S. bases, both existing and planned

By JON MITCHELL

Special to The Japan Times

At first glance, the group of 15 young Japanese and foreigners gathered together in the arrival lounge at Naha airport look like just another package tour for a week of fun on Okinawa's tropical beaches.

Participants in a tour organized by US for Okinawa carry the group's banner on a hill overlooking the Oura Bay in northern Okinawa Island.

Drawing close enough to overhear their talk of nerve gas, land mines and unexploded bombs, however, it becomes clear that instead of working on their tans, they are more concerned about world peace.

These English teachers, interior designers and university students are taking part in a study trip organized by the group US for Okinawa to teach people about the environmental impact of American military bases on the islands.

"The name US for Okinawa has two meanings," explains Emilie McGlone, the group's cofounder and international coordinator for the nongovernmental organization Peace Boat.

"On one hand, it reflects the support of American citizens living in Japan for a base-free Okinawa. On the other hand, it shows that 'all of us' are dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers caused by the bases.

"We believe the best way to achieve that is to come here and talk firsthand to local residents about the problems they face."

Over the next four days, the participants will meet with a diverse range of Okinawan people — each with a different environmental horror story to share. In Ginowan, they will listen to a resident recount the 2004 crash of a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter and the subsequent scramble by the authorities to recover radioactive strontium-90 from sensors attached to the rotor blades.

Farther north, they will learn about the military mishap that strafed 1,500 depleted uranium shells across tiny Torishima Island — rendering its once bountiful fish stocks inedible for human consumption.

One of the most affecting encounters will occur in the village of Takae, where soft-spoken Ikuko Isa will describe her fellow residents' three-year campaign to block the construction of six new military helipads in the area.

As she discusses the daily stress of living next to the world's largest jungle warfare training center, she doesn't raise her voice in anger. Even when she describes recent revelations that, in the 1960s, the military likely tested the defoliant Agent Orange near rivers that supply the rest of the island with more than half of its drinking water, she remains calm.

"We're just ordinary people trying to live ordinary lives."

Belying the myths of a politically apathetic younger generation, the tour's participants fill their notebooks with the stories they hear. They pepper the local residents with countless questions, and back on the bus they compare notes to fill in any blanks they missed.

"I first came to Okinawa on a package tour three years ago," explains a young Japanese woman. "All we did was visit beaches and souvenir shops. I didn't know about these (environmental) problems. This trip is a real eye-opener for me."

On the third day, the group's devotion is put to the test. McGlone wakes them up at dawn, herds them onto the bus and then leads them on a 15-minute hike through thick jungle. From a hilltop overlooking Oura Bay, local resident Takuma Higashionna talks about the dugong — a relative of the manatee — that feeds on the sea grass in the waters below.

The dugong was once revered by Okinawans as a messenger of the gods, but now their numbers have dwindled to fewer than a dozen.

Higashionna is campaigning to establish a sanctuary in the area. He faces heavy opposition — Oura Bay is the proposed site for the relocation of U.S. Marine Air Station Futenma, and current plans call for two 1,500-meter runways to be built over the beds of sea grass.

In 2008, Higashionna sued the U.S. Department of Defense, arguing that the runway plans violate American laws protecting "natural monuments" (such as the dugong) wherever they live. Higashionna won the case, but Washington has failed to abandon the project.

"If this were the United States, it wouldn't be allowed to go ahead," Higashionna tells the group. "So why do they let it happen here?"

Following Higashionna's talk, the tour climbs aboard boats and heads out for a closer view of the area threatened by the new base. Half of the participants don scuba tanks to search for the telltale furrows of foraging dugong, while the rest snorkel among the bay's rare blue and "walking" coral.

Despite their failure to spot the elusive dugong, they bring back to shore a newfound sense of Oura Bay's fragile beauty. Nao Sokei, a native of Naha, was particularly impressed.

"Seeing all of that sea life made my love for this island deeper. Now I realize I need to think more about how to protect Okinawa."

On the final day, the tour participants meet with local campaigners dedicated to achieving precisely that. For the past 6 1/2 years, Inochi o Mamoru-kai (Association for the Protection of Life) has been staging a sit-in near Oura Bay to prevent the construction of the new base.

In 2007, elderly residents, fishermen and environmental activists waged a campaign of disruption against construction crews attempting to bore pylons into the seabed. They chained themselves to scaffolding, maneuvered kayaks in front of massive barges and wore down the laborers with a combination of heated negotiation and good humor.

Faced by the campaign and negative media coverage, the government called off the construction. However, with the May acceptance by then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to the relocation of the Futenma base to the area, the association expects the return of the construction crews at any time.

While Hiroshi Ashitomi, one of the campaign's leaders, is touched by US for Okinawa's support, the 64-year-old retiree has a word of caution: "If younger activists are arrested, they'll lose their jobs or the police record will prevent them from being hired in the future."

He gestures around the campaign tent to the elderly protesters sipping jasmine tea. "That's why there are so many retired people here. We're not afraid. We have our pensions. They can't take those away no matter what we do."

On their way back to the bus, some members of US for Okinawa review what they have witnessed over the past four days, and they wonder aloud why anybody would want to sign up for the military in the first place.

As if on cue, two young American soldiers emerge from the sea and sit on the harbor wall, peeling off their fins and snorkels. Some of the tour participants look startled to be suddenly confronted with the object of their antipathy, but as the Americans excitedly describe the coral and multicolored tropical fish they just saw in the bay, it appears that they share a common appreciation of the nature here.

One of the group tactfully steers the conversation toward why they joined the army and both men cite the lack of employment opportunities in their impoverished hometowns, combined with the lure of a free university education.

Bemoaning the lack of information they received when they first arrived on Okinawa, they say they're keen to learn more about the island. One of the group hands them his business card and invites them for a drink when they're next in Tokyo. The soldiers say they'll be in touch.

Back on the bus, the group fills their notebooks with details of the meeting. They say it was one of the most illuminating discussions of the trip in that it helped to dispel some stereotypes about American servicemen.

McGlone, too, seems pleased at the chance encounter. "When people talk to each other, you can see the wheels start turning on both sides. It's a great thing to watch. People learn best through face-to-face communication. That's what US for Okinawa is all about."

For information about upcoming US for Okinawa study tours, contact Emilie McGlone at us.for.okinawa@gmail.com

Takae, a place flourishing with biodiversity and in danger ...

2010-11-03T23:22:00.000-07:00

(photo by Rob Pott in Takae)

US for OKINAWA is pleased to share Peace Boat`s statement for Biodiversity.

Online link: http://www.peaceboat.org/english/nwps/sm/arc/101023/index.html

On October 18, 2010, the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10) began in Nagoya, Japan. During our global voyages Peace Boat visits numerous places throughout the world including the Galapagos Islands, the Guiana Highlands, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and Antarctica, learning about and spreading the importance of biodiversity. Throughout this process, we have learned that biodiversity is not only an issue of nature, environment, animals and plants, but also of peace and human rights. We also emphasize that this issue is deeply related to worldwide poverty, the rights of indigenous peoples, and conflict. Noting that war is the greatest destruction to the environment, we insist that global military expenditure – which exceeds 1.5 trillion US dollars a year – be allocated instead to protecting biodiversity.

To Peace Boat, a world where biodiversity is protected is one where all living creatures can be free of the threat of extinction or the threat of being killed unreasonably, and can fulfil each one of their lives. Such a world cannot be achieved without joint and continuous efforts by governments and civil societies across the globe.

Peace Boat calls for the points below regarding biodiversity:

No need for military bases that threaten all natural lives
Military bases bring huge damage to the ecosystem. People living in Subic Bay in the Philippines still suffer from health and environmental problems even now, although the US military base was closed in 1991. In Ecuador, South America, US military bases were recently forced to withdraw, and Ecuador adopted a Constitution which prohibits any foreign bases or troops being stationed in their country. We need all countries to follow the lead of Ecuador in order to protect diverse lives.
The sea of Henoko, Okinawa, is a rich treasure of biodiversity where creatures such as the endangered dugong and precious corals live. We oppose the construction of a new military air base in Henoko's Oura Bay, and call for an Okinawa free of military bases.
Nuclear development and natural life cannot coexist
Peace Boat has travelled around the world with more than 100 Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) from Hiroshima and Nagasaki to talk about the devastation caused by nuclear weapons. Through our voyages we have learned that there are people who suffer over generations because of radiation from nuclear facilities and depleted uranium weapons. We have also learned that the common wish of ordinary citizens across the world is to live in a nuclear-free world. Nuclear waste is also a great concern. Nuclear weapons and development pose a threat to all living creatures on earth and to the environment. Citizens and governments must work together in order to realize a 'nuclear-free world'.
Realize a world where the rights of indigenous peoples are ensured
While indigenous people across the world have lived over generations in harmony with nature, they also have long suffered from violation of their rights. In British Columbia, Canada, a mass tourist resort development is violating the sacred land of the indigenous people, making it difficult for them to carry on their lives in the forest where they have always lived. There should be no human rights violations in the name of 'environmental protection' or 'development'. It is important that we learn to live in harmony with nature following the wisdom of indigenous peoples, and build a society where their lifestyles, cultures and rights are protected and respected. As an NGO based in Japan, we particularly pledge to learn from the Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan, and to deepen our activities in this field.
Re-examine 'development'
Through our global voyages, we have learned that our lives depend deeply upon the rich biodiversity existing throughout the world. Simultaneously, we have seen that mass development and deforestation have exacerbated environment degradation and poverty, and also the many people striving to improve such situations. It is time to re-examine the path of 'development' and 'modernization' we have taken, and to search for a sustainable solution for building the society. In order to realize this, all states must work together in cooperation for the global interest rather than confront each other in pursuit of short-term national interest.

Peace Boat calls on world leaders to deepen their discussions in Nagoya according to the above points, and for this to be an opportunity for citizens to consider these issues and take positive and effective actions.

Recycle in Fashion event

2010-10-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

■■■■　Recycle in Fashion ■■■■
for peace and a base free okinawa

Join us for a night of fashion to raise funds for the US for OKINAWA peace action network while helping to recycle your clothes & accessories. Come and enjoy music and drinks, meeting new people, and making a difference for a good cause.

...DATE: 10/20/2010 (WED)
TIME: 19:30 ~ 22:00
PLACE: Peace Boat / GET salon, Marin bldg. 4 FLR, Takadanobaba
MAP --> http://www.getuniversal.co.jp/assets/img/maps/get_map_large.jpg

ENTRANCE: 500 yen donation
* Limit to bring no more than 10 pieces of clothing /accessories in good condition. Everyone is welcome to join us, even just to come shopping, so it is not necessary to bring clothes.

** Organized by US for OKINAWA with support from Peace Boat

info:
US for OKINAWA
http://www.us-for-okinawa.blogspot.com/

PEACE BOAT
http://www.peaceboat.org/

■■■■　リサイクルファッション ■■■■
平和で基地がない沖縄のために

洋服、アクセサリーを使ってリサイクルファッションイベントを企画していま
す。ドリンクと音楽を楽しみながらぜひご参加下さい！

曜日: 10/20/2010 (WED)
時間: 19:30 ~ 22:00
場所: ピースボート / GET サロン, マリンビル 4階, 高田馬場
MAP --> http://www.getuniversal.co.jp/assets/img/maps/get_map_large.jpg
<http://www.getuniversal.co.jp/assets/img/maps/get_map_large.jpg>

入場料: 500円
* Limit to bring no more than 10 pieces of clothing /accessories in good condition. Everyone is welcome to join us, even just to come shopping, so it is not necessary to bring clothes.

** US for OKINAWA 主催、ピースボート支援

ACTION towards COP 10

2010-10-13T05:42:00.000-07:00

Us for Okinawa ‎US FOR OKINAWA "peace action network" takes action for Biodiversity in Henoko ! Make your appeal for COP 10 and attend the conference in Nagoya this month! > http://www.cop10.jp/aichi-nagoya/

The sea in Henoko, Okinawa is a treasure trove of marine life. Here, the dugong, a gentle marine mammal, and sea turtles live alongside
internationally endangered species of coral, and new species of plant and animal life continue to be discovered regularly. The construction of a new U.S. Military Air Base in the bay of Henoko means much of this sea
will be filled in, inflicting grave environmental losses and damage.

Only 10 to 20 dugongs remain off the coast of Henoko, and the new base construction may lead to their extinction from Japan. The Japan World Wildlife Fund designated 2010 as the "International Year of Dugong," and at this year's COP 10, we join them in calling for their protection. More than 1,000 military bases already exist around the world, and nearly 20% of Okinawa is already occupied by them. We need biodiversity, not more bases! US for OKINAWA, together with the International NGO, PEACE BOAT, promotes Disarmament for Biodiversity and we will carry our message around the world on the 72nd global voyage for peace.

沖縄・辺野古の海は、海洋生物の宝庫です。辺野古の海には国際的に絶滅の危機にある珊瑚礁とともに、

ジュゴンなどの希少な海洋ほ乳類やウミガメが生息しているほか、今も定期的に新しい動植物の生態が発見され続けています。この辺野古湾に新しく米軍基地が建設された場合、大部分の海が埋め立てられ、非常に大きな環境の損失とダメージを与えることになります。

　すでに辺野古の海にはジュゴンが１０〜２０頭しか生息しておらず、もし新しい米軍基地の建設が進めば、結果として日本でのジュゴンの絶滅を引き起こす可能性が高いです。US for Okinawaは、２０１０年を「国際ジュゴン年」と指定した日本の世界自然保護基金（ＷＷＦ）とともに、名古屋で開催される生物多様性条約第10回締約国会議（ＣＯＰ１０）でにてジュゴンの保護を呼びかけます。

世界には１０００以上の米軍基地が存在していて、沖縄の約２０％の土地は米軍のものとなっています。私たちに必要なのは、生物の多様性を保護することです。これ以上の米軍基地は必要ありません。
　私たちUS for Okinawaは国際ＮＧＯピースボートの協力を得て、環境保護と軍縮の活動を続けています。ピースボート第７２回「地球一周の船旅」の航海では、実際に「生物多様性を守るための軍縮」のメッセージを世界中の人々に伝え、つなげていきます。（ピースボート http://www.peaceboat.org）

Okinawa Peace Project Photo Report

2010-09-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

US for OKINAWA successfully completed our second study program in Okinawa. Together with 13 participants from England, the United States and Japan, US for OKINAWA worked together with local people in Henoko, Okinawa to raise awareness about important issues such as the necessity to protect the Dugong, a now endangered species that can only be found in Henoko. The Dugong, along with other endemic species to the area such as the walking coral and blue coral, are endangered by the possible construction of a new US Military facility in Henoko`s Oura bay. US for OKINAWA and the members of Dugong no Sato helped organize the eco-tourism package for US for OKINAWA volunteers to go scuba diving, sea kayaking and snorkeling in the area.

See below for our photo report from the study program. We look forward to organizing another study program October 30-31st to learn about important environmental issues in Okinawa together with the organizers of the music and art event, Peace Music Festa ! Please join us !

For more info click here: http://us-for-okinawa.blogspot.com/2010/09/coming-up-soon-peace-music-festa-oct-30.html

"OKINAWA PEACE PROJECT" 沖縄ピースプロジェクト　

FALL 2010 (Dates Sept 22 - 26th)

INFO >
http://us-for-okinawa.blogspot.com/p/study-program-to-okinawa.html

沖縄・辺野古の海は、ジュゴンなどの海洋ほ乳類やウミガメが生息し、国際的に絶滅の危機にあるサンゴが広く育つ海洋生物の宝庫です。この地に新しく基地が建設されることになれば、大浦湾が埋め立てられ、マングローブなどの野生生物に取り返しのつかないダメージを与えることになります。これは、一帯の貴重な海洋生物多様性に対する重大な危機です。

「US for Okinawa」では、沖縄の状況をより深く知ることのできるスタディツアーを計画しています。

(1) US for OKINAWA members participate in a candle action outside of Camp Schwab in Okinawa.

(2) Jonathan Yamauchi, a member of US for OKINAWA, looks out over Kadena military facility in Okinawa.

(3) A view of Henoko from Dugong Hill in Okinawa. The dugong feed in this area due to the sea grass that can only be found in Henoko.

OKINAWA TIMES ARTICLE from Sept 26, 2010 :

http://www.okinawatimes.co.jp/article/2010-09-26_10555/

【名護】米軍普天間飛行場の閉鎖と名護市辺野古への移設中止を求める在日米国人らのネットワーク「ＵＳ　ｆｏｒ　ＯＫＩＮＡＷＡ」（アス・フォー・オキナワ）の一行が２５日、辺野古浜のキャンプ・シュワブとの境界線付近で、生物多様性を守り、新基地建設に反対する内容の横断幕を掲げるなどしてアピールした。

　アピールは、１０月に名古屋市で開かれる生物多様性条約第１０回締約国会議（ＣＯＰ１０）の参加国に向けて行われた。

　一行は沖縄の基地問題を考えるスタディーツアーを２３日から県内で行っている。２５日は午前中に大浦湾でアオサンゴのダイビング観察などを行い、同湾の豊かな自然環境を確認した。午後は辺野古浜を清掃し、夜にはキャンプ・シュワブ前でのピースキャンドルに参加した。共同代表のエミリー・マクグローンさん（３０）は「生物多様性が豊かな大浦湾はジュゴンの保護区にするなどして、エコツーリズムの活用をはかるべきだ。基地を造ったら貴重な自然をすべて失ってしまう」と話した。

Article from Okinawa Times on Sept 24, 2010 (below )http://www.okinawatimes.co.jp/article/2010-09-24_10495/
【中部】米軍普天間飛行場の閉鎖と名護市辺野古への移設中止を求める在日米国人らのネットワーク「ＵＳ　ｆｏｒ　ＯＫＩＮＡＷＡ」（アス・フォー・オキナワ）の一行が２３日、同飛行場や米軍嘉手納基地の現状を視察した。住宅や学校などに近接した同飛行場の危険性を実感し、沖縄戦についても理解を深めた。参加者からは「アメリカで、こんなにコミュニティーに近い基地は許されない」という声が上がった。
　基地問題を考える沖縄へのスタディーツアーは４月に続き２度目。２３日から４日間の日程。基地や高江ヘリパッド視察のほか、名護市辺野古などを訪れる。ジュゴンが生息する海でのダイビングやシュノーケリングを通して、生物多様性を体感するプログラムだ。
　２０１０年１月に発足した「ＵＳ―」共同代表のエミリー・マグローンさん（３０）＝東京都＝は「沖縄の海は生物多様性の宝庫。アメリカ人として恥ずかしいし、ごめんなさいという気持ちがある。現状を知った人はみんな普天間基地に反対する。基地をなくせるまで頑張りたい」と話した。
　初参加の大村祐子さん（２５）＝大阪府＝は「本土で沖縄の基地問題を語っても、『あなたは沖縄の人じゃないでしょ』と言葉を投げられる。だから、主張できるようにここに来た。実際に見た基地の危険性を訴えたい」と話していた。

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting　2010年9月26日

http://www.qab.co.jp/news/2010092621636.html

在日外国人らの団体新基地建設反対をアピール

普天間基地の閉鎖と新基地建設に反対する在日外国人を中心とした市民グループが25日辺野古で生物の多様性形態を守ろうと訴えました。

このグループはアメリカ市民を含む在日外国人が中心となって活動している「ＵＳｆｏｒＯＫＩＮＡＷＡ」です。

メンバーらは９月22日から普天間基地や嘉手納基地の見学、新基地の建設先とされる辺野古の海でダイビングなど、スタディーツアーの為に沖縄を訪れていて25日は辺野古で新基地建設反対をアピールしました。

これは10月に名古屋で開催される生物多様性条約の締結について話し合うＣＯＰ10へのアピールとして行われたもので存在が危ぶまれているアオサンゴやジュゴンが生息する海をさらなる軍事化で壊すべきではないと訴えました。

Press Release for US for OKINAWA Study Program

2010-09-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

Press Release
US for OKINAWA Announces a Study Program for Biodiversity and a Base Free Henoko

US for OKINAWA, a peace action network formed by U.S. and other citizens from around the world living in Japan to support calls for the closure of Futenma Air Base and the halt to new base construction in Henoko, is pleased to announce it is organizing its second study program to Okinawa this year from September 22-26. The program, titled the “Okinawa Peace Project” will allow participants to witness Futenma and Kadena Air Bases firsthand, and to enjoy diving, snorkeling and kayaking activities in Oura Bay, site of the planned new base construction. The pristine bay is home to rare forms of biodiversity, including blue coral and the Okinawa dugong, that will be threatened or destroyed by plans to fill in a large swathe of the bay in order to construct the new base.

Given that the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) will be held in Japan this year, the United Nations has designated 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity, and the WWF has named it the International Year of the Dugong, US for OKINAWA aims to raise awareness of the grave environmental risk posed to Henoko from further militarization of Okinawa. US for OKINAWA will organize an action in Henoko on Saturday, September 25 to appeal to COP 10 members to protect the biodiversity of Henoko.

US for OKINAWA will also use this occasion to express its support for the candidacy of Yoichi Iha in the upcoming November 28 elections for governor of Okinawa. As mayor of Ginowan City, Mr Iha has demonstrated outstanding and unwavering dedication to the principles of citizen safety and security, transparent and democratic politics, and peace in Okinawa and the entire East Asia region. Without a doubt, he will serve as governor of Okinawa with excellence and integrity.

Local citizens and members of the media are invited to to join US for OKINAWA at various stops in our study program while in Okinawa. For more details of our activities on Saturday, September 23 and 25, please see below.

9/23
08:30 Visit Kakazu no Takadai (view of Futenma Air Base)
10:00 Visit Kadena Base and Information center
09/25
08:30-09:30 Visit to Dugong Hill (Henoko)
15:00-16:00 Beach Clean-up activity at Henoko
16:00-17:00 COP 10 Action “Protect the Dugong” at Henoko!
18:30-19:30 Candle Action in front of Camp Schwab gate

For details of events and activities on September 24, please contact Emilie McGlone at us.for.okinawa@gmail.com or 080-1295-7612 after September 22.

US for OKINAWA was founded in January 2010 by Peace Boat staff members from the United States residing in Japan. In cooperation with Peace Boat, US for OKINAWA organized its first study program to Okinawa in April of this year. Peace Boat is a Japan-based international non-governmental and non-profit organization that works to promote peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment. Info: www.peaceboat.org

プレスリリース

アメリカ市民とサポーターたちが呼びかける

生物多様性を守り、辺野古への新基地建設に反対する沖縄スタディーツアー

『US for OKINAWA』は、アメリカ市民を含む世界中からの在日外国人たちが中心となって、普天間基地の閉鎖及び辺野古の新しい基地建設の中止を求め活動するピースアクションネットワークです。この度、2010年9月22日～26日にかけ、第二回スタディーツアーを行う運びとなりました。本『沖縄ピースプロジェクト』スタディーツアーでは、普天間及び嘉手納基地の見学、新規基地建設の候補地となっている大浦湾にてダイビングやシュノーケリング、カヤックなどのアクティビティーが予定されています。本来の大浦湾は、新しい基地建設の大幅な埋め立て計画により、その存在が危ぶまれているアオサンゴや沖縄ジュゴンを含む希少価値が高い生物多様性形態の宝庫です。

今年日本でCOP10が開催されるにあたり、国連は2010年を国際生物多様性年、WWFは国際ジュゴン年と定め、US for OKINAWAは沖縄の更なる軍事化により辺野古にもたらされる深刻な環境被害に関する認識を高めることを目指しています。9月25日、US for OKINAWAは辺野古にてアクションを行い、辺野古の生物多様性を守ることをCOP10参加国に要請します。

US for OKINAWAは、来る11月28日の沖縄知事選に出馬した伊波洋一氏への指示を表明します。伊波氏は宜野湾市長として、市民の安全と保障、透明性のある民主的な政治、そして沖縄及び東アジア全体の平和に関する原則に、大変優れた揺るぎない献身的な努力をささげています。優秀で誠実な沖縄知事として活躍されることは間違いありません。

US for OKINAWAの沖縄での本スタディーツアーには、各所で是非とも地元市民の方々及びメディアの皆様に是非ともご参加頂きたく思います。9月23日と25日の活動に関する詳細は下記をご参照下さい。

9/23

08:30 　嘉数の高台 (普天間基地とその周辺を見学)

10:00 　嘉手納基地

09/25

08:30-09:30 ジュゴンの見える丘

15:00-16:00 ビートクリーンアップ（辺野古）

16:00-17:00 辺野古にてアクション（COP 10 参加国への要請）

18:30-19:30 キャンドルアクション（キャンプシュワブ・ゲート）

9月24日のイベントや活動に関する詳細は、担当Emilie McGlone（エミリー・マクグローン）までご連絡(us.for.okinawa@gmail.com)下さい。　※9月22日以降は携帯電話（080-1295-7612へ）へのご連絡をお願いします。

★US for OKINAWAとは？

US for OKINAWAは、2010年1月にピースボートの在日アメリカ人スタッフによって設立されました。今年4月、ピースボート共催で初めてのスタディツアーを行いました。

Parties 4 Peace supports US for OKINAWA

2010-09-14T02:39:00.001-07:00

Kakumakushaka performs live at the ECHO HYPE event, organized by Parties 4 Peace. Using dance and music as a platform, Parties 4 Peace brings people together from all nations to promote peace and understanding.
ECHO HYPE was a party to promote the Okinawa Peace Project, organized by US for OKINAWA. Join us for our eco-tour to Okinawa Sept 22-26th, 2010.
For more information, please visit our Study Program section of the website.

Watch the video here :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a6p1HBuMVU

PEACE MUSIC FESTA OCT 30-31st

2010-09-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

Information

Peace Music Festa！辺野古2010

〜辺野古の海から世界が見える〜

2010年 10月 30日（土）・31日（日）

場所：　沖縄県名護市辺野古ビーチ
時間：　OPEN 11:30　START 12:00　END 20:00（雨天決行）
料金：　＜一日券＞大人　前売り 2500円　当日 3000円
　　　　高校生　前売り 1000円　当日 1500円
　　　　※通し券はありません。二日お越しの場合は二枚お求め下さい。
　　　　中学生以下は入場無料。中高生は入場時に要学生証提示。

10/30（土）出演者（第四弾最終発表）: ソウル・フラワー・モノノケ・サミット／三宅洋平／カクマクシャカ／ヒゲのかっちゃん／ROACH／RUN it to GROUND／FAKE KINGZ／procal／Heinous Criminal／さとまん／STARS ENTERTAINMENT／エルビス・ウチマ（ex.極限BAND）／蹴闘～SHOOT～／中川五郎／Paul Mahoux／elmon／TEX & the Sun Flower Seed（アコVer.）／Ukwanshin Kabudan 御冠船歌舞団（fromハワイ）／創作太鼓衆颯／KUMAKARA／KEN子／
10/31（日）出演者（第四弾最終発表）: SOUL FLOWER UNION／知花竜海×城間竜太／PAPA U-Gee／JAVA／MISSION POSSIBLE（THA BLUE HERB × OLIVE OIL × B.I.G.JOE）／七尾旅人／SOUTH／KACHIMBA DX／直枝政広（カーネーション）／
ラビラビ／Shaolong To The Sky／名護瀬嵩青年会（エイサー）／KZ（G.A.C）／ST-LOW（DESSON）／DASTAMAS／琉球とらいぶ／
45 with RADICALITES／009／King Jam Session／operon／COMATON

主催: Peace Music Festa！辺野古2010 実行委員会
後援：名護市、宜野湾市、南城市、石垣市、西原町、与那原町、
　　　竹富町、北中城村、中城村、沖縄タイムス、琉球新報、琉球放送、
　　　沖縄テレビ放送、琉球朝日放送、FM沖縄、ラジオ沖縄、FM21、
　　　FMよみたん、タイフーンFM、FMレキオ、おきなわ倶楽部
【Info】pmf10@peace-music.org
【ブログ】　http://peacemusic.ti-da.net/

ECHO HYPE PARTY on 9/12

2010-09-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

9.12 (SUN) ECHO HYPE
Sunday afternoon party
at Favela in Aoyama
MAP：http://www.favela.jp/
...Tech-house / Minimal / Techno
*from 16:00 ~ 24:00 / 2000 yen

TIMETABLE
16:00 - 17:30 Maada
17:30 - 19:00 Sam Fitzgerald (P4P)
19:00 - 19:30 Kakumakushaka (live)
19:30 - 20:30 Raha (Ooooze)
20:30 - 21:30 Sho-hey (Octagon)
21:30 - 22:30 Bosh (Dial )
22:30 - 23:45 Ryo Tsutsui (Eden / Weekend Warriorz)

アティーストの紹介します！
■KAKUMAKUSHAKA (LIVE)■
地元・沖縄に根を張り活動するカクマクシャカ。一定のジャンルに拘らず、様々な表現をしていく姿勢は、加藤登紀子やshing02など世代もジャンルも越えた様々なアーティストとのコラボレーションを生み出してきた。
2007年には初の単独作品「シャカの掌の惑星」を沖縄限定でリリース。
またshing02と坂本龍一による「stop-rokkasho」という青森県六ヶ所村の再処理工場に対してのプロジェクトに賛同、shing02ともに制作した楽曲「無知の知」をホームページで公開している。
http://kakumakushaka.com/profile/

■ Live Art by Rah Akaishi ■
& Free Organic food sponsored by Tengu Natural Foods

■ Photos by Hiro Ikematsu (SET) ■

*Discount list 1500 yen
email: parties4peace@gmail.com

Event on IFLYER: http://iflyer.tv/event/66983

INFO: http://www.parties4peace.com/

*funds from this event go to support the OKINAWA PEACE PROJECT
to learn more about our project, visit our website:
http://www.us-for-okinawa.blogspot.com/

ぜひ遊びに来てください～！

ECHO HYPE - fundraiser for the OKINAWA PEACE PROJECT

2010-08-31T02:42:00.001-07:00

NEXT EVENT:
9.12 (SUN) ECHO HYPE
Sunday afternoon party
at Favela in Aoyama
地図：　http://www.favela.jp

DJs
Ryo Tsutsui (Eden / Weekend Warriorz )
Sho-hey (Octagon)
Sam Fitzgerald (P4P)
Bosh (Dial )
DJ Maada
Raha (Ooooze)

+ Live Art & Free Organic food
*Party from 16:00 ~ 24:00 / 2000 yen

*Discount list 1500 yen / email: parties4peace@gmail.com

INFO: http://www.parties4peace.com

Beach Clean-up at Enoshima east beach

2010-08-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

US for OKINAWA and PangeaSeed join together for a beach-clean up and eco-friendly lunch over the weekend!

We plan to organize another beach event next year for Ocean`s day （海の日） in Japan !

To see more photos, click here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/us.for.okinawa/BeachCleanUp#

Beach Clean-up & Party at On the Blue, Enoshima

2010-08-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

You are invited to join us at Enoshima beach for our first Beach Clean-up action and Eco picnic just before the BCWW beach party starting at 2 pm! Our time table is below, please come meet at On the Blue beach house at 11 am for the beach clean-up and stay for the party (last track at 8 pm !) 今年はＢＣＷＷのビーチパーティー、８月２９日（日）の朝から江ノ島ビーチＣＬＥＡＮＵＰキャンペーンをやります！そのあと、ゴミゼロ・ランチ、みんなでビーチでピックニックをして、マイ箸などを持ってきます！ゴミにならないようなランチです！その次はＯＮ　ＴＨＥ　ＢＬＵＥのビーチハウスで...１４：００～はＤＪタイムスタット！今回はＤＪｓ　ＭＸ、Ａｏｓａｗａ，　Ｎｏｂｕ，　ＡｈｉｍｓａもとくべつのＤＪセットやります！ぜひ遊びに来てください！

■　8.29 ( SUN )　■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
Beach Clean-up & music event
at ON THE BLUE, Enoshima beach

■BEACH EVENT INFO: 8月29日(日)
このパーティーの収益金の20%はパンジャシードとUS for Okinawaの自然保護活動へと寄付されます。パーティーの当日は11:00よりボランティア活動として江ノ島ビーチの清掃を企画していますので皆さん是非参加して下さい！
Beach Clean-up from 11:00 am on Sunday, August 29th at Enoshima`s On the Blue Beach House ! 20% of the funds from the party will be donated to US for OKINAWA.

■EVENT Timetable for AUG 29 (SUNDAY):
10:45 * Meet at On the BLUE江ノ島ビーチハウス

11:00 * Volunteer Beach Clean up
ボランティア活動として江ノ島ビーチの清掃を企画します

12:30 * Zero-trash eco-picnic, bring your My Hashi / cups and veggie food!
ごみゼロランチ！みんなでピクニクする！（マイ箸などを持ってきてください！）

13:00 * While having lunch, PangeaSeed will give us a talk about the Ocean!
ランチを食べながら、ＰａｎｇｅａＳｅｅｄからの海についてのエコＴａｌｋ！

14:00 * Beach Party starts! Live art, music !
BCWWのビーチパーティー！音楽、ライブアート、ＤＪｓ！

20:00 * Party ends / パーティーＥＮＤ！

20:30 * Quick beach clean up after the party
パーティーが終わったら、もう一回ビーチをキレイにする！
21:30 FINISH　

■DJs
DJ NOBU // Future Terror
MX // Blackmaps / Real Grooves
Aosawa // KSR
Ahimsa // Burning Desire/Dakini

ACCESS: ON THE BLUE 江ノ島
■駅：片瀬江ノ島　（Ｏｄａｋｙｕ　ｌｉｎｅ）

PARTY INFO HERE:
http://iflyer.tv/event/64753/Mariana-and-P4P-present-BCWW-BEACH-WEEKENDER-2010--ON-THE-BLUE-Enoshima-East-Beach/

US for OKINAWA participates in an art exhibit organized by PangeaSeed

2010-08-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

This week, US for OKINAWA participated in the art exhibit, Shark Love, organized by PangeaSeed at Gallery T in Enoshima, Japan.

Coming up on AUG 29th (Sunday), both organizations will be supporting the BCWW music event and a beach clean-up in Enoshima at On the Blue Beach House.

Save the Dugong group at AUDIO TOKYO MUSIC FESTIVAL

2010-08-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

US for OKINAWA invites the "Save the Dugong" Group to the Audio Tokyo Music Festival at Harumi.

See their blog update and info here:

http://www.sdcc.jp/result/10/07-17-tokyo.html

FUJI ROCK "OCEAN LOVE" at the NGO Village

2010-08-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

富士ロックのＮＧＯＶＩＬＬＡＧＥでＯＣＥＡＮＬＯＶＥのブースを出しました！Fuji Rock NGO VILLAGE REPORT !

ステージ「Ｇｙｐｓｅｙ Avalon」を中心に、人権、平和、環境団体などがアピールブースを構える「NGO村」や「オーガニック村」「フリマーケット」「ワークショップ」「マッサージテント」もあります。　朝霧 JAMS' ボランティアが運営する「朝霧食堂」では、焼きそば、MILK 食品にも注目！

We met Zach de la Rocha from Rage Against the Machine! He is truly a peace activist and amazing artist!

VIDEO AT FUJI ROCK !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqfXHH921WQ

FUJI ROCK 2010
NGO VILLAGE presents: OCEAN LOVE
US for OKINAWA + PangeaSeed
http://www.us-for-okinawa.blogspot.com
http://www.pangeaseed.com

Supported by:
http://www.peaceboat.org
http://www.parties4peace.com

Electricity used on this whole field is produced from bio diesel and solar power to tackle CO2 emission.
Chill out in this relaxed hospitality area, including Gypsy Avalon, the NGO Village, set up to appeal for human rights, environmental and peace causes, Organic Village, the Flea Market and workshops. Volunteers from Asagiri JAM helped to run 'ASAGIRI SHOKUDO'. Amazing experience !
http://www.fujirockfestival.com/news/
Location: Niigata, Japan

US for OKINAWA at Fuji Rock Festival !

2010-07-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

NEXT EVENT JULY 29 - AUG 1, 2010

PangeaSeed &

US for OKINAWA

present
OCEAN LOVE at FUJI ROCK

MUSIC FESTIVAL,

JAPAN
INFO:

http://www.smash-uk.com/frf10/news.php?id=59

INFO:
PANGEASEED http://www.pangeaseed.com/
US for OKINAWA http://www.us-for-okinawa.blogspot.com/

US for OKINAWA & PangeaSeed Art Exhibit

2010-05-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

PangeaSeed & US for OKINAWA present

"Sea Change" - an exploration of the ocean`s beauty through music and art, our one-month exhibition will not only portray the aquatic marine life from the depth of the seas, but will also encourage our viewers to engage in more critical thinking about the current environmental and political dangers that our Oceans are facing today.

Join us for our Art Reception Party on June 13th (Sunday)
Place: Pink Cow, Shibuya
http://www.thepinkcow.com/

Time: 17:00 OPEN
Film: 17:20 SPECIAL SCREENING of the award-winning film Shark Water, followed by special guest speakers!

Music by London Calling / Cafe Kitsch crew/ Redolent
Live Acoustic set with Sunset Drive (www.sunsetdrive.jp)
Live art by Rah and Wrecks (www.sideroom.com/www.wrecks.jp)

500 Yen donation at the door with live music, art, poetry
*delicious food and drinks available at the bar*

INFO:
PANGEASEED http://www.pangeaseed.com/
US for OKINAWA http://www.us-for-okinawa.blogspot.com/

Japanese Information:

PangeaSeed & US for OKINAWA present:
"Sea Change" - 音楽やアートを通して海の素晴らしさを探求しよう！
この1ヶ月を通しての展示会は、奥深いマリンライフを描くだけではなく、今海が直面している政治的な問題や最近の環境への危機について、より批判的に考えていこうと働きかけるものです。

展示会期間：6 月1日〜30日
レセプションパーティあり：6月13日 (日)
場所: The Pink Cow 渋谷 www.thepinkcow.com
オープン: 17:00〜　
フィルム：17:20~ 『Shark Water』with　スペシャルゲスト！！
入場：500円寄付のみ。
映像、ライブ、アート、詩、そしてスペシャルゲストあり。
* おいしい食べ物とドリンクあります*

SHORT DOCUMENTARY ABOUT OKINAWA

2010-05-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

US for OKINAWA supports the work of free-lance journalist, Sonia Narang as she covers the topic of the bases in Okinawa. Please watch this short documentary to learn more !

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/jan-june10/okinawa_05-21.html

Sonia Narang covers Japan for GlobalPost (Globalpost.com). She is a multimedia reporter who previously worked as a video journalist for NBC News, where she reported, filmed, and edited stories for the "Nightly News" and Msnbc.com. She was also an associate interactive producer at the PBS international documentary program Frontline/World, where she reported an award-winning multimedia series in rural India. Sonia’s video and print work has also appeared in Forbes, the San Jose Mercury News, and The New York Times Magazine. She has filmed and photographed throughout Asia, and she lived in Japan six years ago.

LABOR BEAT presents a video about the OKINAWA RALLY on APRIL 25th
* ENGLISH SUBTITLES *

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GExkHh-VtK0
Photo by Jiji News Agency.

ACTION for OKINAWA , MAY 14th (Friday)

2010-05-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

More than 500 people gathered on Friday, May 14th, for the Peace Action in front of the Diet Building in Tokyo - " NO Base Okinawa" gathering with various NGO`s such as Peace Boat, Green Peace, WWF, World Peace Now and more...

Interview with Mr. Teruya from Okinawa (Japanese)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ1u0B6C1iM

５月１４日、国会前に４６０名が集まり、首相官邸に向け「普天間基地撤去」のコールが響き渡った。（主催、「沖縄に基地はいらない」全国同時アクションＴｏｋｙｏ）

VIDEO 14 MAY , 2010
"NO BASE OKINAWA"

SEE THE VIDEO ON YOU TUBE HERE

Produced: 2010/05/14

Duration: 4 minutes 22 seconds

File Size: 10.0 MB

Full description:

この行動は、４月２５日に明治公園に１２５０人が参加して「ＮＯ　ＢＡＳＥ　ＯＫＩＮＡＷＡ」の文字をキャンドルで浮かび上がらせた行動に続くもので、１６日に沖縄現地で行われる普天間基地包囲行動に連帯する取り組みである。

鳩山首相は自ら決めた５月という期限を前に、とうとう辺野古桟橋案、鹿児島県徳之島移設案を「政府案」とするという暴挙に出た。これは、沖縄と徳之島にとって全く容認できないという事は、すでに明々白々なのにである。政府は、官房長官を先頭にすでに反対を明確にしている徳之島に乗り込み、切り崩しまで図ろうとしている。５月の期限を守るという事は、県内移設、徳之島に移設ということであったのか！という落胆の声が沖縄で大きくなっている。しかしこの局面は、鳩山政権大きな焦りをもあらわにした。今こそ、政府により大きな県内移設ＮＯ！の力を見せつけ、この時期に安易には決めてはならない！という力関係を築く必要があるのだ。（湯本）

＊映像に出てきた、「ナマケモノ倶楽部」の会員ＭＬのやりとりから誕生した「最低でも県外、最高は…」ムーブメントについてのウェブサイトは、以下です。

http://www.sloth.gr.jp/aboutus/event/2010/nobase2.htm

APRIL 25th OKINAWA SOLIDARITY ACTIONS

2010-04-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

More than 1,000 people gather for the Candle Action for a Base Free Okinawa, held at Meiji park in Tokyo

The Candle action was organized by a coalition of well-known Japanese individuals, including university professors, authors, artists, lawyers, educators, commentators, musicians and representatives of NGOs including Peace Boat, WWF Japan, PangeaSeed, Greenpeace Japan and US for OKINAWA.

Peace Boat staff and US for OKINAWA member, Emilie McGlone from the United States, encourages a more peaceful means to improving diplomatic relations between the United States and Japan.
-------------------------------

Support for Okinawa's Citizens' Rally Echoes from Across the Seas
http://www.peaceboat.org

On April 25, 2010, tens of thousands of Okinawans gathered to call for the closure of Futenma, a U.S. Marine air base that has regularly exposed local people to intolerable noise pollution, deprived them of the opportunity to develop land in the city for more effective, profitable and peaceful purposes, and subjected them to base related accidents and crime for more than 60 years. They also rallied to oppose U.S. pressure to construct greatly expanded and modernized U.S. military facilities at the expense of taxpayers in Japan in Henoko, an area in Okinawa that is environmentally sensitive and diverse.

To express support for this Citizens Rally, Peace Boat and US for OKINAWA Peace Action Network organized a gathering onboard Peace Boat during its current 69th Global Voyage for Peace. Citizens from all around mainland Japan, as well as from the U.S., England, Canada, Australia, and Spain joined Okinawans in calling for peace to built on Okinawa rather than military bases.

During the gathering, a school teacher from Okinawa described how bases such as Kadena were built by force of bulldozers and rifles, and were imposed upon local people against their will at a time when their homes and livelihoods had been destroyed by war, and opposition was impossible. Now, however, she emphasized, the people of Okinawa will never allow another base to be built in the region. This is not only because of the heavy burden they place on Okinawan people, she added, but because military bases are places where attacks are planned on other countries—attacks that deprive people of their lives and right to live in peace. She noted that Kadena Air Base was used to launch attacks on Da Nang, Viet Nam, a port Peace Boat had left just two days earlier, and a place where many Peace Boat participants had the opportunity to directly meet Agent Orange victims and others who are still suffering the effects of the Vietnam War today.

Another speaker who was born and raised in Tokyo said he didn't think U.S. military bases were necessary in Okinawa or any other region of Japan, and instead called for Japan's Article 9, which renounces war as a means of settling international disputes and the maintenance of bellicose potential, to be exported to the rest of the world as a more effective means of establishing peace and security. Lastly, an American citizen addressed the crowd and spoke of the need to reallocate our world's resources away from military bases and weapons toward mechanisms and endeavors that will make our world truly sustainable and secure in the face of looming problems such as climate change, natural disasters, poverty, and dwindling natural resources.

In addition to the gathering onboard, gatherings and rallies were held the same day in Tokyo, Washington, San Francisco and Hawai'i to support the Okinawan Citizen's rally.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MAINICHI NEWS ARTICLE about the event in Tokyo

This is an indication that more and more people in mainland Japan, the United States and other nations around the world are starting to realize how much harm military bases are inflicting upon communities and the natural environment in Okinawa, and supporting Okinawans' call for a change.

Solidarity Statement for Okinawa
Northeast Asia Regional Peacebuilding Institute (NARPI) Steering Committee

April 25, 2010
Seoul, Republic of Korea

The Steering Committee for the Northeast Asia Regional Peacebuilding Institute (NARPI), currently meeting in Seoul, Republic of Korea, expresses its solidarity to the Okinawan people on this day of action and our support for their call for peace, demilitarization and respect for the will of the people. NARPI provides peacebuilding training, in both theory and practice, for Northeast Asian people, using education to transform a culture of militarism and violence to a culture of peace.

We, the representatives from China, India, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan, the Republic of Korea and Russia, acknowledge that the existence of armaments and military bases promote rather than deter conflict; and that particularly considering the remnant Cold War structures in Northeast Asia, the global realignment and build-up of US military forces poses a serious threat to the region. The presence of these bases, as experienced throughout Northeast Asia, only serves to exacerbate violence, conflict, pollution, environmentaldegradation, and the escalation of existing conflicts and an arms race within the region. We are deeply concerned that the external military presence in the region hampers progress towards regional solidarity, cooperation and peaceful cooexistence.

Furthermore, if the vast resources expended on the military in Northeast Asia – including on the hosting of US bases - were diverted to human needs, many of the urgent issues of potential conflict, disparity and development within the region could be addressed.

We believe that sustainable peace can be created through respect for local democratic processes, disarmament and demilitarisation, developing humanrelationships and education for peace. Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution and the Mongolian Single State Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone are viable alternatives to shift from military security to human security.

We, of the civil society in Northeast Asia, therefore support the overwhelming call for the closure of the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station, and call on the Japanese and United States Governments to honour the democratic decision of the Okinawan people. Furthermore, we express our opposition to any new military base construction in Okinawa or anywhere else, including Gangjeong Village in Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. We stand in solidarity with the people of Okinawa, and their hundreds of thousands of supporters throughout Japan, Northeast Asia and the world, to pledge to work together for a base-free Okinawa, and for the creation of a demilitarised, sustainable peace for Northeast Asia.

US for OKINAWA at Earth Day, Tokyo

2010-04-20T00:09:00.000-07:00

Earth Day at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo - April 17-18th, 2010
（日本語はこちらへ。。。）

US for OKINAWA joined together with Peace Boat staff members and PangeaSeed artists and activists during one of Tokyo`s largest environmental events to promote a base-free Okinawa.

During the two day event at Yoyogi park, we were able to network with many groups who continue to work towards promoting a healthy environment in Okinawa, protecting the Dugong (a now endangered species), and educating others about the US Military base issue in Japan. Organizations such as Green Peace Japan, WWF, SDCC "Save the Dugong Campaign", Green Action Saitama, and other civil society organizations joined together to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the nature in Okinawa and preventing yet another military base from being built in one of the most diverse and fragile ecosystems of the world.

For more info about Earth Day, visit their official website:
http://www.earthday-tokyo.org/

Candle Event "NO BASE! OKINAWA"

2010-04-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

☆★━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆★
沖縄に基地はいらない　全国同時アクションTokyo
～キャンドルで人文字をつくろう！＠明治公園
NO BASE! OKINAWA

CANDLE ACTION EVENT AT MEIJI-KOEN
http://www.nobase.org/

★☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━★☆
(ENGLISH BELOW)
A huge event will be held in Okinawa on April 25, with people
gathering from all over the prefecture and Japan.
No more bases forced on Okinawa!
People all over Japan will gather together to spell out with
candles the message "NO BASE! OKINAWA" and send their support
to the Okinawan people.

４月２５日に沖縄で「島ぐるみ」の県民大会が行われます。
これ以上沖縄に基地を押しつけないでほしい！
その思いをキャンドルに託して、人文字をつくります。
〝ＮＯ　ＢＡＳＥ！　ＯＫＩＮＡＷＡ〟
この日、日本全国が沖縄に呼応します。
この日、沖縄に行けない方、明治公園に集まって下さい。

☆集会名：「沖縄に基地はいらない」全国同時アクション
NO BASE! OKINAWA ～キャンドルで人文字をつくろう！

☆日　時：４月２５日（日）１８時～
APRIL 25th, from 6 pm

☆場　所：明治公園　新宿霞岳町、渋谷区千駄ヶ谷一丁目

☆アクセス：ＪＲ「千駄ヶ谷」下車　徒歩５分
地下鉄大江戸線「国立競技場」（Ｅ２５）下車　徒歩２分
地下鉄銀座線「外苑前」下車徒歩１５分

☆内　容：歌、スピーチ、キャンドルによる人文字
※当日、キャンドル代（orペンライト代）として５００円程度のカンパにご協力ください！

☆主催：「沖縄に基地はいらない」全国同時アクションTokyo
☆協賛：沖縄一坪反戦地主会関東ブロック／WORLD PEACE　 NOW

☆連絡先：no_base-owner@yahoogroups.jp

☆ Event:
Simultaneous actions for a base-free Okinawa
Candle event spelling out "NO BASE! OKINAWA"

☆ Date: April 25, 2010 (Sunday)

☆ Time: From 6 pm

☆ Place: Meiji Park, Sendagaya Icchome / Shinjuku Kasumigaokamachi

☆ Access: 5 mins walk from Sendagaya station, JR Sobu Line
2 mins walk from Kokuritsu Kyogijo station, Oedo Subway Line
15 mins walk from Gaienmae station, Ginza subway line

☆ Contents: songs, speeches, candle action
※ Donations of 500 yen for candles requested!

☆ Organised by Simultaneous actions for a base-free Okinawa Tokyo
☆ Co-sponsored by the Kanto Block of landowners against military bases
and WORLD PEACE NOW

☆ Contact: no_base-owner@yahoogroups.jp

★ Appeal ★

Is the issue of military bases in Okinawa an "Okinawan problem?"
Next April 25, a people's gathering will be held in Okinawa to call
for the early closure of the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma,
the return of the land, and to oppose the construction of an
alternative base elsewhere in Okinawa,

It is the US-Japan Security Pact signed by the mainland Japanese
government that has led to the burden of bases to be forced onto
the people of Okinawa, leading to the destruction of Okinawa's
rich environment, and dangers everyday from sound pollution,
accidents and crime, and the linked dangers of war.

The problems of the bases in Okinawa are not a problem of Okinawa,
but a problem of those of us from the mainland who are forcing
this burden onto the people of Okinawa.

We must seriously consider this issue now, even more than ever.

If nowhere in mainland Japan is willing or planning to accept the
bases in its own territory, then this burden must not be forced
onto Okinawa. We cannot push the problem around within Okinawa
and pretend that we are not aware that this is happening.

The Marine Corps must withdraw, and the Futenma Air Station
must be closed.

The people of Okinawa are united in their opposition to the
forced placement of the Futenma base in Okinawa.
On April 25, on the same day as their prefectural event,
actions will be held simultaneously all over Japan and hopefully
the world to join our voices together with Okinawa in solidarity
to oppose new base construction in Okinawa.

This action is being called for by a coalition of well-known
Japanese individuals, including university professors, authors,
artists, lawyers, educators, commentators, musicians and
representatives of NGOs including Peace Boat, WWF Japan and
Greenpeace Japan.

Citizens around the world are also called upon to hold events
on the same day, and send messages and photos in support
and solidarity.
We thank you for your cooperation!

【Same day event!】
▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼

Tokyo Event to send our message to the April 25
Okinawan People's Gathering
★ A demonstration will be held after the event
Date: April 25 (Sun), from 3 pm
Place: Miyakezaka Hall, Shakai Bunka Kaikan
(4 mins from Nagatacho Station,
Yurakucho/Hanzomon Line)
Organised by the Kanto Block of landowners against military bases
Co-sponsored by the Organising Committee against base construction in Henoko

▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼

OKINAWA PEACE PROJECT

2010-04-07T23:50:00.000-07:00

"OKINAWA PEACE PROJECT"
沖縄ピースプロジェクト　
FALL 2010 (Tentative dates Sept 22 - 26th)

If you love the ocean and love to learn through direct experience...this study program is for you. Please join us !

沖縄・辺野古の海は、ジュゴンなどの海洋ほ乳類やウミガメが生息し、国際的に絶滅の危機にあるサンゴが広く育つ海洋生物の宝庫です。この地に新しく基地が建設されることになれば、大浦湾が埋め立てられ、マングローブなどの野生生物に取り返しのつかないダメージを与えることになります。これは、一帯の貴重な海洋生物多様性に対する重大な危機です。

「US for Okinawa」では、沖縄の状況をより深く知ることのできるスタディツアーを計画しています。ぜひご参加ください！
* photo by Rob Stewart *

Okinawa Peace Project Study Program Outline:
* Learn more about the US Military bases in Okinawa
* Participate in our Ocean Conservation study program
* Scuba diving and Snorkeling exploration trip
* Canoe, beach clean-up, visit the mangroves
* Art & Music event in Okinawa

★２０１０年秋　沖縄ピースプロジェクト　スタディプログラム★
・沖縄の米軍基地についてもっと学ぼう
・海洋保全スタディプログラムに参加しよう
・スキューバ・ダイビング、シュノーケリング
・カヌー、海岸清掃、マングローブの森訪問
・沖縄でのアート＆ミュージック・イベントなど

- This program is not limited to certified Scuba divers -
お問い合わせはこちら：
ＣＯＮＴＡＣＴ　Emilie McGlone at us.for.okinawa@gmail.com

BACKGROUND:
The sea in Henoko is a treasure trove for marine life, where the large marine mammal the Dugong and the sea turtle live, and internationally endangered species of coral grow widely. In November 2009, 36 species of new strains of shellfish were discovered in the area. The construction of replacement facilities for Futenma Air Station means that this area will be landfilled in order to construct the new base, rendering as yet unknown environmental damage to the surrounding areas and wildlife.

There are only about 10 to 20 dugongs left off the coast of Henoko in Ohura Bay, Okinawa. Dugongs are now believed to be an endangered species in Japan. In 2006, WWF Japan designated 2010 as "International Year of Dugong." This year, we hope to join them in raising awareness about the plight of this graceful mammal. The vibrant biodiversity found in Ohura Bay, on the east coast of Okinawa, may be in danger. The plan to build the new military facility, which would likely involve land reclamation activities in Ohura Bay, could lead to the destruction of the area’s precious marine biodiversity.

OBJECTIVE: As well as directly learning about the situation of the military bases in Okinawa, this study tour will examine dangers of the the Futenma Base which we are now seeking to be closed, meet people protesting against the proposed relocation of the base to Henoko in Nago City, and seek ways to strengthen solidarity of voices against the military bases from now. US for OKINAWA, together with other environmental and conservation organizations such as PangeaSeed, WWF, and Peace Boat seeks to create an Ocean Conservation study program based on the necessity to raise awareness about the fragile aquatic ecosystem in Okinawa and the threat being posed by the construction of new military facilities on the island by the United States government. Volunteers will work in partnership with local divers and water enthusiasts to combat these challenges through environmental education at the local and international levels, beach clean-ups, coral reef conservation, monitoring and data collection of the Okinawan dugong`s habitat and local ecosystem. We are committed to the conservation of the Okinawan land, water and aquatic life that is the livlihood of the people who inhabit the islands.

VIDEO by Green Peace about the Dugong in Okinawa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soVhgiJPngk&feature=related

----------------------------------------------
Organized by:

US FOR OKINAWA: A deliberate double entendre, US may be read both as "us" (you, me, everyone), as well as U.S. (reflecting the proactive stance of Americans in Japan who support a base-free Okinawa). US for OKINAWA was organized out of shared concern regarding the danger that the U.S. Futenma Air Base poses to the people of Okinawa, as well as the pressure exerted by the U.S. on the new Japanese administration to construct a replacement facility for the base in Henoko, an environmentally fragile area on the eastern part of the island.

『US for OKINAWA』は、在沖米軍基地の縮小と撤廃を求める新しいネットワークです。ここには日本に住み、沖縄のことを気にかけるアメリカ人、日本人、カナダ人、ニュージーランド人、オーストラリア人、ウェールズ人、メキシコ人とその他の市民が集まり、都内を中心に活動を始めています。（USは私たちという意味ですが、同時にここでは基地のない沖縄を目指す日本在住のアメリカ人たちを意味しています。）
『US for OKINAWA』は、米軍基地・普天間基地が沖縄の人々に与える危険性と、アメリカ政府が日本の新政府に対して貴重な自然環境が残る辺野古への移転を強く要請していることへの共通の懸念から組織されました。辺野古基地建設はジュゴンの絶滅を招くばかりか、汚染・騒音公害・安全性の問題や（米軍兵による）犯罪をただ県内の別の地域に移動するだけになります。

PANGEASEED: PangeaSeed is a Tokyo-based grassroots organization dedicated to educating and raising international awareness on the plight of sharks. Through volunteer activism and various mediums including art, music, film,and photography, PangeaSeed aims to create an open dialog with the global community to develop an understanding of the need to preserve and protect sharks and their habitat.

PangeaSeedは、地球を愛し、サメを愛する、ボランティアグループです。私たちは、社会の意識を高め、極めて重要な問題に光を当てるため、国や地域を超えたアート・音楽・映像を組み合わせたスペシャルイベントを企画開催しています。現在、誕生してから4億年以上の歴史を持ち、「生きた恐竜」とも呼ばれるサメが、フカヒレ料理の材料とするための乱獲や海洋環境の破壊によって絶滅の危機に瀕しています。
わたしたちは、このサメの危機的状況についての社会的認識を高めることに焦点を当てたイベントを、国内外で開催しています。また、啓発活動の継続、地域社会の協力、積極的な行動を通して、現状を変えていくことに全力を注ぎます。

RESOURCES:
NO BASES NETWORK http://closethebase.org/environmental-issue/
WWF http://www.wwf.or.jp/activities/2010/03/789315.html
PROJECT AWARE http://www.projectaware.org/about/index.php
PANGEASEED : http://www.pangeaseed.com
PROTECT LIFE SOCIETY: http://www.geocities.jp/nobasehenoko/

Study Program Days 3 & 4

2010-04-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

Study Program Day 3:

We left our guesthouse in Ginowan early in the morning and headed toward the Henoko region of Okinawa, where locals have been struggling for about 13 years to stop Futenma's Air Field from being transferred (along with a plethora of other new construction). A number of different plans have been proposed over the past decade, starting with the construction of an air field inside of Camp Schwab, which is located on a cape in Nago City next to Oura Bay, Henoko. However, this plan was overwhelmingly rejected because it would simply transfer the problems of noise pollution and safety risks from Ginowan City to Nago City. So the plan changed to a large airfield that would be built in a section of Oura Bay (right over its coral reefs!), but local people--mostly elderly men and women--resisted this plan so strongly (by holding daily sit-ins that continue even today, by occupying a platform in the bay that was erected to start planning the construction, and by paddling sea kayaks in the way of the motorized boats that came to carry out the construction) that it was finally scrapped. Then the plan changed to expanding the perimeters of Camp Schwab so that it would extend out into Oura Bay, and building the runway on this extension. Locals have fought this plan, too, and now the government is talking about building the runways inside Camp Schwab--the very same plan that was rejected more than 10 years ago!

In Henoko, our first stop was to Tent Village on the shoreline of Oura Bay, where locals were marking more than 2,100 days of consecutive sit-ins. One of their representatives, Onishi-san, used photos to tell us about the history of their non-violent struggle (which, incidentally, was inspired by the non-violent resistance of Martin Luther King Jr.). Then we walked over to a beach that is divided by a long stretch of curled razor wire that functions as a border to Camp Schwab. Peace lovers had covered just about every inch of the wire with colorful ribbons and banners calling for no war, no killing, no bases, protection of the dugong, and so on. Apparently, the U.S. military used to regularly remove these ribbons (once, even by setting fire to them all!), but people kept retying them with such persistence, that the military finally gave up trying to remove them. One funny aside: on the way to the beach, we passed by a municipal sign that said: "Keep this beach clean--please take your garbage home with you." To this sign, locals had pencilled in the word "base," so that it read: "Keep this beach clean--please take your base and your garbage home with you."!
At the beach, we were joined by three young Japanese people, two of whom are Okinawan university students. All of them are just starting to learn about the base issue themselves, and it was their first time to visit Henoko. We were inspired when Onishi-san said he wants the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty to be voided and replaced with a Japan-US Peace and Friendship Treaty, so before leaving Henoko, we decided that rather than waiting for our governments to do this, we would initiate such a treaty ourselves at the citizen level, and inaugurated this new symbolic treaty on the beach with the university students (see photos later).

From Henoko, we travelled to the Takae and Yambaru Forest area to see the U.S. military's Northern Training Area, which the U.S. military has used for jungle warfare training since 1956--initially to prepare for jungle warfare in Vietnam (to our shock, we learned that the U.S. military even forced local villagers to play the role of Vietnamese people in their jungle warfare trainings!). This training area occupies thousands of hectares, much of which wasn't being used, so the U.S. military finally agreed to give part of it back to Okinawa. However, the part they agreed to give back has seven aircraft landing pads, and the construction of 7 new landing pads elsewhere was made requisite for its return. Unbelievably, the area chosen for the new construction is rich in biodiversity, and home to endangered species such as the Okinawan woodpecker and Okinawan rail. Opposition to this plan finally led to it being discarded, and a new plan was drafted: this time the landing pads would be built around a small village of fewer than 150 people. However, this village is already surrounded by 15 other landing pads, and the people were opposed to more being built around them, because of the danger and noise problems that they pose. So they went to Henoko, and learned from the people of Henoko how to build a sit-in tent and carry out resistance activities. Again, unbelievably, the government sued 14 people for stopping the construction work from beginning (charges were later dropped against 12), and the case is now making its way through the court. In other words, instead of using civil law to protect citizens, the government is using civil law to prosecute them, and our local guide explained that this sets a very dangerous precedent around the nation, because if it gets established, people who protest against things the construction of nuclear power plants or big dam projects in their communitities can also be sued by the government.

What's worse, the villagers are being sued under the Hatoyama administration's government, which is an enormous betrayal for them (and for us!), because they had voted for him and his party after he promised to lighten the burden of the military bases on Okinawa. We asked them if they planned to countersue, but they said it's difficult because their numbers are so small, it's difficult to balance a livelihood and stay fully active at the same time, all expenses would have to come from their own pocket, and it takes them 3 hours just to get to Naha, where the district court is located. (So we want to hold a fundraiser for them this year!).

With heavy hearts, we left the Takae area and returned to the Henoko area just in time to participate in a peace candle night in front of Camp Schwab. Peace candle nights have been held in front of Camp Schwab every Saturday evening for the past 6 years, and were started by a base-protester who wanted to give young children and others who could not participate in physically risky resistance activities a way to get involved in the movement. The organizer explained that flames symbolized the soul, and that many souls have been lost because of the bases in Okinawa, given that they have been used to attack Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and other areas. So he taught his three young children to hold the candles carefully, and to see them as souls that need caring and should be cherished. At this event, we held our US for OKINAWA banner on the sidewalk in front of the base, and waved to all the cars passing by, including those that were leaving the base carrying military members. A television cameraman was on hand and recorded us as we also made appeals such as "Base Free Okinawa!", "Save the Dugong, "Peace not War," "Americans for a base-free Okinawa," etc.

After participating in this action, we headed to the guesthouse we would be staying at that night--a haven next to the sea that was lovingly built by a longtime base resister named Mr. Teruya. He built it largely from recycled wood, and decorated it beautifully with driftwood and polished glass he had picked up from the coastline. In the garden area of the guesthouse, an underwater photographer set up a screen and gave us a slideshow presentation of all the rich, beautiful life that can be found in Oura Bay, as well as in the mangrove lined rivers feeding into Oura Bay. It's hard to believe that anyone could consider pouring dirt and concrete over such rich and rare biodiversity--and of course, those who are proposing to do so are far removed from it, in offices in Tokyo and Washington. After the presentation, Teruya-san prepared a delicious barbecue for us, and we cracked open some local Okinawan beer and spent the rest of the night talking, drinking, and celebrating Okinawa's baseball team victory at Koshien Stadium earlier that day.

Day 4 Morning:

On our final day, we headed to the Save the Dugong Center to meet with Takuma Higashionna, who has been working tirelessly to protect the dugong and other sea life in Oura Bay and to raise awareness of the issue inside and outside Japan. He told us about how U.S. and Japanese officials always shift the responsibility to one another when he presses them about protecting Oura's biodiversity from base construction. Japanese officials claim that the U.S. is ordering the construction in Henoko and that they have no choice to follow it, and U.S. officials claim it's Japan that insists on this site and wants the construction for its security--so much so, that they are even willing to pay for it. Higashionna-san led us to a beach across the bay from Camp Schwab, and told us how he and others have dived extensively in the bay in order to map out all its coral reefs and delicate points in order to gain a better understanding of how to conserve its ecosystem and vitality. He looked across the bay and pointed to Camp Schwab, noting where its barracks, ammunition storage area, and firing ranges are located, and said it was his dream for Japan and the U.S. to one day work together to covert the camp into a nature conservancy center for all to enjoy and learn from. He also invited us to dive with his　members in the future, and we eagerly accepted that invitation (more on this to come!).

After this, we headed to Naha to catch our flights in the afternoon. We had a bit of time in the city, so we used it to record everyone's impression of the program and thoughts on the issues before heading off to munch on some Okinawan specialties, such as pig ears, taco rice, and　salt cookie ice cream. After that, we dispersed to catch our flights, but with a strongly united feeling that we wanted to continue working together to share what we saw, learned and felt with others in order to not leave the people of Okinawa alone and unsupported. They are not the ones who created the enormous base problems that they have to face everyday, and they shouldn't be expected to try to undo them singlehandedly. Now, more than ever, it's time for U.S. citizens and mainland Japan citizens to get involved in the issue. As Dani Pierre said several times, citing a quote she once heard, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." From this study program, we felt very keenly the need to stand up for justice, democracy, peace and environmental sustainability in Okinawa so that our entire world doesn't fall into greater darkness.

April 6th and 7th, we will hold meetings to discuss what we can do from here. In Okinawa, when we asked what we could do, everyone said the same: Please continue to tell people you know what is happening here in Okinawa, and please try to bring people here again to witness the conditions with their own eyes. We already have a number of ideas brewing about how we can help get the word out further, and we're already working with PangeaSeed to evelop a second study program to Okinawa in September. This second program will let people dive or snorkel in Oura Bay to experience its beautiful diversity and to see the dugong's habitat up close. It will also allow them the opportunity to participate in Save the Dugong Center's efforts to map the entire bay for conservation purposes.

2010-04-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

Our second day in Okinawa was inspirational, to say the least...

Upon viewing Futenma from an aerial perspective, we were struck by its location - right in the middle of the city. One member from US for OKINAWA, Danielle Pierre told us about her life growing up in Colorado Springs, USA, surrounded by various army bases, the Air Force Academy, and other military facilities, but she never felt that the military presence adversely affected her daily life. "I can't imagine, however, that the Futenma locals feel the same", she said. A sizable military base was placed right in the middle of their lives, bringing with it planes and helicopters that fly in a pattern nearly double the radius of the original agreement. Not only that, but a representative of Ginowan City Hall stated that these planes fly on average every 5 minutes near the base. Can you imagine trying to carry on a normal life with that noise?

Another shocking fact, upon many, that we learned from the Mayor Iha himself is how many accidents happen near Futenma. He provided us with a map that depicts various accidents such as helicopter crashes, and we were appalled at the result. Crashes ave occurred at a University, near elementary schools, and just about all over the extended circumference of the base! Not only is it hard enough to live a normal daily life with the noise, but to live in fear of the next accident causes such distress amongst the local population.

Altogether, what we've learned so far highlights the necessity for Futenma to be closed. Having a conversation last night with a foreigner living in Okinawa reminded us that it is also important to think about what happens next, and not to leave Futenma in a vacuum after so many years of having a military base that stimulates the local economy. Thankfully, Mayor Iha has already taken sizable steps in the next direction. He explained his outline to restore the area to its original form, rebuilding a valuable avenue that was once lined with native pine trees and land that was once a source of livelihood for local farmers.

Study Program: Day 1

2010-04-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a little insight into our trip to Okinawa...

Up at 03:30 AM and off to Okinawa to experience what is really happening with our own eyes. There has been a lot of news recently dealing with the Futenma Air Base issue and what should/will be done in Okinawa regarding its relocation or closure. We are here to learn as much as possible while visiting the island, through interviewing locals and talking with those on the front lines, in order to make our own opinions on the subject.

Immediately upon arrival we noticed that Naha wasn't your typical airport. Self-defense and U.S. military planes line the runway while fighter jets screamed overhead and men with military backpacks wait in the airport for their flights. We tried to keep a tally of the number of military aircrafts that we heard; 6 helicopters and 4 jets in the first hour that we were there...we lost count half-way into the third hour. Emilie noticed how strange it was to hear but not see the various military aircrafts.

During a taxi ride I asked the driver how he felt about so many foreigners in Okinawa. His initial response was that he liked the business but upon further inquiry he admitted that he could do without the bases.

Just a few images: nice people who are proud of their prefecture's representative high school baseball team at Koshien, beautiful ocean, orchids and tales of a 600 day sit in to protect Henoko from being converted into a new military base...

US for Okinawa at Spring Love festival in Tokyo

2010-03-24T20:17:00.000-07:00

For the second year in a row during the first weekend of April, amidst cherry blossoms at their peak and near-perfect (if slightly chilly) weather, the Spring Love Harukaze festival transformed Yoyogi Park into a space of positive energy and peaceful vibes. The event featured some of Japan’s top musical talent, as well as a series of talk sessions related to various peace and environmental issues. In addition, the festival included a flea market with natural and eco-related goods, food stalls with organic and various world cuisines, tents with information from peace and environmental NPOs/NGOs, a DJ tent where young dancers enjoyed chilled-out grooves, and various jam sessions/performances spontaneously organized by festival-goers that seemed to crop up all over the venue throughout the weekend.

Spring Love website:
www.balance-web.com/harukaze/ (Japanese)
Event on Facebook (English)

The event featured two stages: the main Spring Stage, where most musical acts and peace talks took place; and the smaller, cozier Love Stage, which housed DJs, smaller musical acts, and presentations from representatives of several of the NPOs and NGOs in attendance. One such group was US for Okinawa, made up mostly of foreign residents in Japan who are committed to demonstrating their support for a base-free Okinawa. In addition to introducing themselves on the Love Stage, the group organized a booth at the event with a photo exhibition, FAQ sheetFlier-Why%20Bases%20Don%27t%20Protect%20Japan.Jp.pdf, and petition all aimed at making clear the destructive impact of U.S. military bases. Coincidentally, many of the network's core members were actually on a study tour to visit U.S. bases in Okinawa on the very same weekend as Spring Love—their report of their very fruitful tour may be read here.

PHOTOS FROM OUR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS

Ann Wright and Medea Benjamin at the Senate hearing on Pacific command, with signs of "Out of Okinawa"

US for OKINAWA and Peace Boat create Study Program to Okinawa!

2010-03-04T05:23:00.000-08:00

Are you interested in learning more about the U.S. military base issue in Okinawa? Do you want to help prevent the dugong from becoming extinct in Japan? Do you want to hear the reason for local people's opposition to military bases with your own ears? If you answered yes to any of these questions then please join *US for OKINAWA Peace Action Network* on an active study program of Japan's subtropical south this April.

US for OKINAWA is joining local residents in Ginowan City, Okinawa in asking the U.S. government to shut down the dangerous Futenma Air Base located right in the middle of their city. The base has endangered the lives of the local residents through military accidents, and lacks a buffer zone around it to protect surrounding schools, homes, hospitals and businesses. The U.S. and Japanese governments have agreed that the base poses an unacceptable safety risk to Ginowan City, but the U.S. government insists that closing Futenma is contingent on constructing--and Japan paying for--a new military facility elsewhere on Okinawa island. Because nearly 20% of Okinawa is already occupied by U.S. military facilities, this demand does nothing to lighten the burden on the local people.

In addition, new construction plans include inundating the environmentally fragile bay around Camp Schwab, the Henoko district, with dirt and concrete to vastly expand the base at the expense of unique coral reefs and the feeding ground of a gentle ocean mammal called the dugong. The U.S. (as well as some Japanese officials) insists that the construction must go through, despite fierce opposition by the majority of residents in Henoko. We want to listen to the voices of the local people and help them be heard both in Washington and mainland Japan.

In cooperation with Peace Boat and local partners in Okinawa, US for OKINAWA is organizing a study program to Okinawa from *April 1st to April 5th*. The goal of the study tour is to witness firsthand what is really happening in Okinawa, and to help raise more awareness of the base issue both in mainland Japan and in the U.S. and other countries.
We will be visiting U.S. military installations in Ginowan, meeting public officials in Ginowan and Henoko, listening to local testimonies, and visiting the beautiful bay of Henoko that is scheduled for destruction.

If you are interested in the study tour please contact Jonathan Yamauchi of US for OKINAWA at: jonathan.yamauchi[a]gmail.com. Please note that this program is not-for-profit, and costs are being kept to a strict minimum. Organisers are now in discussions with local partners to set the price of the programme, and more information will be available soon.

Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions, and for further detailed information about the program.

Niheideburu, thank you!

US for Okinawa supports launch of new Japan-US network

2010-03-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

A new network called JUCO-NET (Japan-US Citizens for OKINAWA) was launched on March 3, 2010 at a meeting at the House of Representatives. Core members of JUCO include Greenpeace Japan, WWF Japan, the Japan Environmental Lawyers Federation (JELF), Peace Depot, Peace Boat, Okinawan activists, and a network of NGOs and think tanks in the U.S. One of the network's first aims is to take out a large ad in a leading U.S. newspaper to call attention to the issue of Futenma and Henoko.
The JUCO-NET home page, with further information is now online here (Japanese only).

US for Okinawa joined JUCO-NET at the press conference today as a supporting organization, and presented the following statement on behalf of the group.

---------------

JUCO Statement
March 3, 2010
Rose Welsch, US for OKINAWA representative

My name is Rose Welsch, I'm a U.S. Citizen and also a foreign resident of Japan. As someone with experience on both sides of the Pacific, I oppose more bases in Okinawa, and I am not alone.

That's why I and other citizens from the U.S. and from around the world formed US for OKINAWA Peace Action Network. The “US” in our name has two meanings. One is “me, you, him, her—all of us who are concerned about what is happening in Okinawa, and the other is “U.S.” as in United States citizens who support the closure of Futenma and the halt to new and unnecessary military construction in Henoko.

Even though there are some government officials in the U.S. who are strongly pushing for this construction, they don't reflect the will of the American public. Why not? Well, to be honest, because most Americans have never even heard of Futenma or Henoko. Most Americans aren't aware that U.S. Military bases occupy 20% of Okinawa.

When U.S. citizens do learn the facts, however, we are appalled. The more we learn the truth, the more we start to feel strongly that we don't want our government to operate an enormous, dangerous base in the middle of a densely populated city—something that would never be allowed in our own country. We start to strongly feel that don't want our government to destroy a vital marine ecosystem in order to create an unnecessary base in our name. And we don't want the voices of local people who have to live with U.S. bases next to them to be ignored in our name. What we DO want is both the Japanese and U.S. Governments to respect local people, halt new military construction anywhere in Okinawa, and close Futenma.

So, that is why US for OKINAWA is supporting the placement of an opinion ad in a major U.S. newspaper in order to help raise more awareness of this issue. That's why we are writing letters to government officials and in Japan and the U.S. That's why we're circulating a petition and information about Henoko and Futenma in English on the internet. That's why we're also campaigning for better ways to spend $14 billion dollars in taxpayer money—paid by both Japanese citizens like yourselves, and foreign residents like myself in Japan--than on new base construction. Surely there are definitely better ways to spend billions of dollars than on destroying more of Okinawa's biodiversity.

Finally, that's why we are organizing a study program to Okinawa in April, so that more people can see the bases with their own eyes, hear testimony from local people with their own ears, and start a very necessary dialogue on how peace—genuine peace and security--can be constructed in East Asia and the rest of the world, rather than more military bases.

US for Okinawa in the media

2010-03-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

US for Okinawa was featured in today's Japan Times - see below for the article!

Group hopes U.S. ad raises awareness of Futenma

By MASAMI ITO
Staff writer

Concerned about the lack of information in the U.S. regarding the relocation of a marine base in Okinawa, a network of Japanese and U.S. citizens and nongovernmental groups announced Wednesday plans to take out a full-page ad on the controversial issue in a major U.S. newspaper.

Established Wednesday by various academics, journalists and NGO members, the Japan-U.S. Citizens for Okinawa (JUCO) network is allied with organizations in the U.S. including the Cato Institute, the Institute for Policy Studies and the Center for Biological Diversity.

According to the organizers, the network is aiming to raise ¥6 million to place a full-page ad in a major U.S. newspaper by the end of March, before the Japanese government finalizes its decision on the relocation site for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

The members are now considering several newspapers to decide which would have the biggest impact on U.S. citizens.

"One of the reasons why (the Futenma relocation issue) is not moving forward is because it is an issue unknown to most U.S. citizens and politicians," said Jun Hoshikawa, the executive director of Greenpeace Japan. "This is a common problem among both Japanese and U.S. people and we decided to join hands and form a network to bridge Japan and the U.S."

Rose Welsch, a Tokyo resident and representative of U.S. for Okinawa, a peace action network made up of foreign and Japanese nationals residing in Japan, said most Americans are unaware of the Futenma issue and contends it is not their will to build more military facilities in Okinawa.

"But when U.S. citizens do have the chance to learn about what's going on, we are appalled, absolutely appalled," Welsch said. "And the more we learn the truth, the more strongly we start to feel we don't want our government to operate an enormous, dangerous base in the middle of a densely populated city, which is something that would never be allowed in our own country."

Under the original agreement between Japan and the U.S., the Futenma aircraft operations were to be moved to Camp Schwab in the Henoko district of Nago, in the northern part of Okinawa Island.

But World Wide Fund for Nature Japan's Shinichi Hanawa said international attention has now focused on preserving the biodiversity of Oura Bay near Henoko. Hanawa added that the United Nations has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity and that Nagoya is to host the 10th Conference of the Parties in October.

The Japan Times: Thursday, March 4, 2010
(C) All rights reserved

New resources uploaded!

2010-02-24T23:31:00.001-08:00

We have just added two new resources to this blog - please feel free to read, download and use our information fact sheet and powerpoint presentation about foreign military bases in Okinawa, and keep checking our Media and Resources page for more information and resources in the future, as well as links to media reports on US for Okinawa actions!

How would YOU spend $14 billion U.S. Dollars? Idea Campaign

2010-02-24T23:15:00.000-08:00

US for OKINAWA, a peace action network based in Tokyo and Kyoto, announces its "How Would YOU Spend $14 Billion U.S. Dollars" Idea Contest!
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Our network is joining residents of Ginowan City, Okinawa in asking the U.S. government to shut down the dangerous Futenma Air Base located in the middle of their city. The U.S. and Japanese governments have agreed the base poses safety risks to Ginowan City, but the U.S. government insists it will close Futenma only if new military facilities are constructed in Henoko on Okinawa Island under an ill-conceived and undemocratic agreement made with the previous Japanese administration in 2006. The plan entails expanding a big U.S. military base in Henoko and constructing two 1,800 meter runways over what is now unique coral reefs and the feeding ground of the dugong, a gentle sea mammal that is endangered in Japan. Visit our blog here to read more about the base expansion.

Not only will this unnecessary expansion plan destroy a vital marine environment, it's extraordinarily costly--nearly $6 billion! Japan has been asked to foot this bill, AND cough up another $6 billion to help move 8,000 U.S. Marines and their families from Okinawa to Guam and build luxurious new military facilities there. This is on top of the $2 billion that Japan pays every year to the U.S. as a "sympathy budget" for the bases in Okinawa.

Have your calculator handy to add all that up? Comes to a whopping $14 billion! If you're not sure where this money comes from, it comes from us--the taxpayers of Japan! Surely our tax revenue can be spent more wisely than on destroying coral reefs, making dugongs go extinct in Japan, and offloading military-base related problems onto the people of Guam.

We would like YOUR IDEAS on how $14 billion should be spent! They can be a few short lines or a full-page long. Send us your ideas by February 27th (shortly after payday for many in Japan—no better time to think of where our tax money is going!). We will compile and send the ideas to the U.S. and Japanese governments. We will also choose five of the best ideas and send the winners surprise prizes from Okinawa!

You can view and download the brochure for the campaign online here:
http://tinyurl.com/us-for-okinawa-ideas-contest

To apply, simply fill in the form here or fax it to: 03-3363-7562 (in Japan). And pass this link along to friends and family to get their ideas too!

US for Okinawa video

2010-02-17T18:55:00.001-08:00

Filmmaker Megumi Nishikura has made a short video from US for Okinawa's first action on January 31, 2010 - watch it on youtube here!

Valentine delivered to Prime Minister's Residence

2010-02-16T00:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

To mark this day, US for OKINAWA and Peace Boat made a big, beautiful heart-shaped chocolate cake for Prime Minister Hatoyama that said "We love you for listening to the people of Okinawa, and for building peace, not bases in East Asia."

Today, a group of members of US for Okinawa and Peace Boat visited the Prime Minister's official residence to deliver the cake in person, along with a letter and statement. Matsuno Yorihisa, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, received the cake on behalf of the Prime Minister and listened to our statement (a slightly altered version of what's written below).

The event was covered heavily by press, and members were interviewed on why we believe Futenma should be closed, why we are opposed to new construction in Henoko, and that we appreciate the Prime Minister's focus on building peace rather than bases in East Asia.

After the meeting with Mr Matsuno, the press again took statements from the group, and expressed great in our point of view.

More photos from the event can be seen on the US for Okinawa facebook group here (accessible even without a Facebook account).

Valentine's Day action photos

2010-02-14T01:43:00.001-08:00

Foreign Policy in Focus article: Democracy Thwarts US Base Plans

2010-02-14T00:30:00.000-08:00

A highly recommended article from Foreign Policy in Focus, linking militarisation throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Christine Ahn and Gwyn Kirk, "Democracy Thwarts U.S. Base Plans" (Washington, DC: Foreign Policy In Focus, February 10, 2010)

Democracy Thwarts U.S. Base Plans

By Christine Ahn and Gwyn Kirk, February 10, 2010

This March, the Obamas will touch down in the U.S. territory of Guam, en route to Australia and Indonesia. It’s a big deal for this tiny Pacific island seven-and-a-half hours by plane from Hawaii and, according to airport placards, “where America’s day begins.” Two senators from Guam, Judith P. Guthertz and Rory J. Respicio, have already written to ask the president “to meet a few of your fellow Americans,” instead of the typical orchestrated “pit stop” behind the gates of Andersen Air Force Base.

Obama’s stop-over may be designed to smooth the difficult road ahead for the U.S. military. The Pentagon is shifting bases and soldiers in the Asia Pacific — not surprisingly, without consent of the residents of these countries. But it’s not just local people in Guam, South Korea, Okinawa, and elsewhere who are affected by the increased militarization of the region. The natural environment is at risk through military contamination and through the high military use of oil, an important factor in climate change.
Guam-Okinawa Connection

The Bush administration made plans to shift 8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa (Japan) to Guam. In addition to support staff, contractors and family members, the total number will be closer to 50,000 people.

This overall deal between the United States and Japan is estimated to cost $26 billion, with the tab largely picked up by Japan. According to the agreement, the Japanese government must fund a new state-of-the-art Marines base to be built alongside an endangered coral reef in Nago (northern Okinawa). This new facility would replace Futenma Marine Corps Air Station, which is currently situated in a dense urban area. The land would then return to Okinawa — presumably after the cleanup of environmental contamination — and 8,000 Marines would go to Guam.

Okinawans have been campaigning for years to be rid of U.S. bases, which were established at the end of World War II. These bases have been the source of noise and environmental pollution, accidents, and crime committed by U.S. soldiers, including violence against women and girls. In a 1998 referendum, Nago voters opposed the new base. When Japanese authorities tried to go ahead with the plan, activists took to their kayaks and fishing boats to block construction, and ultimately disrupted exploratory drilling of the coral reef. The Japanese government tried to find another location in Okinawa or even mainland Japan, but no community agreed to have the new Marines base in their area.

Despite the efforts of the two governments, democracy continues to get in the way of this multi-billion dollar deal between Washington and Tokyo.

On August 30, 2009, the patient and determined campaigning by the Japanese peace movement paid off. The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which promised to review the U.S.-Japan military alliance, defeated the ruling coalition that had been in power for over 50 years. Many of the newly elected representatives criticized Japanese acquiescence toward U.S. foreign policy; others resented U.S. “occupation mentality.” In response, both U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and President Obama made hasty visits to Tokyo, invoking the importance of the alliance and pressing the new government to keep the Okinawa-Guam deal afloat. But the tide of public opinion had turned; the Japanese media branded Gates a “bully” and bridled at such “high-handed treatment.”

The political momentum against the relocation of the U.S. Marines base has continued to build. At the end of January 2010, Nago voters elected a mayor who is also against the base. Japanese representatives came to Washington to meet with their congressional counterparts, while in Tokyo thousands protested the proposed Marines base, thus reopening what the military assumed was a done deal.
Resistance in Guam

Despite increasing opposition to the transfer of thousands of U.S. troops, the people of Guam are constrained in their ability to influence the political process. Since the Spanish-American War of 1898, the United States has controlled Guam (or Guåhan in the Chamorro language). With a population of 173,456 represented by one non-voting delegate in the U.S. Congress, the island is one of 16 remaining non-self-governing territories listed by the United Nations. Residents are U.S. citizens, but they are not entitled to vote in presidential elections. Most federal-territorial affairs are made in Washington, nearly 8,000 miles away.

The voices of the Guam Chamber of Commerce and other business leaders have been elevated in this process. In their view, the militarization of the island is the only viable boost to Guam’s weak economy. Contractors, from Washington, DC and Hawaii to the Philippines and Japan, are jockeying for a piece of the action. "On Capitol Hill, the conversation has been restricted to whether the jobs expected from the military construction should go to the mainland Americans, foreign workers or Guam residents," says Democracy Now reporter Juan Gonzalez. "But we rarely hear the voices and concerns of the indigenous people of Guam, who constitute over a third of the island’s population."

The U.S. military already takes up a third of the island. The additional troops will bring this up to 40 percent. Formed from two volcanoes, Guam’s rocky core constitutes an unsinkable aircraft carrier, 30 miles long and eight miles wide. Not only is the economy geared toward servicing the military, the bases are now occupying once productive land. Prior to WWII, Guam was self-sufficient in agriculture. Today, the island imports 90 percent of its food.
Listen to the People

Following the Nago election, The Washington Post quoted Lt. Gen. Keith J. Stalder, commander of U.S. Marine forces in the Pacific as saying, "National security policy cannot be made in towns and villages."

Really? Do national security and military objectives trump democracy?

Obama is both commander-in-chief of the U.S. military and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. His experience growing up in Hawaii and working as a community organizer also uniquely qualify him to listen to Guam senators and community members such as We Are Guåhan, a grassroots organization. We Are Guåhan include the voices of people from diverse ethnic and professional backgrounds, who advocate for transparency and democratic participation in decisions regarding the future of their island. Obama should hear their deep concerns about the impact of 50,000 extra people on their already weak infrastructure, fragile ecosystem, and island culture. These have been much expressed in town-hall meetings and in community responses to the military’s 11,000-page environmental impact statement.

Obama should also listen to respected historians like Hope Cristobal, a former Guam senator, and to women professional and community leaders active in Fuetsen Famalao’an, who came together out of concern over the military buildup. He should visit the Hurao School that teaches young children Chamorro language and culture. He should hear the Chamorro people’s deep love for their land as they seek to honor their ancestors and provide for their children.

The president should do more than just listen, of course. The Obama administration should rethink the expansion of bases in Okinawa, Guam, and South Korea. Washington has repeatedly stated that the transfer of 8,000 Marines to Guam will “reduce the burden” on Okinawa. So then why does the military want a new Marines base in Nago? The United States should stop the building of yet another base in Okinawa and not redirect Okinawa’s burden to Guam.

The Obama administration should do more by allocating a small fraction of the $700 billion-plus Pentagon budget to underwrite job training across the entire nation, including Guam. This money could provide residents of Guam with needed medical facilities, clean up contaminated water supplies (Andersen AFB sits on top of an underground aquifer), and provide for sustainable projects.

The U.S. Congress can also play a positive role by amending the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include Guam on the list of “downwind” areas affected by atmospheric nuclear testing in Micronesia in the 1950s. At the same time, Congress should support the Republic of the Marshall Islands Changed Circumstances Petition for adequate compensation for personal injuries, property damage, medical care, and radiological monitoring related to nuclear testing conducted in the Marshall Islands.

Elsewhere in the region, the United States should rethink the imminent plan to build a new U.S. Navy base on Jeju Island in the southern part of Korea. Villagers of Gangjeong have resisted this construction by blocking roads until their arrest by South Korean police in January 2010. This proposed base would house Aegis destroyers, outfitted with missile defense systems to target China. It would also destroy local people’s way of life and coral reefs designated by UNESCO as world heritage environmental sites.

More generally, the United States must commit to policies that support sustainable use of resources, rather than using military means to secure oil supplies and other scarce resources. The U.S. military is the greatest consumer of oil worldwide. It makes no sense to fight for oil so that the military can guzzle even more of it. Such a new policy on sustainable use of resources also requires Washington to move beyond the stalemate of the Copenhagen summit.

Obama: Be the change you promised. Someone has to have the courage to initiate a paradigm shift, using the Earth’s resources and people’s skills to provide for genuine security.

Gwyn Kirk is a founder member of Women for Genuine Security and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus. Christine Ahn is a policy and research analyst with the Global Fund for Women and a FPIF columnist.

Valentine's Day Action!

2010-02-13T04:40:00.000-08:00

Joint Valentine's Day Action by US for Okinawa and Peace Boat

"We love you, Prime Minister Hatoyama,
for building peace not bases in East Asia."

On December 14, 2010, US for Okinawa and Japan-based NGO Peace Boat will present a Valentine's gift to Prime Minister Hatoyama as a sign of love and friendship. This gift is to give encouragement to the Prime Minister for listening to the voices of the Okinawan people, suspending the agreement that was made in 2006 between the US and the previous Japanese administration, and postponing the decision on the base relocation until May.

A 45cm x 25cm heart-shaped chocolate cake, bearing the message "We love you, Prime Minister Hatoyama, for building peace not bases in East Asia," will be delivered PM Hatoyama, in a call for him to take the leadership to reduce bases and build peace in East Asia.

The action will be held in front of the Prime Minister's Residence in Nagata-cho, Tokyo at 1:30pm.

The full contents of the letter to be presented to the Prime Minister can be read below.

----------------------

February 14, 2010

Dear Prime Minister Hatoyama,

Happy Valentine's Day! On this special day, which honors love and friendship, US for OKINAWA and Peace Boat would like to deliver this Valentine's Day present and letter to you in order to express how much we LOVE your decision to listen to Okinawa and delay implementing the agreement made in 2006 between the U.S. government and the previous Japanese administration to transfer the US Marine Corp Futenma Air Station to Henoko as a pre-condition for closing the dangerous Futenma Air Base. This agreement is enormously flawed, and we applaud you for having the courage to reconsider it. We would also like to use this opportunity to express our support for your vision of fostering greater FRIENDSHIP, peace and security in East Asia through the creation of an East Asia Community. As Prime Minister of Japan, we hope you will continue to build peace, not bases in the region.

US for OKINAWA is a new network of U.S., Canadian, British, New Zealand, Mexican and Australian Citizens who are concerned about the impact U.S. military bases have on the people and environment of Okinawa. The US in our name is a deliberate double entendre, and US may be read both as "us" (you, me, everyone), as well as U.S. (reflecting the proactive stance of Americans in Japan who support a base-free Okinawa).

Peace Boat is an international NGO based in Japan that has been striving for more more than a quarter of a century to create a culture of peace around the world through peace education programs, cultural exchange, and advocacy work.

Together, US for OKINAWA and Peace Boat would like to honor you with chocolate for listening to Okinawa, and express our position on the matter in more detail through the attached letter. Please note that this is our honmei choco. We are sending our giri choco to the U.S. Embassy...

Sincerely,

US for OKINAWA & Peace Boat

----------------------

February 14, 2010

Dear Prime Minister Hatoyama,

Through this letter, we would like to express our support for your willingness to listen to the people of Okinawa by temporarily halting an agreement made in 2006 between the U.S. government and the previous Japanese administration to relocate the U.S. Marine Corp Futenma Air Station to Henoko as a pre-condition of shutting down the dangerous Futenma Air Base in Ginowan City.

Undoubtedly, Futenma Air Base should be closed down. Its location in the middle of a dense urban center has already endangered the lives of residents in the past, and the base's military aircraft noise pollution regularly prevents schools, hospitals, public offices and households from carrying out normal activities without disruption. Okinawa makes up less than one percent of Japanese territory, but shoulders the burden of 75 percent of all U.S. military bases in the country, and we support the majority of Okinawans who have long been asking for this burden to be lightened.

The previous Japanese administration's agreement to transfer the Futenma Air Station to Henoko as a condition for closing the Futenma base, however, aggravates rather than reduces the burden of the bases on Okinawa. Inundating much of Oura Bay in Henoko with concrete, dirt and toxic materials in order to expand the perimeters of Camp Schwab and to build two 1,800 meter long runways will irrevocably damage the ecosystem in the bay. Moreover, it will simply shift problems of noise pollution from one part of Okinawa to another. It will also yet again deny the people of Okinawa more access to the land and water that has sustained them and their ancestors for generations. By holding more than 2,000 days of consecutive sit-ins, and by electing a mayor who is opposed to the plan, the people of Nago City have clearly conveyed their opposition to more military expansion in Henoko.

Despite pressure from the U.S. government and from some officials in Japan from the previous administration to ignore this opposition and to begin implementing the plan, we believe you should continue reviewing it. Some scholars, such as Professor Emeritus Gavan McCormack, have clearly analyzed why this agreement is arguably illegal, unconstitutional, deceptive, and unfair, and we think such analyses should be given serious consideration. We also hope your administration will review whether or not the plan violates the World Heritage Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

With every passing year, it becomes more and more clear that the heavy presence of U.S. military bases in Japan aggravates tension between countries in the region, stifles local economies from developing endogenously, and negatively impacts natural resources that are dwindling worldwide at an alarming rate. Therefore, we commend you for having the foresight to seek more effective ways to create peace and security in the region, such as through the creation of an East Asia Community that would foster more dialogue, cooperation and mutual understanding in the region. We believe this community could serve as an important step to the creation of an East Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone and other significant peacebuilding initiatives.

We look forward to hearing your decision in May on the Futenma Air Station relocation plan, and sincerely hope you will continue listening to the people of Okinawa and making efforts to preserve the region's irreplaceable natural heritage.

Sincerely,

US for OKINAWA & Peace Boat

Join US for Okinawa on Facebook

2010-02-10T04:49:00.001-08:00

You can also join US for Okinawa on facebook, for more regular information about actions, events and news on Okinawa and related issues.

See the facebook page here!

Reports from January 31 Action

2010-02-10T04:44:00.000-08:00

The January 31 Action held by US for Okinawa in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo was a great success, attracting attention from the general public and the media also.

Read some articles about the event here:

「米国民も実態知って」　在日米国人、普天間危険訴え, Ryukyu Shimpo, February 2 2010

Thousands gather in Tokyo over weekend to support a military-base free Okinawa, Ten Thousand Things, January 31 2010

New Network Formed to Oppose New Military Base Construction in Okinawa, Peace Boat, January 31 2010

US for Okinawa

2010-01-21T06:54:00.000-08:00

US for Okinawa

Peace Action Network

JAN 31st (SUNDAY)
EVENT REPORT

Thank you for those who joined us for the first "US for OKINAWA" event at Yoyogi park on January 31st

ピースアクション：US for Okinawa

January 31, 2010 US for OKINAWA statement

The members of the peace action network, US for OKINAWA, assembled on January 31st to express our concern about the enormous burden that U.S. military bases are placing on Okinawa. Already, U.S. military facilities occupy nearly 20% of Okinawa Island, and even the U.S. and Japanese governments agree that Futenma Air Base poses a great safety risk to nearby residents and agree it should be closed. However, we are appalled that closing Futenma is contingent upon constructing new military facilities in Henoko, another part of Okinawa Island. A majority of local residents in Henoko are strongly opposed to this new construction, and we can understand why. It would simply shift the problems of contamination, noise pollution, and safety hazards from one part of Okinawa to another, and would also destroy much of the fragile ecoystem of Oura Bay. This will likely lead to the extinction of the dugong from Japan, as well as yet again deny Okinawans access to part of their traditional land and water.

It's time for the U.S. to engage more with the rest of the world through diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties rather than military means, and to stop adding to its collection of 1,000 military bases around the world. And it's time for the Japanese government to say loud and clear: “Shut down Futenma” and “No more new military construction in Okinawa.”

CONTACT:
Emilie McGlone
emilie@peaceboat.gr.jp

Rose Welsch
rose@peaceboat.gr.jp

INFO:
http://www.us-for-okinawa.blogspot.com
New Network Formed to Oppose Further Foreign Military Base Expansion in Okinawa

January 25, 2010

US for OKINAWA is a new peace action network based in Tokyo that was recently formed by U.S., Japanese, Canadian, New Zealand, Australian, Welsh, Mexican and other citizens living in Japan who are concerned about Okinawa. A deliberate double entendre, US may be read both as "us" (you, me, everyone), as well as U.S. (reflecting the proactive stance of Americans in Japan who support a base-free Okinawa).

US for OKINAWA was organized out of shared concern regarding the danger that the U.S. Futenma Air Base poses to the people of Okinawa, as well as the pressure exerted by the U.S. on the new Japanese administration to construct a replacement facility for the base in Henoko, an environmentally fragile area on the eastern part of the island. If carried out, this construction would likely spell the extinction of the endangered dugong (cousin to the Florida manatee) and simply shift the problems of contamination, air pollution, safety hazards and crime associated with Futenma to another part of Okinawa.

US for OKINAWA is committed to forming liaisons with Okinawan and Japanese peace groups, whom we join in strong opposition to these bases for the hardships they impose upon Okinawan residents and the environmental damage they cause. Okinawa makes up only .6% of Japan's territory but “hosts” 75% of all US military bases in the country under treaties that were negotiated by Tokyo and Washington, without input from the Okinawan people. The island already shoulders a disproportionate military burden, and US for OKINAWA applauds Prime Minister Hatoyama for having the integrity to call for a halt to new base construction in Henoko. The Obama administration’s demand that Prime Minister Hatoyama submit to its wishes or risk jeapordizing US-Japan relations is aggressive action that shows complete disregard for the right to peace and self-determination of the Okinawan people, and is extremely unbecoming of a Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

US for OKINAWA strongly believes that continued friendly relations between Japan and the U.S. should not depend on the construction of yet another base in Okinawa, and calls upon President Obama to return Futenma to the Okinawan people, and to desist from pushing for further unwanted military expansion.

US for OKINAWA is rapidly growing and welcomes people of any
nationality to join its network. To join the network or receive more information, write to us.for.okinawa@gmail.com

For more information, contact:
Emilie McGlone at 080-12957612 or email to us.for.okinawa@gmail.com

Press Release

沖縄に米軍基地はいらない！　

『US for OKINAWA』は、在沖米軍基地の縮小と撤廃を求める新しいネットワークです。ここには日本に住み、沖縄のことを気にかけるアメリカ人、日本人、カナダ人、ニュージーランド人、オーストラリア人、ウェールズ人、メキシコ人とその他の市民が集まり、都内を中心に活動を始めています。（USは“私たち”という意味ですが、同時にここでは“基地のない沖縄を目指す日本在住のアメリカ人たち”を意味しています。）

　『US for OKINAWA』は、米軍基地・普天間基地が沖縄の人々に与える危険性と、アメリカ政府が日本の新政府に対して貴重な自然環境が残る辺野古への移転を強く要請していることへの共通の懸念から組織されました。辺野古基地建設はジュゴンの絶滅を招くばかりか、汚染・騒音公害・安全性の問題や（米軍兵による）犯罪をただ県内の別の地域に移動するだけになります。

　『US for OKINAWA』は、基地反対運動を進める沖縄と日本の平和団体との連携を築くことに専心しています。米軍基地の存在は沖縄の人々に課す苦難であり、他国の罪のない人々に暴力や不安定な状態を強要すること（ベトナム戦争、最近ではイラク・アフガニスタンでの戦争）につながります。最後に、私たちは世界に１０００以上ある外国軍基地の廃止と持続可能な経済を求めるthe International Network for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases (NO Bases)にも賛同します。

　沖縄県は日本国土の０.６％にすぎませんが、在日米軍基地の７５％がこの沖縄にあります。日米間の協定によるものですが、沖縄の人々の声は全く反映されず、これまで過剰な軍事基地負担に苦しんでいます。『US for OKINAWA』は、日本とアメリカが友好的な関係を続けていくためにも、沖縄に新たな基地をつくるのではなく、オバマ大統領に普天間基地を沖縄から撤去するよう、また不本意な軍事拡大を思いとどまるよう訴えます。

在日アメリカ人が中心となったこのアクションにご注目ください。

US for Okinawa

Moving Futenma ... ?

A letter to the New York Times... close Futenma!

US for OKINAWA statement on Takae

Join the action to protect the biodiversity of Takae

Please Join Action for Takae at US Embassy! 高江ヘリパッド工事強行とテント損壊事件についてアメリカ大使館への抗議と申し入れへの呼びかけ

US for OKINAWA featured in the JAPAN TIMES

Expat peace group studies embattled Okinawa ecology

US for Okinawa tour covers harmful impact of U.S. bases, both existing and planned

Takae, a place flourishing with biodiversity and in danger ...

Recycle in Fashion event

ACTION towards COP 10

Okinawa Peace Project Photo Report

在日外国人らの団体 新基地建設反対をアピール

Press Release for US for OKINAWA Study Program

Parties 4 Peace supports US for OKINAWA

PEACE MUSIC FESTA OCT 30-31st

Information

Peace Music Festa！辺野古2010

〜辺野古の海から世界が見える〜

2010年 10月 30日（土）・31日（日）

ECHO HYPE PARTY on 9/12

ECHO HYPE - fundraiser for the OKINAWA PEACE PROJECT

Beach Clean-up at Enoshima east beach

Beach Clean-up & Party at On the Blue, Enoshima

US for OKINAWA participates in an art exhibit organized by PangeaSeed

Save the Dugong group at AUDIO TOKYO MUSIC FESTIVAL

FUJI ROCK "OCEAN LOVE" at the NGO Village

US for OKINAWA at Fuji Rock Festival !

PangeaSeed &

US for OKINAWA

presentOCEAN LOVE at FUJI ROCK

MUSIC FESTIVAL,

JAPANINFO:

http://www.smash-uk.com/frf10/news.php?id=59

INFO:PANGEASEED http://www.pangeaseed.com/US for OKINAWA http://www.us-for-okinawa.blogspot.com/

US for OKINAWA & PangeaSeed Art Exhibit

SHORT DOCUMENTARY ABOUT OKINAWA

ACTION for OKINAWA , MAY 14th (Friday)

APRIL 25th OKINAWA SOLIDARITY ACTIONS

US for OKINAWA at Earth Day, Tokyo

Candle Event "NO BASE! OKINAWA"

OKINAWA PEACE PROJECT

Study Program Days 3 & 4

Study Program: Day 1

US for Okinawa at Spring Love festival in Tokyo

US for OKINAWA and Peace Boat create Study Program to Okinawa!

US for Okinawa supports launch of new Japan-US network

US for Okinawa in the media

New resources uploaded!

How would YOU spend $14 billion U.S. Dollars? Idea Campaign

US for Okinawa video

Valentine delivered to Prime Minister's Residence

Valentine's Day action photos

Foreign Policy in Focus article: Democracy Thwarts US Base Plans

Valentine's Day Action!

Join US for Okinawa on Facebook

Reports from January 31 Action

US for Okinawa

在日外国人らの団体新基地建設反対をアピール

present
OCEAN LOVE at FUJI ROCK

JAPAN
INFO:

INFO:
PANGEASEED http://www.pangeaseed.com/
US for OKINAWA http://www.us-for-okinawa.blogspot.com/