July 17, 2011
Members of the National Association for a Peaceful, Democratic, and Progressive Japan (Kakushinkon) on July 16 expressed determination to increase their efforts to form a majority consensus regarding working for a change in political direction amid mounting calls for a new direction in politics after the March 11 disaster.
They made the determination at Kakushinkon’s annual general meeting held in Tokyo on the occasion of its 30th anniversary.
Kakushinkon was founded in May 1981 by labor unions, democratic organizations, and individuals in collaboration with the Japanese Communist Party with the aim of building a majority in order to achieve a progressive change in politics based on the three objectives of peace, democracy, and better living standards. At present, 4.5 million members are organized into 793 branches in communities and workplaces as well as among groups of youth.
JCP Chair Shii Kazuo in his speech recalled that the “Socialist-Komei agreement” made in 1980 between the Socialist and Komei parties led to the foundation of Kakushinkon. He explained that the agreement was concluded to put an end to the united front movement bringing together a wide range of organizations and individuals as well as the JCP and the Socialists, and to form a coalition government which eliminated the JCP while approving the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and the existence of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.
Shii also explained that in the agreement, the two parties decided to promote the construction of nuclear power plants when the conditions were right.
Shii pointed out that the move to establish a “two-party-system” has reached an impasse after the Democratic Party of Japan took power, and that Kakushinkon is receiving more attention even from politically conservative people after the March 11 disaster. He said that now is the time to make Kakushinkon stronger than ever.
Among the 247 participants, some representatives from local Kakushinkon branches reported about their local efforts to reconstruct disaster-hit regions and on movements opposing the use of nuclear energy.
From a local Kakushinkon group in Kamaishi City in Iwate Prefecture, one of the disaster-affected prefectures, its secretary general reported that he held a meeting at an evacuation center where he stayed at and received numerous requests and demands from the evacuees. He submitted their 100-point demand to the prefectural and city governments and organized with the evacuees a group aiming to restore their lives.
A representative of Shizuoka Kakushinkon said that it got favorable responses from citizens to its signature campaign and street demonstration calling for the decommissioning of the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in the prefecture and that residents established groups in a number of cities demanding the shutdown of the Hamaoka plant.
In Tottori’s Sakaiminato City, located 25 km from the Shimane nuclear power plant in Shimane Prefecture, a Kakushinkon branch was established in June. A representative of the branch reported that on the first day of every month, the group takes to the streets to collect signatures calling for the shutdown of nuclear power plants and that their action made the headlines of a local paper.
They made the determination at Kakushinkon’s annual general meeting held in Tokyo on the occasion of its 30th anniversary.
Kakushinkon was founded in May 1981 by labor unions, democratic organizations, and individuals in collaboration with the Japanese Communist Party with the aim of building a majority in order to achieve a progressive change in politics based on the three objectives of peace, democracy, and better living standards. At present, 4.5 million members are organized into 793 branches in communities and workplaces as well as among groups of youth.
JCP Chair Shii Kazuo in his speech recalled that the “Socialist-Komei agreement” made in 1980 between the Socialist and Komei parties led to the foundation of Kakushinkon. He explained that the agreement was concluded to put an end to the united front movement bringing together a wide range of organizations and individuals as well as the JCP and the Socialists, and to form a coalition government which eliminated the JCP while approving the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and the existence of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.
Shii also explained that in the agreement, the two parties decided to promote the construction of nuclear power plants when the conditions were right.
Shii pointed out that the move to establish a “two-party-system” has reached an impasse after the Democratic Party of Japan took power, and that Kakushinkon is receiving more attention even from politically conservative people after the March 11 disaster. He said that now is the time to make Kakushinkon stronger than ever.
Among the 247 participants, some representatives from local Kakushinkon branches reported about their local efforts to reconstruct disaster-hit regions and on movements opposing the use of nuclear energy.
From a local Kakushinkon group in Kamaishi City in Iwate Prefecture, one of the disaster-affected prefectures, its secretary general reported that he held a meeting at an evacuation center where he stayed at and received numerous requests and demands from the evacuees. He submitted their 100-point demand to the prefectural and city governments and organized with the evacuees a group aiming to restore their lives.
A representative of Shizuoka Kakushinkon said that it got favorable responses from citizens to its signature campaign and street demonstration calling for the decommissioning of the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in the prefecture and that residents established groups in a number of cities demanding the shutdown of the Hamaoka plant.
In Tottori’s Sakaiminato City, located 25 km from the Shimane nuclear power plant in Shimane Prefecture, a Kakushinkon branch was established in June. A representative of the branch reported that on the first day of every month, the group takes to the streets to collect signatures calling for the shutdown of nuclear power plants and that their action made the headlines of a local paper.
