November 29, 2022

In an international symposium which took place online as part of the 2022 Japan Peace Conference on November 26, symposium panelists exchanged views on the creation of world peace through international solidarity.

From the United States, the President of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security, Joseph Gerson, pointed out that the Biden administration’s national security strategy greatly increased military tensions over issues related to Russia, China, Taiwan, and North Korea. He said, “The prevention of war is our top-priority task.”

Tarja Crongerg, the chairman of the Peace Union of Finland and a former European Parliament member, said that after the Ukraine war broke out, her country’s security policy and public opinion shifted to endorsing participation in NATO, and added that it is necessary to show the public an alternative to strengthening the nation’s military capability by joining NATO to solve security issues.

Hannah Middleton of the Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition (AABCC) pointed out that with the formation of multinational frameworks with Japan, the U.S., and India, known as QUAD and AUKUS, Australia has been tasked to take a role as a stronghold for a nuclear attack against China. She called for action to push governments to convert their huge military budgets to instead promote peace.

South Korean activist and senior researcher of the Institute for Unification and Peace Policy at Hanshin University, Lee Jun Kyu, pointed out that the urgent need now is to put a halt to all “provocative military actions” in order to prevent the escalation of tensions not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the entire Asia-Pacific region and establish an environment promoting dialogue and diplomacy.

Japan Peace Committee Executive Director Kawata Tadaaki criticized the Kishida government for its announced intent to turn Japan into a nation with a military-first policy as shown in its move to revise three key national security documents. He said, “Under this situation of militarization, we need to strengthen public opinion and movements that pursue the full utilization of the pacifist Article 9 of the Constitution and not allow for constitutional revision and a furtherance of Japan’s military buildup.”

Reiner Braun, former Executive Director and Co-President of the International Peace Bureau (IPB), stressed that in addition to efforts to produce a cease-fire in Ukraine, a “common security” architecture which includes cooperation, dialogue, and diplomatic negotiations must be established.