[CPEO-MEF] Okinawa International Environmental NGO forum

[dok@hawaii.rr.com]

>Dear friends
>
>Please distribute the information of International Environmental NGO forum
>to people.
>
>We welcome your participation in the International Environmental NGO forum,
>by many styles such as joining in the forum in Okinawa, sending your message
>(A4 seize, about 1page) and report to the forum. We'll gather your voices to
>G8 summit from the viewpoint of environmental protection, and submit the
>statement of Environmental NGOs in the world to G8 summit. We are really
>waiting for your contact us. Please check the newsletter No.1 of
>International Environmental NGO forum in an attached file.  Thank you for
>your understanding and help.
>
>Best wishes
>
>Kaori Sunagawa
>Secretariat of International Environmental NGO Forum,
>Okinawa Environmental Network
>C/o Professor Ui, Okinawa University
>555 Kokuba, Naha, Okinawa, 902-8521, Japan
>E-mail:  ui@mail.okinawa-u.ac.jp
Fax: 81-98-832-2962

International Environmental NGO Forum

Newsletter No. 1 Wed, 19 April 2000

International Environmental NGO Forum

DATE: 13-17 July, 2000

VENUE: Okinawa University, Naha, Okinawa, Japan
Nago, Okinawa, Japan

Sponsoring Organization: Okinawa Environmental Network
Cosponsoring Organizations: Japan Environmental Council(planned)
Others (Applications are welcome)
Cooperating Organizations: Applications are welcome

CONTENTS:

Introduction & Sponsoring Organization   
Forum Prospectus   
Forum Agenda          
Registration Form p

Okinawa Environmental Network (Sponsoring Organization)

Okinawa Environmental Network is a Non Governmental Organization that 
has taken an active part in Environmental Conservation in Okinawa where 
the year 2000 G8 Summit Meeting will be held, next July. Okinawa 
Environmental Network was established in 1997, after the resolution of 
16th Japan Environmental Conference in Okinawa held in 1996. Now, We 
have about 900 members in Japan and in the world. We work for the 
environmental conservation and peace making in the Ryukyu Island by the 
following ways:

- To collect information of local environmental problems, and publish 
seasonal newsletters.

  a.. To organize seminars concerning environmental regulation and 
policies in Okinawa, environmental issue in Asia, and so on.

  b.. To monitor local governments in charge of environmental 
administration, and carry out lobbying activities for environmental 
conservation.

  c.. To carry out R&D and dissemination activities of appropriate 
technologies for wastewater management in Okinawa

- To measure low frequency noise from U.S. military bases in Okinawa.

- To send representatives to environmental conferences both 
international and local.

PROSPECTUS

INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL NGO FORUM

Okinawa- Japan, 13-17 July 2000

The year 2000 G8 Summit Meeting is to be held in Nago-City, Okinawa, 
next July. This summit is the last summit of this century. A consensus 
is likely to be sought among participating super-powers on the direction 
of the world political and economic order for the coming century. 
However, we cannot leave everything related to the destiny of mankind in 
their hands. It is impossible to achieve world peace and justice through 
institutions like governments and international organizations alone. 
Much less through a handful of governments, even though they may be 
economic super-powers. To be more correct, it is simply unbearable to be 
forced to accept the G8 made concept of "justice". We cannot open the 
door for a bright future if we depend entirely on the politics of the 
super-powers. The recent achievement of NGOs in the drafting of the 
Anti-Personal Mines Convention, the establishment of the International 
Criminal Court and the organization of the Hague Appeal for Peace 
Citizen's Conference showed eloquently that it is NGOs and global 
citizens who can achieve peace and justice in the 21st century.


It is therefore indispensable to counterbalance the opinions of G8 
Summit concerning world peace and justice with those of NGOs. For this 
reason, Okinawa Environmental Network, an environmental NGO located on 
Okinawa Island, has decided to organize an international environmental 
NGO forum just before the G8 Summit with the aim of presenting NGOs'
views to G8 governments. The Forum will be held in Naha-City, the 
Capital of Okinawa Prefecture, and Nago-City, to which a US military 
base is planned to be transferred in exchange for Nago-City being chosen 
as the venue of the G8 Summit Meeting.



Nowadays we face various types of environmental problems that are 
threatening local and global environments. One of them is the problem of 
peace and the environment, namely the environmental problem caused by 
military bases. This problem should not be neglected in the coming 
summit because 75% of US military bases in Japan are located in Okinawa 
while the Prefecture occupies only 0.6% of the total territory of Japan. 
G8 Summit will not discuss this problem because their interest is to 
maintain the status quo by military means. There is, therefore, no other 
choice but to heighten pressure on G8 leaders by NGOs' voicing 
"Protect the coral sea of Henoko, the sanctuary of dugongs, from the 
relocation project of Futenma US Military Base to Henoko" and by 
acquiring support from people all over the world. It is also very 
important to disseminate as widely as possible the fact that the ongoing 
process in Okinawa is not the downsizing of US bases but their 
concentration and intensification. In addition, it is necessary to send 
out a message to the people of the Japanese main land, Asia and all over 
the world that the public construction works to be carried out in 
compensation for the military base relocation would aggravate even more 
the environmental destruction in Okinawa through, for example, the 
accelerated erosion of red soil.

Regarding global environmental problems, the responsibility of G8 member 
countries is very serious because they consume the greater part of 
natural resources and energy in the world. Nevertheless G8 members 
headed by the US do not change their "production first" stance and are 
quite reluctant to implement the agreements of the Kyoto COP3 Meeting 
for the control of global warming. Through our daily observation, we, 
the members of Okinawa Environmental Network, are painfully aware of the 
environmental fragility of sub-tropical Okinawa Islands and their 
vulnerability to careless human activities. This is the reason why 
through this NGO Forum we intend to amplify the voices of people who 
live in small islands, such as the islands in the Pacific Ocean, Indian 
Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and counterbalance the opinions of G8 
leaders with those of NGOs. We especially hope to convey the messages of 
the people who live on the tiny islands that stand on the brink of 
disappearance due to the probable rise in sea level. Through the Forum, 
we want to send islanders=92 messages to the governments, industries and 
consumers of industrialized countries that do not intend to change their 
3M lifestyle (mass production, mass consumption and mass wastage).

FORUM  AGENDA  (Tentative)

DATE  
AGENDA
VENUE 
    
Wednesday, July 12, 13:00- Registration

Okinawa University


Thursday, July 13

Field trip (Battle sites/War memorial-
Futenma Air Station-Kadena Air Base)

Evening  Welcome Party
Okinawa University
  
Friday, July 14

Plenary Session
Introduction
"Overview of Okinawa"  Dr. Sadao Ikehara

Keynote speeches

Theme1:Globalization and Environment

Theme2:Military Activities and Environment

Theme3: Endogenous Development and Environment

Country Reports
Each participating national delegation

Okinawa University

Saturday, July 15

Plenary Discussion

Theme1:Globalization and Environment

Theme3: Endogenous Development and Environment
   
Okinawa University

Sunday, July 16
Plenary Discussion in Nago City

Theme2:Military Activities and Environment
Nago City

(Venue is to be decided.)
    
Evening
The full moon festival at Beach in Sedake
Beach in Sedake

Monday, July 17

Plenary Session (Alternative development)

-Discussion on Strategies for actions

-Preparation and adoption of an Environmental NGO Statement to be submitted
to G8 summit and the people Okinawa University
    
Related activities:

18-20 July, 2000 Meeting with other NGOs - Press conference

21-23 July, 2000    G8 Summit         Lobbying

24  July,2000 Press conference(NGO common views on G8 statement will be
presented.

REGISTRATION FORM

Cost: There is no registration fee for participants in the Forum. 
Participants are responsible for their transportation and accommodation 
expenses.

Please help us reserve your place at the Forum by filling out the form 
below.

Your name?         ?Mr. ?Ms. ?Dr.

NGO affiliation?

Address? City/Town:             

State/Province:

Postal Code/Zip code:        

Country:

Phone(s) ?               

Fax?

E-mail?

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

I apply for International Environmental NGO Forum.

Forms of participation?


  a.. Participate as a speaker


  b.. Participate as an audience


  c.. Participate as a volunteer staff

  Please specify the sort of your volunteer work that you can:


Participation in the field trip(Bus fare should be paid by each participant)


  a.. I apply for the field trip on July 13,2000.


  b.. I apply for the forum in Nago City on July 16,2000.


Title of your paper (If you want to participate as a speaker)

Each participant who wishes to make speech at the forum is requested to 
send papers reporting case studies and issues on the following topics:

  1.. Globalization and Environment

  2.. Military Activities and Environment

  3.. Endogenous Development and Environment

Choose one topic, and let us know the title of your paper.

Topic ? A? B? C? ?

Title of your paper?                        

(The deadline for registration is May 31,2000.)

Return to:

Secretariat of International Environmental NGO Forum,
Okinawa Environmental Network
C/o Professor Ui, Okinawa University
555 Kokuba, Naha, Okinawa, 902-8521, Japan=20
E-mail ui@mail.okinawa-u.ac.jp
Fax +81?98?832?2962

Attn Kaori Sunagawa

CALL FOR PAPERS

Each participant who wishes to be a speaker at the forum is requested to send
papers reporting case studies and issues on the following topics:

A. Globalization and Environment

B. Military Activities and Environment

1.. Endogenous Development and Environment

Choose one topic, and let us know the title of your paper.

      Topic ? A? B? C? ?

      Title of your paper?                        

      We intend to circulate papers in advance among participating NGOs, so
that all the participants would have enough time to study the background of
each paper.

      Please make the paper concise with the maximum length of five pages (A4
size, 10.5point, double space).

      Send papers in electronic form, if possible- by June 15,2000 to:

Secretariat of International Environmental NGO Forum,
Okinawa Environmental Network
C/o Professor Ui, Okinawa University
555 Kokuba, Naha, Okinawa, 902-8521, Japan
E-mail ui@mail.okinawa-u.ac.jp
Fax +81?98?832?2962
Attn Kaori Sunagawa  

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