Dear Friends and Supporters of Article 9,

Happy New Year!

As of this month, we would like to propose sending you regular news and updates on the Article 9 debate and upcoming conference in May.

As an individual endorser or international supporting organization, your email has been included in this list. If you wish to be removed or add someone to this mailing list, please let us know.

"GLOBAL ARTICLE 9 CONFERENCE TO ABOLISH WAR"

From May 4-6, 2008, we will hold a large scale "Global Article 9 Conference to Abolish War" in Tokyo, Japan.

With the participation of Nobel Peace Laureates, intellectuals, cultural figures and NGO activists, the conference will be a forum for dialogue and discussions on the role that citizens of the world can play to realize the principles of Article 9, through promoting disarmament, demilitarization and a culture of peace.

This three-day event is expected to attract up to 10,000 participants from all over the world. The opening plenary session on May 4^thwill feature keynote speakers, including Mairead Corrigan Maguire and Cora Weiss, as well as presentations by local, regional and international guests. During the following days, participants will engage in a series of workshops debating contemporary conflicts and non-violence, the contribution of Hiroshima and Nagasaki's experience to international efforts to abolish nuclear weapons, the role of Article 9 in Asia, and the right to live in peace.

We will send you more detailed information as the final program consolidates.

We would like to inform you of the possibility for NGOs worldwide to organize their own workshops on Article 9 related topics. Make this your conference!

The application process is now open and the deadline for submitting applications to the conference's organizing committee is February 15. Please let us know if you are interested or know of interesting groups we should approach. We encourage you to seriously consider this opportunity to bring your ideas and voices to the event!

For more information on self-organized workshops and application forms, please inquire at article-9@peaceboat.gr.jp

Abolition 2000 will hold its Annual General Meeting on May 3^rd, during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee taking place from April 28 to May 9, 2008 in Geneva.

We would like to use the fact that these events are occurring around the same time as our Global Article 9 Conference to build momentum. A few A2000 members will fly over to address an A2000 related panel at our Conference and report on the status of NPT negotiations. Participants in Tokyo will then adopt a statement to be presented in Geneva, as a way to push the NPT process forward.

Article 9 is not just a provision of the Japanese law; it also acts as an international peace mechanism towards reductions in military spending, promotion of nuclear-weapon-free zones, ending violence against women, supporting conflict prevention, and mitigating the negative environmental impact of the military.

Many international individuals and organizations like you have understood this and do support the campaign. If you work or are affiliated with an NGO, please help us obtain official endorsement from the institution. Your endorsement and participation in the conference is crucial!

Please help us build an even stronger international network of individuals and NGOs by spreading the word about the Campaign and Conference: encourage as many like-minded colleagues and friends as possible to join our effort to save Article 9 and realize its principles worldwide! If you or your organization are in a position to contribute financially or recommend funding sources, please do so.

For a list of current international individual and institutional supporters, please see: http://www.article-9.org/en/about/index.html

You may already be aware of the Article 9 Campaign website that provides information about Article 9, developments and discussions about Article 9 in Japan and internationally,articles and analyses on the global scope of Article 9, a list of international supporters, and much more.

We will soon launch a new English website for the Article 9 Conference. The site will provide updates on the program of the Conference, international speakers and participants, and all other information related to the Conference.

For the Campaign website, please go to: http://www.article-9.org/en/index.html

For the upcoming Conference website, see: http://www.whynot9.jp/index_en.html

DEBATES ON JAPAN'S CONTRIBUTION TO AFGHAN AND IRAQI OPERATIONS

Article 9 related debates have inflamed Japanese politics this fall, especially around the renewal of the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law, which has authorized the Maritime Self-Defense Force to refuel US vessels in the Indian Ocean for their operations in Afghanistan.

Already controversial, the issue became a scandal after revelations that some US vessels took part in US operations in Iraq in 2003.

The Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) and other parties seized the momentum created by the expiration of the law on November 1^st to voice opposition and launch discussions on the topic. Because of the heated debate and the lack of consensus, the Diet found itself unable to renew the bill on time and refuelling operations have been put on hold since November 2007.

Determined to renew the bill despite vigorous opposition, the ruling coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has extended the extraordinary session of the Diet until mid-January - the first time in over a decade the Diet remains in session over the holiday period - and threatens to use constitutional tactics to by-pass opposition. The coming months promise to serve up many surprises.

In July 2005, the UN-convened Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) submitted an action agenda for North East Asia that declared that "Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution has been the foundation for collective security for the entire Asia Pacific region."

This fall, the Asia Inter-Religious Conference on Article 9 and Peace in Asia brought together religious leaders from Korea, Taiwan, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany and Japan.

After three days of exchanges of ideas and discussions, the conference issued a final statement calling on religious circles to support our campaign and encourage participation in the Global Article 9 Conference to Abolish Warin May.

To read the conference's final statement, please go to: http://ncc-j.org/diarypro/archives/242.html

For GPPAC 2005 Action Agenda for North East Asia, see: http://www.peaceboat.org/info/gppac/agenda_0222e.pdf

Our May Conference will take the debate to yet a larger scale, with people coming from all over the world to express their support for Article 9. Anticipated outcomes include an international declaration, an action plan for global action, as well as the launch of an international network of civil society organizations working towards peace.

We count on your participation and look forward to your contribution of ideas, experiences and expertise!

Best regards,

The Article 9 Team