Messages of support for the Global Article 9 Conference
Video messages can be viewed on Youtube here
“The time for war to go has come. To reach that goal every country should have an Article 9 from the Japanese Constitution in their own constitution.”
Cora Weiss, Hague Appeal for Peace
“Japan and Germany, given our historical experience with wars, can not give up our responsibilities to stand for peaceful solutions of conflicts. Guiding principles must relate to the UN Charter, especially article 51. The German constitution just as the Japanese constitution precludes involvement in any military activities except in self-defence. It would be a great disappointment to global citizenry, if the Japanese post-WWII example of commitment to peace be sacrificed under foreign pressure by amending article 9 of the Japanese constitution.”
Hans von Sponeck, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq (1998-2000) and UN Assistant Secretary General (ret)
“...As people who work for peace, and as people who would like to see human beings learn to live with each other in peace, and not to feel the need to kill each other, I want to support this campaign. I want to say that this Article Number 9 in the Japanese Constitution is an ideal that, although it was imposed after the Second World War by the Allies, it is an ideal that we can live for. Those of us who work for peace, those of us who work for [the] environment, those of us who work for a more just and fair world are inspired by this clause and would like to see the world create this - as a dream, as a vision...”
Wangari Muta Maathai, Green Belt Movement, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
“I cannot forget those people whom I saw killed on what has been called the central front of the 'war on terror'. I cannot forget those people who shuddered with hatred. I saw with my own eyes the very moment when the use of force gave birth to further violence.
I have a friend in Iraq, that principal front in the 'war on terror', who has rejected any use of force. He called for non-violence in a war zone where fears of reprisal are rife. He continued rebuilding destroyed schools in the midst of devastation. He took guns out of people's hands and gave them shovels to take part in the reconstruction. People who were exhausted by endless fighting began looking for an alternative to force. His town has finally begun to support his principles and actions. And these principles of his were born out of discussions with Japanese people. Even after members of his family were killed, his conviction was not shaken. I saw the spirit of 'Article 9' among these Iraqi people. The same spirit of 'Article 9' is awakening among US soldiers who experienced Iraq. The numbers are growing worldwide. In a turbulent world, it seems that Japan has something important to give.”
Nahoko Takato, Iraq support volunteer and former hostage
“Keeping alive the memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki means saying “no” to war. We need to abandon as soon as possible this dishonest position we find ourselves in, of calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons from underneath the nuclear umbrella. We need to use Article 9 of the Constitution as a lever to change this situation. The way to build a world free of nuclear weapons is to take Article 9 to the world!”
Takashi Hiraoka, former mayor of Hiroshima
“As a global citizen, I support Article 9. The world does not need more militarization; money and resources should be used to solve the many problems we face today. In fact, I think that all constitutions should INCLUDE an Article 9-and perhaps a global campaign to that end is needed-and certainly not the elimination of yours (Japan's).”
Jody Williams, International Campaign to Ban Land Mines, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
“Article 9 does not belong only to Japan. It is a question that we present to every single person in the world. In the same way that each person has to take on global environmental problems, they also have to face the question urged on them by Article 9. It is time to open up Article 9 to the world.”
Yuko Tanaka, researcher into Edo period culture
“ 'Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for'
These words are from John Lennon's 'Imagine'. This song is sung throughout the world, in various situations, by people who love peace. Yoko Ono, a Japanese artist, had a lot to do with the lyrics, and so it is only natural that their message of pacifism should make us think of the renunciation of the right to wage war included in the Japanese Constitution. I think we can say, then, that the people of the world have invested their desire for peace in the Japanese Constitution, whether or not they are aware of this. This Conference will be an opportunity to affirm that the pacifism of the Japanese Constitution is a source of hope for all the people of the world, and so I sincerely wish for its success.”
Kayoko Ikeda, translator
“Article 9 is a common value for all people living in the Asia Pacific.”
Jeannie Manipon, Asian Peace Alliance, Philippines
“Article 9 is a precious asset both for Japan and for the whole world. Its true worth has not been widely recognized by international society because successive post-War conservative governments have treated Article 9 as a nuisance. However, it is my fervent wish that the value of this peace constitution incorporating Article 9 be recognized throughout the world as a result of the success of the Global Article 9 Conference.”
Motofumi Asai, President, Hiroshima Peace Institute
"Article 9 of the Constitution is the pride of Japan. We should boast about it to the whole world.”
James Miki, scriptwriter
“The twentieth century has been called the century of war. At the same time, it was an era in which people searched for a way to bring about a world without war. Humanity's desire for peace came to fruition in Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. The people of the world who wish for peace, the people who suffer as a result of war and violence, are watching the choice we make and praying that we do not get rid of Article 9. It is because Article 9 exists that they can keep going, hoping for the realization of a peaceful world, and so they are supporting us. I believe that listening to their wish is what will give us that 'honoured place in international society' for which the Constitution expresses a desire.”
Goro Matsuura, Chair, Japan Catholic Council for Justice and Peace
“Now, in the twenty-first century, we humans are emitting an enormous volume of carbon dioxide and man-made radiation into the atmosphere and the water supply. On the one hand, we are contributing to the escalation of global warming. On the other hand, we continue to pile up untreatable radioactive waste. In so doing, we are destroying the conditions for our very survival, to the extent that the annihilation of humanity will soon be a real threat.
War and the preparations for war serve to advance both of these foolish human actions (the excessive emission of carbon dioxide and the production and use of nuclear weapons) even further. From this standpoint, too, we can surely say that the promise not to go to war or to maintain a military that is enshrined in Japan's constitution best models the direction for the world's states to take. It is the cheapest way to avert the threatened destruction of humanity, and it is entirely possible for any country if they simply have the will.
This constitution should be proclaimed widely and emulated by every country in the world. Suggesting that we should amend it to allow our country to go to war is just crazy."
Shuntaro Hida, doctor and A-bomb survivor
“Article 9 of the Constitution is necessary not just to guarantee peace in Japan, but also to enable and guarantee peace in Asia, and indeed in the whole world. I believe that the Global Article 9 Conference will remind the citizens who have assembled from every part of the world of this international significance of Article 9, and will provide an opportunity to raise worldwide awareness of it even further."
Toshihiro Yamauchi, constitutional scholar
“Article 9 of the Constitution represents a desire and an ideal long held not only by Japan, but also by all of humanity. We must not let it become a tool or a plaything for politicians to use in their short-term power struggles. We could clearly see this happening under the Abe administration, which aimed to destroy this ideal. Article 9 was only obtained at great cost, the lives of the victims of the Asia-Pacific War. Now that it is under threat, we have a particular duty to pass it on to the next generation of the world. If those who seek to abolish Article 9 succeed, they will be guilty of a great crime against humanity.”
Seiichi Morimura, author
“Now more than ever, Article 9 of the Constitution is a resource for peace that belongs to all the people of the world. Japan's citizens must spare no efforts in proclaiming the value and significance of Article 9 until the day when everyone can experience these for themselves. I am convinced that this Conference will be the first step.”
Asaho Mizushima, Professor, Waseda University