The English version of the “Article 9 Association” Bulletin and News in Japanese (No.116 dated October
17th , 2008) is published by Katsuyuki NARA and Sarah BROCK of the New English Teachers Association
(or Shin-Eiken) (http://www.shin-eiken.com/). The translations are all on our own．
[Updated on October 22nd ]
(English version No.50 )
English version of A9A Bulletin and News reaches No.50!
The English version of the A9A Bulletin has reached the proud Number of 50 since the first
issue, April 15th 2006. We two publishers have reaffirmed our promise to continue this work
and have renewed our determination to defend Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, and
promote peace for the whole world. Katsuyuki Nara and Sarah Brock, Shin-Eiken/A9A
Deadline of Exchange meeting applications set on November 14th
Registrations to attend the 3rd national exchange meeting are now being received.. The
deadline for registrations is November 14th .
Nihon-Kyoiku Kaikan Hall, Tokyo, November 24th.
Program for the 3rd national exchange meeting
9:45 Registration
10:30 Plenary session
(1) Opening address
(2) Speeches by A9A founders
(3) Special report by Japan International Volunteer Center
representative Taniyama Hiroshi
(4) Reports on A9A activities by several regional / occupational groups
12:10 Lunchtime break
13:10~15:15 Group discussions
Theme: “How to develop A9A daily activities & how to expand
the A9A network”
15:30~16:30 Plenary session developing on the group discussions
Admission : ¥ 1,000 (¥ 300 for students)
Sponsor : Organizing committee for the exchange meeting
“A9A group for Education and Childrearing” launched
On October 16th in Tokyo, 13 prominent figures including Doctor of Education Satoh Manabu, Oyama Hiroshi
(human rights lawyer), and former town of Kunitachi mayor Uehara Kimiko launched an A9A group for
Education and Childrearing
Their statement of purpose has three main points.
on December 6th .
(1) Realize a peaceful society through education
The declaration of the A9A group for Education and
(2) Guarantee every child the right to learn and
Childrearing:
develop
The revision of the Foundation Law for
(3)
Restore
democratic
principles
and
Education has brought a conservative and rigid
rights-centered teaching and management to
tide of thought and action into school and
kindergartens, day nurseries and schools
childrearing facilities, and while the economic
The new group plans to hold a national meeting
situation has changed for the worse, even worse is
the damage to the cultural lives of children and
their teachers brought about by the control and
rigidity. School and day-nursery teachers have been
faced with tighter control by education authorities,
and children’s rights have been curtailed and
teacher’s autonomy diminished and in some cases
deprived entirely. Under these conditions, teachers
who uphold the spirit of the Peace Constitution
have risen around the country for the sake of
democracy and equality in education.
Fukuoka A9A groups sponsors 4th exchange meeting
Fukuoka A9A groups sponsored 4th exchange meeting on September 13th. More than 200
occupational and regional groups exchanged information about their daily activities.
 Minami-ku A9A group
This group talked about their study and
peace meetings. They are focusing on one of
the elements in last year’s National
Exchange Meeting declaration, “to set up A9A
groups in individual primary school zones’.
 Asakura A9A group
This group is a new one, born on July 27th,
and sponsored their first gathering on
that date. Heads of municipalities and
towns issued messages to the meeting.
(END)
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English version editor’s note
Dear friends,
Yesterday I was with my son in the outlet mall at Minami Osawa. After we
left the mall to walk to Tokyo Metropolitan University (or TMU), we walked up the
steps to the campus and met people with posters. “Would you like to come to
a lecture?” said the middle aged woman who spoke to me.
They were members of the Chiiki wo Tsunagu Heiwa no Tsudoi, the Inter-Area
Peace Association, and the lecture was ‘The World of Iwasaki Chihiro’,
given by Matsumoto Yuriko, vice-director of the Chihiro Museum in Tokyo. Her
message was the search for true kindness and peace, the peaceful and gentle
life. This kind of life and wish for peace is powerfully expressed in the
illustrations of Iwasaki Chihiro, one of the most famous illustrators and
children’s portrait artists in Japan.
The group members approached me boldly, though they had no idea that I could
speak Japanese. They were A9A people from the Minami Osawa/ Bessho/ Yuki
Inter-Area A9A group, working with the TMU Educators A9A group. Their strong
desire to inform people about the Peace Constitution and issues of
constitutional revision overcame their Japanese shyness. We almost went into
the lecture, but my son is autistic; he liked the venue, especially the
music being played by a TMU string quintet, but had the plan (he doesn’t
talk but I can read his movement) that he was going to go and play in his
father’s office at TMU, so we had to leave.
However the happy experience made me think; you who read this English
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bulletin, you need to know what we feel every day, that A9A is everywhere;
that it is a true grass-roots organization, though some of its leaves rise
high, and some of its roots go very deep. We often run into each other
around Tokyo, and around the country.
So occasionally Mr. Nara and I will tell you of these meetings of new
friends; the places where the roots meet under the earth or where branches
touch in the sky.
Sarah Brock
Tokyo, Japan
October 19, 2008