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(9). The Christian Communities in Japan during the Decade since the Earth Summit
The most major environmental focus among the Christian communities in Japan during the decade since the Earth Summit includes the issue of climate change, with the Third Conference of the Parties (COP3) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as a big momentum. At this conference, the delegate teams of the WCC and Franciscans International (FI) and their Japanese members, including the NCCJ, were lobbying to the governments’ delegates and had interfaith meetings on climate change, together with the Japan Committee of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP), where they issued the Kyoto Appeal on Climate Change for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and simplicity of one’s way of life. These events have been followed up by the NCCJ, Japan Catholic Council for Justice and Peace, and the FI Japan, even though their effort is limited.
The YWCA of Japan and the local YWCAs in the country have continued their efforts on the environment after the Earth Summit. The YWCA of Japan held the Asia Regional Conference on the Environment, with its theme, “Women, the Environment and Development”.
On the other hand, the issue of tropical deforestation has been dealt with by the Association to Protect the Forests of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, which was established by Sr. Yasuko Shimizu of the Society of Mercedarians and others. It has done study meetings, study tours, on-site investigations, negotiations with Japanese logging companies, and so forth. “The problem is the system in which the weak is further deprived of what they have. It is important to have a sense of values for sharing the pains of all living things in a faraway country as your own and a way of life in food, clothing and shelter that help local industries grow in your neighborhood,” Sr. Shimizu says.
Environmental issues have been taken up through prayers and worship services. In March 1992, the theme of the World Day of Prayer, which was held at 210 places in Japan, was “Living Wisely With Creation.” And the Asia Sunday of 1993 was held with its theme, “Caring for God's Creation.”
On the other hand, some Christian organizations in Japan such as the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) and Kobe Student Youth Center provide education on sustainable agriculture without using chemical and agricultural pesticides, and such agriculture has been practiced by some individual Christians in the country.
Moreover, a growing number of churches in the country has become environmentally friendly during the past decade, by setting up a recycling system, using natural sources of energy, abstaining from the use of tropical woods as much as possible, and so forth. And some churches and Christian organizations are actively involved in environmental movements and providing the public with environmental workshops and lectures.
And in the field of education and studies, some schools in Japan that are based on Christian principles have their courses on environmental issues, and a slowly-but-steadily growing number of theologians in Japan are studying eco-theology. Moreover, some individual Christians in Japan work at environmental organizations and others pursue their society and their way of life that is environmentally friendly at their local communities, workplaces and homes.
3. Conclusion
If Christians in Japan are to try to realize a sustainable world (not necessarily a sustainable “development”), their prayers, studies and actions themselves should be sustainable. And it should be remembered that we have been given the ability and responsibility for that by God the Creator. Your prayers, studies and actions for restoring the sustainable created world will be appreciated toward the future.
For more details on Shozo Tanaka, see his English biography by Kenneth Strong, Ox Against the Storm: Biography of Tanaka Shozo, Japan's Conservationist Pioneer, which is available at Amazon co.uk, Amazon.com and elsewhere. You can look inside the book at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Against-Storm-Biography-Conservationist-Paperbacks/dp/187341014X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297756794&sr=8-1 and http://www.amazon.com/Against-Storm-Biography-Conservationist-Paperbacks/dp/187341014X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1257214081&sr=8-1 .
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