Peace Donation Report from Spring Love; Peace Message from Iraq
Dear Peace Not War Japan supporters:
We hope that late spring/early summer finds everyone doing
well and enjoying the delights of the season, wherever you may
be! We would like to take this opportunity to provide updates on
several items of interest:
＊ Spring Love Peace Group Donations
Thank you once again to everyone who came out to enjoy the
great music and peaceful vibes (not to mention the the sakura!)
during the amazing Spring Love (Harukaze) peace and music
festival, which was held in Yoyogi Park on April 4-5. After all of
the figures were tallied, the organizers are pleased to announce
that we were able to provide donations to the following grassroots
peace groups and individuals who participated in the event:
great music and peaceful vibes (not to mention the the sakura!)
during the amazing Spring Love (Harukaze) peace and music
festival, which was held in Yoyogi Park on April 4-5. After all of
the figures were tallied, the organizers are pleased to announce
that we were able to provide donations to the following grassroots
peace groups and individuals who participated in the event:
Donations to organizations (60,000 yen each):
Chernobyl Children's Fund
http://www.smn.co.jp/cherno/index.html (Japanese only)
Peace Boat ("No More Hibakusha") project
http://www.peaceboat.org/info/hibakusha/index.html (Japanese only)
Save the Broccoli Forest: No Helipads in Takae, Okinawa!
Iraq Hope Network (Support for Women and Children in Baghdad)
Support for the organizations of individuals who presented
in the Spring Love peace panel program (10,000 yen each):
Aizawa "Yatch" Yasuyuki: NPO Peace On
Director Kamanaka Hitomi: Support for her next film, "The Flapping
of a Honeybee's Wings and The Rotation of the Earth", scheduled
for release in 2010
http://888earth.net/index.html (Japanese only)
Kikuchi Yumi: JUMP (Japan United for a Ministry of Peace)
An extremely touching and thought-provoking message from the
organizer of the project to help women and children in Baghdad,
Iraq, which was read onstage during the Spring Love event, is
attached at the end of this post.
PNWJ extends greatest thanks once again to all organizations and
individuals who participated at the Spring Love event, and wishes
everyone the best of luck with their continuing work for peace!
organizer of the project to help women and children in Baghdad,
Iraq, which was read onstage during the Spring Love event, is
attached at the end of this post.
PNWJ extends greatest thanks once again to all organizations and
individuals who participated at the Spring Love event, and wishes
everyone the best of luck with their continuing work for peace!
＊More upcoming events
Peace Not War Japan is already gearing up for next year's Spring Love
event, scheduled again for the first weekend in April 2010...we are
hoping again for the sakura to cooperate and be in full bloom! We are also
planning to organize more mini-events combining the themes of music and
peace sometime this year...please stay tuned for updates.
＊ Get involved!
As usual, we cannot do what we do without the support of volunteers...that
means YOU! Please, take this opportunity to get involved. Send us an e-mail
at info@pnwj.org to let us know if you are interested in helping out for future events...many thanks in advance!
With continuing hope for a world based upon peace, justice, and compassion,
The Peace Not War Japan Steering Committee
(Fukui Hiroshi, Kimberly Hughes, Yazawa Miho)
Message from Iraqi journalist and human rights activist Isam
Rasheed, who is collaborating with members of the Iraq Hope
Network to support women and children in Baghdad:
Rasheed, who is collaborating with members of the Iraq Hope
Network to support women and children in Baghdad:
Before 2003, Iraq was one of the most peaceful countries in the world
and we all were in peace. After that, Iraqi became under occupation,
and from that time we have lived in war, street war, every day and every
minute. There are bombs everywhere and we cannot expect where and
when the explosions will happen. These cause the killing of many innocent
people, kids, old men and women, and many families had to immigrate
and lost their homes.
Every day I saw many of these sufferings of my people, my human
beings, and I asked myself: If that happens to me or to my family, what
can I do??? Or what can my family do without me???? And this question
is to you, friends. I wish God will save you all, but what can we do if that
happens to us??? What can we do if we lose one or two members of our
family???? What can we do if we lose our home and must live under
tents???? What do we do If we have no money to survive??? What can
we do If we we see one of our kids suffering from DU effects and we don't
have enough money or enough medical care to save him and watch him die
step by step? Ohhhhhh, sorry, I have four kids and I can't imagine that.
and we all were in peace. After that, Iraqi became under occupation,
and from that time we have lived in war, street war, every day and every
minute. There are bombs everywhere and we cannot expect where and
when the explosions will happen. These cause the killing of many innocent
people, kids, old men and women, and many families had to immigrate
and lost their homes.
Every day I saw many of these sufferings of my people, my human
beings, and I asked myself: If that happens to me or to my family, what
can I do??? Or what can my family do without me???? And this question
is to you, friends. I wish God will save you all, but what can we do if that
happens to us??? What can we do if we lose one or two members of our
family???? What can we do if we lose our home and must live under
tents???? What do we do If we have no money to survive??? What can
we do If we we see one of our kids suffering from DU effects and we don't
have enough money or enough medical care to save him and watch him die
step by step? Ohhhhhh, sorry, I have four kids and I can't imagine that.
My friends: My people are suffering every day from these things. I am
watching how many cemeteries have been created after the war and how
I lost many of my friends, and three of my cousins. I also lost my father
because of one of the occupation checkpoints. It's a long story and I don't
want to talk about myself...I just want to let you know a little bit about what
happens every day in Iraq under occupation.
And I think you all agree with me that all of that happens because of war and
because of violence. Whatever the reason, there is NOT enough reason for any
war in the world. Because of all this, we have real antiwar activists and real
peaceful activists as well. Also, all of you friends are sharing in this event and
trying to help those innocent and poor people. You are great! Me and all my
people appreciate each of you. Arigatou friends, and arigatou for everyone who
wants to join with us for this holy purpose. My dream is to be with you next time
to thank everyone by myself!
Your friend forever,
watching how many cemeteries have been created after the war and how
I lost many of my friends, and three of my cousins. I also lost my father
because of one of the occupation checkpoints. It's a long story and I don't
want to talk about myself...I just want to let you know a little bit about what
happens every day in Iraq under occupation.
And I think you all agree with me that all of that happens because of war and
because of violence. Whatever the reason, there is NOT enough reason for any
war in the world. Because of all this, we have real antiwar activists and real
peaceful activists as well. Also, all of you friends are sharing in this event and
trying to help those innocent and poor people. You are great! Me and all my
people appreciate each of you. Arigatou friends, and arigatou for everyone who
wants to join with us for this holy purpose. My dream is to be with you next time
to thank everyone by myself!
Your friend forever,
Isam
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