Religious leaders working for peace focus on defense of the Constitution

Buddhist, Christian and other religious leaders working for peace met at the annual peace conference held from October 28-29 in Gifu City as part of their international solidarity activities marking U.N. Disarmament Week.

The focus of this year's Japan Religious Peace Conference was on the issue of protecting Japan's Constitution, in particular its war-renouncing Article 9.

Emphasizing that "Article 9 should guide the 21st century world," an appeal from the conference called for "a nationwide popular movement to be developed to collect signatures in support of the 'abolish nuclear weapons now' appeal and the defense of the Constitution in the cause of a world free of nuclear weapons or war." It also expressed hope that the pacifist forces be victorious in the November 9 Lower House general election."

In a panel discussion held as part of the religious peace conference, participants exchanged opinions concerning ways for each religious organization to implement their war-renouncing resolutions. (end)