Kakushinkon holds national exchange meeting

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Kakushinkon holds national exchange meeting

The Association for Peace, Democracy and Progressive Change of Politics (Kakushinkon) held a national exchange meeting on November 18-19 in Okayama City. 760 participants shared their experiences, including struggles against the adverse revisions of the Constitution and the Fundamental Law of Education.

Reporting that the number of Kakushinkon in local communities and workplaces increased by 21 to 763 in the past ten months, Kakushinkon Representative Coordinator Shii Naotake called on the participants to bring as many people as possible, irrespective of their political affiliation, into the Kakushinkon movement based on its Three Common Objectives aiming at next year's nationwide simultaneous local and Upper House elections.

The Three Common Objectives of Kakushinkon are: (1) abrogate the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and establish a non-nuclear, nonaligned, neutral and peaceful Japan; (2) shift Japanese economy to a people-centered one and establish a Japan in which people can enjoy better living conditions; and (3) actively utilize the Constitution and establish a Japan in which freedom, human rights, and democracy flourish.

A representative of a local Kakushinkon from Osaka Prefecture reported that his organization has collected 27,000 signatures in defense of the Constitution by forming a special group devoted to the defense of the Constitution, and that his Kakushinkon group has received ten new members by holding lecture meetings on peace issues in the wake of the prime minister's visit to Yasukuni Shrine.

A taxi driver group representative told how he had organized the taxi Kakushinkon established in October under the situation in which the taxi industry has been suffering from deregulation policies. He said, "Taxi drivers see politics through taxi window."

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo emphasized that the Three Common Objectives of Kakushinkon to drastically change the LDP policies have a realistic prospect to achieve because they are in accord with development in the 21st century.

Concerning the first objective, he referred to changes taking place in the world such as the deadlocked U.S. policy on Iraq, the weakening of military alliances, and the advancement of the nonaligned movement. He said the Kakushinkon objective is in accordance with these changes in the world.

On the second objective, Shii emphasized the urgency to turn the Japanese economy to a new course that puts priority on people's lives, citing the failure of neo-liberalism throughout the world and the democratic revolutions spreading in Latin America.

Regarding the third objective, Shii called for further efforts to defend Article 9, a pledge not to fight a war again that Japan gave to Asian nations and the rest of the world.

He concluded his speech by expressing determination that the JCP makes efforts to achieve these three objectives as an initiator of the Kakushinkon movement.
- Akahata, November 19, 2006

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What's Kakushinkon?

The Association for Peace, Democracy and Progressive Change of Politics (Kakushinkon) was formed at the call of the JCP in 1980 for the purpose of promoting solidarity with a wide range of people, regardless of political or ideological differences, to achieve the common objectives of peace, democracy, and better living standards.

Kakushinkon is increasing cooperation between nonpartisan people and the JCP and developing as a movement for building a progressive majority that supports a democratic change in politics.

Many public figures are collaborating with Kakushinkon and contributing to heightening public awareness.