Resolution in Support of Japan’s Article 9 and Peace in Asia and the World

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

An Inter-Religious Conference on Article Nine and Peace in Asia was held November 29-December 1, 2007 in Tokyo, Japan. This historic peace conference was convened by the National Christian Council of Japan and was attended by over 200 international leaders of diverse religious traditions, including Global Ministries Co-Executives David Vargas and Cally Rogers-Witte and East Asia Area Executive Xiaoling Zhu. The Conference issued a Statement calling for solidarity in support of Japan’s Article Nine and affirming the global need to renounce the use of war.

Adopted by the Common Global Ministries Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 5, 2008.

Background

Adopted in 1947, Article Nine of Japan’s constitution renounces war as a means to resolving international disputes and forbids Japan from maintaining standing military forces. Japan’s demilitarization and constitutional commitment to oppose war has been the emblem of a nation once humbled by war but now strengthened through peace. Article Nine has been regarded around the world as a model for state pacifism. However, efforts in recent years both within Japan and internationally have tried to remove Article Nine or significantly weaken Japan’s commitment to peace.

Japan has developed a more offensive military posture as part of the United States’ post-September 11 global strategy of containing perceived threats to U.S. interests from the Middle East to the Pacific Rim. The U.S. regards Japan as a key ally in the region and has increased its military presence and operations in the country. Nationalist interests in Japan have used appeals to patriotism and fear of terrorism to lobby for an end to Japan’s demilitarization and increased participation in US-allied security strategies. As a result, Japan’s Self Defense Forces have been increasingly deployed outside the country and Japan’s Diet (Parliament) passed a law in 2007 establishing a process to revise the constitution in 2010.

Participants at the Article Nine Conference have called on international partners to support Japanese movements to keep and to strengthen Japan’s Peace Constitution. Moreover, in this time of increased global militarization and strategic division of nations through fear and coercion, the Conference seeks to advance the spirit of peace expressed in Article Nine throughout the world.

Whereas, Article Nine of Japan’s 1947 Constitution inscribes the commitment of the Japanese people to seek “an international peace based on justice and order” and to “forever renounce war” as a right or means to achieve peace; and

Whereas, recent efforts in Japan and by its strategic international allies have sought to end Japan’s Peace Constitution by rescinding Article Nine or circumventing its commitment to demilitarization and non-belligerency; and

Whereas, the National Christian Council of Japan and participants gathered on November 29-December 1, 2007 in Tokyo, Japan at the Inter-Religious Conference on Article Nine and Peace in Asia have affirmed the importance of Article Nine in maintaining Japan’s commitment to peace and in communicating to the world a renunciation of war, and have called on the international faith community to support Japanese efforts to keep Article Nine and to convey its message of peace to other countries;

Therefore let it be resolved that the Common Global Ministries Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ receive with affirmation the Statement of the Inter-Religious Conference on Article Nine and Peace in Asia, supporting the Conference in calling for the establishment of a global Article 9 network that would

seek to include national demilitarization and the renunciation of war in the constitution of every nation,
serve as a popular forum to “expose as unconstitutional or unethical, acts or policies of war making,”
“share information about violations of human rights in the world,” support non-violent “actions combined with prayer and promote democracy,” and
seek to “encourage conscientious objection”; and

Let it further be resolved that the Common Global Ministries Board dedicates to promote beyond Japan the spirit of peace embodied in Article Nine by inviting members, congregations, and Conferences and Regions of the United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to

“pray and act for peace and non-violence,” considering Asia Sunday (the Sunday before Pentecost), Hiroshima Remembrance Day, or Advent Peace Sunday as possible opportunities to do so,
expand the model of non-aggression among nations by lobbying for similar constitutional language in the United States and Canada, and
assert that religion should stand for peace, and oppose attempts by those who would use it to justify war; and

Let it finally be resolved that the Common Global Ministries Board supports our partner the National Christian Council of Japan and the Article Nine Conference in calling on Japan to “keep Article 9 and make it a living reality,” and appealing universally for an “abolishment of all war.”