In January of this year, the eight-point “Yokohama Declaration for a Nuclear Power Free World” was adopted at the Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World 2012 in Yokohama, which ended with the burning enthusiasm of over 11,500 people filling the air and expanding beyond. Since then, this fervent enthusiasm has continued to grow, leading to weekly demonstrations held every Friday by anti-nuclear organizations in front of the Japanese prime minister’s official residence. It led in July 2012 to a huge rally of 170,000 people promoting the gathering of 10 million signatures in support of a departure from nuclear power dependency. These signatures have now surpassed the 8.2 million mark, and these protests have grown into a huge human movement of 200,000 people surrounding the Diet.

Now, we stand gathered here in Tokyo with people from 10 countries, buoyed by the achievements of the first global conference in Yokohama, to carry on this historical movement toward nuclear power phase-out. We are holding this second global conference because, despite one year and nine months having passed since the Fukushima accident, the Japanese government ignores the fact that we are far from the “end” of this crisis and holds the Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety, as if simply presuming that Japan would continue to have nuclear power plants on its land.

Even now, there are 160,000 people from Fukushima who, being driven out of their homes, are deprived of their basic human rights. Many parents and children face the fear of radiation exposure. Children cannot play outside and it is undeniable that an extraordinary proportion of them are suffering from thyroid abnormalities.

In order to take a hard look at reality and ensure that accidents like the one at Fukushima never happen again, we have held the “Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World 2” which, under the slogan “Nuclear Free Now”, comprises the “Goodbye to Nuclear Power Plants Global Gathering,” “Global Demonstration” and “Citizen’s Plaza”. During these two days we have seen the participation of over 5,500 people. Simultaneously and in partnership with our events in reaction to the Ministerial Conference, the “Fukushima Action Project” and “Mayors for a Nuclear Power Free Japan Conference,” have been fruitfully convened in Fukushima.

At this “Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World 2” we held meaningful discussions on three themes: ’Nuclear Power Regulation’; ’Learning from Chernobyl’; and ’Building a Nuclear Free Society.’
Regarding nuclear power regulation, we have determined that the current Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan is anything but independent from what is called the “Nuclear Village”, a web of nuclear-dependency and collusion between politics, the bureaucracy, industry and academia. Furthermore, we have established that there is a need for a mechanism to facilitate stern scrutiny of nuclear regulation authorities by civil society not only here in Japan, but around the world.

Through learning from Chernobyl, we have confirmed that the current safety standard of 20mSv per year must be replaced with a top limit of 1mSv per year. We have understood the role that the IAEA played in underestimating the damage caused in Chernobyl, and have shared our grave worries with the victims that the same thing may happen concerning Fukushima decontamination and health management projects. The Japanese government and prefectures should respond to such worries and immediately disclose relevant information in full. We have also confirmed that the Japanese government has an obligation to urgently establish an assistance plan for children and victims based on the Act on the Protection and Support for the Children and other Victims of TEPCO Disaster that was passed in the Diet in June 2012.

Finally, regarding the building of a nuclear free society, our discussions advanced the viewpoint that a nuclear power free world is not just a society without nuclear power plants: it is a decentralized society that successfully encourages energy conservation and renewable energy, and one that protects people, communities, and jobs. Such a fundamental shift would create a society where the local community holds power, energy is democratized, young people have hope, children play happily outside, men and women take part evenly and parents do not worry for their unborn children’s health. This circulatory society, horizontal rather than vertical, low energy rather than high energy, will be a sustainable, global society that does not fail in its duty to pass the baton of life on to future generations.
Concrete methods of realizing such a society include strengthening the network among community leaders, like the “Mayors for a Nuclear Power Free Japan” initiative, and establishing a statutory structure, such as a “fundamental law of nuclear power phase-out.”

Civil societies of the world need to take concrete, cooperative action to achieve the energy shift and realize this comprehensive vision of a “nuclear power free society.”

As radiation goes beyond borders, Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Fukushima need to be recognized across the world as tragedies for all humankind. These experiences of atomic devastation must act as clear warnings to the future of humanity. Heeding these warnings, Japan’s new government should take seriously the fact that every public opinion survey records nuclear power phase-out by the 2030s as the will of the public, and thus that we need to not only achieve the goal of “zero nuclear power by the 2030s,” but bring the date forward. Although we may make further mistakes, there will be no turning back. This is the responsibility that lies on the shoulders of the people of not only Fukushima, but of those all over Japan. It is our responsibility to the future of humankind.

Now, let us turn a new page, to a nuclear power free one. Let us create a future with our own hands, not one where economic growth produces more money, more consumption and further widens the economic gap, but rather one that protects the lives and happiness of each and every person, and this wonderful and irreplaceable Mother Nature.

December 16, 2012

The Co-representatives of Nuclear Free Now Organizing Committee

Uehara Hiroko, “Mayors for a Nuclear Power Free Japan” Secretary General, Former Governor of Kunitachi City

Kamata Satoshi, Initiator of “Goodbye Nuclear Power, 10 Million People in Action”, Journalist and Writer

Misao Redwolf, Metropolitan Coalition Against Nukes

Yoshioka Tatsuya, Co-founder and Director of Peace Boat

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Reference

Nuclear Free Now Participants

Irène BOURÉ, Solicitor at Law, France

Thomas BREUER, Head of Climate & Energy Unit, Greenpeace Germany, Germany

Sophie CAMARD, Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur Regional Councillor, member of Europe Ecology The Greens, France

Jacques CHARTON, Roquevaire-city Deputy Mayor, member of Europe Ecology The Greens, France

Karima DELLI, Politician with Europe Ecology The Greens, and member of the European Parliament, France

Pascal DURAND, National Secretary of Europe Ecology The Greens, France

Christophe ELAIN, Independent WHO activist, France

Olivier FLORENS, Vice President of the Vaucluse General Council, Europe Ecology The Greens, France

Uwe FRITSCHE, Physicist and Scientific Director of IINAS, Germany

Paul GUNTER, Director of Beyond Nuclear’s Reactor Oversight Project, USA

KIM Hye Jeong, Chair of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movements and Joint Action for a Nuclear Free Society, South Korea

Amie KRONBLAD, Member of ’Liberal Women’ Sweden, former local assembly member, Sweden

LAI Wei-Chieh, Chairman of the Board of Green Citizens Action Alliance (GCAA), Taiwan

Andrey OZHAROVSKIY, Nuclear expert with Bellona Foundation, Lithuania

Christophe PISTNER, Physicist at The Öko-Institut, Germany

Michaëlle RABILLER, Head of the Energy Information Center in the Savoy Association for Development of Renewable Energy (ASDER), France

Mycle SCHNEIDER, Independent international consultant on energy and nuclear policy, France

Miranda SCHREURS, Director of the Environmental Policy Research Centre and Professor of Comparative Politics at the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Eric SCHULZ, Co-chairman of Europe Ecology The Greens, in Strasbourg City, France

Hélène SHEMWELL, Poitou-Charentes regional councilor and Vice-President of the “Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energies” Commission, France

SUH Hyung Lim, A climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace East Asia, South Korea

Mélodie TESTI, Journalist for “La Provence”, France

Reinhard UHRIG, Environmental and anti-nuclear activist, Germany

Alexey YABLOKOV, Councilor for Russian Academy of Science, Russia

Monica ZOPPÈ, Biology Researcher at the Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Italy

From Japan

ISHICHI Masaru, Wakasa Association of Concerned Residents about Plutonium-thermal power

UEDA Maki, Former Takamatsu City Council member

UENO Chizuko, Professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo

OGASAWARA Atsuko, Board chairperson of Women’s Action Network (WAN)

KATO Kenichi, Asako House Mayor of Odawara City

KANEKO Masaru, Professor of Economics at Keio University

KAWAI Hiroyuki, Lawyer, Chief of Lawsuit Layers for Halting Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant

GOTO Masashi, Director, APAST (Union for Alternative Pathways in Science and Technology)

KONDAIJI Harumi, Tsuruga City Council Member Representative

SAKAGAMI Takeshi, Citizens Against Fukushima Aging Nuclear Power Plants (Fukuro-no-kai)

SATO Eisaku, Former Governor of Fukushima Prefecture

SHIMIZU Toshiyasu, Association of Iwai-shima Residents Opposing the Kaminoseki Nuclear Power Plant Construction, Kaminoseki Town Council member

Aileen Mioko SMITH, Environmental Journalist

TERAMACHI Midori, Director of Green Action Non-affiliated and Citizen-centred Network for sending more women to the Congress Representative

NAKATE Seiichi, Fukushima Network for Saving Children from Radiation

HASHIMOTO Noriko, Association of Iwai-shima Residents Opposing the Kaminoseki Nuclear Power Plant Construction

BAN Hideyuki, Co-representative, Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center

FUJINAMI Cocoro, Entertainment Personality, High School Student Researcher

FURUYA Shota, Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP)

MATSUURA Masayo, Association of Women Afraid of Nuclear Power

MATSUSHITA Teruyuki, Living with Forests Acorn Club, former Mihama Town Council Member

MITSUTA Kanna, Director of FoE Japan, Part-time lecturer at Hitotsubashi University

YAMADA Koji, Energy Shift

YAMADA Makoto, Yamagata National Network of Pediatricians protecting Children from Radiation

YOSHIDA Yuko, Director, Chernobyl Health Survey and Health Care Support for Victims – Japan Women’s Network

WATANABE Eri NGO FoE Japan

Nuclear Free Now Organizing Committee

Peace Boat, Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies, Green Action, Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center, FoE Japan, Greenpeace Japan, 10 Million People’s Assembly to say Goodbye to Nuclear Power Plants, Metropolitan Coalition Against Nukes, earth garden, Women’s Action Network, THE ATOMIC CAFE, 69nokai

In partnership with: Fukushima Action Project

In cooperation with: Yokohama Catholic Council for Justice and Peace, Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC), Japan Iraq Medical Network (JIM-NET), Peace Boat US

Endorsed by: All-Japan network to oppose Rokkasho retreatment plants to prevent contamination, Patagonia Japan ... and more.

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