Pan Pacific & South East Asia Women's Association Australia Inc

International news

"The Drifters: Urbanisation and Pacific Youth" by Kate Morioka - Newly appointed Youth Ambassador for PPSEAWA International

Kate Morioka is a young Australian woman with Asian parents who was educated in Queensland. She is a very high achiever who was the young Australian of the Year in 1990. She was a presenter at the New Zealand conference in 2007 on Youth Day where she spoke about her work as the Executive Director of Youth for a Sustainable Future, Pacifica, the premier youth resource network in the Pacific. She is passionate about youth involvement in achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs) and organised the first youth summit on the MDGs in Samoa in 2005, which involved 56 delegates from 13 countries. She was a very impressive presenter for Australia and we are delighted that she has accepted the appointment of one of the three PPSEAWA Youth Ambassadors. While she is still living in Australia, she will promote PPSEAWA as an association to all her young colleagues in Queensland.

See pages 6 and 7 of the attached Pacific Youth Voices (October 2008) newsletter for Kate Morioka's article, "The Drifters: Urbanisation and Pacific Youth".

Events hosted by PPSEAWA International Country members to commemorate the United Nations International Day of Peace, 21 September 2008

Australia

In Australia, PPSEAWA was involved in two events celebrating 2008 UN day of Peace on 21 September - one in Sydney and one in Canberra:

PPSEAWA (NSW) members took part in a special interfaith peace service held at St. David’s Uniting Church Lindfield on Sunday, 21 September at 2.00pm. The service was a beautiful occasion which was well supported by over 100 people. It involved many different faiths, with prayers and reflections on peace, candle lighting and music. Christian, Buddhist, Islamic, Hindu, Baha’i, Jewish, Aboriginal, Sikh, Sufi and Jain peace prayers were said, and musical items were presented by the Ravenswood Girls’ School Vocal Ensemble. A special peace candle was lit at the beginning of the service by Kaylin Simpson Lee of PPSEAWA (NSW). This ignited many more candles later in a special candle lighting ceremony while music played and the congregation joined in the singing of peace songs, such as Let there be peace on earth and Make me a channel of your peace. Heather Sulerzyski of PPSEAWA (NSW) was also involved in the service reading a peace prayer, and both Kaylin and Heather led the candle lighting ceremony at the end of the program. The service was followed by refreshments and fellowship for all who participated, completing the special occasion.

In Canberra, a special peace service involving PPSEAWA members was held at the City Uniting Church at 10.00am on Sunday, 21September. Over 100 attended the beautiful service conducted by the Rev. Ivan Roberts, and we were honoured by the presence of our immediate past president of PPSEAWA International, HRH Princess Nanasipau’u of Tonga who now resides in Canberra. Three PPSEAWA members, Luisa Latukefu, Noelle Leonard and Hilda Abbey read the lessons, and National President Coral Fleming gave some background information about UN day of Peace and PPSEAWA before reading a special peace message for 2008 from our International Peace Ambassador Jolene Bosanquet. The Makitala Choir of Tongan voices delighted everyone with their singing of an anthem and Rev. Roberts special message that peace is possible when we are generous as God is generous resounded in his sermon. After the service everyone enjoyed extended fellowship and hospitality provided by ladies of the church and PPSEAWA members, thus completing a very special celebration.

Cook Islands

Each year our Peace Council organises Peace Week incorporating the UN International Day of Peace. This year we commemorated Peace Day on the 18 September at our Peace School, Takitumu Primary School, with the students and our school Peace Ambassadors presenting the programme of song and dance. Other schools throughout the Cook Islands prepared their own programmes focusing on the virtue of peacefulness. On the small island of Mitiaro the school invited the 'over 70s' to a feast, and to participate with the students in various activities, thus linking two generations and acknowledging older generation and all they have given. Churches incorporated the theme of peace into their Services on 20 and 21 September with Youth Groups providing entertainment. In Parliament, Ministers were reminded to be peaceful in their debates thus creating a productive parliamentary session. Peace readings were shown on television each night and good media coverage of all events were shown on television and in the newspapers.

And of special significance was the birth of the grandson of one of our Peace Council members on 21 September, which was also Anna’s birthday – best birthday present ever!

Fiji

A full day workshop on Peace Education for all PPSEAWA members and Peace Garden Partners (eight women NGOs) was facilitated by the Pacific Foundation for the Development of Women (PACFAW). The Director of the UNDP Pacific Centre opened the workshop.

The message from PPSEAWA’s Ambassador for Peace was read by President Mavis Toganivalu-Clerke. The theme of the workshop was “Peace begins with me”. PPSEAWA members joined in a Peace demonstration with other women identifying as 'Concerned Mothers'. We gathered at the Peace Garden to stand in solidarity and sign our petition to the President of Fiji and the Interim Prime Minister appealing to leaders of our nation to return Fiji to legitimate parliamentary rule and prepare for the election in March 2009. We shared peace messages and read out the virtue of peacefulness.

Hawaii

Whilst Hawaii did not have a special event, their contribution was to send to members details of websites devoted to Peace – a useful exercise.

Malaysia

In observance of the UN International Day of Peace on 21 September 2008, members of PPSEAWA Malaysia led by President Dato’ Rahmah Hamid, participated in the National “Walk of Peace” Programmed at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Initiated by the Malaysian Armed Forces Veteran Council and supported by over 30 organizations, of which PPSEAWA was one, the event was attended by well over 2,000 people including NGOs, schools, universities, government bodies, armed forces veterans and artistes.

The event pledged to observe 21 September every year as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence and invited all nations and peoples to honour the cessation of hostilities for at least the duration of the Day. At the stroke of noon, participants joined with the rest of the world in one minute of silence and offered our prayers that Peace may be truly achieved urgently. Accompanied by a video presentation on Casualties of War, with extracts of messages from world leaders – Ban Ki-Moon, Kofi Anan, and Ralph Bunche – many speakers reiterated the call for the criminalization of all wars, a resolution adopted at the Global Peace Forum in Kuala Lumpur in 2006.

At PPSEAWA level, a series of programmes was initiated to involve various groups in peace awareness. We have hosted groups like the Association of Down Syndrome, the Wheel Chair physically impaired, the Amputees Group from the University of Malaya, at our PPSEAWA International Peace Garden. Through our interaction with these groups we hope that Peace will be everyone’s concern in our campaign.

New Zealand

Jenny Kendall coincided Peace Day with the official launch of her project to provide special apparel for patients in hospital. PPSEAWA members throughout NZ attended Church services on 21 September.

Japan

PPSEAWA Japan held a Peace lecture in Tokyo on 19 September with 25 guests. The meeting was lively and successful in sharing the principles and value of international peace. Ms Kazuko Kano, President of PPSEAWA Japan opened the event. We had a one minute silent prayer for war victims worldwide. Machiko Yanagishita, Peace Ambassador for Japan gave a lecture on The thoughts on the Day of the Peace: Gender, Development and Peace. Ms Chieko Serizawa introduced the activities of the Japanese Peace Bell that was donated by the Japanese people to the United Nations in 1954.

In Nagoya, on 20 September, Ms Kaori Yamaguchi shared a lecture on Jane Addams by showing the DVD Twenty Years At Hull House. The Kansai Chapter shared the story of From the Darkness To the Light by Chinatsu Takahashi – a woman in her 90s description of the war years and emphasising how precious peace is.

Here is Chinatsu Takahashi’s presentation.

From the Darkness to the Light by Chinatsu Takahashi, Kansai Chapter, PPSEAWA Japan

Around the beginning of 1940s, our food and life essentials became scarce, because they were sent to military and we were forced to be patient for the tense social condition. At night it was dark in the city as well as at home by military control. Any war news of battlefield were controlled and we were told only the Japanese navy, army and air force soldiers were bravely fighting. Later we gradually learned their defeat of many battleships and aircrafts. Finally the military government started to praise the courage of special attacks by air force to make life suicide bomb called Kamikaze. We learned great casualties of many civilians as well as soldiers in many cities and villages in Asia by Japanese soldiers. Less numbers of Japanese soldiers returned home after the war than those who died in the battlefields by sickness and starvation rather than real battle fighting. It was a real waste to make the land destroyed and to lose so many precious lives, which was the war.

63 years has passed since the WWII ended. We cannot make the Day as we feel sad for the lost lives during the war. Now it is the time to tell the real fact of the war, since the war documents are now disclosed, which we see quite often in the newspaper. For years after the war, we were keeping away from telling the true facts of the war. There are many books about the WWII at book stores. As I could survive the war, I would like to be the witness myself. During 1945, US air force started so called carpet attack of continuous fire-bombing from the sky by B29 air craft, which meant to kill and destroy all big cities in Japan. Our home was not an exception. I lost 4 members of my family including my mother. Our house was burnt down. Together with so many in the world who lost their families and friends in the war I would like to speak up, “Let’s stop the war where everyone either kill or be killed.”

Those who were survived in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are even now suffering from the after effects. We want to appeal to abolish all nuclear weapons and cluster bombs. It is ridiculous to spend so much money for the war to kill soldiers and civilians including children. I hope Japan will never be the country which starts a war. Some says, “The days are changing.” or ”We can’t help, but to start war depending on the situation.” However, I would say, “The one who gets angry first and uses violence would be defeated.” It is the fact and our pride that Japan has Peace Constitution and we have decided not to start the war.

Matthew 26:52 “All who draw the sword will be destroyed by the sword.”
In Micah 4:3 “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.”
In Isah 2:4 “He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more..”
In the Bible, there is written, we shall not learn war any more. Let’s walk in the Light of the Lord.

I welcome any comments and opinion.

Translated by Yukiko I. Backes

Republic of China (Taiwan)

Yi Fen Wang, President of ROC tells us that Peace Day is the 9^th anniversary of the 921 catastrophic earthquakes which killed 2500 and injured 60,000. ROC are wishing them the 921 Peace Day activities will bring courage, love, compassion and comfort, especially for those who are still suffering. Last week, Sinlaku typhoon hit central and south of Taiwan causing land slides. Fortunately our members are safe.

Samoa

PPSEAWA Samoa members attended a special Peace Day service held in the Baha’i Temple. We also released a Peace Day Press release published in the Sunday Observer, 21 September. Currently we have an on-going “Education for Peace” project which offers scholarships for young girls from low-income families.