[tokyoprogressive] TokyoProgressive (text version): January 2007 (DAVID ROVICS, DEMOCRACY NOW JAPAN, ETC.)

JANUARY 2007
http://tokyoprogressive.org/jan2007.html
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TokyoProgressive has been "linking progressives east and west for 10 years 
1997-2007


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A Normal Country? Reprinted from Nikkan Berita:
In Japanese----About how Japan's neocons are destroying its peace constitution and creating a more nationalistic eductational programme as well. 

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TANAKA-NEWS---In Japanese.  Tanaka-san contributes to ZNET occasionall.
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COMING TO JAPAN: SUMMER 2007

D A V I D   R O V I C S

The Musical Version of Democracw Now

More summaries and full story links
http://tokyoprogressive.org/jan2007.html
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JAPAN:
Becoming an Ugly and Dangerous Nation!
The article presents a critical responses to the proposed changes in national educational policy by Japan’s new prime minister, Abe Shinzo. It is one of many appearing in Japanese newspapers and magazines in the past six weeks. The centerpiece of the Abe administration’s domestic strategy is revision of the Fundamental Law of Education (also known as the “Charter of Education” (Kyoiku Kensho) or the “Education Constitution” (Kyoiku Kempo)—the basis of post-war Japanese education. This law, passed in 1947 and intact subsequently, mandated the current national educational standards, and was the centerpiece of efforts to eliminate pre-war nationalism and militarism from the curriculum. At a time of mounting discontent with Japanese education, and with a neonationalist drive to revise the Constitution to weaken or eliminate the pacifist provisions of Article 9, the Abe administration has made the Fundamental Law of Education its first target in an effort to exorcise the 
ghosts of Japan’s World War II defeat.

More summaries and full story links
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AMY GOODMAN'S DEMOCRACY NOW COMING TO JAPAN
Yes, the popular 1-hour news and commentary program is coming, and we need your help to make it happen. Starting with summaries of some of the main stories, we aim to eventually have voiced-over or sub-titled versions of the actual program. Ultimatley, we believe it will be possible to have a broadcast version on cable TV. Alternative media is coming to Japan. A great resource for activists and critical literacy teachers.　　There IS an alternative to Fuji TV and even NHK. 

DEMO SITE IN JAPANESE:
http://www.k2.dion.ne.jp/~rur55/DN/DNJapan.htm

More summaries and full story links
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Meat and climate change
In March 2006, the Department of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago released a study that compared the differences in greenhouse-gas emissions caused by various plant- and meat-based diets. Researchers found that the difference between a red-meat diet and a vegan diet – in terms of greenhouse-gas emissions – equaled the difference between driving a sedan and driving a sport-utility vehicle. 

More summaries and full story links
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Bewitched by the Veil
by Dorothy Rowe, Clinical Psychologist UK
[The niqab is] a mark of separation and that is why it makes other people from outside the community feel uncomfortable.’ Tony Blair’s answer to a journalist’s question October 17, 2006....I don’t recall Tony Blair ever expressing publicly any disquiet about the way the singer Bono is never seen without his dark glasses, despite the fact that the eyes reveal more about the person than any other part of the body. 

ALSO BY THE AUTHOR

Bigger Breasts and Suicide
People seem puzzled by suicide in women with breast implants, but I wouldn’t be surprised if BDD [Body Dysmorphic Disorder] was behind it,’ says Katherine Phillips, a psychiatrist at Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island. New Scientist, October 21, 2006 ...New Scientist didn’t contact me. Had this happened, I would have said that it was really very simple. Just ask each woman what she hoped the breast implant would do for her, and take what she says seriously, not merely as evidence for or against an abstraction like BDD which resides nowhere but in the mind of a psychiatrist or psychologist who believes that such a disorder exists. 


More summaries and full story links
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OTHER NEWSWORTHY THINGS


    * Jan 28

Hashimoto Spring
John Junkerman's "Kempo" ( or in English, "The Japanese Constitution:Article 9") 
See Spring info below...

* Feb 11

Tokyo Spring
We're continuing the theme of social class. We'll give you a title as soon as a decision has been made. 

SEE BELOW FOR MORE ON THE "SPRING" EVENTS

    * David Rovics is Coming to Japan

Who? Check out
http://www.soundclick.com/pro/view/01/default.cfm?BandID=111310

 and then stay tuned....



    * medialens Japan
We don't know what the offcial name is, but the launch date is fast approaching according to unofficial, un-named, well-connected sources who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity, or was it non-anonymity? Or was unconditional anemones? Anyway, while waiting, have a look at the UK's medialens site and a similar one from the U.S.: FAIR. 


    * Progressive Japanese Media Alliance
It would be great if those of us doing similar things in Japanese, English or other languages in Japa and maybe nearby countries could get together and talk, something that would help our individual sites grow while developing friendships along the road to a just society (I was gonna say MORE JUST, but JUST just is better.) Contact us 
with your ideas.

    * March in March

Sunday March 4th, Miyashita Park (Shibuya, Tokyo) 1pm-

2007年3月4日(日) 宮下公園（東京渋谷）１時～
[March in March]
More than 90% of foreign workers in Japan are hired on fixed-term contracts, leaving them vunerable to dismissal or non-renewal. Last year, over 400 people took to the streets in Tokyo to demand a stable work environment, free from illegal dismissals, unpaid wages, or discrimination. Simultaneous demonstrations also took place in Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka. 

To get involved, contact Louis Carlet or phone 03-3434-0669.

Sunday March 4th, Miyashita Park (Shibuya, Tokyo) 1pm-

Map:
http://map.yahoo.co.jp/pl?lat=35%2F39%2F26.702&lon=139%2F42% 2F17.71&layer=1&sc=2&mode=map&size=s&pointer=on&p=&CE.x=316&CE.y=257 

Free entertainment will include:

Bantus Capoeira Japão: http://jp.bantus.org/
Peruvian musicians, and much more!

Reports on the March In March 2006:
http://nambufwc.org/2006/03/06/march-in-march-2006/


MORE ON THE TWO SPRING EVENTS
For Hashimoto on the 28th of January, the screening and discussion will be entirely in Japanese and therefore our Japanese participants are urged to go along and make the most of the event.Those non- Japanese with good Japanese language skills are also encouraged to attend. Hashimoto is approximately 50minutes away from Shinjuku and isn't too difficult to get to. Check it on your internet train guide. If you go along, just call Sulejman on 090-1268-4412 or call the bar on 0427-700530 and someone will pick you up. Salji is a two minute walk from the station.
The next Spring event in Tokyo is on Sunday 11th February at 4pm at Heaven's Door, Shimokitazawa. We're back to the second Sunday of the month. We're continuing the theme of social class and the film will either be about collective factory take overs in Argentina, or about the Justice For Janitors campaign in Los Angeles. We'll give you a title as soon as a decision has been made.
The address for Heaven's door is: Takimoto Bldg.2F, 2-17-10, Kitazawa, Setagaya-Ku, Tokyo. It is just two minutes from the Doutour coffee shop and Hokuo fake scandiinavian bread shop, on the South side of Shimokitaza station, turning right at Dunkin' Donuts and bearing left a few meters until you seee the place on your left.
Next, Spring has been invited by the NUGW-TOKYO-NAMBU-FWC ( National Union of General Workers Foreign Workers Caucus ) to participate in the Third Annual March In March on Sunday 3rd March from 1pm in Miyashita Park, Shibuya. The march is for Job Security and Equality For All.Check out the union website at:http:// www.nambufwc.org/ for further details and a map. This is an important event and we would like to encourage as many Spring participants as possible to attend. At Spring we are trying to network with other groups and the FWC has extended an open invitation to anyone who wants to express solidarity, regardless of whether or not they are a member of the union. For those of you who are not members, unless it's for well thought out political reasons, joining is a good idea! We'll give you an update as things progress, but please put the word out to as many people as you can.
That's all for now people! There'll be another update soon and some exciting news about a particularly well known singer songwriter who'll be paying Japan, and Spring a visit. 




Have an event?
Let us know about it and we'll try to let others know if TokyoProgressive and you same the same basic goals. Let's talk 

paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Paul Arenson

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