{news} Fw: USGP-INT Japanese Greens win first seat in Upper House of JapaneseDiet

[Justine McCabe]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Feinstein" <mfeinstein at feinstein.org>
To: <usgp-int at gp-us.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 5:20 AM
Subject: USGP-INT Japanese Greens win first seat in Upper House of 
JapaneseDiet


>
> Dear GPUS Greens
>
> The following great news comes to us from Satoko Watanabe of Japan.
>
> Within Japan, Watanabe is a twice-elected Green Councilmember on the
> Prefecture level. Internationally she has been a major player in
> Asia-Pacific Green organizing, including co-hosting the February 2005
> Asia-Pacific Green Network Meeting in Kyoto. Globally she is a member of
> the Global Green Coordination, was a plenary speaker at the Global
> Greens 2001 and is part of the organizing committee for our next Global
> Greens meeting in 2008.
>
> As some of you know, the electoral system in Japan on the national level
> is almost as difficult for Greens to compete in as it is here for us in
> the U.S.
>
> Yet despite this, because of the presence of (and opportunities afforde
> by) a multi-seat district in Tokyo, the Japanese Greens have won their
> first seat in the Diet - Japan's national legislature
> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_of_Japan)
>
> The victory came in the House of Councillors, the Diet's Upper House
> (http://www.sangiin.go.jp/eng/index.htm).  Here is her report:
>
> ========================================================================
>
> Mr. Ryuhei Kawada (http://ryuheikawada.jp/), the steering committee
> member of Greens Japan and Global Greens 2001 and Global Young Greens
> 2007 participant (http://www.kawada.com/Stimme/Voice_gyg.htm), has won
> the last seat of five of Tokyo electoral district in the Upper House
> Election 2007.
>
> We are so excited with this first step of Greens!!!
>
> Three years ago, we challenged the Upper House Election, but could not
> win a seat. Because of high hurdles of Japanese Election system, we had
> to give up nominating us as a party this time. We decided to concentrate
> our resources and energy on Tokyo electoral district, which has five
> seats and is quite influential to Japanese politics.
>
> Ryuhei ran as an independent without any support from parties or big
> organizations. In Japan it is very difficult to win national elections
> without those supports. Actually the four other winners of the district
> are all from big parties.
>
> The core members of the campaign office were members of the
> Greens Japan and the Rainbow and Greens Japan. They cooperated to make
> the manifestation and to plan the campaign.
>
> Ryuhei's campaign which was carried out by many volunteers was so
> impressive that many media covered it. Ryuhei’s speech was very
> persuasive, since he talked based on his own experiences as a victim of
> HIV-infected blood product, fighting against the government and the
> company. It often moved the audience on the street to tears.
>
> I was very happy to see many young people who are believed to be very
> indifferent to politics responded to Ryuhei's appeal positively.
>
> This is the very important first step of Greens Japan. We will keep
> working together and supporting  Ryuhei to achieve Green politics.
>
> The LDP suffered from the huge defeat.
> Here are the article and the editorial on the election.
>
> http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070730a1.html
> http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20070731a1.html
>
> Best regards and peace,
>
> Satoko Watanabe
> Spokesperson
> Rainbow and Greens Japan
> Prefectural Councilor of Kagawa
> 16-14 Chuo-cho, Takamatsu, Kagawa 760-0007 JAPAN
> Phone:+81-87-832-3676
> Fax:+81-87-831-47
> satoko.watanabe at nifty.com
>
> ========================================================================
>
> Articles about Ryuhei Kawada (in English)
> http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=328414
> http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070713a4.html
> http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200707230122.html
> http://www.journeythroughjapan.org/people/people_detail.cfm?id_news=93523362
>
> Statement to Global Young Greens meeting, January 2007 (in English)
> http://www.kawada.com/Stimme/Voice_gyg.htm
>
> Photos of his campaign
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/skasuga/928837586/
> http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=kawadaryuhei
>
> His Campaign Web site (in Japanese)
> http://ryuheikawada.jp
>
> Video Interviews (in Japanese)
> http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kawada%20ryuhei&search=Search
>
> ========================================================================
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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>


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