NUCLEAR POWER -- NO THANKS!

Dear friends,

We hope this letter finds you all well, and wish you all the best for new year.

As you are of course aware, the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, and the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, have both had a dramatic impact around the world. In response to this massive disaster and its tragic consequences to people's lives and environment, the people of Japan are trying to take steps towards recovery. Meanwhile, the nuclear power plant is still unstable and workers are forced to continue working in life-threatening conditions. As the radioactive contamination spreads, many people including children are forced to suffer from prolonged radiation exposure, unable to evacuate due to lack of support from the government.

It is vital that we do not continue to make the same mistakes. It is now time for humanity to put an end to the nuclear age that started with Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In Japan, well over half the population now supports the goal of breaking away from nuclear power. However, many people question whether it is practically possible to bring nuclear power to an end. For these reasons and more, as you may have heard, a coalition of Japan-based organizations will hold the Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World (http://www.npfree.jp/english/) in Yokohama, Japan on January 14-15, 2012.

Lack of recent media coverage threatens to diminish public attention to the dangers of nuclear power. For this reason we are writing to ask for your support. We would greatly appreciate your help to encourage individuals, organizations and companies to help, take action and participate in this vitally important conference as a positive step towards the future.

- This conference will create a venue for people from all around the world to gather in Japan and respond to the reality of Fukushima.

- We will bring together the voices of people who suffer from radiation exposure all around the world, whether by nuclear power or nuclear weapons - "Global Hibakusha". We will learn from each other's experiences to illustrate the human and environmental consequences of the nuclear chain.

- The conference will also aim to demonstrate that it is realistically possible to create a society that is not dependent on nuclear power.

- Through learning from experiences from around the world, we aim to create a road map for the safe removal of existing nuclear power plants, and from there, present alternative policies based on renewable energy and propose action plans that can be implemented by Japan and other countries.

People from Japan and around the world are encouraged to join the Conference through any of the following ways:

- Provide an individual or organizational message and photograph in support of the Conference (email to global@npfree.jp)

- Participate in the conference here: http://www.npfree.jp/english/ticket.html

- Share information about the conference with your network

- Donate to support the organization of the conference here: http://npfree.jp/english/donation.html

This event will be an important and positive step for Japan and other countries towards taking action for a nuclear power free world. The presence of both organizations and independent citizens will show that efforts since the disaster to learn from Fukushima have not gone unnoticed. It is also a chance for us to show the people of Fukushima, many of whom feel despondent about the future, that positive action is being taken.

The Organizing Committee is made up of the Citizens' Nuclear Information Centre (CNIC), FoE Japan, Green Action, Greenpeace Japan, the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP) and Peace Boat. While the Organizing Committee is now striving to raise the funds for the conference, we would also like to ask for any suggestions for funding or publicity. If you have any suggestions or ideas, please contact us at any time.

The input of individuals and organizations such as yourself is vital to the success of this conference. Please support us in taking these steps towards a sustainable, nuclear free world!

Thank you for your attention. We look forward to your support.

Kind regards,
Akira Kawasaki
Executive Committee, Peace Boat Organizing Committee, Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World
http://npfree.jp/english
global@npfree.jp

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