THE
INTERNATIONAL SHINTO FOUNDATION
Activities Summary (1996-2001)
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The
International Shinto Foundation had formally been approved
to be an NGO associated with the United Nations Department
of Public Information (DPI) on December 8, 1997.
Since
1996, the International Shinto Foundation (ISF) has
been a participating member in the UNEP Interfaith Partnership
for the Environment, a group of religious NGO representatives
meeting under the direction of the Director of the North
American Office of UNEP. In 2000, UNEP published "Earth
and Faith: A Book of Reflection for Action," a
booklet of environmental information and religious references
produced by the Partnership. In 2001, "Earth and
Faith" was presented to the UN community by UNEP
Director Klaus Toepfer at a reception during the CSD
sessions. ISF has also assisted in the distribution
of this publication among its associates in the US and
Japan.
On May 13, 1998, the International Shinto Foundation
organized a one-day symposium at Church Center for the
United Nations in New York on "The Kyoto Protocol,
The Environment and Shinto." The keynote speaker,
H.E. Ambassador Raul Estrada-Oyuela of Argentina (Chair,
Negotiating Committee of the Kyoto Conference of The
Parties 3), was introduced by Dr. Joanne Fox-Przeworski,
then Director of UNEP's Regional Office for North America.
Other speakers were: Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary
General, World Conference on Religion and Peace; Ms.
Jennifer L. Morgan, US Climate Action Network; Dr. John
T. Brinkman, Commission on Ecology and Religion; and
Rev. Toshu Fukami, President, International Shinto Foundation.
The symposium proceedings have been published and are
available from ISF.
ISF has been observing annual sessions of the Commission
on Sustainable Development (CSD) since 1998, and actively
assisted in the preparation of NGO documents for government
delegations during the 2001 sessions. ISF plans to be
represented at both the CSD sessions and the Rio+10
Conference in Johannesburg in 2002.
The International Shinto Foundation has been a member
of the NGO Committee for the Decade of Indigenous People
since 1998 and regularly attends its meetings in New
York to assist in planning activities. Since 1999, ISF
has hosted a luncheon at the Church Center for all participants
at the annual International Day of Indigenous People
held at UN Headquarters. ISF Director General Yoshimi
Umeda has also made statements each year on behalf of
Shinto in the panel sessions scheduled during the event
(printed texts of statements are available).
ISF assisted the Permanent Mission of Japan as the initial
funding organization and as an executive committee member
for the recent construction of the Peace Bell Garden
in front of UN Headquarters, and remains interested
in events involving the Peace Bell Garden.
ISF is always willing to assist in sharing information
about UN activities with the NGO community in Japan
and other countries. ISF Director General Yoshimi Umeda
was invited by the United Nations Information Center
in Tokyo on November 14, 2000 for a special meeting
of over 70 Japanese NGOs to report on UN conferences
held during the past year. Director General Umeda was
one of six reporters, giving a 15-minute report on the
"Millennium Forum of NGOs 2000" and the "DPI/NGO
Conference 2000." In the question period that followed,
Mr. Umeda also briefly reported on the "International
Day of Indigenous Peoples 2000."
ISF representatives regularly attend the various events
organized by UNIC Tokyo.
Each year ISF sends representatives to the annual DPI/NGO
Conference at UN Headquarters, and helps support the
conference with a financial donation to the NGO Executive
Committee.
The official website of the International Shinto Foundation
(www.shinto.org) contains a special section with regularly
updated reports of UN-related events attended by ISF
representatives (in both English and Japanese).
Both the "International Shinto Foundation Newsletter,"
published from Japan, and "Chinju no Mori,"
ISF New York's local newsletter, report on UN-related
events as an important part of their news coverage.
Finally, on May 21, 2001, ISF was recommended by the
Committee on NGOs for Special Consultative Status with
ECOSOC, and received official confirmation of this status
later in the year, becoming the 24th Japanese NGO accredited
to ECOSOC. ISF thus looks forward to its future participation
in UN activities as both a DPI as well as ECOSOC NGO.
Signed
by: Yoshimi Umeda - Director General, ISF,
Presented to DPI/NGO Section on January 15, 2002
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