JANNET Japan NGO Network on Disabilities

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Recent Move in Japan

Inauguration of Japan Disability Forum
Akira Kodama, First President

It is my honor to inform you that JDF, the Japan Disability Forum took its departure by 11 initiating organizations of/for persons with disabilities.

This gives us a great pleasure and I would like to express my sincere respect to the collective endeavors made by all the persons concerned since last year.

The movement of people with disabilities in Japan has a long history of more than half a century. Entering the 21st century, the disability movement is expanded by supporting each other through broader solidarity with respects of the originality, the characteristics, and expertise of each organization.

Since the International Year of Disabled Persons in 1981, each person, who has joined the disability movement, has continuously worked hard. We have learnt the importance and the value of solidarity through the promotional activities of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons started in 1993, and the success of organization of the International Forum on Disabilities to Mark the End Year of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons held in Japan in the year 2002 by our joint efforts.

In 1999 the formation of IDA, the International Disability Alliance gave an impact to Japan and led to the linkage between international and domestic activities. The disability movement has entered into a new era.

JDF receives high expectations from inside and outside of the country regarding the enactment of an International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, promotion of the new Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons and the Biwako Millennium Framework(BMF), and improvement of policies and measures including the enactment of an anti-discrimination law in Japan.

And now, we 11 organizations have determined to unite and take an action together to challenge the most important issue, that is the establishment of the International Convention, an anti-discrimination law in Japan. We wish to pledge our full commitment through the formation of JDF.

The wave of globalization rapidly came surging over the people with disabilities around the world. We should no longer allow further differentiations and discriminations due to disability as a reason.

During the period of the new Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, JDF will energetically make policy proposals with the spirit of cross disabilities and beyond the existing concept of the disability movement.
I would like to call your further attention to our activities.

Lastly, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Diet members, the officers of the related ministries, government offices and the private foundations, who have advised us and supported our activities since the preparatory stage of the formation of JDF.

With this inauguration as a momentum, we have made a fresh determination to challenge these issues strategically and steadily, and make JDF what we shall be proud of to the world.

From the address made by President Kodama at the Inauguration Meeting and Seminar of JDF on October 31, 2004, Sunday in Tokyo.

* Japan Disability Forum (JDF)

- Member Organizations

- Observer Organizations

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