[information ]Symposium on Development, Environment, Human Rights and Peace in Asia

The Asian Development Bank, or ADB, has provide a loan, technical support or the like to development projects for the purpose of “Asia Without Poverty” since its inception. However, on the other hand, not a few residents’ groups or organizations, NGOs or social movements have been denouncing problems like displacement or eviction, environmental destruction, more debt, etc. triggered by those development project, demanding that the ADB or Japanese government should listen well to affected local residents or communities.

The 50^th ADB Annual General Meeting will start in Yokohama on May 4. In addition, the meeting of the RCEP which is drawing more attention from the Japanese society because the TPP talks are running on the rocks, is planned in Manila early in May following that in Kobe Japan in March.

Considering those circumstance, we will check at this symposium what the past development-supports, activities of financial institutions, the whole concept of trade agreements have brought on people’s lives, human beings, and environment in Asia. Besides, we or activists from the different parts of Asia including Japan will consider together in terms of justice how we could design the future of Asia and relationship among people and what support the ADB or Japanese government should be desired or requested in Asia. The plenary session will be on May 2, and separate meetings on May 3, where the issues of water, food, climate change, debts, labor, etc. will be discussed.

On May 4 when the ADB AGM will kick off, we will stage a demonstration near the venue.

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<Day 1^st>

May 2 (Tues) 18:30-21:00: Plenary Session

[Place] Bunkyo Civic 4^th floor Hall

 1 min’s walk from Korakuen Station on the Marunouchi-line, Nanpoku-line, 1 min’s walk form Kasuga on Mita-line or Oedo-line, or 9 min’s walk from Suidobashi on the JR Sobu-line.

[Detail]

Speakers:

-       Afsar Jafri, Focus on the Global South, India

-       Hemantha Withanage, FOE Sri Lanka

-       Kazuoki Ono, People’s movement opposing the TPP, Japan, talks on “Collapsing villages and people – Considering Japanese rural villages affected by globalization”

-       Malou Tabios, Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development, Philippines

<Day 2^nd>

May 3 (Wed) 15:400 – 21:00, Separate meetings

[Place] Bunkyo Civic 3^rd floor, Meeting rooms A and B

Room A: 15:00-17:30

Climate change and coal powered energy

Speakers: Hemantha Withanage and others

Room A: 18:00-20:30

Trade

Speakers: Afsar Jafri and others

Room B: 15:00-17:30

Development Finance and Debt

Speakers: Malou Tabios and someone from PSI-APRO

Room B: 18:00-20:30

Food sovereignty

Speakers: Arze Glipo and others

*For details, see the following blog:

http://int.attac.jp/2017_01_01_archive.html

Organized by the Planning Committee of Symposium on Development, Environment, Human Rights and Peace in Asia joined and collaborated by ATTAC Japan, Focus on the Global South, Asia-Pacific Network for Food Sovereignty (APNFS), Japan Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society (JACSES), FOE Japan, PSI-APRO (Public Services International Asia-Pacific Regional Office), People’s movement opposing the TPP, Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), People’s Plan Study Group (PPSG)

Contact: peopleadb50@gmail.com

Phone: Yoko Akimoto, 81-90-9824-9081

<Day 3^rd>

May 4 (Turs)

14:30, Meet a square in front of JR Sakuragicho station

15:30, March for Development, Environment, Human Rights and Peace in Asia starts.

March from the square in front of JR Sakuragicho station toward Minato-Mirai, and turn to the left through Bashamichi to Yamashita Park.

Distance: Some 2 kms. Takes one hour from the JR Sakuragicho to Yamashita Park.