We have now entered the last year of the 20th Century.

　It appears that humankind will carry into the 21st Century the same follies that it devised in the 20th Century. Nuclear weapons, which can incinerate hundreds of thousands of citizens in an instant, remain at the core of international politics. Over 30,000 nuclear warheads exist on this planet, with a significant number on hair-trigger alert. While the overwhelming majority of citizens, including those who live in nuclear weapons states, want a nuclear weapon-free world, the political process to bring this about has been ponderous and slow, with few substantial gains.

We believe that the Japanese people bear a special responsibility for this situation. We have listened closely to the hibakushas of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in their plea that, "Nuclear weapons should never be used!," as they speak about the hellish scenes branded on their eyes after the blast. For over a half century we have lived in a society that is dominated by fears that the physical and social after-effects of the atomic bombing can continue for generations. Do we as Japanese citizens not have a responsibility to use these experiences for the benefit of the future of the earth and of humanity?

Contrary to what we often hear, it is not true that there is no hope. Some middle-power governments stood together and took bold action in June, 1998. These governments, called the New Agenda Coalition, declared: "We, on our part, will spare no efforts" towards the abolition of nuclear weapons. Non-governmental groups (NGOs) around the world are encouraging these governments, and movements in which governments and NGOs cooperate are gaining strength. In addition, a model nuclear weapons convention, which NGOs drafted, has become an official UN document and has been circulated among governments.

Unfortunately, the Japanese government refused to join the New Agenda Coalition when it was invited to do so. The Japanese government continues to embrace nuclear deterrence doctrine and is obsessed with the idea of defending Japan with nuclear weapons.

Is the Japanese anti-nuclear sentiment, which must be stronger than that of any other peoples in the world, powerless? Does Japanese democracy not work? It is acknowledged that the Japanese anti-nuclear movement has sometimes created impediments within itself to achieving its goals over the past five decades. However, isn't it high time for us to call into being an overarching human ethos and create opportunities for Japanese citizens to once again speak to this critical issue in their own words?

At the dawn of a new century and a new millennium, we call upon the people of Japan to speak vigorously for nuclear abolition with a renewed purpose that goes beyond the differences often created by 'isms' and beliefs.

The first thing that we need to do is to change our own government's nuclear weapons policy. Toward this end, we have the following challenges:

1. To create a non-nuclear law in Japan 　In addition to turning the three non-nuclear principles into a law, a security policy is needed in which Japan will not rely on nuclear weapons and come out from beneath the US nuclear umbrella. In addition, the current plutonium policy of Japan needs to be reviewed as it raises concerns about nuclear-proliferation.

2. To establish a nuclear weapon-free zone in Northeast Asia 　The establishment of a nuclear weapon-free zone in Northeast Asia will be a significant step towards easing tension and building confidence in this region.

3. To activate nuclear free-local authorities 　It is time for the more than 2,300 local authorities that have declared themselves to be nuclear-free to take action. Citizens must take steps to activate them.

4. To make the Government of Japan a leader in promoting nuclear disarmament in its international relations 　Citizens in Japan need to urge the Government of Japan to play an active role in promoting nuclear disarmament in international diplomacy in cooperation with like-minded nations such as the New Agenda Coalition states.

　We make an appeal to all the fellow citizens. Let us build an immense wave of support and activity for nuclear abolition in the year 2000, and inform the world what we have done. Please begin where you are. Each of your actions, as tiny as it may be, will make a change. Each of us, too, signs this '2000 People's Appeal' as one of those who commit to undertake such actions.