Advocacy & Awareness
Religions for Peace Japan engages in advocacy and awareness activities that bring together religious leaders to advance research on peace and to issue messages in response to urgent challenges that threaten human dignity. From the abolition of nuclear weapons and arms reduction to addressing environmental degradation, poverty, human trafficking, and refugee crises, our initiatives reflect the collective voice of religious communities working for the common good.
In recent years, our advocacy has included participation in the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and the organization of prayers and symposia around the G7 Hiroshima Summit to call for a world free of nuclear arms. Together with the Pugwash Conference in Japan and academic institutions, we have co-hosted public lecture series on “Non-War in the Nuclear Age,” while also joining peace memorial events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki to amplify the voices of atomic bomb survivors to the international community.
Our efforts extend to the climate crisis through initiatives such as the Forest of Life Project and environmental education programs. In the field of reconciliation, we host Facilitator Training Seminars for Peace and Reconciliation, equipping participants with skills in dialogue and listening to help transform conflicts. To combat human trafficking, we organize study sessions and interfaith prayers, engaging closely with migrant communities in Japan and linking the issue with human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the same time, we continue to support refugees from Syria and Afghanistan and participate in global refugee forums to safeguard the dignity of displaced persons.
Through these diverse yet interconnected efforts, Religions for Peace Japan seeks to ensure that advocacy is not only a call for policy change but also a lived practice of interreligious solidarity, fostering a society where the sanctity of life is respected and upheld.