Buraku Liberation News, January 1998 issue (No.100)
2."Human Rights Forum 21" was Established as an Alternative to the Government-sponsored Council.
The Council for Promoting Human Rights Protection was established in May 1997 based on the Law of Promotion of Measures for Human Rights Protection, that took effect in March.
The Law paved the way to drafting a law that would realize the elimination of discrimination as stipulated in Article 14 of the Japanese Constitution. This is an epoch-making achievement since the current constitution was enacted more than 50 years ago.
However, the BLL, the IMADR-Japan Committee and other organizations concerned believe that it will be hard for the council to embody Article 14 into a new law, considering the facts that the Council consists of only 20 members, in which there are only a few people involved who know the pain of being discriminated-against.
In addition to that, the Council does not have enough representatives from various sectors that constitute Japanese society, according to their observation.
In response to that, they proposed the creation of an alternative council. As a result, Human Rights Forum 21 was established in November 1997, joined by many leaders and people from various sectors, including Buraku people, women, people with disabilities, Ainu people, foreign residents as well as academic circles, religious organizations, mass media, private corporations and local governments.
Forum 21 plans to present a proposal aimed to embody Article 14 as well as to envision a policy proposal regarding the human rights policy of Japan. Its program includes holding a monthly meeting, drawing up a white paper on the reality of discrimination in Japan and collecting educational materials for human rights.
The forum is chaired by Mr. Kinhide Mushakoji, professor of Meiji Gakuin University as well as President of the IMADR-JC. The secretariat is based in the office of the BLL Headquarters in Tokyo, headed by Mr. Takashi Ebashi, professor of Hosei University.