March 10, 2022
TOCOBON Project

The ToCoBoN (Towards Communities without Boundaries with Nonprofit Organizations) Project consists of individuals, who are also members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and nonprofit organizations (NPOs) working on different causes, for building partnership to make a difference. Not only we strongly condemn the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we are also deeply concerned about a possible deterioration of the situation in the future. ToCoBoN enunciates that:

  1. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the war of invasion violates the United Nations Charter which, in principle, prohibits any use of military force. Russia’s President Putin has threatened Ukraine and its supporting countries by implying a use of nuclear weapons and exercising military maneuvers. The use of nuclear weapons is a serious violation to international law and also a heavy offense to all living lives on earth. Such action can never be tolerated;
  2. The vulnerable population including children suffer from the Russia’s military invasion to Ukraine. Without any delay, the international society should work with NGOs and NPOs to secure remedy and human rights for all victims of the invasion in Ukraine;
  3. As the Cold War ended, the Warsaw Treaty Organization was dissolved in 1991. Despite the dissolution, NATO member countries started its unilateral eastward expansion. They have a great responsibility in creating military tension. Member countries of NATO should quickly take measures to alleviate tension in the Eastern Europe;
  4. The administration of Ukraine should face its violation of human rights through totalitarian and exclusive policies, such as the Odessa massacre in 2014. Ukraine should solve its problems of human rights; and,
  5. Some opinions in Japan to use the military invasion to Ukraine in order to support Japan’s military expansion including nuclear sharing and advocating for enemy base strike is highly perilous.

Considering the above-mentioned concerns, the ToCoBoN Project urges Russia to immediately stop its military invasion of Ukraine. We also demand that countries involved should take concrete measures to guarantee human rights and to alleviate military tension.

Note:
ToCoBoN Project members are (in alphabetical order):

  • ATSUMI, Ikuzou (Professional Engineer)
  • ITO, Hisako (Center for Environmental Information Science)
  • KAWAMURA, Kenji (Freelance Environmental Activist)
  • NAKAHARA, Mika (Risk Management Office for Nonprofit Organizations)
  • SAITO, Akiko (Community Support Institute)
  • TSUCHIYA, Mamiko (Chiiki Shigen Hakkutsu ASAA or Association for Local Resources ASAA)
  • UEMURA, Hideaki (Co-Chair of Shimin Gaikou Centre, Professor of Keisen University)

Go to: ToCoBoN Project top page | Japanese version of this statement | Risk Management Office for Nonprofit Organizations top page