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Enns, from the Association of Mennonite Congregations in Germany, is the co‐moderator of the reference group for the WCC Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace and its theological study group.
The conference is held periodically as an interfaith initiative to pray for peace with justice in the spirit of Article 9 of Japan's Constitution, which is known as a symbol for world peace.
This year’s conference, organized online, drew 120 participants from Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, Guam, Indonesia, Thailand, India, UK, France, Germany, Canada, and US.
In a statement, conference participants recognized that the COVID-19 pandemic has become a problem for the whole of humanity and demands global solidarity of all peoples. “Similarly, the nuclear crisis, climate change, and marine plastic pollution should all be addressed as challenges to humanity,” the statement reads. “Japan must not become a threat to neighboring countries, nor a source of destabilizing peace and security.”
The statement urges all nuclear power states to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. “With this we can finally bring an end to the threat of nuclear destruction around the world, and also pave the way for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula,” the statement reads. “We issue this joint statement as a symbol of our commitment to building peace and moving beyond conflict.”
The WCC has longstanding engagement with Japan’s religious and government leaders as they work toward a nuclear weapons-free world and promote peace. On 4 August 2014, WCC president for Asia Rev. Dr Sang Chang met in Tokyo with the chief cabinet secretary of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, to convey statements by the WCC central committee related to nuclear dangers and to preserving the peace clause in Japan’s constitution.
