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Chairperson’s
Message
With the
arrival of the new millennium, we are now
groping for our way to shape the coming age of
the 21st century, based on the reflections on
what we Homo sapiens have done in the past as
well as on the lessons learned.
Because
of the limitless desire for improvement on the
part of human
kin
d, the 20th century has
brought about advanced scientific technology,
improvement of the economy and abundant living
environment. The countries in
Europe
and
America
and those in
East Asia
, in particular, had made
remarkable progress in wealth, whose fact made
the other countries of the world cherish the
same dream and hope of achievement.
However,
the rapid modernization has also brought about
the so-called North-South problem or a vast gap
of prosperity and poverty between the
“North” and “South” countries, triggered
and supported by the thought that science and
technology is the only key to the advancement of
man’s life. As a result, we are witnessing
global environment destruction, world population
explosion, food shortage crises and such serious
bad influences. Today we are facing with such
global tasks.
It was
as the result of the chaotic system of
development, which I might name it as the
“negative legacy” of the Capitalism, that we
see the massive destruction of the Earth’s
environment today. The disorderly development
has also resulted in disturbing the ecosystem of
nature with effects such as extinction of
forests or deforestation caused by cutting down
of a vast amount of trees or by agriculture
burning, increased amount of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere by industrialization, acid rain
and global warming, destruction of the ozone
layers and so on. There is no limit to the list.
In the meantime, enviromentists point out that
all these changes of the global environment will
eventually affect human bodies and that the
deterioration of nature has advanced to such an
extent now to decide even the destiny of the
whole human
kin
d.
Luckily
enough, in the Southern Hemisphere, in South
America in particular, there remain vast marshes
called “Pantanal” and tropical forests on
the basin of the Amazon, both areas extending
from Bolivia to Brazil to Paraguay.
“The
Association for Sustainable Development in the
North and
South Americas
” is the name of the
organization, now wor
kin
g vigorously for an exemplary
development harmonizing civilization and Nature
both in the Pantanal and on the Amazon. Through
building a model city for sustainable
development for the entire world, we aim to
protect the environment of the Earth and solve
the worldwide food shortage problem. In short,
we are there to materialize ideals of expanding
sustainable development, which should then
spread over the surface of the globe.
When
people come to visit the Pantanal and the Amazon
from around the world, they will feel immersed
and benefited by the grace of a great Nature.
They will feel liberated from the stressed
everyday life of the modern society and start
cultivating an enriched heart. The aim and
purpose of the Association is to implement such
grandiose ideas and projects as to establish
co-existence between the human
kin
d and Nature.
Thank
you for your warm understanding and positive
cooperation.
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