Introduction: Our reasons for joining the Seoul Action in June
We in the daily laborer and homeless movement must not turn a blind eye to the fight against globalization!
The existence of people living on the streets and their struggle has come to take the limelight since the increase in homelessness and unemployment during the 1990's. As these issues became widely acknowledged the eyes of society have shifted from viewing the homeless as "vagrants" often selfish, idle or solitary in nature, to carrying a more sympathetic, albeit condescending, consideration of those on the streets as being "unfortunate and with no recourse; victims to modern corporate restructuring (lay-offs) and bankruptcy." The media now acts to cover actions taken by thopse in the homeless rights movement and the government acquiesced an exploratory "Homeless Self-Dependence Support Law" as enacted by legislation in the House. Today, many support and rights organizations exist nationwide and growing numbers of NGO's are engaged in these issues as well.
As these shifts in the public dialogue were taking place, the movement itself visibly changed. Emphasis is currently being placed on holding negotiations with the government and pressuring public organs to accept conditions put forth by those in thefield, or, having NGO's take part cooperatively in administrative policies. We are also party to engaging the public with criticisms that the reason the number of homeless people does not decrease is because of a lack of pro-active administrative policies. But, just hold on a second. Is this what we originally even aimed for?
As neo--liberal-globalization shuttles forth, "structural reform," even in Japan, becomes "effeciency's" saving grace leading to restructuring at the national level. As a result, the collapse in the 'bubble' economy and the advancement of class-divisions (the aggravation and escalation of poverty) both closely follow the rail clearly laid by the capital system and the state. The homeless in present-day Japan are just one result of the systematic production of lower-class poor whetted for the sake of exploitation; an inevitable consequence of systems espoused in "advanced nations"
However, the main stream of the homeless movement in Japan has not yet postured any open or direct questions in regard to the neo-liberal-global economy and "structural reform;" Rather it has displayed a tendency to act as more of a movement for demanding expansion of the safety net. On the other hand, recent incidents, such as the murders of homeless laborers at the Asahi construction site, are symbolic of how the free labor market consistently undermines "safety net expansion" as increasing numbers of employed persons are exploited and/or suddenly cut from payrolls. It pains us to see that only a few organizations and individuals are now actively internally addressing this problem. Furthermore, despite the fact that similar and intricately linked issues of exploitation and social exclusion are being addressed in a wide range of social and human rights movements, unity across "fields" is seldom sought out by those in the homeless movement. By positioning our work in a realm where it may come to take form as more of a "specialized" field, we threaten ourselves with the real danger of alienating the hearts and strength of our compatriots in the vast struggle against injustice - while simultaneously buying into the schemes of society to divide the masses rather than allow them to recognize a unified power.
We are now embarking on a new phase of motility as we gain hold of an awareness of issues of unity and the indelible link between all injustices. The control and manipulation of labor as victimizes the lower class have not changed at all from the times of " San-ya : strike and we'll strike back" (documentary). It is absolutely vital that we re-evaluate the inherent contradiction of society by seeing ourselves and our world from the eyes of all those excluded, angry, and hungry for light. Thereinwith, we must reconstruct this homeless movement, growing and cherished, by incorporating a wider array of perspectives and concerns that go beyond borders built by fields and nation. The daily laborer and homeless rights movement as a whole is being beckoned by millions of voices that share our hopes, and await our global collective rebirth; circumstance and time have collided to bring us the infinite opportunity of today.
The path of our footprints
With this purpose in mind, we have progressed step by step. In Sanya, relationships have been built and visibly deepened with immigrant laborers facing disputes over labor and work conditions, much like their homeless laborer counterparts. Also, we have engaged in cooperative work with activists involved in movements against globalization from around the world (e.g. Korean Federation of Trade Unions, France's ATTAC and SUD, the land-less farmers of Brazil, etc.). For the 2000 Kyushu and Okinawa summit, homeless rights' groups from Shibuya, Osaka Kita, and Nagoya conducted set off on the "Rights for the Have-Nots!" -- a mobile cross-country demonstration to oppose social and economic exclusion. Moreover, these three cities acted centrally in the "Homeless East Asia Exchange" (2001) with Korea and Hong Kong.
In 2003 ATTAC-JAPAN, Anti-Capitalist Action (ACA), and a number of individuals expressing concern over the current state and direction of Japan demonstrated in Tokyo with members of our homeless rights' network in the "International Jont Action of the Have-nots" in October. This was organized in response to an appeal for a global extension of the voices of the subjugated and oppressed as sent from No-Vox's assembly held at the 2003 World Social Forum (WSF) in Porto Alegre.
In January of this year, Yutaka Onishi (Sasajima Day Worker Labor Union), Rayna Rusenko, and Nasubi (Sanya Association Center for the Welfare of Daily Laborers) went to collect information and build partnerships at the 4th WSF held in Mumbai, India along with numerous other activists and organizations at the front-lines of the the anti-war, peace, labor, and rights movements in Japan. In collaboration with LOCOA, an Asian community organizing alliance, activists from India, the Philippines, Pakistan, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan were able to host workshops on poverty, community movements, homelessness, and globalization in Asia at the WSF while also joining demonstrations, a No-Vox meeting, and a procession of the Dalits. There we saw just how deeply aware and active lower classes in Asia are in relation to the problems of globalization. We were also approached with the testimonies of our Pilipino and Indian allies concerning the large-scale forcible evictions and outright oppressive practices carried out by Japanese multi-national corporations and banks against Asian poor. There is a need for those of us resisting globalization in Japan to take our work beyond national borders and re-evaluate what we consider to be "national" issues.
Our aim in participating in June's Seoul Action
At the WSF in Mumbai, the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s East Asia meeting was brought up in discussions revealing the need for a collective confrontation and an Asian Social Movement Assembly. Revolving around issues of the Japan-Korea Free Trade Agreement and the Iraq war, activists and organizations from Japan and South Korea eagerly delved into collaborative planning and built with NGOs from throughout Asia a forum, much like the World Social Forum, centering on issues of peace and justice. The Daily Laborers and Homeless Movement's Preparatory Committee on Globalization itself sent members to hold a workshop on "Poverty and Homelessness."
In fact, the Daily Laborers and Homeless Movement's Preparatory Committee on Globalization was established with the short term goal of concertedly participating in the Seoul Action, and a long term goal of boosting anti-globalist action to a more visible level within our network. We call our friends to:
1. Join and act with people across Japan and Asia in opposing globalization irrespective of focus and field. Similarly, the daily laborer and homeless rights' movement must actively engage in its own rediscovery by finding its place in the global movement against oppression and simultaneously incorporating the global movement into our own.
2. Asian organizations in the broader movement against oppresion and injustice offer Japan a unique opportunity for reawakening to the path towards human liberation. Though alliances and common ground have been recognized widely, we must more actively pursue solidarity and collaboration within all topics of global impact across the borders of nation, ideology, and position.
3. One unique feature of organizing within Japan's homeless and many underpriveledged communities throughout the world is the ability of the victims of oppression to form with their own hands and fuel with their own their own hearts a movement representative of their needs. As being achieved through the East Asia exchange, we must ensure that new networks built benefit all members of the movement, and persons at all levels may participate.
Though there is a certain degree of fallibility in setting aims to be achieved within the overwhelming reality of the co-existence and constant interaction of countless people, the fact remains that each individual, whether currently involved in the struggle or not, possesses unique visions, interpretations, and strengths directly rooted in a lifetime of social engagement. Our power is in reaching out. Our dreams are made vivid in connection. Another world lies in the meeting of souls and experiences, and our place in that world will only take shape when we are ready to embrace the laughter and tears of our compatriots within each struggle we tenderly consider our own.
(*) This article is written / translated for European Social Forum 2004
