It gives me a great pleasure to watch something special is happening. Something fills the air in this hall. Something fills the heart of the people.

It began August, last year with only a few persons with small dream, a dream with a little chance to realize. We are again having a international meeting here in Osaka. The civil society organizations or NGOs participating in AANEA are confronted with an almost impossible task, solving the transboundary atmospheric problems with our own hands. There are three good reasons why we have to worry.

First, the respective governments themselves will not be in a good position to solve the problems because of the conflict of interests. Even the government officials feel powerless in solving the problems because no measures can override the decision of the international conventions and treaties. How NGOs with no legal and official powers can handle the problems?

Second, we only have a few, if not at all, reliable NGO counterparts in the transition economies, where radical action would be needed most, and excellent results could be taken in advance. Which NGOs will be responsible to solve the problems in the respective countries in transition.

Third, even though we come up with very plausible solution, lack of funding will be a critical impediment, especially in the case of international joint effort. We were very fortunate to find a start-up fund from several sources including critical support from JGFE, however, we are not sure whether we can finance the ever-increasing expenses as our ambition grows.

Ladies and gentleman, we, the people from the East Asia region, gather here to confront these obstacles and initiate a new experiment. We are now demanding greater accountability and transparency from respective government and domestic corporations, and moreover, from international organizations and transitional corporations. Because people are now awakened, and pursuing their own agenda. People believe in themselves in making our world better places to live. People also feel responsibility of their own before blaming others. That is the reason why we are here.

Ladies and gentlemen, The region we are committed to change is no ordinary one. Thus the task we are facing is not ordinary one either.

The East Asian Region is consested of two very distinctive groups, namely the continental state group and the marine state group. These two groups has been too different to be identified as one region especially after the World War 2 and the emergence of the communist states despite their long history of engagement with Coufucian tradition.

The continental states are former socialist countries with Centrally Planned Economy now in transition. Except the North Korea, China the Far East Russia and Mongolia are rapidly developing their economies with gradual adoption of free market system. The rapid development with low quality fuel such as coal, however, is posing a great environmental threat to the neighboring countries. Tyhese states are characterized by the lack of civil society. By definition the NGO does not exist because the socialist government controls every aspect of life with only a few exception.

The marine states are capitalist countries with Market Economy. Starting with one of the most developed economies in the world, Japan, three little dragon states such as South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong are experiencing very extensive atmospheric problems in their metropolitan areas and the major cities near industrial complexes. Unlike the continental state, these countries are benefited by the active campaign by many civil society organizations for solving the environmental problems.

The most important principle of democracy is that sovereignty resides in the people, the citizenry. In other word, each person has a sovereign right which can not be compromised with any other power in the world. The citizen is the master of its destiny in its home, in its town, in his country and in its only one earth.

This attempt is noble and bold: Noble, because it is voluntary works with love from the bottom of our heart for other people present and of future generations; Bold, because we know it is an almost impossible dream considering powers and leverage we have now. However, because it is noble and bold, we believe we can win like the song “We shall overcome.”

Ladies and gentlemen, we are now stepping into a new road ahead. We are starting a long journey to a brave new world. Let’s take hand in hand. Let’s go together. Let’s make it happen.