FROM THE KEIHIN REGION (32) DEVELOPMENTS AFTER THE "URGENT APPEAL
FOR THE DEFENSE OF LIFE"
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Abe Keita (Franciscan priest) |
Since last year, as a result of the economic recession, the numbers of
dispatched and foreign workers losing their jobs continues to increase
and, as of February this year, the fully unemployed have reached 4.4% of
the whole working population. The social committee of the Japan Bishops'
Conference, confronting this sudden suffering that has caused a situation
where increasing numbers of people have lost their jobs and homes, made
a public appeal on January 13 demanding assistance and cooperation from
parishes and religious communities.
This appeal provoked a series of reactions inside the Catholic Church to
take concrete steps. As a result, various actions were taken to assist
foreign unemployed workers, to help in soup kitchen activities for the
homeless in need of food and to patrol the streets at night where homeless
people sleep, and to conduct medical and legal activities for unemployed
people.
For instance, in the western part of Shizuoka prefecture (Yokohama Diocese),
assistance has been provided for Brazilians of Japanese descent and other
foreign workers in Japan since the end of last year. Those workers lost
their jobs due to the termination of the labor contracts at factories in
the Hamamatsu and Iwata regions. Because there were many foreign workers
living around Hamamatsu and thanks to the pastoral activities of the church
there conducting the liturgy with Spanish-speaking people in their native
language, action was speedily undertaken to hold consultation activities
there.
According to a report in the Catholic Newspaper (26 April) introducing
the activities of a Saturday School for Latin American immigrants at Iino
parish (Saitama Diocese), the number of families receiving help since last
year and up to March of this year, increased from 100 to 150. In addition
to life assistance medical and counseling psychological activities have
also been initiated.
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One of the demands in the appeal for assistance by the social committee
of the Bishops' Conference is to consider using unused facilities of the
church, but concrete implementation of this gives rise to many difficult
problems. Facilities can often be made available for a limited period,
but in many instances a long-term use of facilities causes insuperable
problems. Not many places can imitate the 2 examples in the dioceses mentioned
above.
Frankly speaking, it would be good if the local administration would take
the quick steps towards a solution that it should be taking, but such cases
occur because it is impossible to wait any longer for the local administration
to act. Similar reactions to those presented above are being conducted
by various groups of citizens.
For instance, something usually forgotten regarding the issue of assisting
the unemployed due to the economic recession is the involvement of groups
of people with the homeless in Sanya and Kamagasaki even before the present
economic situation worsened. In the activities with such unemployed workers
one could find some common elements that would help to assist persons that
have just lost their jobs.
People dedicated to such activities often feel that the church is not the
only organ to assist those who have lost the basis of their lives and that,
in addition, it is important to cooperate in the exchange of proper information
to gain access to consultation with the local administration and obtain
adequate assistance. This is an occasion for the church to be in direct
contact with citizens' groups.
One of the results of the "Urgent Appeal for the Defense of Life"
is that the Church is being asked to find ways of cooperating with people
holding various positions.
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