On Faith
THE HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF
Saturday, April 28, 2001
INTERNATIONAL BUDDHISTS
(Editor's note: Political activists are not the only ones raising concerns about potentially negative effects of industrialization in the Third World. The Hawaii Association of International Buddhists this week addressed its position paper, "Buddhist Concerns with the Asian Development Bank," to the ADB, which will hold its annual meeting next month in Honolulu. The statement was signed by association president the Rev. Irene Matsumoto, vice presidents Robert Bobilin and Richard Paw U, and consultant Glen Paige.) Ill-conceived projects
mar ADB efforts
Engaged Buddhists reflect on our interconnectedness, or "interbeing," with those in poverty who have no access to basic health care, sanitation or education.
The Dalai Lama's teaching of "universal responsibility" or "universal compassion" remind us of our roots in faith and motivate our action. Dana, or generosity, is considered the first and most important of the Mahayana Buddhist paramitas -- transcendent virtues -- because it implies all the others.
The Asian Development Bank and its siblings, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, have as their mission the alleviation of poverty and more sustainable development. James Wolfensohn, the president of the World Bank since 1995, has acknowledged the past mistakes of the bank and has promised fresh thinking and a revision of previous mistakes of these institutions.
The ADB's operations have been the target of significant criticism in South and Southeast Asia, particularly due to the negative social and environmental impacts of its projects and the lack of transparency and accountability in its governance. Time and again it has financed gargantuan, ill-conceived projects whose environmental and grass-roots sensitivity have been dubious. Rusting and abandoned caterpillars and large construction equipment are often the marks of the First World's beneficence.
Bank-funded projects often do more to subsidize Northern corporations than to deal with Southern poverty.
Large-scale dams have particularly been tension points between the banks and critics. Dams have forced between 40 million and 80 million people from their homes and inundated millions of acres of farmland, forest and wetlands. At present the Greater Mekong subregions programs and poverty reduction strategy are now in question.
We urge ADB and other financial institutions to promote local communities' control over and access to management of natural and other resources and that equitable benefits for poor men and women are given high priority.
We encourage our city and state officials to provide for open discussion, critical discourse and protection of protesters during the time of the ADB meeting in Honolulu in May. This will be an opportunity for Buddhist temples and other organizations to broaden their perspectives and engage in discussions of international concerns.
[BRIEFLY]
Dignity Honolulu to hold 25th-anniversary service
The 25th anniversary of Dignity Honolulu will be commemorated tomorrow at the group's weekly service.Bob Mialovich, former Dignity USA president, will speak at the 7:30 p.m. Communion service at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 539 Kapahulu Ave.
A reception will follow.
For information call 536-5536.
Dignity is an independent lay organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics, their families and friends.
It was organized nationally in 1973 and has chapters in several U.S. cities.
Navy veteran to address Mililani church group
Retired Navy Capt. Takeshi Yoshihara will be the guest speaker tomorrow at the Mililani Christian Church's Founder's Day celebration.The worship service will be at 10:30 a.m. at Mililani District Park.
The congregation is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Oriental Missionary Society Holiness Church of North America.
Yoshihara was the first Japanese American to be admitted to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis.
After a military career that included service in Vietnam, he served as an adviser to the late Sen. Spark Matsunaga and was on the staff of Govs. George Ariyoshi and John Waihee.
His father, Buichi Yoshihara, was the first convert to the Japanese Holiness Church.
