Message from Chairman
RBA Activities that stand up against one’s inner desires
The year 2014 has seen frequent occurrences of painful incidents and conflicts, not just in Japan but all over the world. Instead of having patience and making efforts by looking into the future, people are only focusing on the issues that are right in front of them, who are only seeking the immediate gain. It can be seen as though a view of life that originates from self-centered heart does create these incidents and conflicts.
Such view of life, I assume, does not believe in others; it only believes in the self. It does not think about the future generations but has self at the center. The fundamental reason for such lies in the mentality that is unable to control the inner desires. The desire that wants to satisfy self; the arrogance with which the world is there for the self alone; and the cruelty that allows sacrificing anyone other than self, as a result, create these incidents and conflicts.
The preface of the Constitution of UNESCO states, “That since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed”. This quote superlatively states the importance of fighting against the mentality that cannot control the inner desire, and shows us the path to peace.
Furthermore, Ervin Laszlo, the founder of the Club of Budapest says, “There can be no greater insight today than that peace in the world depends crucially on peace in our hearts. …Attaining peace within one’s heart is a fundamental precondition of attaining peace in the world.”
Despite these wonderful declarations and indications, however, I feel with my own skin that the past year had led us in the totally opposite direction as these. And this is why I hold a sense of mission to promote RBA activities, which can demonstrate the human culture that can defeat our inner desires.
We, RBA International, this New Year, will promote RBA movements, which are not constrained to any politics, religion or ideology, which can achieve equal and fair mutual understanding to defeat the inner desires. For every one’s “only one life to live”, we attach the importance to the values of “Is this a poison or a medicine?”, and we base ourselves once again on the dignity of life. This way, we will implement our words and realize the cultural movement that respects human, and science exchange that respects environment.
January, 2015
Specified Nonprofit Corporation RBA International
Nobuhiro Kume, Chairman
