Last Updated/ May 1. 2000



1. The Purpose and Philosophy of PFI


Now we Japanese are highly suffered and embarrassed in our poor daily life, namely scarce income and enormous expense such as tax, instalments of insurance and pension, and high cost of living. All thesel resulted from present false politics of our government, which ignores the citizen's voice in all areas like medical care, welfare or environmental reform, education, laboring conditions etc. When we leave these situations as they are, we individuals shall lose our freedom and lives, and seriously suffer from poverty both mentally and physically.

Hence, we should not realize such a fatal situation in Japanese society, so we urgently start a new citizen-based politics by ourselves. Here we declare that we are to establish the "Political Forum on the Internet"(=PFI) in order to abolish the present political hierarcy system in Japan which is totally centralized and controlled by the bureaucracy, and restore the true democratic politics forthe citizen. To realize its aim, we are to develop the national movement and strategically build a new democratic system for citizens themselves.





2. The Activities and Prospects of PFI

(a) The Condition for Participation in PFI

PFI is the general name of the citizen actions in Japan which are managed by some active people on the Web. They make efforts every day in order to establish a new democratic political system of Japan and realize there the true "politics based on the citizen sovereignty". For this reason, they will invent and use many strategies and methods, in cooperation with some representatives of several citizen groups and think-tanks as following:


1. The Vertual Political Party "The Federalist"
The new Japanese political Party in cyberspace, which aims to establish the federal republic or the united states of Japan.


2. Democratic System (Homepage of "Questionnaire-Counciler")
A personal think-tank of a local assemblyman who does "questionnaire" to the citizen and always reflect the results on his belonging local assembly.


3. Lincoln Club (Institute of Ultimate Democracy)
A political group founded for the government of the people, by the people, for the people. The president is also managing the "institute of Ultimet Democracy". They claim the introduction of Direct Democracy in the Diet, such as citizen's electronic voting or national referendum.


4. Institut of Electronic Government (Global Brain Institut)
A personal think-tank of an engineer who develops digital softwares for the new electronic system used for the politics.


5. Association for Direct - Indirect- Coexiting Democracy
A citizen network which claims a new political system based on the direct and indirect combined typeof democratic assembly.


6. Citizen Group for a Political Council System
A personal think-tank which insists a new assembly system based on the council meeting instead of the party-based politics.


7. New Party of Niigata
A new local party which actively proposes local sovereignity and try introducing new political systems and rules in the area of Niigata, Japan.


8. Japan Association for the Development of National and Local Referendum
A national civil group that seeks for the realization of national referendum in Japan and the reform and develpoment of local referendum all around the country.

(b) Political Strategies of PFI


We are now considering the following activities on the Web and in the real world. If you are interested in them or have some comments on them, please let us know by E-mail.


1) Help Citizen's Activities for the Reform of Political System in Japan
We put forward citizen's initiative and appeal to any political members, citizen groups, NGOs, lawyers, activists, who are representatives of non-profit, non-ideological and non-party persons or group members.
We are planning the following activities now:


(a) Activity for the Reform of the Law on Local Self-Government (in Conjunction with Citizen's Ombudsman groups)

(b) Activity for the Realization of National Voting System in Japan

(c) Activity for the Reform of the Judicial System in Japan (with the aim to the realization of Jury System in Japan)

(d) Activity for the Reform of the Law on the Publicity of Governmental Information

etc.


2) Political Seminar or Symposium for the University Students


3) World Federalist Movement


4) World Movement for Direct Democracy


5) Develop the Websites of Local Assemblies all over Japan.


6) Help the Citizen's Group for the Referendum


7) Activity for fthe Referendum for the Promoting Osaka Olympic Games in the Year 2008

etc.

(C) Principles for the Management of PFI

1. There are no president, no leaders, no captains in our network. Thus we should not have any hierarchical �@�@system composed of some selected elites or lerned people. Every participant is namely a leader and subject, who can build flexible, open and flat networks with each other. Any citizen or groups can freely take part in our network. We are ready to welcome new participants at any time.

2. In our network, any participants or groups can cooperate and act together at any time, by its plan, project or activitity. Those who don't want to participate in the plan or project, they don't have to.

3. There is no representative or core group in our network. Therefore no participants can force others to join their program.

1. TAN+N --- Teledemocracy Network (by Ted Becker)
2. Direct Democracy Forum (by Ian Green)
3. Direct Democracy League (founded by Stephen Neitzke)
4. Continuing International Congress on Direct Democracy (by George Kokkas)
5. Direct Democracy Homepage (by Mirek Kolar)
6. National Voter Outreach, USA
7. Korean Cyberparty (by Seong M. Won)

Other Homepages on Direct Democracy

(c) Copyright. Shuji Imamoto 2000.1- All Rights Reserved.