To our friends and supporters,

The Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Research Institute was founded in August 1968 by the governments of the Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, and municipalities in Osaka Prefecture, and the Osaka Prefectural Association of Buraku Liberation League, other civil organizations and individual researchers including the late Tomohiko Harada (the first executive director of the BLHRRI) and the late Sueo Murakoshi (its first secretary general). BLHRRI celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Since foundation, BLHRRI has dedicated itself to research activities, educational programs, publication of books to create public opinion, and information dissemination through the library service and website, all for the sake of finding solution to the Buraku problem. We are proud that the BLHRRI is the best-qualified human rights institute in the country.

Since the late 1970s, the BLHRRI has focused its efforts on the consolidation of international linkage between the human rights programs of the United Nations and the human rights/anti-discrimination activities in other parts of the world. In this context, BLHRRI joined the efforts to found the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) in January 1988.

In the midst of the ongoing globalization, we are determined to strengthen our activities based on our past achievements and with more international perspective.

The recently elected governor of Osaka Prefecture, Mr. Tohru Hashimoto, has set up a project team (hereinafter "PT") to help him plan for the fiscal reconstruction of Osaka Prefecture. On April 11, the PT released its comprehensive draft proposals. In the draft proposals, a proposal to discontinue the provision of subsidies and the commissioning of projects to the BLHRRI is included. These are the projects that we have been undertaking for the past years, and if the proposal is adopted, it will give a serious damage to our programs and activities.

Therefore, we would like to ask you, who have supported and worked with us for a long time, to write to the Osaka governor urging him to continue the project subsidies and the project commissioning to the BLHRRI. Please write to the governor not later than the end of this month, May.

In your letter, please specify the following three points:

1. The Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Research Institute has played an important role in the solution of not only Buraku problem but also similar forms of discrimination and similar types of human rights problems that exist in other parts of the world. We (I) strongly hope that the BLHRRI continues to play such an important role.

2. While we (I) understand that Osaka Prefecture has been in very difficult financial condition, we (I) also believe that efforts to solve Buraku problem and other human-rights-related problems are extremely essential. Therefore, we (I) would like to ask the Osaka Prefecture to continue the provision of subsidies and commissioning of projects to the BLHRRI.

3. Your decision to continue the support to the BLHRRI will certainly help boost the international reputation of Osaka Prefecture as a place which attaches importance to human rights issues at all times including times of emergency.

We appreciate your help at this very important time.

Yours sincerely,
Kenzo Tomonaga
Director

** Please send your appeal letter to the Governor via fax at: +81-6-6944-1010