Key Muslim-Japanese conference embraces Muslim 7YP

A critical boost to the Muslim Seven Year Plan (M7YAP) initiative was given this spring in a key paper issued by the prestigious Annual Dialogue meeting of Japan and Muslim Nations.

The seventh annual conference took place in March in Kuwait. Taking inspiration from the ARC-UN Seven Year Plan, “The Environment and Civilization” Forum brought together senior representatives from both Muslim and Japanese governments under the sponsorship of His Highness, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, The Crown Prince of Kuwait. It also included over 70 researchers and experts.

The M7AP was welcomed by the conference participants as a positive solution in tackling climate change. The Japanese delegation confirmed this initiative was indeed a way forward in which Muslims and Japanese can work together. To quote the conference paper:

“[A key recommendation is to] encourage the use of religious values to face the problems challenging the world. The participants welcomed the Muslim 7 Year Action Plan (M7YAP) to face Climate Change and together called to support, encourage, and enable its adoption and development as a manifestation of Muslim-Japanese cooperation. The Japanese delegation welcomed this initiative as being one way in which it can work with Muslims to improve the state of the world and as a direct outcome from the historic Kyoto meeting in Japan which launched worldwide concern over climate change.

Themes included “Visions of The Solution”, offering suggestions of how to confront climate change. The Islamic Seven Year plan received a very positive response from participants, notably the way in which it transferred Islamic principals and teachings into a real action.

As well as adopting and encouraging the Muslim Seven Year Plan, other recommendations from the conference called for:

* Establishing a network of "Bridge of Wisdom" (Geser Al- Hekma) to reinforce the dialogue between Japan and the Islamic World in different fields, but particularly the environmental one.

* Dissemination of a culture of environmental conservation as one of the human values in the Islamic and Japanese civilizations – all facing the phenomenon of climate change.

* The development of youth exchanges between Japan and the Islamic world.

* Use of academic curricula to propagate the values of preservation of the environment in the Islamic and Japanese civilizations via programmes and seminar topics.

* Development of information and cultural programs, with joint training in Arabic, Japanese, and other languages to emphasise the contributions of these cultures towards the preservation of the environment and other fields.

* Activating the initiatives or laws specialized in preserving the environment and call for the enactment of new laws when needed.

* Develop a working team to observe and follow these recommendations till the eighth seminar next year in Tokyo.

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