Flagship Project

1) Prevention of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking contains such multi-faceted issues as sexual exploitation, forced labor, illegal organ trafficking, domestically forced labor and forced crime, etc. According to the International Labor Organization, the victims of human trafficking are accounted over 40,000,000 people.

The Philippines and Indonesia, in particular, where many cases of human trafficking are being reported, are determined to eradicate human trafficking cases through mental care programs for the victimized women and girls and through offering training courses for care-takers.

Human trafficking is not an exclusive problem of the developing countries. The developed countries, which are regarded as the beneficiaries of human trafficking, bear responsibility in curbing the cases of human trafficking throughout the region.

ACRP led by the Asia and the Pacific Women of Faith Network (APWFN) and Religions for Peace Philippines carries out an advocacy program for anti-human trafficking.

2) Education on the Dignity of Life

ACRP strongly believes that the respect for human dignity and human rights are fundamentally important pre-requisites to eradicate poverty and racial discrimination. From an educational perspective, in particular, we spare no efforts in propagating such universal values through Asia-Pacific region.

Aiming at the empowerment of the vulnerable in societies such as women and children, ACRP through its national chapters is being engaged in advocacy activities against child labor, child marriage and child trafficking (these are for children), and those for improving status in societies and promoting self-support in communities, while re-affirming fundamental rights in household and offering opportunities for vocational training (these are for women).

Education on the dignity of life is not a sphere, in which a couple of countries become interested. It is rather a Pan-Asian issue, in which many countries in our region ought to be engaged.

3) Conflict Transformation and Reconciliation

Quite a few intra-national and regional conflicts are being witnessed in Asia-Pacific region. ACRP is so proud that Religions for Peace Thailand and Religions for Peace Philippines have already committed to and brought about positive outcomes of their programs carried out in their respective countries for conflict transformation and reconciliation in response to the ACRP Strategic Action Plan, which was adopted in 2015.

As priority projects, ACRP through the selected national chapters concerned is now promoting peace and reconciliation in the Korean Peninsula and bilateral dialogue between Bangladesh and Myanmar in view of an issue of the Rakhine state of Myanmar, so called the Rohingya refugee issue.

For the former, the Korean Council of Religionists (KCR) and the Korean Conference of Religions for Peace (KCRP) are being engaged in informal consultations from time to time. And for the latter, Religions for Peace Bangladesh and Religions for Peace Myanmar in consultation with the secretariat in Tokyo are exploring a proper opportunity in building a platform for the bilateral dialogue.

4) Development and Environment

One of the 11 recommendations for action, which is being listed in the Incheon Declaration reads: “National chapters…establish environmental program of planting at least one tree every year…” In response, various national chapters of ACRP, including Religions for Peace Japan, carry out the programs for the environmental protection, including forestation programs. Particularly, the young leaders of ACRP are very active in this field.

In addition, the China Committee on Religion and Peace (CCRP), which is chairing the Working Commission on Development and Environment (one of the taskforce-typed ACRP Working Commissions), convenes annually an international seminar of environmental issues. CCRP’s endeavor helps in strengthening the commitment of ACRP to a critically important issue of the environment regionally and globally.

5) Advancement of Youth Leadership

It is often said that the youth are hope of the future. But ACRP is of the view that the youth are hope not only of the future but also of the present. With this conviction, ACRP is engaged in the process of empowering young leaders of the organization, being convinced that the empowerment of the youth stems from their own initiatives.

ACRP sees the value of ‘APIYN Camp’ organized annually by the Asia and Pacific Interfaith Youth Network (APIYN). ACRP also offers subsidy to programs/projects initiated by the young members of the selected national chapters. Furthermore, ACRP supports activities planned and carried out by APIYN.