The Arms Down! Campaign for Shared Security held a news conference and ceremony on April 29 at Todaiji temple in Nara Prefecture under the co-sponsorship of the Youth Committee of the Japanese Committee of the World Conference of Religions for Peace and the campaign's Nara Prefectural Steering Committee.

The news conference took place in the temple's main hall, with the participation of Rev. Eiin Yasuda, chief abbot of Yakushiji temple and honorary president of the Nara Prefectural Steering Committee; Rev. Kokei Kawahara, chief abbot-designate of Todaiji and president of the Nara Prefectural Steering Committee; and representatives of the Youth Committee.

A ceremony then took place in front of the temple's Great Southern Gate, during which Rev. Yasuda; Rev. Kawahara; and Mr. Gen Nakagawa, the mayor of Nara, made speeches. Referring to the Millennium Development Goals for the eradication of poverty and hunger, Mr. Nakagawa called on the participants to join in steadfast efforts for the reduction of military expenditures and use of the savings to lift up the downtrodden. Some 120 participants, including young members of the Nara Dharma Center of Rissho Kosei-kai, gathered temple visitors' signatures to a petition for the campaign, explaining the importance of action to abolish nuclear weapons and achieve general disarmament.

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