Religious NGO Network on Humanitarian Support (RNN)
RNN Secretariat: 2770 Onoue, Shintozan, Okayama 701-1212, Japan
Tel/fax: +81 86 284 1242 Email: rnn@kurozumikyo.com
URL: http://www.rnn.jp/
Secretary General: Rev Munemichi Kurozumi (Vice Chief Patriarch, KurozumikyoShinto)
Chairperson: Ven Koushin Nagamune (Chief Priest, Honjoin Temple, Tendai-shu[Buddhist denomination])
Vice Chairperson: Mr Hiroshi Kawamoto (Church Management staff, Risho Kosei-kai
Okayama
Church[LayBuddhistOrganization])
Vice Chairperson: Fr. Izumi Nonaka (Father, Kurashiki Catholic Church)
What is RNN?
Religious NGO Network on Humanitarian Support (RNN) is a united body of religions
persons established in November 1996 in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Currently themembership includes religious persons of twelve different religious denominations andorganizations. They have made the following humanitarian support initiatives based
upon interreligious dialogue and cooperation, going beyond the boundaries ofdenominational and organizational differences.
Establishment of RNN
In February 1996 a big earthquake took place in Yunnan Province, China. Religiouspeople of different religious organizations, denominations, churches and temples inOkayama Prefecture were asked by Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA), alarge medical NGO headquartered in Okayama and a holder of the General Consultative
Status of the UNECOSOC, to collect relief goods and they worked together at Okayama
Airport for the shipment. In November the same year the 3rd Okayama NGO Summit
was held under the theme of “religion” organized by an umbrella organization of NGOs
within Okayama area including AMDA called Okayama Topia for International
Contribution (OTIC [1994-2004]). In the main event entitled “Humanitarian Support
Religious NGO Conference” (Nov. 24, 1996), the establishment of RNN with themembership of those who joined in the relief work for the Yunnan Earthquake andsome foreign participants to the Conference was formally adopted. Since then themembers in Okayama have held a monthly meeting (the 179th as of June 2012), having
selected a chairperson, two vice chairpersons and a secretary general.
Characteristic of RNN’s Initiatives
OTIC, the parent organization of RNN, was a civil organization based upon thephilosophy that aims at promoting international contribution while vitalizing local
communities based upon the spiritual climate of Okayama where humanism with regard
to health care, education and religion, environment, social welfare, etc. were respected.
In this sense RNN has a characteristic of being connected to and working together with
non-religious organizations (NGO/NPOs) from the beginning, while conducting its own1

humanitarian initiatives through RNN’s foreign members and those connected.
Characteristic of the membership
RNN neither has stipulated regulations nor membership fee. It has a consistent policy or
principle that any RNN’s activity should not burden each member’s belonged religious
group or organization, mutually respecting each other’s positions, situations and its own
activities. Participation to RNN’s initiative is each member’s own voluntary decision,and yet once participated, each of them should be responsible for what they say or do.
And the initiative is to be carried out upon all the participants’ agreement.
【RNN members’ belonged religions, denominations and religious groups】
1. Catholic, 2. Islam, 3. Konkokyo (Shinto derived independent group), 4.
Kurozumikyo (Shinto group), 5. Nichiren-shu (Buddhist denomination), 6.
Protestant, 7. Rinzai-shu (Buddhist denomination), 8. Risho Kosai-kai (layBuddhist group), 9. Shingon-shu (Buddhist denomination), 10. Sokagakkai (layBuddhist group), 11. Tendai-shu (Buddhist denomination), and 12. Tenrikyo(Shinto derived independent group)
Outline of activities
Interested members also made RNN Study Tours in which visits were made to themembers abroad, inspecting local sites and holding exchanges, RNN Volunteer Lecture
Course open to the public that introduced the actual situations of the places where thesupport efforts had been made, holding RNN Forum that is an open symposium aiming
at promoting correct understanding on religions, joining in the interfaith memorialservices in the disaster-stricken regions with local religious people, praying for thedeceased, recovery of those suffered and damaged, and eventually for world peace.
Since 2005 several member groups have held “RNN Healing Concert” for the memoryof those who lost their lives by the war and disasters and for offering sincere prayers forworld peace (eight times by June, 2012)•Initiatives made for the East Japan Great Earthquake and Tsunami(March 11, 2011)
Street fund-raising in Okayama City (March 13-April 12, 2011)
Soon after the outbreak of the disaster volunteered members started the fund-raising on
the streets of Okayama City everyday for one month to be donated to AMDA. During
the period altogether 511 persons joined the activity and ¥2,656,960 was collected.
During and after the period RNN member groups also did their fund-raising andtogether with theirs, the sum total of ¥4,531,206 (about $56,640) has been donated toAMDA. (The Riverside Church donation of $1,258.06 is included).
Besides this RNN’s fund-raising activity to AMDA, RNN members naturally haveengaged in their denominations’ or groups’ fund-raising activities donated to othermajor aid organizations such as the Japanese Red Cross, etc., and the amount of whichis quite extensive.
Simultaneous prayers for the deceased and victims in the stricken region and2

Okayama
For ten days from March 19th one member (Shingon-shu monk) went to the strickenregion as a volunteer staff upon request of AMDA. Besides the relieve activities heoffered morning prayers at a local temple (used as a place of refuge) and RNN members
in Okayama offered their prayers at the same time for the deceased and victims. He also
recited sutras in prayer at temporary morgues upon request by the temple’s priest, which
was greatly appreciated and made him aware of the importance with strong demands insuch a particular situation.
RNN Interfaith Memorial Service (April 29, 2011)
On April 29, 2011, 50th day after the outbreak of the East Japan Great Earthquake, RNN
held interfaith memorial service at Sunrise Ceremony Site of the Kurozumikyo
Headquarters, the venue considered suitable, as it is situated on a hilltop facing theeastern horizon, i.e., the direction of the stricken region. RNN members of Catholic,Konkokyo, Kurozumikyo, Shingon-shu and Terndai-shu offered their prayers one after
another. Before this, Shingon-shu priest who was in the stricken region made a briefreport on his experience and at 14:26, the time of the disaster outbreak, around ahundred people participated offered their silent prayers.
Helping to pack into sets of stationery to be sent to senior high schools in thestricken region (April 10, 2011)
In receipt of AMDA’s request RNN’s Shingon-shu member who was in the stricken
region called around 80 local primary school pupils, junior and senior high school
students to come to his temple and pack stationery sent from six senior high schools in
Hiroshima to be sent to students of the stricken region via AMDA. They made1500 setsof stationery for individual use, which were shipped to the senior high schools in theregion.	 

Held the RNN Bond-making Meeting (August 2, 2011)
A part of AMDA East Japan Great Earthquake Friendship Programme throughSports Exchanges (August 2-5, 2011)
This programme was planned to strengthen bonds between the supporters in Okayama
and disaster stricken region through sports exchanges. Football teams of three juniorhigh schools in the region lead by the teachers and AMDA staff were invited toOkayama to have games with the local junior high schools and exchanges for makingbonds with one another for encouragement.
On the first day (August 2) upon their arrival RNN held Bond-making Meeting.
Memorial service was made By Kurozumikyo Shinto priests at the prayer hall ofKurozumikyo Headquarters. Before the service five RNN member groups (Catholic,Konkokyo, Kurozumikyo, Tendai-shu and Shingon-shu) offered their prayers facing to
the east onto the prepared presents; bond-signed stickers and key rings attached withbraided cords. The work of attaching braided cords to key rings was made by local
junior high school students. After that, Barbecue party was held to welcome them andthey all had a joyful time of exchanges for making bonds.	 
RNN Secretary General visited a social welfare organization, NGOs and NPOs in the stricken3

region as a part of WCRP Japan’s support project (August 10-13, 2011)

Rev Kurozumi (Secretary General of RNN, also a Councilor of WCRP Japan) and other
WCRP staff visited Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures to meet with local representatives of asocial welfare organization, NGOs and NPOs supported by WCRP Japan in order todiscuss what they can do on concrete terms in cooperation. They also visited AMDA’slocal health support centre.
RNN Secretary General took Okayama’s university students to the stricken region(August 24-26, 2011)
Rev Kurozumi, being a selected leader of the local university students, took them bybus to the region, visited various support organizations and did some volunteer work
such as getting rid of rubble, etc. Exchanges were made with junior high schools whose
football teams visited Okayama for the Bond-making Meeting.
RNN Interfaith Memorial Service (March 11, 2012)
On March 11, 2012, one year after the disaster RNN held the second memorial service
at Sunrise Ceremonial Site of the Kurozumikyo Headquarters. RNN members ofKonkokyo, Kurozumikyo, Risho Kosei-kai, Shingon-shu and Terndai-shu offered theirprayers one after another. Before that AMDA’s President Dr Shigeru Suganami greeted
and thanked the participants of around 80 people and at 14:26, the time of the disasteroutbreak silent prayer by all was offered. Dr Suganami told the participants that
religious persons working together with AMDA’s medical staff in the stricken region isan integral part of their initiative, making the support work more complete.
Offering Prayers at AMDA Bond-making Concert in Okayama (March 19, 2012)
In receipt of AMDA’s request four RNN members led a silent prayer with all theparticipants at the beginning of the concert. A brass band of Otsuchi Senior High Schoolin the disaster stricken region was invited to Okayama and performed together withlocal Shujitsu Junior and Senior High School brass band. This was followed by theexchange between them, creating bonds among them.	 

RNN Secretary General attended a WCRP Japan sponsored Joint Interfaith
Memorial Service at a temple of the Stricken Region (March 21, 2012)	 
Rev Kurozumi attended a WCRP sponsored Joint Interfaith Memorial Service for theVictims of the East Japan Great Earthquake and Tsunami held at a local Jodo-shu
Buddhist temple in Otsuchi Town. He also visited Otsuchi Senior High School whose
brass band visited Okayama a few days ago for further strengthening the bond withthem.	 
RNN Secretary General participated in a WCRP Japan organized Round-table
Conference in Sendai
WCRP Japan organized a round-table conference in Sendai City, one of the cities
stricken by the disaster, with a local interfaith council whose member groups haveconducted various support initiatives as kind of working units immediately after theMarch 11, 2011. They discussed what they can do together, taking the advantage ofbeing an interfaith body. They have conducted, e.g., spiritual support or consultation for4the people in trouble through their established radio station. They are trying to set up asystem of qualifying clinical religious advisors on their set standard for the traumatizedvictims without delving into their religious conviction. They have advised andsupported the disaster victims when they had a trouble with cult members who quietly
approach to them in hospitals, places of refuge, universities, etc. This type of support
initiatives are made possible or socially acceptable because of the interfaith orinterreligious nature of the religious council and WCRP.
RNN held Volunteer Lecture Course: Religious Persons Needed in a
Disaster-stricken Region – Learning from the East Japan Great Earthquake andPreparing for a Possibly Occurring Great Disaster (May 28, 2012)
RNN has decided to hold an open Lecture Course at Kurozumikyo Headquarters out of
the members’ concern that another large earthquake and tsunami epicentred along theTokai, Tonankai and Nankai Troughs could occur at anytime in the future and thus
RNN should be duly prepared in receiving, first of all, professional advices fromAMDA. The day’s two-hour programme, therefore, was started with AMDA President,
Dr Suganami’s lecture followed by a symposium participated by Dr Suganami, Ven
Koushin Nagamune (Chairperson), Mr Hiroshi Kawamoto (Vice Chairperson), Mr
Takeshi Sugimoto, Ven Ryumon Miyamoto and chaired by Rev Munemichi Kurozumi(Secretary General). Dr Suganami made many important points in conducting
emergency medical support. He firmly believes that religious persons are essential as
they can cover spiritual side of support to the victims which AMDA’s medical staff
cannot engage in. Working together certainly makes the support work more complete.
In further enhancing the understanding and knowledge on the theme, the second lecture
course may be held, taking into account the response and opinions of the participants
collected via a questionnaire.

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