Candle Night December 2008

Candle Night Newsletter
Invitation to Candle Night December 2008
December 15, 2008
Candle Night Committee
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Candle Night December 2008

Turn off your lights for two hours from 8 to 10 p.m. on the evening on
December 21, 2008.

Do something special . . .
Read a book with your child by candlelight.
Enjoy a quiet dinner with a special person.
This night can mean many things for many people.
A time to save energy, to think about peace,
to think about people in distant lands
who share our planet.

Pulling the plug opens the window to a new world.
Awakens us to human freedom and diversity.
It is a process of discovery about our potential.
However you spend them, for just two hours, join us.
Turning off the lights, and help us spread
a gentle wave of candlelight around the earth.

On the evening of December 21, from 8 to 10 p.m.
Turn off your lights. Take it slow.

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Candle Night started in 2003 by several non-governmental organizations.
This grassroots movement is now spreading to citizens, businesses and
municipal governments. Candle Night suggests spending some time in more
natural light, away from everyday life and artificial lighting. It’s not a
movement intending to force people to turn off their lights or to
raucously protest against anything.

The Candle Night Committee hopes to extend this event from Japan to the
world. We will provide readers with information and activities of Candle
Night, and stories related to candles, lights and fires. We hope you feel
connected with people around the world through Candle Night.

To learn more about our initiative, read "2008 Summer Solstice Marks
Candle Night’s Fifth Anniversary of Sending a Message to the World"
written by Junko Edahiro and Yuko Kishikami at:
http://www.candle-night.org/english/2008summer/2008/06/2008_summer_solstice_marks_can.html

If you are interested in the activities of Candle Night, please go to 2007
Report;
http://www.candle-night.org/data/candlenight-report2007summer-english.pdf

2008 Report will be on the web soon.

For more information, please visit our website.
http://www.candle-night.org/english/
(English)
http://www.candle-night.org/
(Japanese)

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Report on Candle Night Summer Solstice 2008
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The lights-down events were held from 8 to 10 p.m. on June 21, the
solstice, and July 7, the first day of the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit. This
was done in collaboration with the Japanese Ministry of the Environment.
According to the ministry, a total of 149,937 facilities all over Japan,
including major landmarks, businesses, municipalities and commercial
facilities joined. During the campaign, over 2,370,000 kilowatts per hour
of electricity was saved, which translated into the equivalent of 925 tons
of CO2. This amount is equal to the daily emission of about 64,000
households.

On June 21, lights-out events were also held in Seoul, Hong Kong, and
various cities in Taiwan and China.

*Candle Night Korea
In Seoul, a countdown event was held from 18:00 to 22:00 at the foot of
the N Seoul Tower. Some streetlights were turned off in the downtown area
for an hour from 20:00 to 21:00. (Korean Women’s Environmental Network)

*Dim It–Hong Kong
Over 142 buildings in the Victoria Harbor area turned out their lights for
one hour from 20:30 to 21:30.
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=hcjKF_tj6ek
(FoE Hong Kong)

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New Candlescape is Open!
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The "Candlescape," an online, 3-D "globe" message board, displays messages
from participants around the world. In 2008, it is upgraded with a variety
of functions. For example, messages can be displayed in many different
languages as originally posted. Some of the messages will also be
presented in English and Japanese translation.

Please post your message on the Candlescape – we would like to convey it
to as many people as possible. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

http://feel.candle-night.org/scape/

These are some of the messages posted on the Candlescape:

*Slow is beautiful. Certain things can be seen only in darkness. Let’s put
lights in our hearts.

*I want to start from what I can. We don’t have to overdo, but we can
begin whenever we feel like!

*It is a magical feeling to be able to connect with someone, whom we have
never met and who lives far away, through candlelight. I feel warm and
happy.

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Messages and Essays by Key Promoters of Candle Night
***************************************************
On our website, you can read messages and essays written by the key
promoters of Candle Night in Japan, who initiated the movement and have
been playing a central role in the promotion of Candle Night.

*What do you mean by "affluence?" In his essay, Shinichi Tsuji, a cultural
anthropologist, introduced a South American legend of a hummingbird. "I am
only doing what I can do," it says, but the idea may lead us to the true
sense of an "affluent society."
http://www.candle-night.org/english/2005/06/essay.html

*Candle Night–when Environment Sets the Trend of the New Era
Many people may not be sure how to change themselves, although they
realize they want to, or they feel they need to, change something.
However, just a little effort can be change everything.

Miyako Maekita is a copywriter and creative director, particularly working
on public relations of non-governmental organizations. You can read her
essay at;
http://www.candle-night.org/english/2006/06/candle_nightwhen_environment_s.html

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Stories about Candles and Fires Wanted
***************************************
Please send us information on Candle Night and lights out events in your
community. We also invite your local stories, festivals and events related
to candles and fires. Please send emails to: eninfo at candle-night.org