A Shared Vision

Shumei and the United Nations

By Alice Cunningham and Dena Merriam

Alice Cunningham is Shumei's Executive Director of International Affairs, a nongovernmental organization that has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. She is the Shumei UN representative for their NGO activities and Shumei's president's executive assistant. She also travels extensively throughout Japan's Natural Agriculture farm network and is an advocate for sustainable living. She has been affiliated with Shumei since 1993.

            Dena Merriam is a partner and the Senior Chairman of Ruder Finn Inc., where she works in cultural marketing, creative services, corporate responsibility, and with religious and nonprofit organizations. Ms Merriam has worked with many corporate foundations and government organizations on social and global issues and has been involved with numerous projects with the United Nations. A long time friend of Shumei, she works with the Shumei Cultural Foundation to implement a global communications program to foster greater appreciation for the arts and to engage dialogue between the spiritual and cultural worlds.

We would like to present a vision of what we can accomplish through Shumei's involvement with the United Nations and how this involvement can become a platform for bringing Mokichi Okada's philosophy to the global community. This truly is a great opportunity for us, and it is up to each one of us to examine and maximize this opportunity. No matter where you are or what you do, whether you are in New York City or Los Angeles, whether your work is local or international, your effort will affect the success of our vision.

            We will share with you how our Non Governmental Organization (NGO) status came about. It all started at the grand opening ceremony of Shumei’s Crestone Center. Maurice and Hanne Strong were special guests at this event, at which Mr. Strong gave the keynote address. While Maurice and Hanne were speaking with Shumei’s president, Ms Hiroko Koyama, Maurice suggested that Shumei share its wonderful ideals with all the people of the world through the United Nations. He explained that Mokichi Okada’s philosophy applies to everyone in the world, not just to a limited group of people. He said that Shumei’s message needed to be shared globally. Impressed by what Maurice Strong told her, Ms Koyama decided to apply for NGO status with the UN.

            When we were preparing the application, we realized it was imperative that we explain who we are, and what we do, in a universal way so that anyone not familiar with Shumei, such as those at the United Nations, could clearly understand our activities and how we can contribute to world peace. To do this, we first needed to understand what the United Nations does and how it works. Then we needed to understand what NGOs do to support the UN, and how we could work with the UN in the most effective way.

            We will share two statements with you. One is from the UN Charter, the other by Mokichi Okada.

To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self–determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace.
—UN Charter, Article I

It is vital that the big powers of the world of the future avoid trying to spread their colors to other countries and instead try to make those other countries' colors brighter and more beautiful. This kind of policy will follow the will of God and bring the New World.
—Mokichi Okada, God the Artist

            As you can see, there is a common vision shared by the United Nations and Shumei, both in regard to respecting the diversity of nations and in our aspiration to achieve world peace.

            You might ask what the UN does and why the UN is important. Now sixty years old, the United Nations is the only institution we have that is truly international; it is the only international organization where world leaders and representatives come together to discuss global issues and initiate efforts to further world peace. Although you might not hear much in the media about this, through nonpublic discussions with nations, the UN has actually prevented many potential conflicts from erupting. Also, UN peacekeepers are deployed to areas of conflict throughout the world, actions that have lessened or prevented violence. Another benefit we receive from the UN's efforts is the safety of our global airspace; because of agreements amongst countries, we can fly throughout the world. Even critics of the UN agree that it is essential that the UN exist.

            Recently, through the private sector's support, NGOs have become more important in continuing the UN's work. There has been a huge growth in this development over the last ten years, primarily due to the leadership of the current Secretary General, Kofi Annan, who has done much to encourage the participation of NGOs in the UN's work.

            However, the current number of NGOs with consultative status with the UN is only 2,719. Considering the millions of NGOs that exist in the world today, it is obvious that the UN is very selective when choosing which NGOs get consultative status. Receiving NGO status with the UN is not easy. It usually takes two to three years for the applications to be processed, and then only a handful of those who apply are granted the status. Therefore, it is close to miraculous for Shumei to be granted special consultative status in just one year.

            And the timing could not have been better. We were granted NGO status right before the Hiroshima Youth Summit. When the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was planning the Asia Youth Summit, Shumei volunteered to host the event in Hiroshima. However, we had not been granted NGO status, and the UNDP office in Japan did not know anything about us. It would have been very difficult for us to receive partnership status as a sponsor for this event. If the UN said “no” to our offer, we would not have been able to host the Summit. However, just in time, we received the letter granting our NGO status and were able to present ourselves as an organization recognized by the UN. The Youth Summit was certainly a great way to start contributing to the work of the UN.

II.

There are three main ways NGOs can influence or enhance the work of the UN: First, by participating in or hosting events, such as the Hiroshima Youth Summit. Second, by being involved in ‘on the ground’ grassroots projects. Third, by influencing policy decisions.

            The first type of involvement was fulfilled by Shumei’s participation in the Hiroshima Youth Summit. Through this summit, young delegates were able to engage in dialogues and exchange ideas. Some of the delegates were able to participate in the Shumei Home Stay Program and visit the Miho Museum and Kishima Island. When Barbara Hachipuka, a Zambian delegate, visited Kishima, she was very much inspired by the practice of Natural Agriculture and asked Shumei to help women farmers in Zambia through Natural Agriculture. This eventually led to Shumei's Zambia Project. This is a great example of a concrete project that grew out of the Summit. Without the Hiroshima Summit, we probably would not have met Barbara, and Barbara would not have discovered Shumei Natural Agriculture. The event presented a great opportunity for both Shumei and other delegates to share ideas and create a new project that will help support a sustainable future for the world.

            A good example of the second type of involvement, a ‘grassroots’ project, is a project called the Greenbelt Movement, founded in Kenya by Wangari Mathai in 1977. You might have heard of her. She saw the strong need to plant trees in Kenya, which was suffering from a severe drought. She started by organizing a small group of Kenyan women, who began to plant trees throughout the country. Years later, she had created a network of six hundred communities that have planted over thirty million trees. Her project raised the environmental awareness amongst the people in Kenya. She also worked in partnership with an environmental program set up by the UN in Nairobi. In 2004, she received the Nobel Peace Prize.

            One of the best examples of NGOs influencing UN policy is found in the international campaign to prohibit landmines. This began with a group of NGOs that were concerned with the terrible damage caused by landmines. As you might know, there are many undetonated landmines in the world today. They cause many deaths and serious injuries. The campaign began in 1992 and put such pressure on world leaders that by 1995, 136 countries had ratified bans on landmines. This was the first time in history that a weapon has been successfully prohibited.

            There are so many global challenges that the statistics can be overwhelming. Among the many causes of environmental degradation are global warming, deforestation, population growth, water shortages, hazardous chemicals in our environment, desertification, topsoil loss, loss of biodiversity, and our over–consumption of natural resources. Besides these, we also have poverty, illness, and warfare. Here are some alarming statistics:

*· Each year we lose 25 billion tons of topsoil. If we were able to retain this topsoil, we could feed 700 million out of 820 million people who go hungry every year.

*· There are 70,000 different types of synthetic chemicals released into our environment each year.

*· We are losing tens of thousands of animal and vegetable species each year.

*· There are approximately 1.3 billion people who have to survive on less than the equivalent of one American dollar per day.

*· Close to 80 percent of diseases in the developing world are caused by a lack of clean water.

            In India, people have been pumping so much well water that the water table has lowered drastically and wells are running dry. Many scientists concur that to restore well water to its original level will take about a thousand years.

            In Japan, sixty percent of the food is imported, the greater part coming from the USA. Unlike India, Japan does not face the problem of dry wells, because water is not used to produce most of the food the Japanese eat. Yet, the US is pumping so much well water from the ground that one day that nation will face the same water shortages as India. When this happens, there will be no more food for export, and many scientists predict that if the USA stops exporting food to Japan for more than three days, the entire population of Japan will go hungry. This is very frightening.

            The United Nations' response to these global challenges was to set up the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Every year, world leaders come together to discuss world issues. In the year 2000, responding to these and other global challenges, the UN issued these goals:

*· Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

*· Achieve universal primary education.

*· Promote gender equality and the empowerment of women.

*· Reduce child mortality.

*· Improve maternal health.

*· Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other pandemic diseases.

*· Ensure environmental sustainability.

*· Build a global partnership for the advancement of developing countries.

            The UN would like to achieve these goals by 2015. The goals are ambitious and not possible without help from the private sector and NGOs. It will take Africa at least a century to achieve these goals without help from the rest of us.

            These goals are good and noble; however, there is a problem with all their obvious good intentions. The problem is that they only address challenges on a superficial level. They only pose glazed–over solutions to the problems they address, and do not really look deeply into the root causes of these problems. It is here that Shumei can make a major contribution.

            The majority of these Millennium Development Goals are geared toward the challenges found in developing countries. But let us take a look at some of the challenges developed countries such as Japan and the USA face: air pollution, water pollution, industrial pollution, negative environmental impact on other countries, over–development, urban sprawl, apathy for environmental protection, and high suicide rates.

            There is no need to explain air and water pollution or all the many industrial pollutions, as everyone is already aware of these issues, but other issues that should concern us are less well known. An example of the industrialized nations' negative environmental impact on other countries is the excessive logging Japan and other developed countries have done in Southeast Asia. Excessive logging, sometimes illegal, has caused the recent devastating landslides in The Philippines, in which many lives were lost. It is said that this logging took place decades ago and has long since been stopped. Yet, obviously, the forests are still not restored to their former condition.

            Another example of negative environmental impact on other countries is oil spills from tankers. Recently, Japan has seen increases in oil spills by foreign tankers in the Sea of Japan due to the heavy vessel traffic there. The USA also has its own share of oil spills that have caused tremendous environmental damage.

            One of the most important environmental challenges developed countries need to address is apathy. This is a universal problem, but certainly more so in the developed countries. Most people really do not understand the serious effect these problems have on our planet. It seems that if people cannot see, feel, or touch these problems, these problems are not real to them. Many people do not think much about it when they dump chemicals down their drains. They do not realize that those chemicals are actually damaging our oceans. There are now so–called ‘dead zones’ in oceans, where nothing grows, and these dead zones are getting larger and larger by the year.

            Apathy is contributing to environmental degradation, and we really need to raise people's awareness. A key element of the Shumei Natural Agriculture movement is to raise the consciousness of people, teaching them to respect nature and live in harmony with it. Shumei needs to share this sensibility with others so that people will gain an overriding respect for nature.

            One other unique challenge we see, especially in Japan and Taiwan, is the high rate of suicide. Japan has the highest suicide rate of all developed countries. Over 30,000 people end their own lives every year. This indicates that we are suffering not just from exterior damage, but from damage inside ourselves, as well, and it also shows that people yearn for internal happiness. While most people might not identify this desire as spiritual in nature, it is spirituality that is needed badly to obtain internal happiness. Indeed, spirituality is the key to overcoming not only our internal problems, but also all the external problems we face today.

            Looking regionally at Asia's challenges, perhaps it is not an overstatement to say that these are also the whole world's challenges. India's rapid population growth and China's incredibly rapid economic growth will put an enormous strain on our resources over the next fifteen to twenty years, more so than we have ever witnessed in history. At China's current growth rate, by 2030 its need for oil will exceed what the entire world produces today. Currently, world production of oil is 84 million barrels per year. In roughly just twenty–five years, China alone will need 99 million barrels.

            Looking at these statistics, we might come to recognize the sad state of our planet. At the rate we are going now, the earth can no longer sustain itself. It is time to take action. We need to shift from our over–consumptive lifestyles to those that are more sustainable. This shift must occur to ensure the health and safety of future generations.

            It is in this respect that Shumei has so much to offer. We already have the wisdom of Mokichi Okada to guide and help us create a sustainable way of life, and we need to promote his idea of a sustainable lifestyle.

            So the question now is what Shumei can do to help solve all these problems.

            As mentioned earlier, it is true that the UN cannot address these problems without the support of civil society. Humanitarian organizations do much good, but they also are somewhat limited by their perspectives. Most such organizations concentrate on sharing food, planting trees, giving financial aid, and distributing seeds. Recently, more and more genetically modified seeds are being distributed by these organizations, and this type of aid does not create a real change in people's thinking and the reality of people's lives. Also, such genetically altered seeds might well cause larger problems in the future.

            At the Second Africa Youth Summit in Morocco, a Nigerian delegate explained that Niger had been experiencing terrible drought and desperately needed help. We all talked about the things that could be done, such as raising money and sending food. Then the delegate told us that neither money nor food would get to the people who need those most, because of governmental corruption. The Nigerian heard about Shumei's Zambia Project and asked if we could start a similar effort in Niger. Of course, it is not all that simple but the possibility is exciting. If the Zambia Project is successful, it might become a new kind of model project for the rest of Africa. In order to address the problems that Africa faces it is critical to bring new vision and new thinking that will break through some of the old bureaucratic patterns that have been proven not to work.

            What is Shumei's unique role? It has been a year and a half since Shumei obtained its NGO status. It takes time to understand how to work within the system of the United Nations, but there is tremendous potential here. Shumei understands the importance of addressing not just a problem's symptoms, but the root cause of the problem, as well. Here are examples of why people fail to understand the root problems:

No understanding of interconnectedness. People do not realize that a drought in Africa actually affects all of us. If a part of our body is injured, it affects the entire body. The same holds true for the world. If one part of the world has a problem, it will affect the entire world, because we are all connected. Shumei already exercises this wisdom.

Lack of harmony with Nature. We are out of touch with nature. Humans seek to dominate nature, not work in harmony with it. This is an area in which Shumei can contribute greatly.

Lack of understanding of the spiritual nature of all life. People do not see the connection between what happens in the material world and what is happening in the spiritual one. When people close their eyes to spirituality, they are not going to contribute to the betterment of the society. They do not see that the roots of all society's problems are spiritual in essence.

Overemphasis on material things; the need to balance the material with the spiritual. This can be very challenging to talk about in public. But we are finding ways to do so in a comfortable manner. We have found that speaking about Natural Agriculture is a very good entry point by which people can come to understand the importance of spiritual issues.

            Through our work with the international community, Shumei can address the roots of many of the problems that face the world today, not simply their symptoms. Our goal is to do this by promoting: an awareness of life's interconnectedness; a way of life that is in harmony with nature, based on a Natural Agriculture lifestyle; healing methods to purify one's being; balancing the material with the spiritual; and art and beauty as a means of gaining insight into the spiritual nature of life.

            It is often frustrating when policymakers approach problems with a superficial solution, rather than looking deeply into their causes. There is currently a huge campaign at the UN to stop malaria. Malaria is an enormous problem in Africa right now. The only solution provided so far is to send bed netting soaked in pesticides to African nations! So, African kids are now sleeping under pesticide–drenched bed nets. They might not get malaria, but there is a good chance they will have other problems as they grow up. This is obviously not the proper solution to the problem. It is rather like treating an automobile accident victim's superficial scrapes and bruises while ignoring his or her life–threatening internal bleeding. A holistic vision is needed. But very few NGOs exercise a holistic approach. They often advocate one particular issue such as women's rights, wiping out AIDS, and so on, focusing on one pet issue and trying to solve just one problem. Yet, without a holistic vision, we cannot begin to heal the world's suffering. This is where Shumei has a very special mission. We can advance a comprehensive and integrated approach to solving global problems.

III.

Let us look at how far Shumei has come in the last ten years. When the Miho Museum opened, it completely changed the course of Shumei. Shumei could no longer remain a self–enclosed organization centered in Japan. The world was at its doors, and Shumei was opening itself to the world. Because the Miho was such a huge success, people heard about us. People visited the museum and as soon as they walked into the entrance hall, with its splendid view of the Shigaraki Mountains, they glimpsed Meishusama Hall and the Joy of Angels bell tower in Misono over the peaks surrounding the adjoining valley. Naturally, they were curious and wanted to know what those structures were all about. Questions were asked, and we needed to find a way to explain ourselves to them and the rest of the world. First, we started integrating ourselves with interfaith communities. Then we developed a partnership with the Rodale Institute. This was a very important step for us. When the Miho sent an exhibition of works from its collection to Europe, we were able to bring to Europeans the concept of beauty's spiritual essence and its ability to uplift people's hearts. When the Shumei Taiko Ensemble performed at the Parliament of World Religions at Cape Town, South Africa, more interfaith communities were introduced to Shumei. And of course, a very large step was taken when we opened the Shumei International Institute's headquarters in Crestone, Colorado. The opening of our Crestone Center was a challenging step for Shumei's president, Ms Hiroko Koyama, to take, but it showed great vision. In the wake of the Center's opening came a vast expansion of our international work, and eventually our relationship with the United Nations.

            This in turn led to our involvement with the Youth Leadership Summits. It is very exciting to work with these young leaders, because these young people are our future. If we can help the next generation, we can realistically hope for a shift in policy direction and the eventual healing of our planet. And Shumei plays a major role in these summits.

            When the first Youth Leadership Summit was held in Senegal, a few young Shumei members and Sensei Alan Imai attended. Alan Imai led a session on Natural Agriculture. As mentioned before, Barbara Hachipuka, a delegate from Zambia, attended Alan's session and spoke with him. But nothing happened for a while after that. Then, when Shumei hosted the Asia Youth Leadership Summit, Barbara and a few of the African delegates were invited to attend in order to strengthen an Africa–Asia relationship. It is very important to build ties between Africa and Asia, because these two continents can share so much, and have so much to offer each other. The delegates visited many places in Japan including Kishima Island, where they saw Natural Agriculture being practiced. As explained earlier, this was the beginning of Shumei's Zambia Project. The Zambia Project is a tremendous step for Shumei, and it presents the possibility of bringing a new direction to the work of the UN. Recently, a planning meeting took place at the UN for the upcoming Global Youth Leadership Summit. At this meeting, Barbara showed a video featuring the Zambian women farmers, all of whom were very thankful to Shumei for its help. It was a very touching video.

            The UN officials were very pleased that the Hiroshima Youth Summit had a substantial outcome, with 1500 women farmers now practicing sustainable agriculture. With Shumei's help, farmers' cooperatives in Zambia are able to grow maize without using expensive and environmentally damaging industrial fertilizers or other commercial agricultural chemicals. At least 1400 farmers are now practicing self–sustainable Natural Agriculture.

            We organized and presented the first Natural Agriculture show in Zambia this last summer on July 20, 2006. This is part of an effort to recapture the Zambian farmers' heritage and share their culture with others. When Alan first visited Zambia, he asked the farmers about the traditional methods of farming in Zambia. The farmers could not give him examples because their past has been wiped out. Their written history starts when the British arrived, and their indigenous culture was never passed down to them. Because of the questions Alan asked, the farmers now want to recapture what remains of their culture.

            So the Zambia Project is not just about a farming method; it is also about how one can live one's life in relationship with the earth, nature, and one's own heritage. In this way, Shumei Natural Agriculture can help us address the root causes of the many complex problems that face society.

            An important aspect of Shumei Natural Agriculture is prayer. When we were in Japan in November of 2005 participating in the Shumei Natural Agriculture Conference, Alan asked everyone to pray for rain in Zambia. As you might know, many Shumei members and friends prayed for rain to end the Zambian draught. The rain came. Barbara told us that when the rain fell she could feel the connection between Zambia and all the Shumei Centers throughout the world. We are all spiritually connected. All this started at a summit in Hiroshima. It reinforces our sense of the bonds of affection shared by the whole human family, and how we all must work together for our common good. Just as we all feel that Zambia is part of our Shumei community, the lady farmers of Zambia feel the bond they have with Shumei despite our vast separation in geography and culture.

            Again, each one of us has an important part to play. It is possible that the action of people in Europe, industrialized Asia, and the USA could cause dramatic climate changes in other parts of the world. So the drought in Africa is not just a local problem in Africa; it is our problem too. We are all connected, and our behavior in the developed world affects other parts of the globe as well. We all have to work together.

            The answers to our problems are not easy. It is going to take the next generation much effort and creativity to better the world. It requires more than action, it requires nothing less than a change in our consciousness. To simply state the Millennium Development Goals of the UN is just a beginning, a bare minimum of what needs to be done. We must change not only our behavior but also our way of thinking. An essential way to change ourselves and the world is by sharing our love. Unless our hearts are open and giving, we cannot heal the world.

            It is very important to realize the power of individual effort. We talk a lot about ‘acting locally and thinking globally.’ All this simply means is that what we do in our immediate surroundings affects the entire world; what we do in our daily lives affects the whole planet. Realizing the relationship between what we do and its impact on the world is the first step. Many people, especially the young, ask what can be done to improve the world. There are many things we can do, some simple and some complex. You can devote your entire life to public service, or you can just say your daily prayers and share Jyorei. Most important is one's state of consciousness and the love we carry and share when practicing Shumei's philosophy. There is tremendous power in our actions when we do this. Just cultivating a small Natural Agriculture garden in your back yard or on your patio, doing your part to purify soil, or simply sharing your love with the earth instead of treating it like an object to be used and cast off, is enough to have a positive influence on our planet. We are all capable of greatness.

            And we all have to realize the importance of the next generation. When we talked last January in Japan with some of Shumei's young members, we were very moved that so many wanted to make a difference in the world, and how deeply they felt about Mokichi Okada’s philosophy. It felt as if we were planting seeds for the future. Shumei has great work to do in this world. And the UN can be an important platform from which we can do this work. There are many fine individuals working at the UN who have a great deal of influence, and our NGO partnership with them will bear wonderful results. We would like to give Shumei youth the opportunity through our NGO status and through the Youth Leadership Summits to mobilize their efforts for a better future. This is a long–term effort. Through these summits, the UN is identifying young people from the international community who might make a difference in the world, and building a global network among them.

            And we would like to help our youth create an environmental vision that will guide their generation so that they not only understand the problems they face but also find creative solutions to them. At the Global Youth Summit in New York City this year on October 29–31, 2006, there was an exhibition of our young people's visions of solving our current problems and finding new ways of addressing environmental problems. Barbara was there to present the Zambia Project so that people could experience it visually, giving the project greater impact.

            In Japan last January, many young people asked us what they could do to change the world for the better. Because many of them did not speak English and did not have connections to the international arena, they wanted to know what they could do as individuals. We told them simply to start talking to the people around them, share their philosophy with as many possible. If you raise the consciousness of one person, that person in turn could influence a whole new group of people. If one person realizes that his or her individual actions affect the whole world, that person can have a huge impact on society. Person by person, awareness is passed on. Here in America, we are a multicultural society and have more opportunities to influence people of different cultures. Sharing a philosophy and information can be very powerful. Some people might think that genetically modified seeds are the only solution to the poverty in Africa, as they increase crop yield. Yet, if we address the root cause of the poverty instead of focusing on quick fixes, if we convince people that we are all connected, and if we understand that sowing genetically modified seeds in Africa affects the rest of the world, then we might begin to put our energy into something more beneficial for all of us.

            During the Hiroshima Youth Summit, one of the young people raised the question: how do we overcome apathy amongst our peers? One of the speakers responded that first we must have conviction ourselves. This is true. When we meet a person with great conviction and determination, it is inspiring. If one has strong convictions, one will inspire others. And this is all done through personal exchanges. When you see someone determined to make a difference, you are inspired. We have to work deeply within ourselves to develop this kind of determination. We have to live a philosophy and not just talk about it. We have to demonstrate and practice it in our lives. It is only then that we can begin to hope to change the world. So, let us examine two practical steps we can take to live out Shumei's spiritual sensibilities.

Be informed. We are doing a series of programs with youth in Japan. One deals with being informed about current world issues, among them avian flu and climate change. Each group takes an issue and comes back with a solution. First, they learn about the issue, then examine what experts are saying about it. Finally, they present their own solutions—how Shumei would address the issue. In this way, our young people learn to apply Shumei's sensibilities to very specific issues.

Stay connected. One of the most important things that participants in the youth summits gain is the contacts they make. Keeping up with the international contacts and being part of the network is very important. Being part of a global network allows young people to share thoughts and ideas worldwide. One of the most beautiful things to come out of the UN's Youth Leadership Summits is the relationships that develop amongst young people. Our present generation of young people is the first truly global generation. They can communicate with each other around the world through the Internet. They are building a global network, and that is a very powerful thing.

            Another important step is to work on a specific project, because we must go beyond theory. As we all practice Mokichi Okada's philosophy in our daily lives, it is important to have both local projects and, when possible, international ones. If there is any message to remember it is this: If each one of us makes the effort, we can change the future. If all of us make an effort, we can transform the future for generations to come.

            Ultimately, it is not in the power of governments or political leaders to make a lasting difference in the world. It is up to all of us to make that difference. It is we, the public. It is all of us who know and understand the issues, and who make the effort, who will change the course of our future.

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