Oku Damashi Martial Arts: Causes We Support

Oku Damashi Martial Arts is a proud supporter of keeping our Earth clean and protecting endangered wildlife. Below are some projects (with links to their web-pages) that Oku Damashi Martial Arts is involved in supporting. Click on the links below to be taken to their sites!

“Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life.

~Dalai Lama~

Sierra Club of Canada

Take Action Grizzly

Take Action Grizzly is a project created by the Sierra Club of Canada to protect Alberta grizzlies from losing their habitat. There are fewer than 730 grizzlies in Alberta to date, and are now listed as “Threatened” on the Endangered Species list. This decline in Grizzly numbers is a huge indicator of other drastic, negative changes in our environment. Our Dojo has supported this project by getting over 1,000 signatures for the Take Action Grizzly campaign! To learn more about the important role grizzlies play in our ecosystem, the B.E.A.R Essentials and the Grizzly Umbrella visit:

http://www.sierraclub.ca/en/action-grizzly-bear (Home Page)

http://www.sierraclub.ca/en/action-grizzly-bear/our-threatened-grizzly (Grizzly information)

Get educated on eco-issues in our back yard!

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is an international, non-profit organization that is dedicated to the protection of marine wildlife. They take action into their own hands by patrolling well known whale/marine hunting sites to prevent the illegal poaching of whales and dolphins. Their organization holds no prejudice against any race, religion, sex or ethnicity; only towards the illegal actions of individuals. Their many campaigns include:

· Operation No Compromise: 2010-2011 Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign against illegal Japanese whaling fleets in the Southern Ocean.

http://www.seashepherd.org/no-compromise/

· Defending Sharks: Driven towards educating the masses about shark slaughter. Did you know that humans kill 100 million sharks PER YEAR? Get Educated!

http://www.seashepherd.org/sharks/

· Taiji Cove Guardians: This issue was made famous by the 2009 Academy Award winning Documentary: “The Cove.” If you haven’t watched it yet, Sensei highly recommends you do!

http://www.seashepherd.org/dolphins/taiji-dolphins.html (Sea Shepherd site)

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/cove/ (About the doc, and link to watch)

· Canadian Seal Hunt: A topic constantly debated at our nation’s dinner table. Find out what Sea Shepherd is defending for:

http://www.seashepherd.org/seals/

· Check the Sea Shepherd website for more information, or to learn about additional campaigns not listed here!

http://www.seashepherd.org/

World Wildlife Fund (Canada)

The World Wildlife Fund is dedicated to the protection of animals, the prevention of species endangerment and the pursuit of a healthy ecosystem. Their mission is to create a world where nature and humans can peacefully co-exist. To do this the WWF is:

· Science-based

· Solution-orientated

· Focused on lasting results

· Local to global, and global to local

· Collaborative

The World Wildlife Fund Canada raises awareness of the threat of extinction of animals indigenous to Canada. By doing this their efforts impact areas in our own communities, parks and provinces! The WWF is the first non-governmental organization to receive the Progressive Aboriginal Relations certification. There are many way to support the WWF:

· Take Action! For a list of fun and interesting ways you can help the environment: http://wwf.ca/takeaction/

· Donate! http://wwf.ca/donate/

· Symbolic Adoption! Make a difference in the lives of an animal of your choice. Sensei Tammy Thankachen has a Grizzly Bear!

https://wwfstore.donorportal.ca/c-11-wildlife-adoptions.aspx?rc

Visit the World Wildlife Fund of Canada for More Information! http://wwf.ca/

Earth Island Institute

Save Japan Dolphins

Earth Island Institute is another organization who is working to end the slaughter of Dolphins in Taiji, Japan. They stress the importance of education regarding dolphin slaughter and captivity. Some of their other ideals include: not visiting zoos or Sea-World like places where dolphins are held in captivity and not supporting companies who endorse dolphin slaughter. Check out their website to learn more:

http://www.savejapandolphins.org/

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION TO SAVE BC'S GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST

Save BC's Great Bear Rainforest from Enbridge10,0002,649 2,649 signers. Let's reach 10,000
Why this is importantBC's Great Bear Rainforest (the world's largest remaining coastal temperate rainforest) is under siege! Plans endorsed by Canada's Government are underway to build the Northern Gateway pipeline to pump crude, unrefined bitumen, from Alberta to Kitimat, on British Columbia's north coast. This pipeline would extend a distance of over 1100 kms. It would be built by Enbridge, a company that has been responsible for over 800 oil spills, since 1999. The proposed pipeline would cross many rivers, the Rocky Mountains and pristine wilderness. Much of this area is home to First Nations people. Oil tankers would collect and ship the raw crude to China (the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter).We can stop this irresponsible development- BC's First Nations have a constitutional right to be consulted-- and this hasn’t been met. Newly released documents reveal that the government knows that it cannot address the legitimate concerns of the aboriginal people from the area at risk and is attempting to silence them.Let Canada's government know that the voices of First Nations will never be silenced. Add your voice to the call to uphold the legal rights of the traditional custodians of the land and stop this reckless project from going ahead. It's not a matter of IF an oil spill would happen, but WHEN!An oil spill would have devastating effects on the region and its native species. One species at great risk is the Kermode or "Spirit" Bear, a genetically unique, white Black Bear possessing a recessive gene. With only approx. 400 of these bears left in the wild, they are rarer than China's Giant Pandas. In 1987, the Valhalla Wilderness Society started the Spirit Bear conservancy campaign and, along with many others including Simon Jackson's Spirit Bear Youth Coalition, were successful in 2006 in over 1/2 million acres of spirit bear habitat being protected from clearcut logging. Protection never would've happened without the full support of the Kitasso Xai'xais and Gitg'at First Nations. Now a larger threat looms for the Spirit Bear, which relies partly on the marine environment, including salmon. Giant oil tankers are planning to bring bitumen to Asia via the proposed Enbridge pipeline from Alberta's tar sands. Given the narrow marine channels, huge Pacific storms and the risk of Tsunamis in the Spirit Bear's homeland, an inevitable oil spill would devastate fragile marine ecosystems for many years to come, including salmon and other marine life that the bears depend on. Such a catastrophic spill would also destroy the traditional livelihoods of First Nations communities and others in the area, representing millions of dollars of loss annually. We can't afford to have another Exxon-Valdez like spill or any significant spill off the BC coast.Stephen Harper's Government has openly dismissed concerns of those opposed to the pipeline. We have a small window of time to influence the final decision during the review, so please sign the petition, which will be sent to decision makers regarding the pipeline hearings. Demand that the moratorium on tanker traffic off BC's coast remain in effect and that the destructive Northern Gateway pipeline should not be approved. We need to explore renewable energy sources and invest in a sustainable future for Canada and the world.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Stop_Enbridges_Northern_Gateway_pipeline/?ctQDUcb

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Causes We Support