ABSTRACT
Long before the collapse of the Soviet Union, domestic public interest groups were involving themselves in transnational social movements affecting US foreign policy. This chapter utilizes a variety of theoretical perspectives to explore how anti-base activists in Okinawa might facilitate the closure of US military operations on the islands. Emphasizing political and telecommunications globalization and drawing on futures studies, it compares the experiences of the Filipinos and Okinawans in seeking the removal of bases. The complete reversion of bases on Okinawa would improve land-use conditions and overcrowding, if the prefectural government effectively establishes appropriate policies. Environmental groups and anti-militarist groups share many common goals based on the principle of citizen empowerment and shared issues of the environment, demilitarization, and democratization. The explosion of information technology and the weakening of the state due to globalization will increase the linkages among these groups. Globalization makes the task of envisioning and implementing a vision for a demilitarized Okinawa very difficult but not impossible.
