Students from Japan convey A-bomb survivors’ suffering at Youth Forum in New York
May 12, 2015
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
NEW YORK--Mayors for Peace held a Youth Forum on April 30 alongside the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), taking place at United Nations headquarters in New York. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui serves as president of Mayors for Peace. At the Youth Forum, high school students from Hiroshima and Nagasaki conveyed their thoughts about the abolition of nuclear weapons and peace to the international community.
Sixteen students took part in making seven presentations. Dispatched by the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, two students from Eishin Gakuen, a high school in the city of Fukuyama, introduced their activities, which include conducting interviews with atomic bomb survivors. They said, “No one should ever go through the same suffering. That is the A-bomb survivors’ wish,” and received applause from about 100 visitors involved in the Review Conference. After making a presentation, Airi Sakuhara, 15, a first-year high school student living in Fuchu, felt pleased with the response and said, “I wanted to share the noble wish of the survivors. I plan to continue conveying their message in the future.”
Also dispatched by the foundation, students from Hiroshima Jogakuin High School and Shudo Junior High & High School, both located in the city of Hiroshima, reported on their activities, such as a signature drive seeking a nuclear weapons convention. They made points which included “If we can raise the awareness of the public, nuclear weapons can be abolished, and we intend to continue our efforts toward this end” and “Our generation, and future generations, do not want to be killed by nuclear weapons.” Junior writers from the Chugoku Shimbun, a high school student from Okinawa, and university students from the cities of Nagasaki and Bangkok, Thailand also described their activities.
James Noonan, 80, a member of a non-governmental organization (NGO) and local priest, was impressed by their youthful efforts. “They opened my eyes to a wonderful vision of the future,” he said.
The Hiroshima Traditional Japanese Music Federation held a concert at United Nations headquarters on the same day, an event to mark the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings. Twenty-six people including elementary, junior high, and high school students sang and played six children’s songs on the koto, and a U.N. audience of about 100 enjoyed the performance.
by Rie Nii, Staff Writer
NEW YORK--Two junior writers from the Chugoku Shimbun, visiting New York to cover the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), made presentations in English on their activities as junior writers at the Youth Forum held by Mayors for Peace. The forum opened at United Nations headquarters on April 30. The junior writers also stressed the importance of sharing ideas about peace through their daily work as student reporters.
Shiori Niitani, 16, a second-year high school student, and Nozomi Mizoue, 15, a first-year high school student, made a slide-show presentation that lasted about 10 minutes. They described the feature articles they write for the Chugoku Shimbun, such as “Survivors’ Stories,” which involves interviews of A-bomb survivors, and “Peace Seeds,” a regular feature on the theme of peace. Through this work, they said that they have had more opportunities to talk with their peers about these matters. This has led to greater interest in nuclear weapons and the state of the world, and reflection on their own role in helping to build a peaceful planet.
Ms. Mizoue said, “They listened to us closely, and I enjoyed making our presentation.” Ms. Niitani said, “I was happy because an A-bomb survivor in Nagasaki told us that the experience and wish of the survivors were handed down to the next generation in the question-and-answer session after the presentation.”
You can read the manuscript of the speech from this.
(Originally published on May 2, 2015)
NEW YORK--Mayors for Peace held a Youth Forum on April 30 alongside the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), taking place at United Nations headquarters in New York. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui serves as president of Mayors for Peace. At the Youth Forum, high school students from Hiroshima and Nagasaki conveyed their thoughts about the abolition of nuclear weapons and peace to the international community.
Sixteen students took part in making seven presentations. Dispatched by the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, two students from Eishin Gakuen, a high school in the city of Fukuyama, introduced their activities, which include conducting interviews with atomic bomb survivors. They said, “No one should ever go through the same suffering. That is the A-bomb survivors’ wish,” and received applause from about 100 visitors involved in the Review Conference. After making a presentation, Airi Sakuhara, 15, a first-year high school student living in Fuchu, felt pleased with the response and said, “I wanted to share the noble wish of the survivors. I plan to continue conveying their message in the future.”
Also dispatched by the foundation, students from Hiroshima Jogakuin High School and Shudo Junior High & High School, both located in the city of Hiroshima, reported on their activities, such as a signature drive seeking a nuclear weapons convention. They made points which included “If we can raise the awareness of the public, nuclear weapons can be abolished, and we intend to continue our efforts toward this end” and “Our generation, and future generations, do not want to be killed by nuclear weapons.” Junior writers from the Chugoku Shimbun, a high school student from Okinawa, and university students from the cities of Nagasaki and Bangkok, Thailand also described their activities.
James Noonan, 80, a member of a non-governmental organization (NGO) and local priest, was impressed by their youthful efforts. “They opened my eyes to a wonderful vision of the future,” he said.
The Hiroshima Traditional Japanese Music Federation held a concert at United Nations headquarters on the same day, an event to mark the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings. Twenty-six people including elementary, junior high, and high school students sang and played six children’s songs on the koto, and a U.N. audience of about 100 enjoyed the performance.
Junior writers share ideas about peace through their reporting
by Rie Nii, Staff Writer
NEW YORK--Two junior writers from the Chugoku Shimbun, visiting New York to cover the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), made presentations in English on their activities as junior writers at the Youth Forum held by Mayors for Peace. The forum opened at United Nations headquarters on April 30. The junior writers also stressed the importance of sharing ideas about peace through their daily work as student reporters.
Shiori Niitani, 16, a second-year high school student, and Nozomi Mizoue, 15, a first-year high school student, made a slide-show presentation that lasted about 10 minutes. They described the feature articles they write for the Chugoku Shimbun, such as “Survivors’ Stories,” which involves interviews of A-bomb survivors, and “Peace Seeds,” a regular feature on the theme of peace. Through this work, they said that they have had more opportunities to talk with their peers about these matters. This has led to greater interest in nuclear weapons and the state of the world, and reflection on their own role in helping to build a peaceful planet.
Ms. Mizoue said, “They listened to us closely, and I enjoyed making our presentation.” Ms. Niitani said, “I was happy because an A-bomb survivor in Nagasaki told us that the experience and wish of the survivors were handed down to the next generation in the question-and-answer session after the presentation.”
You can read the manuscript of the speech from this.
(Originally published on May 2, 2015)
