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Junior Writers Reporting

Students of Nagatsuka Junior High School share peace messages in English on August 6

Students of Nagatsuka Junior High School, located in Asaminami Ward, Hiroshima, have been engaged in a voluntary peace activity since 2010. The students write their own peace messages on cards, in English, and then hand them out to international visitors who come to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on August 6.

As a school located in Hiroshima, a city of international peace and culture, Nagatsuka Junior High School seeks to share with the world its appeals for peace, while fostering the international awareness of its students and improving their English ability.

Last year, they handed out 160 dove-shaped cards with messages that included: “Learn about the world, and end bullying and fighting” and “Many small steps lead to a powerful result.”

Students of all years who are interested in taking part in the activity converge at the park on August 6. Last year, graduates of the school came to support the current students. This year, some 50 students will join the effort, recycling the paper cranes offered to the Children’s Peace Monument, which also stands in Peace Memorial Park, to produce the message cards.

Natusmi Baba, 15, is a third-year student and the vice president of the student council. She previously gave a card to a woman from Hawaii and later received a letter from her. The letter read: “Please convey your message about the atomic bombing and peace as widely as you can and do your best to help make a peaceful world.”

Expressing her passion for the school’s effort, Natsumi said, “I want to keep on sharing my wish for peace with many people.” (Yuka Ichimura,16)

(Originally Published on July 16, 2012)

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