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Nuclear weapons can be eliminated: Donations for A-bomb exhibitions exceed 10 million yen

by Hiromi Morita, Staff Writer

Donations in support of the A-bomb exhibitions, sponsored by the City of Hiroshima and held in the United States nationwide, have surpassed 10 million yen, far exceeding the original target of 6 million yen. The news was made public by Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the organizing body for the exhibitions, on April 13. The donations will continue to be used to place appeals for nuclear abolition in U.S. newspapers and for related purposes in order to increase awareness among American citizens of the importance of eliminating nuclear weapons.

The donation campaign was launched by the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation in August 2007, a month before the start of the A-bomb exhibitions. By the end of the campaign, the total amount reached 10,629,303 yen.

Of this amount, about 1,900,000 yen was from 179 individuals and 8,160,000 yen was from companies and citizens’ groups. Another 560,000 yen was collected via the donation boxes placed at Peace Memorial Museum, Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, and other locations.

As of the end of March, A-bomb exhibitions have been held in 113 cities in 48 states. In 38 of these cities, announcements of the exhibitions, as well as statements calling for nuclear abolition, were placed in local newspapers and university newsletters. About 3,100,000 yen from the donations was spent in this way.

By the end of March 2010, the City of Hiroshima plans to hold exhibitions in about 25 more cities, including Oswego, New York. Of the remaining donations, roughly 7,500,000 yen will be used for placing paid appeals and for dispatching atomic bomb survivors to exhibition venues.

Koichiro Maeda, director of Peace Memorial Museum, expressed his appreciation, saying, “We are truly grateful for the support of so many citizens. We will make good use of the donations to convey the reality of the atomic bombing.”

(Originally published on April 14, 2009)

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