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Green Legacy Hiroshima seeks support of Hiroshima mayor in sending seeds of A-bombed trees abroad

by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer

Members of Green Legacy Hiroshima, an organization with the mission of sending seeds and seedlings of A-bombed trees to countries overseas, met with Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui on February 9 and asked for the mayor’s support in advancing their efforts.

Green Legacy Hiroshima was established in July 2011 by the Hiroshima office of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and ANT-Hiroshima, a nonprofit organization based in Hiroshima involved in peace activities. In cooperation with the City of Hiroshima, the organization has been collecting and sending seeds of such A-bombed trees as gingko and round-leaf holly trees, to nations abroad.

Among the seven people who met with Mr. Matsui at Hiroshima City Hall were Nassrine Azimi, the person who initiated the Green Legacy effort and the former head of the UNITAR Hiroshima office; Alexander Mejia, the current head of the UNITAR office; and Tomoko Watanabe, the executive director of ANT-Hiroshima. Ms. Azimi told the mayor that the organization has sent seeds to such places as a botanical garden in the Netherlands, and she asked for the mayor’s support in what she described as an effort to open people’s minds toward the A-bombed city.

Mr. Matsui responded by saying, “I would like to ponder what I can do to help, such as enclosing seeds in letters that are sent to the member cities of Mayors for Peace.”

(Originally published on February 10, 2012)

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