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High school students from Hiroshima, Okayama prefectures discuss peace issues

by Rie Nii, Staff Writer

Organized by Hiroshima and Okayama high school students, the first Japan UNESCO Youth Peace Forum was held at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in downtown Hiroshima on July 22. Eighty-six high school students from the two prefectures engaged in lively discussion on ways to build a more peaceful world.

For this discussion, the participants were divided into six groups of 13 to 16 people. After exchanging views on such issues as nuclear weapons and nuclear energy, bullying, and Palestine, the students expressed their determination to make their own contribution toward helping to realize peace in the world.

On the issue of Palestine, they discussed the historical context of the problem and the religious divide between Islam and Judaism. They agreed on the importance of cross-cultural understanding. Regarding bullying, a matter closer to home, the students offered their own experiences of times they were bullied by others, as well as times they themselves did the bullying, and discussed ways to deal with the problem. Their suggestions included: “Don’t spread rumors about others.” “Teachers should intervene when necessary.” “If we see signs of trouble, we should encourage those involved to talk to each other.”

At the end of the session, the participants shared their dreams and goals for the future. Some of their dreams include: “I want to be a teacher and help give children opportunities to think about peace.” “There are many children who don’t make it to their fifth birthday, so I want to be a doctor and help children.” “I’d like to have my own views on issues, convey them to others, and become better at taking part in discussions.”

Yuina Imahara, 16, a second-year student at Notre Dame Seishin Senior High School, said, “I heard the ideas of other young people who are about the same age as I am, and I expressed my ideas, too. This interaction helped develop my thinking. In the future, I’d like to have a job where I can communicate with other people, like a journalist, so I can help provide accurate information in order to create a more peaceful world.”

The forum’s executive committee is composed of 13 students from seven high schools including Hiroshima Jogakuin High School, Funairi High School (both located in Naka Ward, Hiroshima), Eishin Gakuen (Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture), and Okayama Gakugeikan High School (Higashi Ward, Okayama). Members of the executive committee spent nearly four months preparing for the event.

(Originally published on July 30, 2012)

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