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Foreign ministry launches new program “Youth Special Communicators for a World without Nuclear Weapons”

by Junpei Fujimura, Staff Writer

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has provided information on a new government program, “Youth Special Communicators for a World without Nuclear Weapons,” in which young people will be trained to help convey the horror of nuclear weapons at international conferences and events at home and abroad. Applications for this appointment, which are now being accepted, can be submitted by young people between the ages of 15 and 29. Information on the program was shared at a press conference on June 28 by Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, who was elected from district one in Hiroshima.

The “Youth Special Communicators for a World without Nuclear Weapons” program is the youth version of “Special Communicators for a World without Nuclear Weapons,” launched by the ministry in 2010. The new youth special communicators will take part in peace activities and academic pursuits, such as research and presentations on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

Applications must be made through groups and organizations, including local governments, schools, and NPOs, and submitted at least two months prior to an event. The Foreign Ministry will then make individual appointments based on this information, including an applicant’s related activities in the past. The first youth special communicators will be appointed no later than August 6 of this year.

Mr. Kishida announced the new program this past April in the Netherlands at a ministerial meeting of the Non-proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI), which is comprised of ten non-nuclear weapon states. He said that the task of conveying the experiences of the A-bomb survivors must be handed down to younger generations.

(Originally published on June 28, 2013)

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