High school peace ambassadors return to Japan after calling for nuclear abolition at U.N. Headquarters
Aug. 29, 2014
by Kohei Okata, Staff Writer
Returning from a visit to the European Headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, two high school peace ambassadors held a press conference at Hiroshima City Hall on August 25. As members of the 17th annual High School Student Peace Ambassadors program, the two students from high schools in Hiroshima Prefecture called for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Yuuri Nakamura, 17, a third-year student at Daimon High School and a resident of Fukuyama, and Misaki Katayama, 15, a first-year student at Hiroshima Prefectural Hiroshima High School and a resident of Onomichi, were dispatched by a citizens’ group based in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They traveled to Switzerland from August 17 to 22, along with 18 other peace ambassadors from around Japan.
Yuuri and Misaki made speeches in English in front of senior U.N. officials at the headquarters building. Yuuri said that the future should be created not by the force of arms but with the power of words. Misaki shared her grandmother’s experience of being exposed to the A-bomb’s radiation after entering an area near the hypocenter shortly after the blast. Misaki said she made the point that the future of all living things depends on eliminating nuclear weapons from the world.
In downtown Bern, they gathered signatures in support of nuclear abolition. They said that 110 signatures were collected within an hour, but some people were reluctant to sign, saying that nuclear arms are needed to preserve peace. Yuuri said that she would like to read picture books about the atomic bombing to elementary school students, so they will start thinking about peace at a young age. Misaki said she hopes to actively exchange ideas with other young people.
(Originally published on August 26, 2014)
Returning from a visit to the European Headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, two high school peace ambassadors held a press conference at Hiroshima City Hall on August 25. As members of the 17th annual High School Student Peace Ambassadors program, the two students from high schools in Hiroshima Prefecture called for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Yuuri Nakamura, 17, a third-year student at Daimon High School and a resident of Fukuyama, and Misaki Katayama, 15, a first-year student at Hiroshima Prefectural Hiroshima High School and a resident of Onomichi, were dispatched by a citizens’ group based in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They traveled to Switzerland from August 17 to 22, along with 18 other peace ambassadors from around Japan.
Yuuri and Misaki made speeches in English in front of senior U.N. officials at the headquarters building. Yuuri said that the future should be created not by the force of arms but with the power of words. Misaki shared her grandmother’s experience of being exposed to the A-bomb’s radiation after entering an area near the hypocenter shortly after the blast. Misaki said she made the point that the future of all living things depends on eliminating nuclear weapons from the world.
In downtown Bern, they gathered signatures in support of nuclear abolition. They said that 110 signatures were collected within an hour, but some people were reluctant to sign, saying that nuclear arms are needed to preserve peace. Yuuri said that she would like to read picture books about the atomic bombing to elementary school students, so they will start thinking about peace at a young age. Misaki said she hopes to actively exchange ideas with other young people.
(Originally published on August 26, 2014)
