International Junior Forum participants discuss peace issues in Hiroshima
Aug. 23, 2016
by Hiroshi Ebisu, Staff Writer
The opening ceremony of the International Junior Forum was held at the International Conference Center Hiroshima, located in Naka Ward, on August 22. At the forum, students from Hiroshima Prefecture and 16 foreign countries and regions are discussing the subject of peace in the world. A total of 84 students are attending the event, including international students studying at various schools in Hiroshima Prefecture. The students have been engaged in group discussions since August 21, and on August 23, they will issue their “Hiroshima Declaration,” or message to promote the realization of a peaceful world.
The forum, being held for the first time, was organized by Hiroshima Prefecture with the idea of cultivating young human resources and improving the Hiroshima Prefecture’s functions as a hub for world peace. In the opening ceremony, referring to U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Hiroshima in May, Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki said, “I’d like you to know that Hiroshima has been working hard to show both the catastrophe of war and the prosperity and happiness that can be brought about by peace, and I encourage you to send your own message of peace to the world.” Following Mr. Yuzaki, Kaoru Nemoto, the director of the United Nations Information Centre in Tokyo, made a keynote speech and stressed that the involvement of young people is vital for creating peace in the world.
On August 21, the forum participants toured the Peace Memorial Museum and listened to A-bomb survivors talk about their A-bomb experiences. After these activities, they began their group discussions on the topic of “What we can do to help realize a peaceful world” from the angles of nuclear abolition, reconstruction, and peace building. These discussions will continue until August 23, and will be reflected in the Hiroshima Declaration.
Runa Imamura, 16, a second-year student at Hiroshima Jogakuin High School and a resident of Minami Ward, said enthusiastically, “As I learn more about Hiroshima, it becomes harder for me to understand why nuclear weapons still exist in the world. To make the most of the positive influence of Mr. Obama’s visit to Hiroshima, I’m going to think seriously with other students in the world about what we should do to promote peace.”
(Originally published on August 23, 2016)
The opening ceremony of the International Junior Forum was held at the International Conference Center Hiroshima, located in Naka Ward, on August 22. At the forum, students from Hiroshima Prefecture and 16 foreign countries and regions are discussing the subject of peace in the world. A total of 84 students are attending the event, including international students studying at various schools in Hiroshima Prefecture. The students have been engaged in group discussions since August 21, and on August 23, they will issue their “Hiroshima Declaration,” or message to promote the realization of a peaceful world.
The forum, being held for the first time, was organized by Hiroshima Prefecture with the idea of cultivating young human resources and improving the Hiroshima Prefecture’s functions as a hub for world peace. In the opening ceremony, referring to U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Hiroshima in May, Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki said, “I’d like you to know that Hiroshima has been working hard to show both the catastrophe of war and the prosperity and happiness that can be brought about by peace, and I encourage you to send your own message of peace to the world.” Following Mr. Yuzaki, Kaoru Nemoto, the director of the United Nations Information Centre in Tokyo, made a keynote speech and stressed that the involvement of young people is vital for creating peace in the world.
On August 21, the forum participants toured the Peace Memorial Museum and listened to A-bomb survivors talk about their A-bomb experiences. After these activities, they began their group discussions on the topic of “What we can do to help realize a peaceful world” from the angles of nuclear abolition, reconstruction, and peace building. These discussions will continue until August 23, and will be reflected in the Hiroshima Declaration.
Runa Imamura, 16, a second-year student at Hiroshima Jogakuin High School and a resident of Minami Ward, said enthusiastically, “As I learn more about Hiroshima, it becomes harder for me to understand why nuclear weapons still exist in the world. To make the most of the positive influence of Mr. Obama’s visit to Hiroshima, I’m going to think seriously with other students in the world about what we should do to promote peace.”
(Originally published on August 23, 2016)
