Younger sister of former President Obama pays first visit to Hiroshima
Jul. 31, 2017
by Shunji Akechi, Staff Writer
On July 30, Maya Soetoro-Ng, 46, the director of the Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace & Conflict Resolution at the Hawaii University, was a guest at an event held by the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education in downtown Hiroshima. Ms. Soetoro-Ng is the younger sister of former U.S. President Barack Obama, who last May became the first sitting president to visit Hiroshima. After the event, she referred to the paper cranes Mr. Obama gave to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, saying that she believes this gesture was intended to express his sympathy for Hiroshima.
Mr. Obama spent part of his youth in Hawaii, which holds deep ties to Hiroshima as a result of immigration from this area. Ms. Soetoro-Ng said that Mr. Obama heard stories about the A-bomb survivors and Sadako Sasaki while living in Hawaii. She believes that her brother, who desires a more peaceful and just world, feels that learning about each others’ stories, and sharing the painful past, are important aspects of leadership. Ms. Soetoro-Ng added that her brother seemed to be moved by the pain and suffering of the people of Hiroshima.
It was the first time that Ms. Soetoro-Ng has visited Hiroshima. She said that the state of the reconstructed city is proof of the resilience of Hiroshima citizens and this offers hope for places in the world that have been torn by trauma due to conflicts and other causes. She also said she was impressed by Hiroshima’s enthusiasm for peace education.
Ms. Soetoro-Ng indicated that the Obama Presidential Library is scheduled to open in Chicago in 2021, and Hawaii University and other institutes have been planning the library’s education and exchange programs for nations in Asia. She expressed keen interest in collaborating with Hiroshima, too.
(Originally published on July 31, 2017)
On July 30, Maya Soetoro-Ng, 46, the director of the Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace & Conflict Resolution at the Hawaii University, was a guest at an event held by the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education in downtown Hiroshima. Ms. Soetoro-Ng is the younger sister of former U.S. President Barack Obama, who last May became the first sitting president to visit Hiroshima. After the event, she referred to the paper cranes Mr. Obama gave to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, saying that she believes this gesture was intended to express his sympathy for Hiroshima.
Mr. Obama spent part of his youth in Hawaii, which holds deep ties to Hiroshima as a result of immigration from this area. Ms. Soetoro-Ng said that Mr. Obama heard stories about the A-bomb survivors and Sadako Sasaki while living in Hawaii. She believes that her brother, who desires a more peaceful and just world, feels that learning about each others’ stories, and sharing the painful past, are important aspects of leadership. Ms. Soetoro-Ng added that her brother seemed to be moved by the pain and suffering of the people of Hiroshima.
It was the first time that Ms. Soetoro-Ng has visited Hiroshima. She said that the state of the reconstructed city is proof of the resilience of Hiroshima citizens and this offers hope for places in the world that have been torn by trauma due to conflicts and other causes. She also said she was impressed by Hiroshima’s enthusiasm for peace education.
Ms. Soetoro-Ng indicated that the Obama Presidential Library is scheduled to open in Chicago in 2021, and Hawaii University and other institutes have been planning the library’s education and exchange programs for nations in Asia. She expressed keen interest in collaborating with Hiroshima, too.
(Originally published on July 31, 2017)
