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| Hibakusha and students, 5-member 3rd team to visit UK, France and Spain, departing on July 4
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-- Jun 22,2004
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The third team of the Hiroshima World Peace Mission (sponsored by the Hiroshima International Cultural Foundation) was decided on the 21st. The five members, including two hibakusha, will leave on the 4th of July for about four weeks in the nuclear-weapon states France and England, then travel on to Spain, where in March this year a train was attacked by terrorists, leading to withdrawal of Spain's troops from Iraq. The mission will present hibakusha testimony and mini-A-bomb exhibitions and in other ways communicate the horror of the A-bomb. At the same time, in dialogue with government leaders and citizens, they will search for ways to sever the chains of violence and eliminate nuclear weapons.
The members are Kohji Hosokawa (age 76, Naka-ku Hiroshima), A-bomb victim and Hiroshima Peace Volunteer guide at the Peace Mermorial Museum; Chieko Ishihara, (age 58, Asaminami-ku Hiroshima), A-bomb in-utero survivor and peace study instructor for children; Yumiko Nogami (age 31, from Asakita-ku Hiroshima), graduate student in the Peace Studies Department, University of Bradford, UK; Yuki Yamada (age 27, Hatsukaichi City), social worker; Kana Hanabusa (age 18, from Naka-ku, Hiroshima), freshman at Tsukuba University, Japan.
In France where "deterrence" is a deeply rooted idea, they will meet with scholars and government leaders and, touching on the "nuclear assistance regime," they will consider concrete ways to break through the obstacles. In England, they will hold discussions and build solidarity with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local authorities leading the world in opposing the Iraq War and pursuing the elimination of nuclear weapons.
In the election immediately after the terrorist act, Spanish voters chose a new president, Sapatero, who had publicly called for "withdrawing the troops." The mission will find out how the "threat of terrorism" is understood and will exchange ideas about "international contribution."
Hosokawa expects that, "Despite the language barrier, if we contact each other with open hearts, I'm sure we'll be able to communicate our feelings." Hanabusa expressed her enthusiastic determination saying, "The government doesn't necessarily represent what the people think. I want to talk to people in countries that supported the superpowers and the Iraq War and see what they think."
Third team selected from 68 applicants. Two reporters and a photographer from the Chugoku Shimbun will accompany the mission.
(Caption)(from left) Kohji Hosokawa, Chieko Ishihara, Yumiko Nogami, Yuki Yamada and Kana Hanabusa
    
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• Contact us
Hiroshima World Peace Mission
Chugoku Shimbun Bldg 4F 7-1 Dobashi-choNaka-ku Hiroshima City 730-8677 JAPAN
Phone:+81-(0)82-236-2656 Fax:+81-(0)82-236-2461 E-mail:hiroshima-wpm@chugoku-np.co.jp
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