Hiroshima City University features student club engaged in peace activities
Aug. 9, 2012
A university club, called “S2,” is engaged in a variety of peace activities with the aim of providing opportunities for students to take action for peace. The club is based at Hiroshima City University, located in Asaminami Ward. “S2” stands for “smile smile” and reflects the group’s desire to spread smiles in the world, one by one.
The club has around 30 members and consists of five working groups, including the “HOME” group, which studies and conveys information about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima; the “CAPS” group, which collects caps from plastic bottles which can be exchanged to provide vaccines for children in developing countries; and the “TFT” group, which collects donations through meals eaten in the campus cafeteria. Each meal yields a donation of 20 yen for the people of developing nations. The leader of the club, Ayaka Kudo, 19, shared her enthusiasm for their activities, saying, “We want to pursue a variety of approaches to peace.”
The “HOME” group organizes a study tour for visitors to Hiroshima. They put out a call for students from all over Japan to apply and then they serve as guides at Peace Memorial Park and Peace Memorial Museum. After they listen to some accounts from atomic bomb survivors, they hold a discussion about peace issues and problems involving nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. The members of this group must study a great deal prior to the study tour in order to offer helpful explanations to the participants.
The assistant leader of the club, Mikoto Tanaka, 19, was interested in peace and international matters when she was in high school, but she was leery of standing out as a “do-gooder.” The fact that all the members of “S2” are interested in peace issues and take part in peace activities together is something she finds appealing. (Sachiko Kitayama, 15)
(Originally published on July 10, 2012)
The club has around 30 members and consists of five working groups, including the “HOME” group, which studies and conveys information about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima; the “CAPS” group, which collects caps from plastic bottles which can be exchanged to provide vaccines for children in developing countries; and the “TFT” group, which collects donations through meals eaten in the campus cafeteria. Each meal yields a donation of 20 yen for the people of developing nations. The leader of the club, Ayaka Kudo, 19, shared her enthusiasm for their activities, saying, “We want to pursue a variety of approaches to peace.”
The “HOME” group organizes a study tour for visitors to Hiroshima. They put out a call for students from all over Japan to apply and then they serve as guides at Peace Memorial Park and Peace Memorial Museum. After they listen to some accounts from atomic bomb survivors, they hold a discussion about peace issues and problems involving nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. The members of this group must study a great deal prior to the study tour in order to offer helpful explanations to the participants.
The assistant leader of the club, Mikoto Tanaka, 19, was interested in peace and international matters when she was in high school, but she was leery of standing out as a “do-gooder.” The fact that all the members of “S2” are interested in peace issues and take part in peace activities together is something she finds appealing. (Sachiko Kitayama, 15)
(Originally published on July 10, 2012)
