Study session with professor from Hiroshima Shudo University: "Let’s invite U.S. President Obama to Hiroshima!"
Jul. 1, 2009
by Junji Akechi, Staff Writer
On June 29, ten members of the No Nuke Network: Students of Hiroshima Against Nuclear Weapons, a group of students who have launched a campaign to encourage U.S. President Barack Obama to visit Hiroshima, invited Hiroshi Oshima, a professor at Hiroshima Shudo University and a specialist in American politics, to their study session. The members of the group learned more about Mr. Obama and the American view of nuclear weapons. They planned this study session in order to consider what sort of concrete actions they might take in the future.
Professor Oshima explained that many U.S. citizens believe in the legitimacy of nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence. “Despite this climate,” he added, “Mr. Obama has pledged to pursue a world without nuclear weapons. He shares the common sense view that the world does not need nuclear weapons.”
Professor Oshima also considers it vital to build international momentum in order to eliminate nuclear weapons from the world. He offered words of encouragement to the students, saying, “I hope that all of you will, through your activities, take part in the process of creating such an environment.”
Tomoko Takamoto, 16, a second-year student at Hiroshima Jogakuin Senior High School, reaffirmed her enthusiasm for the project and commented, “I understand that nuclear abolition is a very difficult goal to actually attain. But the American people have chosen Mr. Obama as their president, someone who seeks ‘a world without nuclear weapons.’ So it seems there’s a possibility that nuclear weapons can really be eliminated.”
(Originally published on June 30, 2009)
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Students to hold study session in line with efforts to realize U.S. president's visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki (June 3, 2009)
Students launch campaign to invite U.S. President Obama to Hiroshima (June 1, 2009)
On June 29, ten members of the No Nuke Network: Students of Hiroshima Against Nuclear Weapons, a group of students who have launched a campaign to encourage U.S. President Barack Obama to visit Hiroshima, invited Hiroshi Oshima, a professor at Hiroshima Shudo University and a specialist in American politics, to their study session. The members of the group learned more about Mr. Obama and the American view of nuclear weapons. They planned this study session in order to consider what sort of concrete actions they might take in the future.
Professor Oshima explained that many U.S. citizens believe in the legitimacy of nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence. “Despite this climate,” he added, “Mr. Obama has pledged to pursue a world without nuclear weapons. He shares the common sense view that the world does not need nuclear weapons.”
Professor Oshima also considers it vital to build international momentum in order to eliminate nuclear weapons from the world. He offered words of encouragement to the students, saying, “I hope that all of you will, through your activities, take part in the process of creating such an environment.”
Tomoko Takamoto, 16, a second-year student at Hiroshima Jogakuin Senior High School, reaffirmed her enthusiasm for the project and commented, “I understand that nuclear abolition is a very difficult goal to actually attain. But the American people have chosen Mr. Obama as their president, someone who seeks ‘a world without nuclear weapons.’ So it seems there’s a possibility that nuclear weapons can really be eliminated.”
(Originally published on June 30, 2009)
Related articles
Students to hold study session in line with efforts to realize U.S. president's visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki (June 3, 2009)
Students launch campaign to invite U.S. President Obama to Hiroshima (June 1, 2009)
