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Doctors cycle from Nagasaki to Hiroshima to attend IPPNW World Congress

by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer

A group of 36 people, including young medical doctors from Japan and abroad, arrived in Hiroshima on August 20 and met with Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui at Hiroshima City Hall. The group completed a bicycle tour from Nagasaki to Hiroshima to take part in the World Congress of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), which opens in downtown Hiroshima on August 24.

The group of 36 consists of doctors and medical students from 18 nations in Europe, Asia, and other regions. They left Nagasaki on August 9 and cycled the entire distance of roughly 570 kilometers between the two A-bombed cities. During the trip, they held gatherings at various sites to raise awareness about the effects of radiation on human health.

Welcoming the group, Mr. Matsui said, “You are helping to spread our wish for the elimination of nuclear weapons. I hope you, members of the younger generation, will join hands with us in this mission.” Alex Rosen, 32, a pediatrician from Germany, remarked that he has heard important accounts from people in Japan, which has strived to overcome the damage suffered during the war.

On the same day, the doctors also visited Hiroshima University’s Kasumi Campus in Minami Ward, Hiroshima, and exchanged views with some 50 university students from the city.

(Originally published on August 21, 2012)

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