Teens talk about pathways to peace at Peace-Smile Festa
Apr. 12, 2013
by Rie Nii, Sakiko Masuda, Daisuke Yamamoto and Keigo Kamishita, Staff Writers
The “Peace-Smile Festa,” an event geared for junior high and high school students in which the participating teens considered what they can do for a more peaceful future, was held on March 30 at the Chugoku Shimbun in downtown Hiroshima. Sponsored by the Chugoku Shimbun and supported by the Hiroshima Peace Creation Fund, the event brought together about 400 people and consisted of musical performances, workshops, booths, and the culminating “finale.” On stage, junior high and high school students from Hiroshima and Fukushima Prefecture performed in harmony, expressing their wish for peace in the world and the reconstruction of disaster-hit communities. At the workshops, the participants sat down together to engage in frank discussion on seven themes. The booths shared the efforts of young people working for peace and championing other issues, and visitors intently examined the panels and items on display. At the finale, a culmination of all the activities that took place at the event, the “Our Peace-Smile” declaration was issued, which included seven actionable aims to promote peace and smiles. The Peace-Smile Festa was planned and organized by the “junior writers,” teens in Hiroshima who are engaged in reporting assignments for the Chugoku Shimbun.
Photograph by Tomonori Amahata and Takahiro Inoue
“Our Peace-Smile” Declaration
Today, since Japan is not at war, we might say that the nation is at peace. But nearly every year the number of people who commit suicide exceeds 30,000, including children who take their own lives after being bullied. Many people face growing struggles and stress, and as the ties between people weaken, they have no one to talk to about their troubles.
People in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake have received support and encouragement from people outside the region. At the same time, however, an atmosphere exists in the affected areas in which residents are dissuaded from holding negative perceptions. In Fukushima Prefecture, site of the accident at the nuclear power plant, the reconstruction process remains slow-going due to the significant damage which still lingers from the radiation released in the disaster.
Today, at the Peace-Smile Festa, we learned that people can live interconnected lives. In this light, we pledge to act, pursuing seven actionable aims to help build a more peaceful world and make smiles bloom like spring flowers.
・Show tolerance toward others
・Pursue mutual cooperation beyond national borders
・Imagine that events affect us personally
・Appreciate the preciousness of life, each day
・Eat meals with others
・Let down our guard once in a while
・Be trusting toward others
Let each of us become a main character in the story of our future!
Miyu Sakaka, second-year student in high school and head of the organizing committee
We worked hard, mostly after school, to prepare for the Peace-Smile Festa. I think that we were able to come to some consensus in our thinking among the junior high and high school students who took part in the event, as well as share our thoughts with adults.
At the workshops, we formed new relationships with others by talking with people who were from different schools and in different grades, and engaging in group activities. The chorus from Aoi High School in Fukushima Prefecture was full of power and energy and lifted the spirits of the listeners. I also enjoyed chatting with the students from Fukushima during breaks.
We plan to act based on the ideas in “Our Peace-Smile” declaration. At the same time, I think it’s important to think about creating peace and smiles in our daily lives and take action toward that end.
(Originally published on April 3, 2013)
The “Peace-Smile Festa,” an event geared for junior high and high school students in which the participating teens considered what they can do for a more peaceful future, was held on March 30 at the Chugoku Shimbun in downtown Hiroshima. Sponsored by the Chugoku Shimbun and supported by the Hiroshima Peace Creation Fund, the event brought together about 400 people and consisted of musical performances, workshops, booths, and the culminating “finale.” On stage, junior high and high school students from Hiroshima and Fukushima Prefecture performed in harmony, expressing their wish for peace in the world and the reconstruction of disaster-hit communities. At the workshops, the participants sat down together to engage in frank discussion on seven themes. The booths shared the efforts of young people working for peace and championing other issues, and visitors intently examined the panels and items on display. At the finale, a culmination of all the activities that took place at the event, the “Our Peace-Smile” declaration was issued, which included seven actionable aims to promote peace and smiles. The Peace-Smile Festa was planned and organized by the “junior writers,” teens in Hiroshima who are engaged in reporting assignments for the Chugoku Shimbun.
Photograph by Tomonori Amahata and Takahiro Inoue
“Our Peace-Smile” Declaration
Today, since Japan is not at war, we might say that the nation is at peace. But nearly every year the number of people who commit suicide exceeds 30,000, including children who take their own lives after being bullied. Many people face growing struggles and stress, and as the ties between people weaken, they have no one to talk to about their troubles.
People in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake have received support and encouragement from people outside the region. At the same time, however, an atmosphere exists in the affected areas in which residents are dissuaded from holding negative perceptions. In Fukushima Prefecture, site of the accident at the nuclear power plant, the reconstruction process remains slow-going due to the significant damage which still lingers from the radiation released in the disaster.
Today, at the Peace-Smile Festa, we learned that people can live interconnected lives. In this light, we pledge to act, pursuing seven actionable aims to help build a more peaceful world and make smiles bloom like spring flowers.
・Show tolerance toward others
・Pursue mutual cooperation beyond national borders
・Imagine that events affect us personally
・Appreciate the preciousness of life, each day
・Eat meals with others
・Let down our guard once in a while
・Be trusting toward others
Let each of us become a main character in the story of our future!
Miyu Sakaka, second-year student in high school and head of the organizing committee
We worked hard, mostly after school, to prepare for the Peace-Smile Festa. I think that we were able to come to some consensus in our thinking among the junior high and high school students who took part in the event, as well as share our thoughts with adults.
At the workshops, we formed new relationships with others by talking with people who were from different schools and in different grades, and engaging in group activities. The chorus from Aoi High School in Fukushima Prefecture was full of power and energy and lifted the spirits of the listeners. I also enjoyed chatting with the students from Fukushima during breaks.
We plan to act based on the ideas in “Our Peace-Smile” declaration. At the same time, I think it’s important to think about creating peace and smiles in our daily lives and take action toward that end.
(Originally published on April 3, 2013)
