A-bomb survivors’ organization alters its rules to allow membership of second-generation survivors
Jun. 3, 2015
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
The regular general meeting of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Hiroshima Hidankyo), chaired by Sunao Tsuboi, was held in downtown Hiroshima on May 29. With its membership aging, the organization is hoping that the children of these survivors will become active participants in its activities. Toward this end, the rules of the organization have been amended to allow second-generation A-bomb survivors and others who will lend it support to become members. The decision was also made to encourage regional groups to merge with other nearby groups if the survival of a particular group is at stake.
In Hiroshima Prefecture, survivors’ groups were recently disbanded in Fukuyama, a city located in the southeastern part of the prefecture, and in Koda, in the northern city of Akitakata. In Fukuyama, a new group has formed, with a second-generation survivor serving as chairperson. During the general meeting of Hiroshima Hidankyo, many of the roughly 60 attendees expressed their views on how hard it is to continue their activities. The executive office of the organization plans to interview regional groups to determine whether they are in danger of disbanding. If there is the possibility that the group cannot be maintained, the office will advise this group to join another group nearby.
Hiroshima Hidankyo’s plan for this fiscal year includes a focus on conveying A-bomb experiences with a view to passing on the memories of this event to younger generations. The organization will look into whether there is a greater need for survivors to share their experiences at colleges and universities in the prefecture, since many students come from outside Hiroshima Prefecture and have not had many opportunities to listen directly to survivors. The organization will also explore the possibility of continuing its special course for young people beyond this fall, an activity pursued as a special project to mark this year’s 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing.
According to the executive office, over the past decade Hiroshima Hidankyo has lost about 7,000 members, and its current membership now stands at around 5,000. Mr. Tsuboi said, “In the hopes of realizing a world without nuclear weapons, we must keep working hard, until our last breath.”
(Originally published on May 30, 2015)
The regular general meeting of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Hiroshima Hidankyo), chaired by Sunao Tsuboi, was held in downtown Hiroshima on May 29. With its membership aging, the organization is hoping that the children of these survivors will become active participants in its activities. Toward this end, the rules of the organization have been amended to allow second-generation A-bomb survivors and others who will lend it support to become members. The decision was also made to encourage regional groups to merge with other nearby groups if the survival of a particular group is at stake.
In Hiroshima Prefecture, survivors’ groups were recently disbanded in Fukuyama, a city located in the southeastern part of the prefecture, and in Koda, in the northern city of Akitakata. In Fukuyama, a new group has formed, with a second-generation survivor serving as chairperson. During the general meeting of Hiroshima Hidankyo, many of the roughly 60 attendees expressed their views on how hard it is to continue their activities. The executive office of the organization plans to interview regional groups to determine whether they are in danger of disbanding. If there is the possibility that the group cannot be maintained, the office will advise this group to join another group nearby.
Hiroshima Hidankyo’s plan for this fiscal year includes a focus on conveying A-bomb experiences with a view to passing on the memories of this event to younger generations. The organization will look into whether there is a greater need for survivors to share their experiences at colleges and universities in the prefecture, since many students come from outside Hiroshima Prefecture and have not had many opportunities to listen directly to survivors. The organization will also explore the possibility of continuing its special course for young people beyond this fall, an activity pursued as a special project to mark this year’s 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing.
According to the executive office, over the past decade Hiroshima Hidankyo has lost about 7,000 members, and its current membership now stands at around 5,000. Mr. Tsuboi said, “In the hopes of realizing a world without nuclear weapons, we must keep working hard, until our last breath.”
(Originally published on May 30, 2015)
