Nagasaki, Japan (EFE).- High school students from Hiroshima and Nagasaki participate each year in the “Messengers for Peace” initiative, aimed at preserving and disseminating the testimony of atomic bomb survivors throughout the world.
The initiative has collected more than 2.5 million signatures calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
“Our actions may be small, but they are not insignificant” is the motto of this movement, which was born in Nagasaki in 1998 and has since been present at the United Nations headquarters, at disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation conferences, and at meetings with world leaders.
This is one of the many initiatives launched by the only cities in history to be attacked with an atomic weapon, seeking to keep alive the experience of the hibakusha, the term used in Japan for the atomic bomb survivors. It takes on special relevance as we mark the 80th anniversary of the attacks and the number of survivors of the bombings dwindles.
“We are the last generation who will have heard the story of the hibakusha firsthand. We need to spread this message; for me, it’s a responsibility we have to the world,” said Ye Seoji, a student at Nichidai High School in Nagasaki, at a media event in June.
“Many of my friends don’t follow the news much and believe that nuclear weapons are a thing of the past. But I am very concerned that there are more and more weapons of this type in the world,” says Yuka Ohara, from Nichidai High School in Nagasaki.
Both are among students aged 15 and 18 selected each year as “Messengers of Peace” through a public selection process. They carry out their activities both in Japan and abroad, with contributions from local governments and private donations.
Ohara decided to participate in this program after growing up hearing stories of the horrors of the bomb from her grandparents, survivors of the nuclear attacks. “Soon, it will no longer be possible to hear their experiences,” she said.
Wednesday and Aug. 9 will mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. According to the latest official data, the remaining number of hibakusha has dropped to 99,130, a figure that has fallen below 100,000 for the first time. Their average age is 86.13 years.
“It may seem strange, but for me, these activities are my hobby, just like playing baseball or video games are for my friends. I’m proud of what I do,” says Kenji Takada, another Nagasaki student participating in the program.
“The younger generations must learn the lessons of the bombings so that they never happen again,” says Takada, who adds that he’s “afraid” of the possibility of a country resorting to atomic weapons in one of today’s global conflicts.
In 2001, 14 “Messengers for Peace” began collecting signatures in favor of the abolition of nuclear weapons on the streets of Japan, with the goal of gathering 10,000 signatures. In that first year, they collected 28,000 signatures, and given its success, they decided to continue the campaign, which now has 2,626,714 signatures 24 years later.
Each year, students participating in the program travel to United Nations headquarters in Geneva to present their signatures, which are recognized by the international organization for their contribution to raising global awareness about nuclear weapons.
More than 2,000 young Japanese have been involved in this initiative since its inception, in addition to traveling to other countries around the world to participate in international conferences, meet other students, or participate in charity events.
Their actions offer some hope for the future, amid a new global rearmament, with rising tensions or open confrontations in different regions of the world, and even some leaders openly threatening to use atomic weapons. EFE
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