October 22, 2007 :
Lecture: “Hiroshima's Devotion to World Peace”
Training Report - Leadership Development Course 2007
by Mr. Nobuyuki TESHIMA,
Director of International Peace Promotion Department, the City of Hiroshima.
Courtesy Call : Mr. Tadatoshi AKIBA, Mayor of the City of Hiroshima
The participants left from JICA Tokyo early in the morning and flew from Haneda Airport to Hiroshima Airport. This is the beginning of one week regional training in the world famous city, Hiroshima. Peace education is the main theme of the training in Hiroshima.
Firstly the participants visited the International Conference Hall to receive a lecture on Hiroshima's Devotion to World Peace. Mr. Nobuyuki TESHIMA, Director of International Peace Promotion Department, explained about the atomic bomb and the peace activities promoted by the city of Hiroshima.
Lecture material : Devotion of Hiroshima to the Cause of Peace
After the lecture, the participants moved to the Hiroshima City Hall and at 15:30 they made a courtesy call to Mr. Tadatoshi AKIBA, the Mayor of the City of Hiroshima.
Every year on August 6 a Peace Memorial Ceremony is held and the mayor issues a Peace Declaration towards the world, praying for the peaceful repose of the victims, for the abolition of nuclear weapons, and for lasting world peace.
Peace Declaration (in English, French, Russian, German, Korean, Chinese, Arabic)
http://www.city.hiroshima.jp/shimin/heiwa/declaration.html
Mr. Akiba also talked about ‘Mayors for Peace’. With the belief that cities are responsible for their citizens' life, ‘Mayors for Peace’ was founded in 1982 calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Currently there are 1828 member cities in 122 countries and regions. Please check if your city is a member of ‘Mayors for Peace’.
( http://www.mayorsforpeace.org/english/membercity/map.html )
Today the participants were impressed by Hiroshima's devotion for world peace and Mr. Akiba's strong leadership. Before closing the visit, the participant from Honduras made a thank you speech on behalf of the group.
