Peace and Resilience in Hiroshima

M.A. in Political Science, European Union Policy Studies
 

By John Hood

Every year the JMU M.A. in Political Science program offers a fully funded scholarship (round-trip transportation, on the ground transportation and fees) to one graduate student to attend the INU Student Seminar on Global Citizenship & Peace at Hiroshima University in Japan. John Hood, who was selected for the 2018 school year, tells us about his experience.

Hiroshima is a place that symbolizes many ideas and concepts. Hiroshima can symbolize resilience and rebirth through the ability to rise from the ashes of a tragic event. Hiroshima can also symbolize peace as the Peace Flame continues to burn in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park until all the nuclear bombs are discontinued or destroyed. The city can also be a symbol of hope as the people of Hiroshima work hard to build a peaceful future.

In August, I had the opportunity to attend the Master’s Summer School of Global Citizenship and Peace at Hiroshima University and also the 73 rd commemoration of the Hiroshima bombing with ten graduate students from all over the world.

On August 6 we attended the 73rd memorial at the Memorial Peace Park on a sweltering summer morning. With the somber music of the Japanese orchestra, individuals memorialized the souls of the deceased and honored the hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombing. The event was truly moving as three local elementary students recited a Commitment to Peace and stated “Peace is being able to smile naturally. Peace is everyone and yourself being happy. Peace is a future with hopes and dreams.”

Many important members of the Japanese government were in attendance. The Mayor of Hiroshima Kazumi Matsui lead the Peace Declaration and honored the surviving hibakusha and also called for the Japanese government to lead the international community towards “dialogue and cooperation for a world without nuclear weapons.” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was also in attendance and stated the need to bring about a world free of nuclear weapons by promoting the “cooperation of both nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states” and truly understanding the tragic realities of the atomic bomb. Prime Minister Abe reiterated the importance of passing down knowledge to future generations through the stories and experiences of the atomic bomb survivors.

Students also had the opportunity to listen to the stories of a hibakusha, Keiko Ogura, who told her story of survival and the hardships her family endured after the bomb fell. Keiko grew up in a small hamlet outside of Hiroshima, barely missing the direct damage of the bomb but was affected by the repercussions. She told stories of changing school months before the bomb dropped and how small serendipitous events lead to her, and her families, survival. The most poignant piece of her story was after the bomb, the account of the wounded at her doorsteps and the sounds of their suffering and how they begged for water. She was truly a gifted storyteller and gave students a new perspective on the subject, a perspective that was truly unique and once in a lifetime.

The weeklong program was held at Hiroshima University located in the lush city of Higashi-Hiroshima through the International Network of Universities (INU) from August 4-12. This year 10 INU member universities from 9 countries sent a total of 78 students to participate in the seminar, with 10 students participating in the Master’s Summer School. James Madison University was the only American university in attendance but universities from all over the world.

The topic for this year was “Food and Water Insecurity” and focused on four themes: 1) defining food security; 2) right to food, water and sanitation, and development; 3) addressing food and water insecurity in Indonesia; and 4) sand dams and local resilience in the face of climate change. The students participated in a number of seminars, discussions, and workshops addressing the aforementioned themes.

Students also had to complete readings and write a research paper on the subject material and present their paper to a panel of their peers. The course is quite intensive but gives students the opportunity to discuss important issues in an international setting with multiple different viewpoints.

The weeklong event concluded with a United Nations General Assembly simulation in which both undergraduate and graduate students participated in drafting a resolution on global food and water security issues. Throughout the simulations participants exercised their diplomacy skills and honed their communication and leadership skills.

Other activities during the summer school included Japanese language lessons from local students and teachers, learn how to play the traditional skill game of kendama (a ball and cup game that takes considerable skill to perfect), and sample traditional Japanese cuisine such as sushi, okonomiyaki (an egg pancake), and momiji manju (a sponge cake filled with sweet red bean).

Hiroshima symbolizes many ideas, such as resilience and a desire for peace. The INU Master’s Summer School on Global Citizenship and Peace gives the opportunity to build on the idea of peace by creating connections and establishing a dialogue with students from all over the globe. As a participant, I was challenged but also achieved a stronger sense of awareness on the topic of water and food security, a subject that I knew little about. The universality of water and food are essential to human survival and the other students and professors of the INU program have given me a new perspective on this subject.

The resilience of Hiroshima is truly extraordinary. Many photos and mementos are on display at the Hiroshima Memorial Museum depicting the effects of the bombing. The first display shows a panorama of the destruction, devastation, and desolation of the city. It was said that no trees or vegetation would grow in Hiroshima for 70 years. Now the city is full of life as foliage stretches along the Ōta River and cicadas buzz in the summer air. Hiroshima is truly a symbol of resilience, vivacity, and peace.

For more information on the INU Master’s Summer School on Global Citizenship and Peace visit
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/international/network/inu/inu_exchange/citizen_peace.

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Published: Sunday, September 2, 2018

Last Updated: Thursday, November 2, 2023

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