This Foundation has been training Youth Peace Volunteers to communicate the reality of the atomic bombing in English to foreign visitors to Peace Memorial Park. This is to ensure that the youth of Hiroshima, who will lead the next generation, learn the importance of peace and have more opportunities to convey the "Spirit of Hiroshima" to visitors from overseas. We have been conducting guide activities since 2020.
　This year, the second year of these activities, we could not provide volunteer guides to foreign tourists due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, so a video was made. The video introduces in English ten locations in Peace Memorial Park, including the Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims, the Atomic Bomb Dome, the A-bombed aogiri tree, and more. 　This year, 37 new members (21 high school students and 16 university students) are participating in the Youth Peace Volunteer training. At the first training session held on July 18, participants were able grasp the point of the activities and deepen their understanding of the reality of the atomic bombing. First, they attended a peace study course, where they learned about the process leading up to the atomic bombings, the damage caused by the atomic bombs, and the current status of nuclear disarmament in the international community. The students who attended the peace study course commented, "There were many things I did not know. I would learn more in the future." Next, the students listened to a senior Youth Peace Volunteer demonstrate how to talk to people when actually guiding them, and explain the guide video that was created during the coronavirus pandemic. The new members received explanations and advice from the senior members based on their experiences, which seemed to ease their anxiety about guiding activities and gave them the desire to engage in various activities even during the pandemic. Finally, the participants listened to an A-bomb testimony in English, hearing about the actual experiences of hibakusha as well as their struggles and thoughts about sharing their A-bomb experiences. For some of the students, it was the first time that they had heard an A-bomb testimony. The experience seemed to renew their desire to become guides, as they said "It was a very valuable experience. I would like to convey the thoughts of the hibakusha."
　Youth Peace Volunteers started their guide activities on November 21.