You Act. The World Changes:
Day of International Cooperation and Exchange 2010
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Twenty-seven events were held at International Conference Center Hiroshima, the East Building of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and other venues on November 14 (Sun) 2010.
This year marked the 11th Day of International Cooperation and Exchange. A total of 6,800 people
learned more about international exchange and cooperation.
☆“Chikyu no Stage” – Special Version - |
Chikyu no Stage ―Special Version― |
Mr. Norihiko Kuwayama, a psychiatrist based in Yamagata who is involved in providing international medical aid abroad, played the role of guide. He used live performance and enlarged images to describe various incidents happening around the world. The audience was deeply moved in a way that they would not experience at a regular lecture.
In the "Musical Part" of the program, which was performed for
the first time in Hiroshima, Mr. Kuwayama appeared on stage and conducted
while conversing with people overseas shown on a screen. The audience could
experience the tense situations at the overseas locations.
In the "Hiroshima Part" of the program, the audience was made
to think about the importance of peace education. This was |
achieved by showing atomic bomb witnesses speaking about their experiences,
and the activities of junior high school students learning about peace
in order to eradicate bullying, "learn from past wars and rebuild
our school".
In the "Palestine Part" of the program, the audience was moved
by an episode in the Gaza Strip in June of last year. Palestinian children
were emotionally scarred by repeated air attacks made by the Israel military.
They interacted with Mr. Kuwayama, who is involved in activities to heal
their emotional wounds.
The event ended with an active discussion involving many participants,
demonstrating the high level of interest in international exchange and
cooperation.
☆World Kitchen and International Craft Art Bazaar
Different foods from various countries around the world were on sale at stalls in the Green Space on Peace Boulevard, located on the south side of International Conference Center Hiroshima. There were also many visitors and a lively atmosphere at the Craft Art Bazaar, which had a very strong international flavor. The proceeds went towards international cooperation activities of various organizations.
☆Introduction of Activities
Civic organizations, universities, companies and other organizations set up booths and introduced their respective international exchange and cooperation activities. An adjoining consultation corner was also set up for consultations on establishing NPOs and NGO activities.
☆Introduction of Traditional Japanese Culture
Workshops were held to experience traditional Japanese culture, such as
dressing in kimono, tea ceremony, Ikebana flower arrangement, and hand-drawn Yuzen dyeing.
Non-Japanese visitors had the opportunity to experience Japanese culture,
and Japanese visitors could reacquaint themselves with their own traditional
culture. |
☆Family Fun
A quiz rally was held, where participants could win presents by going around the event venue and answering questions. There was a section where participants could learn about other cultures by playing with clay, and also an introduction of games from around the world. The event was for families to enjoy themselves.
☆Thinking about the Environment
Visitors learned about the global environment by listening to a lecture
on environmental issues relating to the Galapagos Islands, a World |
Games from around the world |
Heritage Site. They could also conduct field work in Peace Memorial Park. As an environmental protection measure, reusable containers were used at the food stalls.
☆Toward Multi-Cultural Co-existence
This event was held with the aim of achieving a harmonious relationship of co-existence with non-Japanese residents. It included a discussion of various issues faced by non-Japanese residents of Japan, with a lecture on the theme of multi-cultural co-existence. Free consultations for non-Japanese participants were offered.
In addition to the above activities, various other events were held, including an English debate, a discussion between young people from Hiroshima and overseas, and an event to support the children of the world by donating used keyboard-harmonicas or coins from around the world. |
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(International Relations & Cooperation Division)
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