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Welcoming UN Disarmament Fellows
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We welcomed trainees (fellows) participating in the United Nations Programme of Fellowship on Disarmament to Hiroshima over two days from October 1, 2018.
The programme is run by the UN and aims to train disarmament specialists.
This programme has been run by the UN since 1979.
Fellows have been welcomed in Hiroshima every year since 1983, and with the fellows 2018, the total number of fellows coming to Hiroshima has passed 900.
This time there were 27 participants, including young diplomats from 25 countries.
On October 1, the group listened to an explanation by Mr. Yasuyoshi Komizo, the Chairperson of this Foundation, about the initiatives of Mayors for Peace to abolish nuclear weapons.
This was followed by tours of the Peace Memorial Museum, Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, the A-Bomb Dome and more, after which the group presented flowers at the Memorial Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims.
The group also interacted with Hiroshima citizens, were given books that depict the reality of the atomic bombing and a lei of paper cranes made with the colors of the national flag of each of the fellows, and were also presented with paper cranes made by Hiroshima high school students out of copper sheets.
At the end of the day, the group listened to a testimony by an atomic bomb witness.
On October 2, the group visited the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, where they listened to a lecture by Vice-Chairman and Executive Director Mr. Ullrich about the effects of radiation on the human body.
There were many questions after the lecture.
The schedule for the programme this time had to be significantly altered because of a typhoon, but members of the group said that they wanted the programme to be held as much as possible in accordance with the original plans, and as a result they had a meaningful stay in Hiroshima in the limited time available.
The fellows all listened to the lecture with great interest, and over the two days were able to deepen their understanding about the reality of the atomic bombing, as well as sharing memories of the bombed city of Hiroshima.
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The group of fellows after presenting flowers at the Memorial Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims
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| (Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division) |
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