|
Former Ambassador to the Republic of Bulgaria Takashi Koizumi appointed as this Foundation's New Chairperson
|
|
On July 16, 2019, the former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Bulgaria, Takashi Koizumi, took office as the 10th chairperson of this Foundation.
|
|
【Profile】
Born in 1951.
Graduated from Faculty of Literature, Tokyo University of Education.
Joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1976.
Appointed as First Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in the United States;
Deputy Director of Development Cooperation Division, International Cooperation Bureau;
Deputy Director, Central and Eastern Europe Division, Asian and European Affairs Bureau;
Senior Assistant Director, Non-Governmental Organizations Cooperation Division, International Cooperation Bureau;
Senior Assistant Director, Inspection Division, Minister's Secretariat;
Counselor, Embassy of Japan in East Timor;
Director of International Emergency Assistance Division, International Cooperation Bureau;
|
Takashi Koizumi
|
|
Director of Local Partnership Cooperation Division, Minister's Secretariat;
Director of Health and Welfare Division, Minister's Secretariat;
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Bulgaria.
Retired August, 2016.
Greetings from the new chairperson
Having been appointed as chairperson of the prosperous Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, succeeding former chairperson Yasuyoshi Komizo, I am both honored and humbled by the great responsibility of becoming chairperson of the foundation that is the starting point and the basis for the "Spirit of Hiroshima", calling for peace.
Under the leadership of the Foundation's President, Mayor Matsui, I will do my utmost to fulfill my duties.
The previous chairperson Mr. Komizo made a significant contribution to pushing forward the movement for the abolition of nuclear weapons, in particular by communicating the wishes of the atomic bomb survivors, the hibakusha, to the world.
His achievements are too numerous to mention here, including the expansion of Mayors for Peace membership and the establishment of the Leader City system;
preparations to achieve the visit to Hiroshima by former US President Obama;
and initiatives to ensure the effectiveness of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was adopted in the United Nations.
I will never reach Mr. Komizo's levels of ability or expertise, but I hope to make use of my forty years' experience and knowledge gained as a diplomat to contribute to promotion of the Foundation's activities and further development by calling for peace without nuclear weapons and further promoting cultural, youth and international exchange activities.
Throughout my forty-year career as a diplomat, I have keenly felt the importance of peace.
When I was appointed to Bulgaria, as the Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in 1980s, which was under the communist regime in Eastern Europe, I experienced the Cold War and then the collapse of the communist system.
Afterwards I was posted to the United States, and the Gulf War broke out soon after my arrival at Washington DC.
When I worked in newly-independent East Timor in the middle of the 2000s, political unrest flared up again, and I was faced with a dangerous situation where gun battles would break out near my home.
After that, I supported, as a Japanese diplomat, peace keeping operations (PKO) run by the United Nations, and this made me keenly realize how difficult it is to rebuild peace once it has been broken, and how important it is for the global community to cooperate and work together to build peace.
Here I would like to touch upon my thoughts regarding Hiroshima and the abolition of nuclear weapons.
In 2015, when I was working as ambassador to Bulgaria, I gave a speech on the occasion of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki A-Bomb Exhibition Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing, which was held by the Hiroshima-Bulgaria Association.
In my speech, I said "As the only country to have been the victim of atomic bombs in war, Japanese people know better than anyone how cruel and inhumane nuclear weapons are. No matter what the reason, these are weapons that humankind must never use again."
I then emphasized the point, quoting Mayor Matsui's message:
"I want to share with the people of Bulgaria Mayor Matsui's message wishing for a world without nuclear weapons or war."
At the Commemorative Lecture Commemorating 70 Years Since the World War II that I gave at the Sofia University, I also referred to the fact that it was 70 years since the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and appealed for the importance of the abolition of nuclear weapons and of pacifism, which received a great response.
In this way, I have made efforts on successive opportunities to communicate to the people of Bulgaria my thoughts on peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons.
I would like to say one last thing.
I met an hibakusha who lives near my house in Tokyo, and was 7 years old (in East Asian age reckoning) when the atomic bomb was dropped, and lost ten relatives in an instant.
He graduated only from elementary school and was sent to an apprenticeship in Osaka, experienced unspeakable hardship, and even today still suffers from the aftereffects of radiation by atomic bombing.
I was moved by that hibakusha's strong pleas that "the atomic bomb is absolute evil" and "No one else shall ever again suffer as we have", and that was one reason that I decided to become involved in the work of this Foundation.
When we look at international affairs recently, we must recognize that the situation surrounding abolition of nuclear weapons, which was once showing positive signs, is now looking increasingly bleak.
Nonetheless, I believe that we can definitely realize the abolition of nuclear weapons.
The reason I believe is that since nuclear weapons are made by human beings, there is no reason that they cannot be abolished by human beings.
No matter how difficult it may be, we can absolutely never give up on realizing that.
To do so, I believe that the most important thing is solidarity among civil societies―the voices of people have the power to change an era.
In the current circumstances, it is clear that the roles of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation and Mayors for Peace are becoming increasingly important.
I myself cannot do a lot, but my intention is to put all my efforts into fulfilling my duties.
I would like to appreciate and welcome understanding, cooperation, and support by all of you.
(July 16, 2019)
|
|
|
