The Mayors for Peace Secretariat annually invites young officials from member cities to Hiroshima as interns. This internship program aims to strengthen collaboration with member cities by engaging them in the Mayors for Peace initiatives at the Secretariat. It is also hoped that, by deepening their understanding of the realities of the atomic bombings and sharing the "Spirit of Hiroshima" in the wish for peace, participants will be motivated to pursue initiatives toward realizing lasting world peace in their home cities after completing the program.
　　From June 19 to July 3, 2024, the Mayors for Peace Secretariat welcomed Mr. Harun Pašić from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (an Executive City of Mayors for Peace and the Lead City of the country) and Ms. Iuliia Panfylova from Tasman District, New Zealand as interns.
　　Upon completion of the internship program, they made the following comments.
"The Bosnian conflict in the 1990s resulted in largescale urban destruction and the deaths of many civilians. Cruel humanitarian issues arose, and the scars remain to this day. Like Hiroshima, as a city that experienced the tragedy of war and seeks peace, Sarajevo will promote the initiatives of Mayors for Peace throughout its own country and the Balkan region." "I will expand the call for participation in the Mayors for Peace 'Children's Art Competition: Peaceful Towns' to other organizations as well as schools, to provide more children with the opportunity to learn and think about peace. I would also like to create an opportunity for the people of Tasman to hear the experiences of hibakusha."