The First Youth Peace Volunteer Specialized Training Program

More than 80 years since the atomic bombings, the hibakusha are quite elderly. For Hiroshima to continue conveying to people in Japan and around the world the facts of the atomic bombing and the "spirit of Hiroshima" (our desire to abolish nuclear weapons), we need urgently to involve younger generations.
In order to address this challenge, the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation conducted the "1^st Youth Peace Volunteer Specialized Training Program" for the first time, targeting ten university students studying in Hiroshima, with the aim of enabling them to develop a deeper understanding of the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons and acquire the competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) needed to promote peacebuilding activities alongside people from diverse backgrounds.
The program comprised ten sessions beginning in November 2025, ending in March 2026. It featured lectures by experts on nuclear disarmament and international relations, as well as discussions and a field trip to Nagasaki. At the conclusion near the end of March, participants produced a set of recommendations for promoting the abolition of nuclear weapons, then held a presentation attended by the mayor of Hiroshima, hibakusha, and members of Hiroshima Peace Volunteers.
The recommendations outlined specific initiatives for eliminating nuclear weapons, including raising awareness among young people through social media, and creating spaces where young people can meet and freely discuss peace. Based on these recommendations, we sent program participants Mako Ueda, a third-year student at Yasuda Women's University, and Iroha Kitazono, a third-year student at Hiroshima University, along with six high school students, to the 11^th NPT Review Conference in New York as Mayors for Peace Youth delegates, where they advocated for the abolition of nuclear weapons before the international community.

At the 11^th NPT Review Conference

During the NPT Review Conference at UN Headquarters, Ms. Ueda and Ms. Kitazono took the stage at the Mayors for Peace Youth Forum, a side event of the conference. They delivered their recommendations in English. They also visited local universities and other institutions to discuss how young people from different regions can work together to raise awareness about nuclear disarmament.
They observed another side event organized by Mayors for Peace and the NGO session where they witnessed appeals from the A-bombed cities. They also met with key individuals on the front lines of nuclear disarmament and the peace movement, namely Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, and Tomiko Ichikawa, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament. Both officials offered valuable advice about working for nuclear abolition.
Reflecting on the trip, Ms. Ueda commented, "This experience helped me think more profoundly about the nature of peace. I want to keep sharing my message and cherishing my mission: to inspire others to think about peace."
Ms. Kitazono said, "I came to feel that if all of us keep pondering peace — even in the flow of everyday life — and if we keep raising our voices, we’ll gradually raise society's consciousness and values." Each took the experience as an opportunity to seriously contemplate the roles they have been called to play in the international community.

Outcomes of the Specialized Training Program

Throughout the Specialized Training Program, although all participants shared the goal of abolishing nuclear weapons, they often held differing views on the means of achieving that goal and on the current security environment. Through repeated discussions, they came to understand one another's perspectives and, by patiently seeking common ground, developed a set of recommendations. Furthermore, by presenting their proposals at the NPT Review Conference and other events and exchanging views with young people from other countries, they were able to develop a shared understanding of the need to abolish nuclear weapons across national borders.
In a sense, these processes reflect and carry forward the progress that has been made by the international community toward nuclear disarmament and abolition of nuclear weapons, and they have led to the results achieved through the dedicated efforts of all participants in the Specialized Training Program.

Passing the peace culture baton to our youth

Encouraged by these experiences, we look forward to seeing the participants take leading roles in fostering a culture of peace among their peers. Regarding their recommendation that we "create places where people can freely discuss peace," the Foundation is exploring the possibility of organizing an event as early as this fall. As well, we plan to hold the 2^nd Specialized Training Program in October.
Hiroshima was designated a "Peace Memorial City" under the Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law of 1949. During that process, over 90% of Hiroshima's residents voted in favor of the initiative. However, a true "city of peace" is not built in a day; it is the younger generation who will carry this ideal forward. We believe our Youth Peace Volunteer activities are an effective way to pass the peace culture baton to future generations.