Imari Yasuno
Nagasaki Higashi High School
It was a great honor for me to participate in the Critical Issues Forum, CIF program. I really appreciate Ms. Masako Toki and other participants, especially Kwassui High School students, for coordinating this special conference.
I gave a presentation to let all participants know about one important picture in my presentation. The picture shows the corpse of burned boy whose name was Shouji Tanizaki. He was burned to death at the age of 13, at the distance of 300 meters from the Nagasaki atomic bombing hypocenter. He had remained unidentified until his picture was posted on such a large panel and his two younger sisters could recognize him. When I had the opportunity to hear about Shouji from them, I realized that he was just a boy, a young person, the same as me. At that time, the number of fatalities from the atomic bomb was 73,884. It means there are 70,000 or more stories like this boy. That’s why I chose my presentation title to be “1/70,000”.
In order to speak correctly, I edited the structure of my speech and practiced speaking with my English teacher again and again. And I put some ingenuity in my presentation suggested to me by the assistant language teacher in my high school. It was NUKEMAP , a website which can demonstrate the detonation of a nuclear bomb. Using this tool, we can select a simulated target location to drop. Using NUKEMAP, I asked participants from USA, Russia, and Japan to give it an attempt. Three volunteers tried it and seemed to feel fear of losing their precious things like family, home, and lives.
I think introducing the story of a burned boy, Shouji and trying on “Active Learning” approach was a good way to let others know how incredible nuclear weapons were and still are. I also highlighted the peace activity which I carried out for 3 years. It was a petition campaign started in Nagasaki city 18 years ago which calls for a world without nuclear weapons and wars. As a member of that campaign, I collected signatures every Sunday. And I delivered those signatures to the United Nations of Disarmament Office in Geneva as one of Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Messengers. I was glad to hear some CIF participants’ admiring me for my dedication. What made me happier was one teacher from USA saying to me that she wanted to spread my idea by encouraging her students to do the same.
In other participants’ presentations, I learned about detailed aspects of CTBT, nuclear weapons, and various kinds of peace promotion activities. All of them were so excellent that I couldn’t stop being surprised. I had been collecting signatures emphasizing the emotional perspective of Hibakusha, and Nagasaki, an area suffered by the atomic bomb. But, through listening to fellow attendees research, I realized that my activity is little bit inadequate, needs logic and realistic knowledge. “What is important to abolish nuclear weapons, is to approach from two sides like a pair wheels.” This is what Mr. Tsuboi, a Hibakusha, having played a role of leading peace promotion activities in Nagasaki said before his passing away. By listening to the presentations, I think I could understand his words more deeply.
Not only from presentations, but from the Key Note speech, I learned a lot. Especially this year’s CIF special guest, Dr. Lassina Zerbo told us the importance of action done by youth and early education for a peaceful world. Through his speech, I was determined to continue my studies and efforts for peace.
Overall, in my experiences through the CIF program, I was able to make friends from the USA, Russia, and other prefectures of Japan. By touring Dejima, sharing delicious meals and deep discussion at Kwassui Cafeteria, I absorbed interesting cultures different from Japanese. Talking frankly about peace, our own culture, or a related chats, I felt as if there was no border between us. Having felt this, I really want to feel this relationship in the international society, too. All CIF participants have one vision which strives for a world without nuclear weapons. Keeping in touch with those mates, I am going to do whatever I can to follow the logic of “a pair wheels” for the realization of a peaceful world to see bright smiles in every continent and to realize the boy’s earnest wish.