This morning, the participants met a survivor of the atomic bomb blast (or Hibakusha in Japanese) and listened to a message directly from her.
Yesterday Mr. Akiba mentioned about three important steps taken; 1) Hibakusha chose to live, 2) Hibakusha decided to talk about their experience and send a message, and 3) the message of Hibakusha is “no one else, including enemies, should not suffer from what we did.” The participants were surprised to realize that the atomic bomb blast is not the past history but its effect is still present, affecting many people. They were also shocked to hear that she does not hate the enemies.
To close this morning’s session, the participant from Honduras said a thank you words on behalf of 10 participants.
After the lunch, the participants walked around the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and then visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The museum provides Peace Volunteers who give explanation to the visitors not only in Japanese but also in English. The participants were divided into small groups and went around the museum with Peace Volunteers.
It was a long day but became a unforgettable learning experience.
