WFC News
On January 19, the new International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) Executive Director Melissa Parke visited Hiroshima for the first time. WFC was among the peace groups welcoming her.In the evening, we welcomed her by the Motoyasu River and celebrated the 3rd anniversary of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), lighting candles which said, “END WARS — JOIN TPNW 2024.”
Melissa gave a message, expressing her gratitude for the Hibakusha’s courageous dedication to abolish nuclear weapons and end war, and reiterating the importance of hearing their voices. She urged Japan to join the TPNW and for everyone to work together “with love” to create peace in the midst of our difficult global situation.
The next day was intensive–on January 20 Melissa gave a keynote speech at the Peace Memorial Museum to a room of approximately 200 people, stating, “There are no right hands for wrong weapons.” During Q&A, she called for youth involvement in antinuclear organizations, and for antinuclear workers to recognize nuclear weapons’ connectedness to various issues, such as climate change, biodiversity, and human rights crises. She called for educational curricula which center those affected by the atomic bomb, rather than the men that created them.
Later in the day, WFC Vice-Chair Junko Hattori, Co-Director Matthew Bateman, and representatives of other peace and antinuclear organizations introduced themselves to Ms. Parke over lunch. In talking Hiroshiman Civil Society strategy toward the end of nuclear weapons, she urged us to share messages which speak from heart, not from the head.
Ms. Parke was given a tour of the Peace Park by young people working for peace, and WFC Chair Shizuo Tachibana introduced her to the Monument for Barbara Reynolds. He shared about not only Barbara but also Dr. Marcel Junod, Norman Cousins, and Floyd Schmoe who came to Hiroshima from abroad and gave a helping hand.
As a partner organization to ICAN, WFC will continue to work for the abolition of nuclear weapons and world peace.
More photos on the WFC Official Facebook page.
Thank you to everyone for attending and making our annual Holiday Party so much fun!
Throughout the year, WFC hosts educational events, English classes, monthly activities and opportunities for people from around the world to connect with the history of Hiroshima.
Our annual Holiday Party is a way to relax and celebrate friendships, old and new.
This year’s party had Christmas carols, our WFC Peace Choir, all kinds of music performances, speeches, gifts, cookies, and refreshments made by our community members, games, folding an origami holiday ornament, and even a rakugo performance!
We also loved hearing from our friends who recently traveled as PAX delegates to Washington State and Oregon in the U.S., where they connected with and learned from peacemakers, sharing their experiences as hibakusha and Hiroshimans.
We also highlighted the work of Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) and collected donations to support their efforts in Palestine.
CPT works in conflict areas around the world, including in Al-Khalil/Hebron in Palestine. There, it acts as a human rights monitor to protect children on their way to school and a partner with local peacemaking initiatives.
You can learn more about CPT’s work at cpt.org.
From all of us at World Friendship Center, Happy Holidays!
November 25, 2023
“Israel-Palestine Teach-in” with Dr. Masaki Mizobuchi
The escalating crisis in Israel and Palestine, especially the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank have shocked the world and our community.
In the process of seeking ways to help cultivate peace in the region as a member of civil society, we felt the need to better learn its historical background.
On 11/25, WFC invited Associate Professor Masaki Mizobuchi of Graduate School at Hiroshima University to give a broad overview of the current situation, its genesis and implications unraveling the contemporary history of Israel and Palestine.
The lecture began with an explanation of what has been happening since October 7, which was of great interest to the audience (in particular, what is Hamas and the relationship between Hamas and the general public), then about the Ottoman Empire that ruled the Israel-Palestine region and World War I that ended the empire and the root of problems that stemmed from it, the war and confusion caused by the founding of Israel, and why peace has still not been achieved to this day.
Dr.Mizobuchi called for us to continue learning and to raise our voices as citizens. This teach-in played a valuable role in helping us place the daily news stories into context, and provided us with the understanding and opportunity to explore this issue further.
One attendee shared that they had been “watching the news,” but attending the teach-in gave them confidence to begin educating themselves more fully on this important matter.
Thank you to all of the people who took the time to learn with us despite the teach-in being planned and announced at the last minute.
Our actions feel so small, but we hope they help light the way toward lasting peace.
Thank you to everyone who came out to the International Festa 2023!
This year was a lot of fun–for the second year, with hard-working volunteers from our WFC community, we sold Sloppy Joes and French Roast coffee at the Yatai on the greenway.
Inside the International Conference Center, we set up an information booth. We met over 70 people!
Two members of PAX, Tamiyuki-san and Soh-san, shared about their recent trip to the US, and our wonderful community members talked with Hiroshimans and foreigners all day.We believe that bringing together people from different backgrounds to share their food and their experiences is an important step toward cultivating peace. We enjoyed meeting many wonderful people and groups from different cultures in Hiroshima.
Thank you to all who came to visit us and to all who helped us make this happen!
WFC will hold its annual Holiday Party!
We hope to see you all at the end of the year for a fun time of socializing and fellowship.
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Date: Sunday, December 10, 2023, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Venue: Ryugakusei Kaikan 2nd Floor Hall (Hiroshima City International House)
Fee: Free
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Please see the flyer for details.
English flyer >>
Japanese flyer >>
Everyone is welcome, including family, friends, first-timers, and anyone who want to stop by!
We look forward to seeing everyone there!