There's a god for that
Students in Hiroshima are taught “peace studies” throughout their high-school years; they learn about the causes and effects of war, and learn how to talk about alternatives to war. They are taught how to be ambassadors for peace. The curriculum is extensive, and the students emerge well-prepared for an indifferent world. Still, one of the group’s members, Kasumi Ito, was surprised when she discovered that other students her age, in the towns around Hiroshima, were not taught peace studies. How could that be?
The peace studies curriculum that Hiroshima educators have developed instructs students on a wide range of topics. Using the physical sciences, it teaches students of the consequences of nuclear weapons and the effects of radiation on humans; using the social sciences, it shows students the effects of war on individuals and communities; and using the arts and humanities, it guides students to explore the immoral nature of war and nuclear weapons.
But as Kasumi Ito discovered, having this curriculum is not enough. It needs to reach beyond Hiroshima’s borders. In order to accomplish this, the educators have formalized the curriculum into the “Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study Course.” So far, this curriculum has been disseminated to 40 universities in Japan and 16 universities overseas.
During Kaburaya’s 2010 California tour, there were two especially memorable performances. The first was at the Yountville Veterans Home. This Napa Valley community is the largest veterans’ home in America; at this time 1,100 veterans of all ages live here. The performance coincided with the 65th anniversary of V-J Day (August 14th 1945), the end of World War II. Kaburaya’s director, Yasuyuki Fujiwara, in his introduction to the veterans, said, “We must never forget the terrible suffering that was endured by the hibakusha, but as a society we have moved on. We hope that members of this generation and the next will join us in making sure we never repeat this same mistake.”
The performance was well attended by the Yountville veterans, who were enthusiastic in their reception. At one point, in the middle of a rowdy piece, the Hiroshima performers were spontaneously joined by one of the older veterans, who danced and clapped and shouted to the tune, spurred on by his compatriots who clearly shared his joy. Here on this small but important stage, the veterans of war and the ambassadors for peace joined for a heartfelt moment of reconciliation.
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