Organize a Peace Memorial
Ceremony
Every
year the City of Hiroshima holds the Peace Memorial Ceremony for the repose of the
souls of those who died due to the atomic
bombing, as well as to pray for world peace. This
ceremony is held in front of the Cenotaph for the
A-bomb Victims (Monument for Hiroshima, City of
Peace). The Peace Declaration, which is delivered
by the Mayor of Hiroshima during the ceremony, is
sent to every country in the world conveying
Hiroshima's wish for the abolition of nuclear
weapons and the realization of eternal world
peace. At exactly 8:15 a.m., the time the atomic
bomb was dropped, the Peace Bell is rung, sirens
sound all over the city and for one minute people
at the ceremony grounds, in households and in
workplaces pay silent tribute to the victims of
the atomic bombing and pray for the realization
of everlasting world peace.
The
City of Nagasaki also holds a Peace Ceremony each year on August 9,
in order to pray for the repose of the souls of
the atomic bomb victims, and to appeal to the
world for the abolition of nuclear weapons and
for the realization of world peace. The Mayor of
Nagasaki delivers the annual Peace Declaration
during the Ceremony, calling on both Japan and
the world for peace. A Peace Declaration Guide
has also been published each year since 1997,
mainly for junior high school students, and has
been distributed in Nagasaki's junior high
schools.
| Work with
others at your school, Church, or
community group to organize a Peace
Memorial Ceremony. Join with people of
other faiths and cultures for this
activity if possible. You can use some of
the ideas from the programs for the
Hiroshima and Nagasaki ceremonies, along
with rituals and symbols from the
different cultural and religious groups
present among your school, church or
community. |
Draft a Peace Charter or
Manifesto
Nagasaki Citizens Peace
Charter
"The
city of Nagasaki served for centuries as a
gateway for the introduction of foreign culture
and knowledge to Japan, and through this history
of international exchange it has developed its
own unique cultural heritage.
On
August 9, 1945, Nagasaki was devastated by the
explosion of an atomic bomb. Reflecting upon the
actions of our predecessors in past wars, and
remembering the unending sufferings of the atomic
bomb survivors, we resolve to ensure that
Nagasaki is the last place on Earth subjected to
the horror and misery of a nuclear holocaust.
Lasting
world peace is the common aspiration of all
humanity.
In
accordance with the spirit of peace cited in the
Japanese constitution, we pledged our utmost
efforts to promote a life of democracy, peace and
safety and to work for the realization of global
harmony. We hereby establish, on the 100th
anniversary of the inauguration of our modern
municipal administration, the "Nagasaki
Citizens Peace Charter".
We will strive to create and
maintain a bright social environment
characterized by thoughtfulness, respect
for human rights, and freedom form
discrimination.
We will strive to enhance peace
education and to inform our children - on
whose shoulders the future lies - about
the horror of war and the reality of the
atomic bombing.
We will strive to promote the
prosperity and welfare of humanity in
cooperation with the United Nations and
cities around the world while
strengthening bonds of friendship as an
international culture city.
We will strive for world peace
and disarmament by observing the Three-Fold
Non- Nuclear Principle (not to
manufacture, store or introduce nuclear
weapons) and by pressing the Japanese
government to strictly observe this
principle.
As the mission of an atomic-bombed
city, we will strive to rid the Earth of
nuclear weapons by revealing the horror
of nuclear destruction and by joining in
efforts with peace- loving people
everywhere.
The
citizens of Nagasaki proclaim, to all the people
of Japan and other countries, an unbending
determination to achieve the ideas expressed in
this charter by carrying various peace-promoting
measures into concrete practice."
Resolved
by the Nagasaki City Council on March 27, 1989
Manifesto 2000 for a
Culture of Peace & Non Violence
"Because
the year 2000 must be a new beginning, an
opportunity to transform all together the culture
of war and violence into a culture of peace and
non-violence.
Because
this transformation demands the participation of
each and every one of us, and must offer young
people and future generations the values that can
inspire them to shape a world based on justice,
solidarity, liberty, dignity, harmony and
prosperity for all.
Because
the culture of peace can underpin sustainable
development, environmental protection and the
well-being of each person.
Because
I am aware of my share of responsibility for the
future of humanity, in particular to the children
of today and tomorrow.
I
pledge in my daily life, in my family, my work,
my community, my country and my region, to:
Respect
the life and dignity of each human being without
discrimination or prejudice;
Practise
active non-violence, rejecting violence in all
its forms: physical, sexual, psychological,
economical and social, in particular towards the
most deprived and vulnerable such as children and
adolescents;
Share
my time and material resources in a spirit of
generosity to put an end to exclusion, injustice
and political and economic oppression;
Defend
freedom of expression and cultural diversity,
giving preference always to dialogue and
listening without engaging in fanaticism,
defamation and the rejection of others;
Promote
consumer behaviour that is responsible and
development practices that respect all forms of
life and preserve the balance of nature on the
planet;
Contribute
to the development of my community, with the full
participation of women and respect for democratic
principles, in order to create together new forms
of solidarity."
The
Manifesto 2000 for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence,
was drafted by a group of Nobel Peace Prize
winners, to translate the resolutions of the
United Nations into everyday language and to make
them relevant to people everywhere
| Read the
Nagasaki Citizens' Peace Charter and
Manifesto 2000 (above) and discuss them
with your community or group. Draft your
own Peace Charter or Manifesto, display
it prominently, and try to live by it.
Encourage your local city government to
adopt a Peace Charter. |
|