On 18 November 2023, a study session entitled “Thinking about Palestine now” was held by the Association for the Preservation of the UN Peace Bell. The lecturer, a former news director of NHK, spoke from various angles and perspectives about the history of the division of the region, problems under international law that existed before the Gaza crisis, the current situation of it and the responses of various countries to it.
In particular, when she introduced the words of children from Palestine who had visited Hiroshima, they said, “I saw that Hiroshima, which had suffered the same way as us, had now become a city of peace. I was surprised and felt hope and aspiration.” These words made a strong impression on me. It reaffirmed for me that beyond the sadness, suffering and hatred that had been created, there are examples of peace being created right in front of our eyes.
I was also impressed by the last question, which asked if the place to return to is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration was adopted for the principle of never repeating the horrors of the Second World War, and I was reminded that our seniors had properly laid the foundations for building the future.
We would like to continue to organize study groups like this to think about peace in the future. We look forward to your participation.
Director: Katsura Masanori