Nobody knew,
Nobody heard,
Nobody saw,
Nobody felt,
Nobody could have imagined.

Crying silent tears,
Calling for us silently,
Lost in a world of silence,
Your soul imprisoned by silence,
Your mind intoxicated in silence,
and your heart silently stops beating.

Why? Is the question I ask in respectful silence: it holds true that life is just as much saying goodbye, as it is saying hello – even if those goodbyes are at times inaudible, or, silent.

Krissa: your warmth, love, and compassion will always be with us. Never will we forget the times past. May your soul Rest in Peace.

Country/Region: Hiroshima, Japan
Goal: To understand the implications and destructive capacity of nuclear energy within the context of peace-building
Status: Completed

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony
August 6, 2007

Sixty-one years ago, Hiroshima suffered the world’s first atomic bombing. To prevent repetition of such tragedy, the city has sought ever since to convey facts about the bombing to the world. Every year on August 6, the city of Hiroshima holds a Peace Memorial Ceremony to pray for the peaceful repose of the victims, for the abolition of nuclear weapons, and for lasting world peace. During the ceremony, the mayor (Tadatoshi Akiba) issued a Peace Declaration directed toward the world at large. To view a copy of his declaration please click HERE.

The Commitment to Peace:

Everybody is capable of feeling a desire for revenge when wronged. However, nothing will come of inflicting the hardship and sadness that we suffer onto others – doing so will only cause an endless continuation of the same suffering. The creation of peaceful world requires that each of us display kindness and strength to become the final link in the chains of hatred and sorrow that we encounter.

The Prime Minister of Japan and the Secretary General of the United Nations
addressed the world in a call for peace:

A silent death is marked by the tear in my left eye; to my ancestors I dedicate this most recent breath as a symbol of my efforts to give back to the people that brought us into this world. A mother to us all, you were a representation of the glimpse of the love that is remnant in our lives. Love was the word that held us together, and the ones that love you most will be there by your side to endure the pains of your century-long existence. I reminisce upon the day I was dazed by the fumes negativity and thrown into obscurity. My only escape was to recognize you in my mother’s face – a visage linking history to present-day. But at present, I see tears in my mother’s eyes, pouring superfluously into an acidic substance that burns into my soul. Let us learn from you; the one-hundred and four year legacy of your spirit fills the center of my empty heart.

Nellie, vous êtes toujours dans nos coeurs. R.I.P.

Like a Brother, you were there when my tears hit the floor for the crimes I did. Like my shadow you kept up with my every move, making sure I never fell to the devil. You cleansed my mind of racist thought and selfish desire..Man, I love you for that. Brought me in your home like I was family, I’ll always remember the late nights we spent divising plans to escape the wrongs of man. When I felt life had left my body you fused the theory to recreate our souls…man, I lived your life, burnt my hands on hot iron, and ate the foods I never dreamed of.. You showed me your culture while I showed you mine. Even though you may be far away from me now, my every move matches what we created as brothers. This alliance is sealed in my heart like my love for the greater good. Until we cross again, brother…R.I.P.

One Love