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:

Country/Region: Taiwan
Status: Completed

2006 Model United Nations – Global Youth Leadership Summit
第一屆全球大學青年領袖高峰會
The goal of the World Leadership Education Foundation and the summit was to bring “Peace from Inner to Global”, with a focus on developing future leaders with the vision and courage to bring us all to a future world of love, freedom, and peace. Through the deep analysis of politics and religious philosophies, participants were aggressively involved with the re-engineering of our future world in this simulated United Nations experience.

The content of the Summit was centered on enhancing leadership skills given challenging conflicts relating ranging from war to racial discrimination, human rights and sovereignty, energy, epidemic prevention & control, etc. Participants aimed to incorporate the following objectives:

• Raise the awareness of the youth toward peace subjects, and establish the aspiration to promote world peace
• Facilitate the interaction and cultural exchange between young people of different cultural and national backgrounds.
• Highlight the importance of spirituality as the foundation of a harmonious global community
• Develop negotiation skills in international affairs through mock UN sessions

Photos:

Country/Region: Vietnam
Status: Completed

SUMMER 2004

My reflection glimmers off Hoan Kiem Lake as people look at me more confused than surprised. Foreign nationals here are few and far between, some to exploit, some to learn, and some to help. The environment feels entirely familiar to my previous travels, yet different because the culture here is proud and well-defined, with its distinct identity. Speaking the basics of this tonal language, my knowledge is just enough for survival and polite encounters. An old lady smiles as I purchase a kilo of lychee with my brother beside me, and a man curiously ponders as I eat a plate of bun cha gio in the alley. My purpose here is much less educational than it is experimentally developmental. With a 20 percent unemployment rate, the talk of money is nothing new. Behind the picturesque backdrop of pagodas, lakes, and palm trees lies another tragic tale of economic slavery. Prostitution, narcotics, child labor, and weapons of mass propaganda attest to the ravages of struggle much like any other developing nation. The country was once war torn, but the people are not heart torn. People here prosper, progress, and think of a future that is brighter than yesterday’s. With my eyes open and my frustrations focused, I walk into the sunset and wait for the next ‘xe om’ to offer me a ride back to my domain. But this is just a pretext with a conclusion to be determined; therefore tonight, Hanoi doesn’t sleep.