Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers and the High School Students' Ten Thousand Signature Campaign Executive Committee
Peace Messenger
Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers
Since 1998, Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers have been advocating for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of a peaceful world in various places around the globe, including visits to the United Nations Office at Geneva. They convey their message both domestically and internationally. They are selected through a public recruitment process held once a year from all over the country.
The Beginnings of High School Student Peace Ambassadors
In the late 1990s, a series of nuclear tests were conducted around the world.
The citizens of Nagasaki, who felt a growing sense of crisis about this,sent high school students from Japan to the United Nations to directly advocate for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
In October 1998, two high school students in Nagasaki
were dispatched to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA.The Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers program has begun.
Speech at the Conference on Disarmament
In 2014, Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers gave a speech at a disarmament conference for the first time as civilians. This was made possible by their annual visits to the United Nations to advocate for the abolition of nuclear weapons and their appointment as Youth Non-Nuclear Ambassadors by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Peace Messengers
Since the third generation in 2000, Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers have been visiting the United Nations Office at Geneva in Switzerland, where disarmament conferences are held. Recognized as 'Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers' at the United Nations, these students have gained high praise and achieved significant results with their earnest words and actions.
Over 250 high school students have participated as Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers, and the scope of their activities continues to expand every year.
Audience with the Pope
In 2019, before Pope Francis visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the atomic-bombed cities, two students who were then Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers visited the Vatican and had an audience with the Pope. The Pope encouraged them to continue their efforts for world peace and to never forget the horrors of the atomic bombings.
HISTORY
Peace Messenger
Since 1998
It all started in Nagasaki...
1998
India and Pakistan conducted nuclear tests one after another.
1st
Generatin
The Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Peace Messengers were
established.
Two high school students from Nagasaki brought 6,380 signatures calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons to the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
High school students' peace activities have begun!
1999
Hiroshima also selects
Peace Messengers
2000
The destination of the visit was changed to the United Nations Office at Geneva (Switzerland, Geneva), where the disarmament conference is held.
2001
Collecting signatures to abolish
nuclear weapons
" 10,000 High School Students
Signature Campaign " launched
Attacks of Sept. 11 occurred in America, prompting the U.S. military to commence airstrikes in Afghanistan at that time.
2002
The "10,000 High School Students Pencil Movement" began.
We are collecting donations of school supplies to send to children in Asia who are in need of them.
2003
2004
2005
The Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers began a visit to South Korea to learn about Japan's "acts of aggression."
The nationwide recruitment for Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers has commenced.
Selected from Kanagawa
and the UK
2006
North Korea's first nuclear test
10th
Generation
Selection began in Tokyo
A recruitment quota was established overseas, selecting high school students from Brazil, Peru,
and South Korea.
Selection began in Kagoshima.
2007
2008
Selection begins in
Fukuoka
2009
Selection began in
Kumamoto
2010
2011
The Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident
High school students
from disaster-stricken
areas selected
Selected from Iwate and Oita
2012
Received a letter of appreciation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Selection began in Saga
The total number of signatures submitted to the United Nations reaches 1 million.
Selected as the first "Youth Communicator for a World without Nuclear Weapons" by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2013
Selected from Hokkaido,
Fukushima, and Shizuoka
2014
The Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers delivered their first speech at the Geneva Disarmament Conference, marking the beginning of three consecutive years of speeches.
Selection began in Nara
Security-related legislation enacted
2015
Selection began in Niigata
2016
Then-President Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima.
Selection began
in Osaka
2017
20th
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons adopted
International NGO "International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)" receives Nobel Peace Prize
First Nobel Peace Prize nominee
2018
2018
2019
The total number of signatures submitted to the United Nations reached two million.
2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
Changed the destination of peace ambassadors to domestic
Began active use of digital signatures and SNS
2021
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons comes into force
Selected from Aichi, Miyazaki, and Okinawa
"Peace Book Relay" launched to promote the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
Russia invades Ukraine
Conference of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons held
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference Held
2022
The national Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers collaborated to release a peace action video titled 'The Blue Sky'.
