Port of Call LAST UPDATE October 29, 2009
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October 22, 2009 Rome, Italy – Partners for Peace
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The Peace Boat Hibakusha Project at St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. Gianni Novelli of the Interfaith Peace Center (front row, right) and Mother Superior Maria Regina of the Sisters of Charity of Mary Child (front row, left of center) joined them for the event.
Pope Benedict XVI was one of many officials who extended a warm welcome to Hibakusha (survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) during their three-day tour of Rome, Italy. Speaking to an audience of tens of thousands at mass on Sunday, October 11, the Pope directly greeted the Hibakusha and added his voice to the call for a nuclear free world.

The Hibakusha were in the Eternal City to share their testimonies and garner support for the push to abolish atomic weapons. They were met with an outpouring of support from local government officials and members of civil society.
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Hibakusha Nishioka Hiroshi reflects on the aftermath of the Nagasaki bombing at Rome’s city hall on October 10. Beside him is representative of the Mayor of Rome, Mario Andrea Vattani (center) and City Councilor Athos de Luca (right).
At a conference for Peace Boat’s Hibakusha Project at Rome’s city hall on October 10, council member Athos de Luca announced the city’s plans to rename a street in Rome “Hiroshima Nagasaki Street”. The event is scheduled for next summer and will serve as a memorial to the tragedy and a symbol of the city’s commitment to peace.

As part of this commitment, Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno has been spearheading a programme to develop peace communicators in the capital. Representing the Mayor at the conference, Mario Andrea Vattani, explained that the programme introduced Roman teenagers to the manmade tragedies of the 21st century through workshops and field trips. Previous field trips have toured the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland.

The goal of the programme is to prepare youth to talk about conflict with their peers. Mr Vattani said the Mayor hoped to lead a delegation of fifty participants on a trip to Hiroshima next year. The Mayor of Rome is a member of Mayors for Peace – an alliance of over 3000 mayors worldwide committed to nuclear abolition.
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Hibakusha Ono Mitsuko shares a moment with students at Via Augusto Renzini Elementary School. The students each received an origami crane. The crane is the symbol of the Peace Boat Hibakusha Project.
The Hibakusha were also hosted by Rome’s Inter-Faith Peace Center, CIPAX. Speaking at the St Paulo Christian Community Center, convener of the group and key host of the visit, Gianni Novelli, said there was strong opposition to nuclear proliferation in Italy and that his group would continue playing its part to spread the message of peace in Rome.

Via Augusto Renzini Elementary School was the final stop for the Hibakusha Project on the three-day tour. 78 year-old Hibakusha Nishioka Hiroshi was just a few years older than the students when Nagasaki was bombed. He invited them to imagine how the heat from the blast would have felt against their skin and how far the wind would have taken them. Mr Nishioka reflected on how his life changed after the bombing and encouraged the students to share his story with their families and friends.