During the last three days, the students had seen many things, heard many things, and felt many things. We are sure that these experiences have affected the students in one way or another.  Although there were many fantastic things we did, the most incredible, in my humble opinion, was listening to Ms Kono Kiyomi’s powerful lecture.  For the students to hear firsthand from a real live atomic bomb survivor is an experience that students a few years from now will not be able to do.  

Her story of survival, her story of hope, her dream of peace was inspiring. 

I will share the speech that Ms Kono finished her lecture with, a message from Pope John Paul II, 

War is the work of man.

War is destruction of human life.

War is death.

To remember the past is to commit oneself to the future.

To remember Hiroshima is to abhor nuclear war.

To remember Hiroshima is to commit oneself to peace.

10:30 a.m., 25 February 1981, Hiroshima.