Shigeko Sasamori, one of the Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors), with a student at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, OK. Photo: www.hibakushastories.org

By Robin Lloyd
Burlington Branch

The Burlington, Vermont Branch of WILPF and Hibakusha Stories are working on a very special project for students in our state: “Hibakusha Stories: Nuclear Disarmament Education and Action for Vermonters.”

With the support of other Vermont peace and social justice groups, we will be bringing two Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki) to Vermont for five days (September 17-21, 2018) to celebrate International Peace Day on September 21.

These two survivors will be speaking in schools and at public events around Vermont, along with two Hibakusha Stories professional educators who will share curriculum materials and resources. Local peace and social justice groups will provide advocacy and actions.

Thanks to the partnership between Maho Takahashi, who has been working with Peace Boat, educational global voyages for peace and sustainability that works in partnership with Hibakusha Stories and who now lives in Burlington, and Marguerite Adelman, who has helped organize schools and venues and to raise funds, we are excited to be undertaking one of the biggest projects of our recent history!

We urge US WILPF branches to visit the Hibakusha Stories website and see about inviting an atomic bomb survivor to your community. The average age of Hibakusha is now above 80.

(Quotes from the organizers and profiles of the two survivors who will participate in the Vermont events will be included in the next issue of Peace & Freedom magazine).