During the year 2015, the City of Cervia organized various events to commemorate the landmark 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Workshop on August 6th, 2015
On August 6th, a workshop for peace open to the public was organized as part of a local event called “Showcase Borgomarina di Romagna.” The workshop was a collaboration with “Senzatomica,” a campaign organized by Soka Gakkai International Italy. The aim of the workshop was to promote a culture of non-violence and respect for human dignity, and to trigger a “chain reaction of virtue,” in which a person who is active can encourage others to take action to spread a message of peace. The event attracted many participants, including children, who created messages of peace as part of the workshop.
（Photos courtesy of the City of Cervia）
Donation of ginkgo seedling to the Cervia delegation from
Mr. Thilo Rentschler, Mayor of Aalen
Donation of ginkgo seedling to the Cervia delegation from the Mayor of Aalen, Germany, on September 13th, 2015
On September 13th, Cervia received a seedling of a ginkgo tree from its twin city, Aalen, Germany, which is also a member of Mayors for Peace. The seedling is the second generation of an A-bombed ginkgo tree that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
The City of Aalen offered the seedling to Cervia as a symbol of peace between the twin cities. The Mayor of Cervia decided to plant the seedling in Rondano Dondini Park, which is located next to the local primary school, M. Buonarroti, to give its students the opportunity to take care of the tree. The school has a “twin” relationship with a primary school in Aalen.
Planting of ginkgo on October 14th by Mr. Luca Coffari, Mayor of Cervia (front), and Mr. Riccardo Todoli, Delegate for Public Greenery of Cervia (behind)
Planting of ginkgo on October 14th
On October 14th, the Mayor of Cervia, some city officials, and the students of M. Buonarroti attended an event to plant the ginkgo seedling in the park. Shortly before the planting ceremony, the students recited poems about a culture of peace and non-violence, the spirit of the Italian Constitution, and respect for human rights. They decided to name the ginkgo tree “PACIFICO,” which comes from the word “PACE,” meaning peace in Italian. The tree is now still small, but its symbolic value is great and it is being cherished by the fifth-grade-children of the school, who are taking care of it. The City of Cervia offers special thanks to the Monticulum Association for maintaining Rondano Dondini Park for years and offering snacks to students at the event in collaboration with a group of parents from the school.
Primary School M. Buonarroti – Montaletto Cervia Planting of ginkgo on October 14th
All the messages of peace created during the workshop on August 6th and by the students of M. Buonarroti during the planting event were sent to the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On the occasion of the70th anniversary of the atomic bombings, Mayor Luca Coffari of Cervia issued the following message: “Every activity dedicated in memory of the tragic atomic bombings, however small it is, has a profound symbolic value and is an important step for the path of peace. Every city, every country, every nation and every single person has a duty to remember the event and to bear in mind a message that opens our hearts to detente, respect for the human being and the condemnation of all war and all forms of violence.”