Exhibition of children’s artwork “Tumanako! Hope For A Peaceful World”

August 7 - 28, 2016 [Wellington, New Zealand]

The City of Wellington, a Lead City of Mayors for Peace, had an exhibition of children’s artwork titled “Tumanako! Hope For A Peaceful World” at Wellington’s Central Library from August 7 to 28 to commemorate Hiroshima and Nagasaki Day.

Tumanako means “hope” in the Maori language. The exhibition of about 260 artworks from over 300 students (ages 8 to 15) demonstrated their vision of peace and a peaceful world based on what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

On August 7, diplomats and two other mayors of Mayors for Peace cities in New Zealand – Wayne Guppy from Upper Hutt City and Ray Wallace from Lower Hutt City came to attend the opening event. Mayor Celia Wade-Brown of Wellington led the event with two 12 year-old children. There were speeches, a children’s orchestra and songs held with a theme of Hope towards a peaceful world.

Also displayed at the Library was a calligraphy work of a student in Hiroshima. On a big sheet of paper is written “keisho” (“handing down a wish”) in large letters to convey the wish for peace to younger generations. Melissa Brezinger, a Wellington City official who worked as an intern at the Mayors for Peace Secretariat in July this year, arranged to send this work of calligraphy to the exhibition.

Photos courtesy of the City of Wollington.