Report by Ms. Tomoko Aikawa, Executive Advisor of Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation
In August 2025, the City of San Salvador de Jujuy, capital of the Province of Jujuy in northern Argentina, emerged as a key hub for peace-related cultural and educational initiatives. Through the active commitment of the municipal government, the city became a bridge between local historical memory and global efforts toward peace, hosting a series of activities connected to the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Photo Poster Exhibition and the worldwide movement for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
These initiatives took place in San Salvador de Jujuy and coincided with the commemoration of the Exodus of Jujuy (August 23, 1812), a decisive and tragic event in Argentina’s War of Independence, when the population chose to abandon and destroy their own city rather than allow it to fall into enemy hands. This powerful historical legacy provided a meaningful framework in which the message of “Never Again” resonated deeply with the local community, linking past sacrifice with contemporary reflections on peace.
The Municipality of San Salvador de Jujuy, under the leadership of Mayor Raúl Jorge, played a central role in promoting and supporting these activities, demonstrating a strong institutional commitment not only to preserving historical memory, but also to advancing peace education. Together with the Japanese Association of Jujuy (President Mr. Pedro Sato), the Rotary Club, public cultural institutions el Núcleo de Innovación y Desarrollo de Oportunidades (N.I.D.O) Guillermo Roux de Cuyaya y el Centro Cultural Héctor Tizón, Fundación Sadako, and the Hiroshima Association in Argentina (Presidente Adrian Mizota, Hiroshima Kenjinkai), the city jointly organized the first Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Photo Poeter Exhibition in Jujuy. The exhibition and its accompanying cultural and educational programs began on August 22 and were actively supported by municipal authorities.
The program included the installation of exhibitions, peace seminars, and origami crane workshops for children, youth, and members of the local community. Special emphasis was placed not only on artistic techniques, but on the meaning of the senbazuru as a symbol of peace, perseverance, and shared responsibility across generations. These activities underscored the city’s belief that peace education must be rooted in both memory and active learning.
To support these initiatives and convey the spirit of Hiroshima, Ms. Tomoko Aikawa traveled from Buenos Aires to Jujuy. In recognition of her sustained contributions to peace education and international cultural exchange, Mayor Raúl Jorge officially welcomed her as a Distinguished Visitor of the City of San Salvador de Jujuy. In addition, the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Photo Poster Exhibition was formally declared an event of cultural importance for the city, further highlighting the municipality’s leadership in promoting a culture of peace.
During her stay, Ms. Aikawa met with Abigail Vargas, recipient of an award at the 2024 Children’s Art Competition “Peaceful Towns” and the first representative from Latin America, and participated in the launch of the 2025 edition of the competition. This initiative clearly demonstrated that San Salvador de Jujuy’s approach to peace extends beyond historical remembrance to include education through children and youth. By encouraging artistic expression as an educational tool, the city places future generations at the center of its peace-building efforts, recognizing children as essential messengers of dialogue, empathy, and nonviolence. Media coverage and public interviews further amplified this educational message throughout the city and the province.
Following the success of the exhibition, interest emerged in expanding these cultural and educational activities to other areas of the province, including Tilcara, located in the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discussions are currently underway to extend this initiative to additional regions, with San Salvador de Jujuy serving as the starting point and reference model.
This experience reaffirmed that peace education is most effective when global history is meaningfully connected with local memory and future-oriented learning. In San Salvador de Jujuy, where historical consciousness remains deeply embedded in civic identity, the stories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki found a receptive and engaged audience. Through its strong municipal leadership, commitment to education, and active involvement of children and community organizations—including the Japanese Association of Jujuy, which brings together descendants of Japanese immigrants and individuals closely connected to Japanese culture—the city demonstrates that choosing peace is not only an act of remembrance, but a sustained educational commitment for present and future generations.
Press Conference with Mayor Raúl Jorge of San Salvador de Jujuy on Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Exhibition and Peace Drawing Contest
Local Newspapers
During the event, preparations for the exhibition were made, including hanging posters and decorating the venue.
On the 22nd, at 5 p.m., the opening ceremony took place, featuring a Hiroshima seminar and a Peace Crane Origami workshop.
Photos: courtesy of Ms. Tomoko Aikawa