Event Commemorating “International Day of Peace” Held

Having established International Day of Peace, observed each year on September 21, the United Nations has called for suspending hostile activities on this day as a global day of ceasefire and non-violence. In response to the call of the mayor of Montreal, the City of Hiroshima held an event commemorating International Day of Peace, with participants praying at noon for the abolition of nuclear weapons and everlasting world peace, as well as observing a moment of silence while putting up the Mayors for Peace banner that read “Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons by 2020.”

1. Date/time:

Friday, September 21, 2012, 11:55 – 12:05

2. Venue:

In front of the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in Peace Memorial Park
(Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima City)

Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations
Hiroshima Consumers’ Cooperative Union
Hiroshima Jogakuin Senior High School
Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation

4. Cngontents:

（1）Offering flowers to the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims from representatives of the participants
（2）Prayers by all participants for the abolition of nuclear weapons and everlasting world peace by observing one minute of silence at noon for the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims
（3）While observing one minute of silence, representative participants putting up the Mayors for Peace’s banner that read “Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons by 2020.”
（4）Speech by the Chairman of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation

5. Others

• ・　In support of the aim of International Day of Peace, an event commemorating this day was held to pray for peace, and to observe one minute of silence in our member cities around the world, such as Nagasaki, Kashiba, Matsue and Tokaimura of Japan; Kabul, Afghanistan; Auckland, New Zealand; Nairobi, Kenya; Theewaterskloof, South Africa; Dublin, Ireland; Bagheria, Italy; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Geneva, Switzerland; Manchester, UK; Montreal, Ottawa and Winnipeg of Canada; Albany, Ashland, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia of USA and Campo Grande, Brazil.
• ・　The event held in Hiroshima was introduced in the event commemorating International Day of Peace held in Montreal, executive member city of Mayors for Peace and sister city of Hiroshima.