Aug. 6, 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The bomb “Little Boy” was dropped on Hiroshima that tragic day by an American B29 bomber and killed a total of 140,000 people. Three days later, another B29 dropped the bomb “Fat Man” on Nagasaki, killing over 70,000 more people. They were the first nuclear weapons used in war, changing forever the face of human history.

While the world continues to grapple with controlling the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the greater ethical implications of nuclear power, we must also take the time to honor the souls of the victims of these terrible bombings and work to ensure such weapons are never used again here on earth. We should also take the time to listen to the testimonies of the Hibakusha survivors, who remain so few in number and advanced in age.

ICU and the Japan ICU Foundation have been directly engaged in this process for a number of years now. As a liberal arts university that emerged from the aftermath of WWII, ICU is a natural source of post-conflict peace building and reconciliation. ICU faculty, staff, students, and alumni have all found ways to participate in positive engagement for peace with the people of Hiroshima in particular.

The ICU Rotary Peace Center conducts an annual Hiroshima Field Trip for its Peace Fellows, who visit the Peace Memorial Museum & Park, National Peace memorial Hall for the A-Bomb Survivors, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, and the World Peace Memorial Cathedral. Most importantly, Fellows have the rare chance to listen directly to testimonies of surviving Hibakusha, as well as learn from the Chairperson of Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, Training Officers of UNITAR Hiroshima Office, and researchers from the Hiroshima Peace Research Institute.

The Japan ICU Foundation also visited Hiroshima as part of the most recent Homecoming Tour. In Hiroshima, the tour group had a full day hosted by the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation. Ms. Keiko Ogura, a survivor of the bombing, told her story of being a young child living through the devastation. She stayed with us through lunch and expressed how important it was to be able to share her experience. After lunch, three local volunteers read poems written by survivors of the atomic bomb. The horror of what took place and the strength and compassion of the survivors touched each of us deeply. The rest of the day was filled with a somber walking tour of the Peace Park and Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the A-bomb with the day culminating in a short lecture by and dinner with Mr. Yasuyoshi Komizo, Chairperson of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation. With his trenchant remarks, he reminded us of the importance in promoting peace in as many ways as possible.

Dr. Hachiro Yuasa, the first President of ICU, envisioned a “University of Tomorrow”. While honoring the legacy of the past, we should never forget the horrors of war, and work tirelessly to ensure a brighter future promoting peace among the nations, people, and regions of our shared planet.