“The praxis of peace lies not in creating peace, but in creating the material conditions under which peace can thrive. I believe Hiroshima, perhaps more than any other place, has the power to bridge the gap between truth-speakers, justice-seekers, earth-defenders, and anti-warriors the world over by linking the struggle against nuclear weapons and war with the fight for justice and the environment.”
Venue: Hiroshima University School of Law
Project Description: Prepare and present a speech about on a peace-related topic for the Hiroshima University Law Department.
A Quote
“The praxis of peace lies not in creating peace, but in creating the material conditions under which peace can thrive. I believe Hiroshima, perhaps more than any other place, has the power to bridge the gap between truth-speakers, justice-seekers, earth-defenders, and anti-warriors the world over by linking the struggle against nuclear weapons and war with the fight for justice and the environment.”
The Inside Scoop
Someone at the Hiroshima University School of Law heard I was writing about peace issues and invited me to give a talk.
The talk was 45 minutes in English, with an equal length Japanese translation. So folks were trapped listening to me for a looooooong time, LOL. Fortunately, my translator was none other than the illustrious Naoko Koizumi who I had the pleasure of working with on two separate occasions. As one of the best interpreters and translators in Hiroshima, I knew I was in good hands.
For my topic, I examined how the lessons of Hiroshima can inform how we shape our future. I started with the history of Hiroshima’s postwar reconstruction and the major events that shaped its character as the City of Peace. From there I examined some of the key manifestations of that character in modern Hiroshima. In looking at parallels with other movements, I touched primarily on BLM and the environment, since they’re both current.
My conclusion involved fanfare about the incredible achievements of those who rebuilt Hiroshima after the bombing, and the lessons we can draw from their success.
In the speech, I also touched on the Nuclear Ban Treaty scheduled to become international law on January 22nd. So at least it had a little something to do with law. “Sukoshi dake” (a wee bit), as we say in Japanese.
As a bonus, Koizumi-san’s Japanese translation of my speech appeared in Volume 17 of the Hiroshima Law Review. Epic.
My Favorite Part
Talking about Hiroshima, and in particular laying out its rich reconstruction history.
See the results:
Hiroshima University School of Law lecture by Yours Truly
