History of Hibakusha Stories Initiative

Youth Arts New York provides experiences in the Arts that engage youth in building a peaceful and sustainable future. We sponsor in-class educational experiences, after-school workshops led by master artists, hands-on ecological projects and field trips that fulfill our mission. We create safe environments where underserved New York City public school children can express themselves, share their experiences and learn about their responsibilities as members of civil society and as stewards of our planet. In addition, Youth Arts seeks to identify, develop and support teachers and administrators who promote peace and sustainability through multicultural, interdisciplinary, global curriculum for the school children of New York City.

HIBAKUSHA STORIES is an initiative that began in October of 2008 when Youth Arts was approached by the Peace Boat Hibakusha Project to bring survivors to New York City school children to tell their stories. Peace Boat is a Japan-based international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that works to promote peace, human rights, sustainable development and respect for the environment. Peace Boat carries out its main activities through a chartered passenger ship that travels the world on peace voyages. In 2008 they brought over 100 atomic bomb survivors on a global voyage to tell their stories. Through Youth Arts New York, Hibakusha from the Peace Boat visited two New York City schools. Dr. Elisabeth Iler, co-director of the City University of New York’s Gateway Institute for Pre-College Education said, “It was one of the most moving and impressive activities I have seen in our Gateway schools, ever... The students were rapt in their attention to the visitors' stories and asked superb, probing and thoughtful questions. The visitors were visibly moved by the experience as well . .. I will never forget it. I think it really did change lives, which is what education should be about!"

In May of 2009 we were approached by individuals involved in Mayors for Peace to again sponsor Hibakusha in the schools. Mayors for Peace is an NGO initiated by the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to promote the solidarity of cities to work for the total abolition of nuclear weapons in a way that transcends national borders. Current membership stands at 2,870 cities in 134 countries.

Since 2008 Youth Arts New York has facilitated visits of hibakusha to over 6,000 students in more than 50 high schools in all five boroughs of New York City.

During the 2010 – 2011 school year, we:

• Organized visits to 16 schools by hibakusha Setsuko Thurlow, Toshiko Tanaka and Reiko Yamada in December

• Organized visits to 7 schools by hibakusha Shigeko Sasamori and Toshiko Tanaka in May

• Co-sponsored an evening entitled “From Hiroshima to Fukushima: Past and Present Perspectives on Nuclear Abolition” hosted by Tony Jenkins at the National Peace Academy at Adelphi University with Hibakusha Stories Fellow Shigeko Sasamori and Michael Spies of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs.

• Held a briefing with 35 United Nations Interns and 20 UN Guides with Shigeko Sasamori and Toshiko Tanaka

• Had a preliminary meeting with Parsons School of Design professor Len Mayer, architect Alison Sky, librarian Judith Dahill, Hibakusha Stories Fellow and artist Toshiko Tanaka and two students from the High School of Fashion Industries to develop a proposed Hibakusha Stories Memory Project

• Sponsored a playwriting workshop with Shigeko Sasamori and East Side Community High School at New York Theatre Workshop facilitated by Chiori Miyagawa and Cynthia Croot.

• Held a weekend retreat for the Hibakusha Stories team in February to strategize and develop a five year plan

• Took 15 special education students from Samuel Gompers High School to Urasenke Chanoyu tea ceremony with two hibakusha.

In 2009-2010 school year, we sponsored:

• Playwriting workshops with New York Theatre Workshop involving 60 students

• Viewing of the cherry blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic Garden with 5 students

• Production of When Petals Fall, 500 musical CDs in honor of the Hibakusha

• 3 playreadings at New York Theatre Workshop

• Visits by 6 Hibakusha to Brooklyn Friends Meeting House for 40 students

• Film screening of Witness to Hiroshima and Atomic Mom at Maysles Cinema, Harlem

• Musical tribute to the Hibakusha in collaboration with the Pika Don Project at Miles Café

• Café Concert for Peace curated by Sam Sadigursky at the Cornelia Street Café

• Reception for the Hibakusha in collaboration with UN Office of Disarmament Affairs and the Government of Japan with 250 in attendance including Hibakusha, representatives of states parties to the Non Proliferation Treaty, NGO’s and Hibakusha Stories volunteers

• Urasenke Chanoyu tea ceremony with 8 Hibakusha and 40 students

• Commemorative tree planting at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture for 40 students from the Kingsbridge International School in the Bronx and 18 Hibakusha

• Planting of an orchard at PS/IS 217 Roosevelt Island School in collaboration with A Living Library