Hiroshima University, in collaboration with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) and Columbia University (CU) and supported by the Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS), successfully concluded the Peace Study Tour 2025, held from August 2 to 10. The Joint Summer Program brought together a truly international cohort comprising 43 students and faculty members from various parts of the globe. Together, they spent nine days of inspiring lectures, hands-on workshops, fieldwork, cultural exchanges, and commemorative experiences.
This year’s edition also coincided with the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, allowing participants to reflect on the city’s enduring role as a global symbol of peace while engaging in contemporary discussions on the nexus between peace and sustainability. The commemoration lent added weight to the program, grounding it in Hiroshima’s dual legacy of devastation and reconstruction while linking the living memory of the city to the urgent challenges of the present day.
Emerging from Hiroshima University’s founding philosophy of “the pursuit of peace,” the program was designed to immerse students in the complex intersections of conflict and collaboration within natural resource management. With a theme of Conflict and Collaboration in Natural Resource Management – Advancing Positive Peace and the SDGs, participants explored how sustainable solutions require both technical expertise and the ability to navigate diverse interests, ranging from governments and conservationists to local communities and the private sector..
Program Highlights
The program opened on August 2 at Hiroshima University with a self-introduction among participants and remarks by Dr. Shinji Kaneko (Hiroshima University), Mr. Nobuyuki Konishi (SPF), and Dr. Joshua Fisher (Columbia University). The morning then continued with thought-provoking presentations on relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from Dr. Fisher, Dr. Dahlia Simangan (Hiroshima University), Dr. Katherine Alfredo (University of South Florida), and Dr. Leticia Dos Muchangos (Hiroshima University), followed by an engaging and interactive lecture by Dr. Kazuhiko Koike of Hiroshima University titled Connected Lives, Circulating Water: The Profound Relationship between Forest and Sea, which set the tone for an interdisciplinary exploration of environment and peace. In the afternoon, participants enjoyed a stroll through Saijo’s sake brewery district, offering an early glimpse into the cultural landscapes that intertwine with natural resource management.
The second day brought powerful testimonies. Participants heard from Mr. Toshiyuki Mimaki, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate representing Nihon Hidankyo, and Ms. Natsuki Kai, a High School Student Peace Ambassador, who shared their experiences and illuminated avenues for creating a more peaceful and compassionate world while challenging students to reflect on their own roles in building peace. In the afternoon, the Positive Peace workshop, facilitated by Dr. Simangan and the Positive Peace Society at Hiroshima University, guided participants through interactive exercises on the eight pillars of positive peace, translating theory into tangible personal and collective commitments.
Positive Peace Workshop
The third day shifted the focus to Hiroshima’s living memory. At the Peace Memorial Park, Ms. Keiko Ogura, a hibakusha, shared her testimony of survival, followed by an intimate dialogue with Dr. Preetha Rajaraman, Vice Chair and Executive Director of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF), that explored themes of survival, memory, and hope. In the afternoon, delegates transitioned from reflection to preparation, engaging in fieldwork training to equip themselves with the tools to carry Hiroshima’s lessons into practice.
Building on this preparation, the fourth day emphasized practical skills with sessions on sampling, planning, and interview design. The afternoon was filled with lectures that connected global and local experiences in the context of peacebuilding. Mr. Ryutaro Murotani (JICA) examined the challenges of conflict prevention and state resilience, while Dr. Luli Van der Does explored Hiroshima’s remarkable postwar reconstruction. A guided group discussion closed the day, linking historical resilience to contemporary peacebuilding.
The fifth day carried profound significance as participants joined the 80th Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony at Peace Memorial Park, where they stood alongside citizens and world leaders to hear the Peace Declaration delivered by Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, a speech by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, honoring the victims of the bombing, and the Commitment to Peace from children’s representatives of Hiroshima. A visit to the Peace Memorial Museum deepened their reflections on the human cost of nuclear conflict, and the day closed with the Lantern Festival on the Motoyasu River, where delegates floated lanterns in remembrance, an act of peace and solidarity that will resonate in their personal and professional journeys.
The sixth day marked the commencement of fieldwork, as participants traveled to Etajima Island to put into practice everything they had learned and prepared in the preceding days. They collaborated with local stakeholders and collected water samples. They explored the island’s value chains, gathering crucial information that would later help link macro-level sustainability challenges with micro-level community realities. Group 1 visited the Yamaoka Oyster Farm, guided by Mr. Daigo Yamaoka; Group 2 traveled to the Olive Lab, where Mr. Ryohei Mineo introduced olive cultivation and the pressing process; and Group 3 visited the Olive Factory, where Mr. Akihiro Hamada explained olive oil production and marketing. In the afternoon, the groups reconvened at the Satoumi Science Museum, where Dr. Naohisa Nishihara, the museum’s director, delivered a lecture on marine biodiversity, mudflat ecosystems, and endangered crab species. Students then toured the museum and observed the mudflats, grounding their understanding of resource management in both scientific knowledge and lived practice.
The following day was devoted to collaborative group work. Participants processed the data they had gathered in Etajima, analyzed their findings, and prepared for the upcoming simulation. As the program neared its conclusion, this stage became a space to synthesize everything they had learned, drawing connections between the micro-level realities encountered in the field and the macro-level challenges of peacebuilding and sustainability.
On the eighth day, the synthesis turned into an application. Participants engaged in a simulation exercise that placed them in the role of negotiating sustainability plans for the Seto Inland Sea, testing their ability to apply conflict resolution, diplomacy, and sustainability principles in a practical setting. In the afternoon, groups presented their fieldwork findings, insights, and proposed solutions, followed by faculty reflections and the awarding of certificates that formally recognized them as Hiroshima Orizuru Fellows. The day ended with a farewell party hosted by NERPS fellows—a celebration of new friendships, shared learning, and enduring commitment to peace.
The program concluded with a cultural excursion to Miyajima Island. Despite heavy rain, delegates enthusiastically explored the island, admired the iconic floating torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine, and hiked the lush trails of Mt. Misen. It was a day that reinforced the joy of cultural discovery and the resilience of community, reminding participants that peace is as much about shared human experience as it is about policy and practice.
Reflections and Looking Forward
The Peace Study Tour 2025 not only equipped participants with the skills to navigate natural resource conflicts but also fostered empathy, resilience, and cross-cultural collaboration. By weaving together academic exploration, field experience, and cultural immersion, the program highlighted how sustainable solutions emerge when technical knowledge is joined with human connection.
The 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima gave added weight to this year’s edition, underscoring its message that memory and action must go hand in hand. As the participants return home as Hiroshima Orizuru Fellows, they carry with them the lessons of collaboration and hope, ready to apply them in their own communities and future work for peace and sustainability.
Report written by Martin Millette, NERPS Student Fellow
You must be logged in to post a comment.