Nagasaki, Japan, August 17-19, 2019

The Atomic-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki influenced the historical perception of people there, as well as the majority of Japanese citizens. However, separate from the mainstream narratives–such as “A-bomb victim city” or “peace city”–there are voices that not fit in those narratives and people who try to respond to them. Nowadays in Nagasaki, there are challenges to passing on the experiences of the A-bomb survivors to next generations and advocating nuclear disarmament. At the same time, Japanese society still faces issues that stem from the past, such as the former forced laborers in Korea and the “comfort women” all over Asia. What do we think about this?

This workshop will not provide the answer. Instead, the participants, all with different backgrounds, will spend time together so that each thinks about, doubts, and reframes their taken-for-granted ideas about history, peace, community, and responsibility to the past.

Join us in gathering in Nagasaki city for the workshop organized by CEDAR (Communities Engaging with Difference And Religion), an NGO that has held summer schools on “living with difference” in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Israel, Turkey, Uganda, Indonesia, UK, and others for over 15 years. This summer, the director of CEDAR Adam Seligman (professor of Boston University) will come to Nagasaki and hold a workshop on history, memory, belonging and community, and responsibility to the past. This call for participation will be of special interest to those working in peace activism, education, journalism, and others. The three intensive days includes field trips to A-bomb hypocenter, peace museums, and Battleship Island, alongside lectures and discussions.

Language: Japanese (lectures done in English will be translated into Japanese)

Supporting organization: Oka Masaharu Memorial Nagasaki Peace Museum (NPO)

For more information, follow this link to the program flier (in Japanese).