Carrying On Memories for Peace: Reina Yoshida, UNITAR Hiroshima Youth Ambassador

Reina was among 25 students who joined the 2025 Hiroshima Youth Ambassador Programme. From June to August, the Youth Ambassadors learned about nuclear disarmament and peacebuilding, human rights and international law, the legacy of atomic bomb survivors, and peace education. They took part in a youth dialogue on 6 August, a day commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, and engaged with global leaders and atomic bombing survivors.

Among the programme’s many components, the lecture on “Global Hibakusha” left a strong impression on Reina. From the lecturer who supports victims of nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands and other regions, Reina learned that radiation damage is not limited to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Recognizing that many others might also be unaware of these realities, she came to feel strongly that such experiences must be shared more widely.

This conviction led her to explore artistic expression as a means of conveying messages about peace. For the 6 August youth dialogue, Reina and her fellow participants in the peace education track created a theatrical piece centred on memories and awareness of peace.

In the play, students from the year 2025 are unexpectedly transported to 2050, into a classroom where peace is being discussed. In this future world, memories of the atomic bombings have faded, and people no longer understand the dangers of nuclear weapons. After witnessing this, the students return to the present and begin asking themselves, “What must we do to prevent such a future?”

Reina played the role of a student in 2050 who was unaware of the past. Reflecting on her opening line – “There is no need to be bound by the past” – she explained that she wanted to portray a mindset in which people distance themselves from history and avoid thinking deeply about it, while conveying the critical need to remember the past.

Peace is something we must continue to reflect on throughout our lives. I believe this is both our right and our responsibility. We must continue to reflect on it and translate that reflection into our actions.

—Reina Yoshida, high school student and 2025 UNITAR Hiroshima Youth Ambassador

Following the performance, the Youth Ambassadors presented their “Road Map to 2050”, which included a proposal to make peace studies a mandatory subject within school curricula.