Yu-Ai December issue 2019 — Experiencing Hiroshima through the World Friendship Center by Yovana Milosevic

2019-12-04

Yu-ai Friendship
Newsletter of the World Friendship Center, NPO

Experiencing Hiroshima through the World Friendship Center
Yovana Milosevic
(Translated by Sumiko Kanetsuna)

Briefly living in Hiroshima, Japan and staying at the World Friendship Center is easily the biggest blessing in my life. I encountered an entirely different culture by living in it for a month and a half, and there were surprises waiting for me at every corner. I was able to participate in daily discussions involving peace, compassion, kindness, and debates on current world issues. I attended numerous lectures on not only Hiroshima’s history specifically, but also about how it has been represented in the media over time, what the current nuclear situation is, which countries do and do not possess nuclear warheads, current problems in Israel-Palestine, and the influence of Fukushima in modern politics.

In addition to these riveting and relevant lectures, I heard several accounts of what happened the day of August 6th, 1945. I was able to have conversations with people who survived that day, and all the days after. There was a palpable sense of resilience and love radiating throughout WFC, and now that I’ve returned, that is one of my strongest memories.

The hibakusha faced the world’s most hideous atrocity, yet they live their lives focusing each moment on peace. They have devoted their lives to spreading peace, and this is not a sentiment anyone should take lightly. It is difficult to find positivity and hope for the future during such turbulent political times, yet the people at WFC make this their purpose. I was constantly inspired at WFC, and my hope for the future is that we all (myself included), take on the responsibility of actively advocating for peace. I appreciate the World Friendship Center, their English classes, the lovely members, and all of the profound experiences I had this past summer.

Posted in 2019, Yu-Ai