On August 9, 4 IGS students participated in a 3-school online exchange event with 20 high school seniors from Mundo de Alegria, a South American school in Hamamatsu City, and 14 students from the Department of Regional Development Studies in the Faculty of Global and Regional Studies, Toyo University.

The students from Mundo de Alegria introduced their school, the pink dolphins living in the Amazon River, and Brazilian food and games. Subsequently, students from Toyo University introduced their own university and its campus. IGS students gave presentations on Hiroshima University and the IGS program, the city of Hiroshima, and Hiroshima and Peace. In the Hiroshima and Peace part of their presentation, IGS students shared the story of Sadako Sasaki, an atomic-bomb victim, and the paper cranes which commemorate her hopes for world peace. The presentation concluded with the message that we should think about what we can do for peace. At the end of the exchange session, there was a question-and-answer period, during which lively questions were exchanged.

Here are some comments and impressions from students who participated in the event:

Andrei Kenryo Sera Furuiti (1st-year student):
This event was a very rich experience for me, especially because I was able to work together with and learn a lot from my fellow group members and the Brazilian students. The preparation and presentation we did for them were a good training and experience for me. Besides, it was also a great meeting because I could talk with other Brazilians in Japan; I was able to understand, even if just a little, about their perspectives and lives.

Hannah Joy Telloyan (2nd-year student):
This exchange was very new to me as a graduate of a Japanese public high school. The flags in the classroom and the sight of students of various Japanese language levels studying together made me feel that my common sense was broken in a good way. Although I participated online, I could feel the sense of unity among the students even through the screen. I would be very happy if I could visit the site and interact with the students.

Mitsuki Tanaka (2nd-year student):
I used my experience as a guide at Peace Park to tell Sadako Sasaki's story. I tried to give hints for students to think about peace in the future when I made my presentation. I believe that this meeting, where we were able to communicate across cultural and language barriers, was the first step toward a peaceful world.

Mayumi Kajimori (4th-year student):
The exchange event was interesting because it was the first time for me to see how students with South American backgrounds study in Japan. It was especially surprising that the students speak not only in their mother tongue but also in their second and third languages. In addition, the exchange event became an opportunity to know how the people outside Hiroshima consider the history of the atomic bomb. I made a presentation about this history and hope more people get interested in why a lot of people would like to prohibit atomic or nuclear bombs and how people can achieve peace.