Kyoko Gibson, whose life has been marked by her parents’ exposure to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, will speak to students and youth at The University of Warwick as part of the ‘This is Our Age’ Peace Festival.

Kyoko Gibson was born just three years after the Japanese city was devastated by the world's first atom bomb, which killed 140,000 people.

She was brought up among the ruins of post atom bomb Hiroshima, which was bombed at the end of World War Two.

The festival is organised in collaboration with Buddhist group Soka Gakkai International UK (SGI-UK), and is scheduled to take place on 8th September, from 10AM to 4PM at the Warwick Arts Centre.

It includes a speaker’s event, where Kyoko will share her experience and discuss the importance of peace alongside youth, academics and activists from the nuclear abolition movement.

This day-long event aims to inspire action and dialogue around peace, sustainability, and nuclear disarmament, featuring a range of activities suitable for all ages.

The Peace Festival will offer three key events aimed at students, young people and the wider community:

1. Hiroshima Peace Day:
   This ticketed event is designed for students aged 15-25 but welcomes participants of all ages.

The event will run from 13.30-15.00 in the Arts Centre Theatre and free tickets are available here.

2. Seeds of Hope and Action Exhibition:
   Co-created by SGI and Earth Charter International, this exhibition will focus on the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is open to all ages, with no tickets required.

The exhibition promotes the “Learn, Reflect, Empower, Lead” approach to sustainable development, as proposed by Daisaku Ikeda, and encourages visitors to engage deeply with the global challenges and opportunities highlighted by the SDGs.

3. Peace Fayre:
   A vibrant, family-friendly event featuring youth workshops, live music, and activities for people of all ages.

The Peace Fayre aims to engage younger audiences with the principles of peace and sustainability in a fun and interactive way. No tickets are required for this event.

The “This is Our Age” initiative is the brainchild of young members of SGI-UK, who are committed to creating a sustainable and peaceful world through the promotion of the SDGs.

Professor Vicki Squire, who is helping organise the event, commented: “We are delighted to collaborate with SGI-UK for this event, which is a great opportunity for the promotion of peace and education.

“The lived experience of the survivors – or hibakusha – is an incredibly valuable and rare perspective, and we’re grateful that our children and young people will have the chance to hear such moving testimony about the importance of peace”.

Koichi Samuels, national youth leader from SGI-UK, also remarked: “For the youth network within SGI-UK to collaborate with a prestigious academic partner such as University of Warwick's Politics and International Studies department (PAIS) is a really great honour.

“The This is Our Age festival will share a powerful message of hope and inspire positive action for change in-line with the UN's 2030 SDG agenda."

The Soka Gakkai International (SGI), a non-governmental organization with consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1983, is dedicated to the promotion of peace, culture, and education through grassroots movements and global partnerships.

Notes to Editor:

About SGI-UK:
SGI-UK is part of the Soka Gakkai International network, a global association of grassroots organizations that promote peace, culture, and education based on the humanistic philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism.

The organization is actively engaged in numerous peace initiatives, including nuclear disarmament advocacy, sustainability education, and the promotion of human rights.