Words cannot express my gratitude for the great chance that I can attend INU Master’s Summer School in Hiroshima Japan, 3-11 August, 2015. I never imagined before that I can visit Japan soon, only six months after studying here, and especially for this memorable event. Many thanks to School of International Studies, Flinders University!

There was not a day in Hiroshima that went by that I did not feel so blessed. Great friends are the one that come into my mind if I am asked about the most valuable thing that I get during the Summer School. I cannot even imagine how to spend 10 days if it was not with them all. In Master’s Summer School, there were only 13 students. We were coming from Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Germany, Sweden, United States, and Italy. We were learning and supporting each other. We shared our stories and hopes for the future. We also had excellent lecturers, thanks to Anthony Langlois, Steven Rothman, and John Scherpereel. They were very supportive and warm. They made the idea of global citizenship real.

 

Another precious moment was the Peace Memorial Ceremony, Lantern Ceremony, and our trip to Peace Memorial Museum. It really touched my heart and gave me a deep reflection. The Peace Decralation that was declared by Mayor of the City of Hiroshima; The Commitment to Peace that was read by children’s representatives at the ceremony; and the floating lantern withhand-written messages of peace, made me realised that it was not merely an anniversary, it was a call for peace: for me, for you, and all the people in the world. I also enjoyed every part of the museum, and realised how innocent children and women became the victims of the cruel atomic bomb. It may end the war at that time, but it did not end the agony of the victims which compounded by discrimination and prejudice, throughout their lives. We were fortunate to hear the story from two hibakusha (survivor) in the lecture after visiting museum.

Finally, it is an endless story. It may end too fast, but the memories will be there for the rest of my life. The awareness of being a global citizen with its responsibility are the best lesson from this Summer School. Now, our challenge is how to keep our sense of global citizenship alive.

Best for now,

Lidya