World Friendship Center, Recipient of 2011 Partners in Service Award
JoAnn Sims
Each year the Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) recognizes an individual, project, or organization that has demonstrated exceptional commitment with BVS to share God’s love through acts of service. The BVS staff was unanimous in selecting the World Friendship Center for this honor. The award was presented at the Brethren Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan on July 4, 2011. Masako Kido, a World Friendship Board Member (Riji), received the award with her husband, Lynn Llewellyn. They were visiting the USA and were pleased to accept the award on behalf of WFC. Masako’s acceptance speech follows this introduction.
The Partners in Service Award
Masako Kido
My name is Masako Kido and my home is Hiroshima, Japan.
I have had the privilege of being a member of the World Friendship Center for over 45 years. Today, I have the honor of representing the WFC, and accepting on their behalf the Partners in Service Award presented by the Brethren Volunteer Service.
The partnership between our two organizations on behalf of world peace has been strong and rewarding. The BVS has kindly provided the directors for more than 25years. I can not begin to tell you how much we appreciate the continuing support of the BVS. Without your guidance, wisdom and assistance, the WFC would not have been able to survive until today.
June 12th of this year would have been the 96th birthday of Barbara Reynolds, the founder of the World Friendship Center, and also special honorary citizen of Hiroshima. On that occasion, the center arranged a special ceremony and unveiled a beautiful monument in her honor. Many distinguished guests were present including both the past and current mayors of Hiroshima. The monument, itself, took over four years to be completed. I would like to describe it briefly to you.
The monument was erected on the south east side of Peace Memorial Park. Its design is very sophisticated and appealing. The front on the monument is white ceramic plate with Barbara’s picture, and wonderful calligraphy by Hiromu Morishita, our WFC chairman. The white ceramic plate is placed in black stone. Both the American committee and Japanese board members proposed ideas for the words engraved of the monument. Everyone thought the inscription should represent the spirit of Barbara’s peace activities and her desire for a better future. Those words are, first in Japanese and then English.
Watakushimo mata Hibakusha desu. Watakushino kokorowa itsumo
Hibakusha, Hiroshima to tomoni arimasu.
I, too am a Hibakusha
Hibakusha- they are the inspiration for all my peace efforts. My heart
is always with Hiroshima.
(For your information “Hibakusha” means “Atomic Bomb survivors”)
I should also tell you that Barbara’s daughter Jessica Renshaw, her husband, and her nephew, Anthony Reynolds, made a special trip from the United States to attend the unveiling of the monument. Jessica made a wonderful 15-minutes speech in Japanese for the event. I hope everyone in this audience will have the opportunity to come to Hiroshima and visit Barbara Reynolds’s monument.
In closing, I again would like to thank the BVS for this marvelous award. In two weeks, I will carry this award back to Japan to share the honor with the other members of the WFC and all the people in Hiroshima. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
August 6, 2011 Commemoration in Hiroshima
Larry Sims
August 6th is the day the city of Hiroshima remembers those who lost their lives when the Atomic Bomb destroyed the city and those in it. The city also remembers those survivors of the bombing who die each year. The ceremony serves to help renew efforts to create a peaceful world free from nuclear weapons.
Approaching the Peace Park on the day of the ceremony one is greeted by Cub Scouts who give out fresh flowers to present at the Cenotaph at the end of the ceremony. The ceremony itself is brief and consists of short speeches, choir performances and the release of doves which circle around the park. For many of those in attendance, however, the most meaningful and powerful time is the moment of silence at 8:15 – the time of the atomic bomb explosion 66 years ago. Eyes turn skyward as if watching for the fateful B-29 with its weapon of terror.
Following the ceremony, many from WFC join others at the newly dedicated Barbara Reynolds Monument for a brief WFC Choir performance.
Another highlight of the day's activities was listening to Goro Nishida's A-bomb Survivor Story. About 50 people gathered in the morning at WFC to continue this long-standing tradition. Included in the audience were students from Ritsumeikan University, American University, WFC Members and friends from the Hiroshima community. A special guest was Professor Atsushi Fujioka from Ritsumeikan University. The telling of these stories continues to be an important part of the WFC mission. Thank you Goro!
In the early evening, the WFC group returns to the Park to assemble and float candle-lit lanterns on the river. Each lantern has a hand-written message of hope for world peace.
The day was filled with memories for all and a renewed strength to continue work for a better world without nuclear weapons.
