After watching the news about Gaza, ordinary citizens of Nagasaki thought, “Is there anything we can do? But what?”

This is because Nagasaki, along with Hiroshima, experienced the indiscriminate mass destruction and massacre caused by the atomic bomb, and we hear about it every year on the day of the atomic bombing at elementary and junior high schools. What is happening in Gaza and Palestine right now feels far from being someone else's problem.

In this context, there were people who thought, “Since a Palestinian representative will be participating in the Atomic Bomb Commemoration Ceremony on August 9, 2024, maybe we could hear their story.”

We wanted as many people as possible to learn about the situation in Gaza and to convey a message from Nagasaki to the people of Palestine.

We reached out to the choir “Himawari（Sunflowers）,” who have been singing at the peace memorial ceremony for many years, as well as high school and college students, and decided to hold an event under the name “Connecting Palestine and Nagasaki.”

Since then, individual citizens of Nagasaki have been doing what they can within their capabilities.

It's easy to feel powerless, but at least we won't look away from what's happening now. We will continue to face the facts and keep sharing them with those who don't know.