People Are Living Libraries

Peace-building initiatives need not be hampered even with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.  In fact, individuals from different parts of the Asia-Pacific region organized initiatives towards constructive discussions and lasting solutions aimed at promoting understanding, inclusion and diversity.

This is the goal of the Heiwa Library, a non-government peace initiative group started by Naomi Nakagoshi (Japan), Chedilyn Magaspar (Philippines) and Jenn Sagon-Taeza (USA). It aims to promote peace education through the creation of mobile community and digital libraries in the Philippines to deliver stories (of wishes for peace) to young and adult readers in remote areas.  All three are Hiroshima Peace Volunteers who are moved by the stories from all sides and decided for it to become a bigger forum for peace-building.

The group also aspires to encourage Filipinos to participate as peace volunteers that will promote meaningful discussions and forums to be conducted online and in the future, face-to-face interactions through oral storytelling. This will hopefully facilitate constructive engagements as stakeholders process the effects of World War II in their lives and how people gain positively from those narratives.

One of their first activities is a virtual tour of the Hiroshima Peace Park and the sharing of stories of survivors and volunteers to be held on July 24 online, in time for the National Children’s Book Day celebrations. They partnered with organizations such as the Phillippine Board on Books for Young People, PASLI, Regalo Touching Lives, Creative Learning Paths School and the Mabalacat City College in the Philippines, as well as Sunday Peace Volunteers in Japan and REAL-Innovative Connections in Hawaii, USA.

The goal of the event will also launch the Heiwa Library here in the Philippines, as well as community storytelling from the Japanese, Filipino and American sharers. “People are living libraries,” PASLI believes. “It’s about time we listen to their stories to build meaningful lasting peace for all.”