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.”

 

 

Book Review: My Story: When I Was Three and Noriga-San: The Doctor Who Loved to Learn

My friend, Ched Magaspar is a Peace volunteer. The volunteer group she belongs to is The Sunday Peace Volunteer of the Horoshima Peace Park Initiative. Their group has been at work with peace talks, storytelling and sharing of peace projects with volunteers, NGOs and educators from all over the globe. 

One of their more successful projects is the publication of a children's book, My Story: When I Was Three, a collaborative book project by Kunihiko Ida, Naomi Nakagoshi, Almira Raymundo and Ched Magaspar. It tells the story of Kunihiko Ida who is an atomic bomb survivor. His story, though very tragic, is filled with resilience and inspiration. War is never a pretty topic to explore but the beauty of the human spirit to survive is always at its core. Apart from this compelling book, Ched has written another one, Norinaga San: The Doctor Who Loved to Learn. Through this picture-story book, young children are informed about the folk hero of Matsusaka, Motoori Norinaaga. The narrative is honest and direct to the point. The illustrations are beautifully crafted capturing the nostalgia and the simple, but noble beauty of Noringa-san's life. 

 It is a joy to have these books for my personal library. A precious gift from one storyteller to another!

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Isang post na ibinahagi ni Zarah Gagatiga (@zarah815)