Project G – Manchester’s peaceeducation work to promote themessage of the ‘hibakusha’

Sean Morris
Principal Policy Officer
Mayors for Peace Executive Conference
Hannover, 10th – 11th October 2019

What I will talk about•

Development of Project G 2014 - 19•

Milestones for Project G•

Plans for the future and links with other projects•

Promoting wider peace education through the UK & Ireland
Mayors for Peace Chapter

Slide 2

Project G – the seeds from Hiroshima

Lord Mayor Susan Cooley
with the original seeds inour launch event, 201412 of Hiroshima’s gingko seeds arrived
safely in Manchester and have beengrown at the National Trust gardens inDunham Massey, near the airport

Slide 3

Project G - an art and poetry
learning projectIn early 2015, the Council instituted an art and poetry competitionasking children to look at the Hiroshima A-bomb attack and the roleof nature in recovering after devastation – over 120 entries werereceived from 6 participating Manchester primary schools
Slide 4

Presenting to the Mayors

After exhibiting pictures at theHiroshima Day 70th anniversary event,
we welcomed the Mayors of Hiroshimaand Manchester to a special ceremonyin the Rutherford Institute, where theatom was first split
Slide 5

Children meet the hibakusha

In 2017, we took two hibakushas to see ourgingko seeds and talk to schoolchildren

Slide 6

‘The spirit of Manchester’

In May 2017, a terrorist attack led to thedeaths of 22 people, most of whom wereyoung children, at an Ariana Grandeconcert. Civic leaders signed the ‘We
Stand Together’ pledge to ensure
Manchester remained a tolerant, inclusive
and peaceful city
Slide 7

Schools Peace Plan event

In Autumn 2017, wewidened Project G tolook at schools
developing a peace plan
- to take into account theimpact of the Arenaattack; and to alsoannounce that theschools would be getting
their gingko trees and anew Peace Trail shortly
Slide 8Planting of trees at the schools

In late 2017, the six participating schools received their gingko
trees and planted them in their school garden. A 7th tree was alsopresented to Manchester Children’s Hospital for their Health Garden

Slide 9

Children’s Peace Trail launch

In summer 2018, we launched thesecond version of the Manchester City
Centre Children’s Peace Trail withsupport from English Heritage

Slide 10

Legacy Ambassadors event

In Winter 2018, Manchester hosted 4 Hiroshima Peace Legacy
Ambassadors – they talked to children about the experience of thehibakusha and also visited the school’s gingko tree

Slide 11

Manchester Met Uni plaque launch

In May 2019, the 8th tree was planted in Manchester Metropolitan
University. All 7 trees also received plaques and each school,
hospital and university had a competition to ‘name’ their tree

Slide 12

Future plans
A new Manchester
Peace Garden is being
developed andopened in Spring 2021
– it will include 2 ofthe gingko trees andlots of other nicethings!
Other trees areplanned for
Manchester University
and two of our largeparks

Slide 13

Promoting peace education –Chapter work

Chapter meetings are partially usedto promote peace education – e.g.
Peace Education Scotland, Peace
Jam, Warrington Peace Centre,
Ripple of Hope, CRESST, Pledge for
Peace, Peace Partners

Slide 14Other members and their trees

There are gingko trees also with Edinburgh, Shetland Islands, Oldham,
Hull, & South Ayrshire - here they are being planted in a school in Brae,
Shetland Islands and the Oldham Peace Garden

Slide 15

Conclusions•Manchester has used its gingko trees
as an effective peace education tool•

Brought out the story of the hibakusha
to children in particular•

A collaborative project – partners
include National Trust, Manchester
University, Manchester Metropolitan
University, Historic England, schools
and Manchester Children’s Hospital•

Allowed the Council to widen into otherareas of peace education – e.g. peace
trail, school peace plans, peace garden•

UK & Ireland Chapter sees thepromotion of peace education as a coreelement of its activity
Slide 16