What is peace?
There is no single answer to this question. It may have an inﬁnite number of answers and issomething that we must consider forever. Today, there are many problems in the world, such as
nuclear weapons, global warming, racial discrimination, poverty, and so on. Realizing a peacefulworld is not an easy task. However, we believe that we can take small steps toward the realizationof peace for future generations. We, high school students, declare our pledge for peace fromNagasaki, the symbol city of peace.
We call for the abolition of nuclear weapons. A-bomb survivor, Yasumi Yoshitomi, who has beencalling for the abolition of nuclear weapons says, “It is human beings who create nuclear weapons,
it is human beings who use nuclear weapons, and it is human beings who must make them stop.”
On August 6, 1945, at 8:15, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, and on August 9, at 11:02,
another atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. In an instant, the two cities were a sea of ﬁre andhundreds of thousands of precious lives were lost. No matter what the reason, the act of killing
people is absolutely unforgivable. Nuclear weapons, weapons of massacre, must never exist.
However, there are still more than 12,000 nuclear weapons in the world. If another nuclear war
were to occur, the earth would surely be destroyed. Is there any reason to retain nuclear weapons
as a deterrent? We cannot abolish nuclear weapons right now, but we can make a diﬀerence in ourown neighborhoods. In order to make someone smile, we need to know them well and have a strong
wish to make them happy. We believe that the possession of nuclear weapons is a manifestation ofdistrust of other nations. When you make someone happy, a relationship of trust is created. As
more and more people create a relationship of trust, a sense of solidarity will be created in theworld. As this sense of solidarity grows, the distrust in the world will gradually disappear, bringing
us closer to nuclear abolition. We will work toward the abolition of nuclear weapons and create asociety in which the entire world wishes for the happiness of all people.
We will try hard to create a safe environment to live in. The world we live in today faces manyenvironmental problems. Human beings have brought about remarkable progress in our society.
However, such progress has caused new problems, such as excessive greenhouse gas emissions andloss of biodiversity. International eﬀorts based on the Paris Agreement and the Convention on
Biological Diversity are already underway. Therefore, many people may wonder whether highschool students can solve such large-scale problems.But we believe that each of us can take action
to change the world. For example, we can reduce food waste, use eco-bags, and separate garbage.
These actions can reduce the burden of incineration and lower CO2 emissions.We will continue
to make eﬀorts to do what we can do. As global citizens, we will work to create an environment inwhich we can continue to live with peace of mind in the future .

We will create a society where everyone can live as they are. The world is full of diversity in termsof skin color, complexion, and local culture. Everyone has the right to live as they are, regardlessof race, gender, religion, and many other aspects.
However, there is no end to the acts of racism, sexism, religious persecution, and other forms ofdiscrimination which hinder the diversity of people in the world. Why does discrimination occur
between people of the same race? Human life is equal. Human beings have created diﬀerences
which should not exist in essence, and have determined who is superior and who is inferior. In
order for everyone to be able to live as they are, no one should be denied the right to think and actby discrimination. We believe that in order to eliminate discrimination, we must have the humility
to accept diversity and "better understand" others. By treating people with humility, we canrecognize that diﬀerences between people are not for the sake of superiority or inferiority, rather
to be respected. We must make an eﬀort to "understand" with our imagination what is behind thethoughts and actions of others. We will continue to grow closer to the realization of a society
without discrimination. As global citizens, we will create an environment free of discrimination.
We will not tolerate unfair labor practices that undermine human rights, and we will create a world
where economic growth is compatible with the preservation of the global environment.
Today, there are many countries and regions in the world where people are not able to have
fulﬁlling and humane work. Some of these countries and regions are trying to gain more proﬁts
while violating human rights through unfair forced labor and child labor. Economic growth mustnot be accompanied by a loss of the earth's environment. We should avoid excessive resource
consumption and continue to strive to increase productivity with fewer resource inputs. In orderto overcome this situation, we will not tolerate companies which produce and sell products under
unfair labor conditions, such as forced labor and child labor. We will also continue our eﬀorts toincrease productivity with less resource input, and to enhance our creativity with diverse people
so that we can become human resources who can innovate society.
We will build a society where we can achieve economic growth rooted in ethical values. Achieving
peace is not something that can be accomplished only by wishing for it. It requires the cooperationof all people in this world, not just certain countries or people. “Every action and consciousness
are connected. Your actions can change the world."We will deliver this Joint Declaration of Peaceto the world.We will pass the baton of peace to the next generation.
We hereby declare that we will realize a peaceful world and continue to protect it.
"Co-create a better world." "Be Yourself to Live for Others."