Youth Caravan from Hiroshima Introduction of Participants:United States and Canada Course
Introduction of Participants
OKUDA Yayano
Hiroshima University
Introduction/Enthusiasm for the Peace Caravan
I am interested in politics and international relations and hope to create a peaceful and cooperative international community through politics. I believe international peace is a motivation for each to act and work together for a better future that goes on forever. My goal is to consider not only the current situation but also our future and cooperate with others to find practical and realistic solutions. In the United States and Canada, I would like to discuss the issue of nuclear weapons; I strongly feel the importance of our thinking about what we can contribute to creating a world without nuclear weapons now, and what would happen in the future. My experience from this program has important meaning in my future university studies and political engagement in my life. Stepped out from Asian countries, I will put all my efforts into having a great platform for discussion with people of the same generation.
ONIKI Yuri
Kyoto University
Introduction/Enthusiasm for the Peace Caravan
I spent my early teenage years in Hiroshima, where I participated in a variety of activities against nuclear weapons. I guided foreign tourists around Peace Memorial Park and was involved in a petition campaign to abolish nuclear weapons. When I was 16, I enrolled in United World College at Germany, and completed the International Baccalaureate. During the two years in Freiburg, I learned multiple perspectives towards global issues such as global warming and sustainability. I am currently a student at Kyoto University, majoring in Economics. I study environmental and international economics, and my current interest is economic security. As an actor in peacebuilding, I would like to explore the role of individuals when facing major challenges including nuclear disarmament and climate change. Mutual understanding is what I aim for this project. For a firm step toward peace, I would like to utilize my knowledge on economics and participate in analytical discussion.
KANDA Misuzu
Hiroshima University Graduate School
Introduction/Enthusiasm for the Peace Caravan
I am a graduate student born and raised in Hiroshima. When I was 16, I was selected as a member of “Future Leaders’ Program for Global Peace in Hiroshima, and since then, I have continued to be active in Peace Activities that aims to create opportunities for students to raise awareness about social issues. For my bachelor’s degree, I studied in a unique department where about half of the students are international students, and in graduate school, I am currently researching the role of private organizations that support street children in Mexico in their education. I look forward to having honest discussions in an “informal” setting with the people I will meet in this project. I hope to deepen discussions with colleagues from different backgrounds on what we can do to realize not only passive peace but also positive peace.
SHITANDA Naoki
Kyoto University
Introduction/Enthusiasm for the Peace Caravan
I am doing the final year of my undergraduate in electric and electronic engineering. My research topic is process of all-solid thin film Li-ion battery, as well as AI for robot motion planning. I have studied robotics in Bristol, UK for 9 month especially for autonomous food manipulation task, and I am going to go for master in robotic learning from next April.
I am interested in military use of autonomous robotics technology and preventions to ensure that robotics researchers do not regret like Oppenheimer or Nobel. Also, I am interested in examining the nuclear disarmament process through consideration based on academic point of view, game theory for instance. I will do my best to know opinions about Japanese policy on military service and nuclear weapon from people in the U.S. / Canada, and to have meaningful discussions.
YAMADA Anna
Kyoto University Sophmore
Introduction/Enthusiasm for the Peace Caravan
I’m Ayana Yamada, a second-year Economics student. Throughout my academic journey and research, I’ve deepened my understanding of sustainable economic development and social justice. As a woman, I often find myself acutely aware of gender-related issues in daily life. This perspective drives my desire to engage in discussions with local students about gender topics.
Furthermore, having lived in both Japan and the United States, I aim to leverage my experiences to advocate for the importance of cooperation in nuclear disarmament and international peace. Understanding the varying positions and historical contexts of dominant nations is crucial in this regard.
I’m fully committed to contributing my best efforts to this project. Collaborating with fellow participants and local students, I’m confident that we can make a meaningful impact. I promise to dedicate myself to our mission.
