Hiroshima Peace Day

Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima justified? This was the question facing a group of approximately 40 Sixth Form students at Highcliffe School.

Inspired by our regular exchange visits to the city of Hiroshima, which featured a moving trip to the Peace Memorial Museum, organisers Mrs Bewley and Mr Bryden decided to give students an opportunity to confront the issue in an all-day conference, called the Hiroshima Peace Conference, hosted at the school.

During the course of the day, the students were split into groups and attended workshops which looked at the bombing through different perspectives. In “Ethical Perspectives”, Mrs O’Connor asked students to consider what different views world leaders and religious people may have adopted towards the bombing. In “Historical Perspectives”, Mrs Finch introduced the students to the factors that made Truman, the US president at the time, decide to allow the use of the A-bomb. In “Scientific Perspectives” Miss Berkeley helped students explore the attitudes of the scientists who developed the bomb towards it. Finally, in “Personal Perspectives”, Mr Bryden provided a whole menu of documents for students to read which looked at the issue through the eyes of victims, POWs and scientists.

In the final session students were once again invited to decide where they would stand on the issue of the A-bombing, justifying their views based on what they had learned during the course of the day. This session culminated in an opportunity for students to write their own message of peace on a label. These labels will be hung on a tree in the courtyard for other students to see.

The conference proved to be highly successful with students having to confront and think through some enormously difficult and emotive issues before finally arriving at a conclusion. As one student noted, “I think this day is important, not just because it is an eye-opener and informative, but because it gives you the information to support your opinion.”

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