Hideko Tamura-Snyder, our beloved local advocate against nuclear weapons, was the opening speaker at a conference “Educating for Peace: Shaping a Future Free of Nuclear Weapons.” The event was organized by the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, the Ikeda Center, and the Soka University Institute for Global Solutions. The event was held at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Many in the audience had never heard eyewitness testimony from a hibakusha (a survivor of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombings) before. Her personal experiences were a crucial reminder to the participants of the inhuman nature of nuclear war and the urgent need to abolish nuclear weapons for a safer and saner future of humankind.

She has been a frequent speaker in the Rogue Valley, and we know how powerful a reminder her memories are. Thanks to Hideko for her tireless advocacy.