The 2018 International Peace Day was celebrated at the Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese Invaders. Ma Biao, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament, attended the event. Lan Shaomin, mayor of Nanjing, delivered a speech.
The guests attending the commemorative activities walked into the memorial halls to see the exhibition on the history of the Nanjing Massacre and the photo exhibition of the massacre survivors and their families.
At the Peace Memorial Ceremony, the guests presented flowers and mourned the victims of the Nanjing Massacre, and shook hands with the two massacre survivors to express their deep condolences.
Upon arriving at the Peace Park, the guests from home and abroad planted a peace tree together, watched the hand-painted peace pattern of children and children, and put the lotus model into the water.
Mayor Lan Shaomin expressed his sincere welcome and heartfelt thanks to the guests on behalf of the Nanjing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Nanjing Municipal People's Government and the more than 8.3 million Nanjing citizens.
He said that as a city that has experienced war trauma, Nanjing has had the tradition of publicize peace and made unremitting efforts in the promotion of peace. In September last year, Nanjing made to the list of International Cities of Peace.
Nanjing will adhere to the principles of openness and globalism on the basis of its own characteristics, conduct exchanges and cooperation in peace communication, research and promotion, and work together with peace-loving people around the world to build a world of lasting peace and common prosperity.
In his speech, President Takashi Fujita of Japan’s "Inheritance and Development of the Murayama Talks" expressed deep regret and embarrassment about Japan’s history of invading China and maiming the lives of the Chinese people.
He said that China and Japan have a history of friendship with two thousand years of water, and the relations between the two peoples are profound. For the sake of peace and prosperity in Asia and the world, Japan should no longer provoke war. For the future, Japan, China and the world can only have a road of friendship and coexistence.
Iraklis, Executive Secretary of the World Peace Council, expressed his support for the Chinese people's love of peace and the maintenance of peace. He said that the World Peace Council supports all initiatives to liberate the people, lead social progress, eliminate imperialist, hegemonic and exploitative initiatives, and support the desire to become a master of their own destiny in a peaceful and prosperous world, in order to avoid exploitation for the people who struggle and fight.
International Day of Peace is an international event that is observed each year by nations all across the world. The event is commemorated on 21st of September each year. It is a day that was set aside by the United Nations General assembly for everyone around the world to devote to keeping peace, despite any differences they may have, as well as play a part in building a peace culture that will last for generations to come.
International Day of Peace was started way back in 1981 through the resolution 36/67 by the United Nations General Assembly, in an effort to reconcile people around the world.
Nanjing has become China's first International City of Peace.
In the notorious Nanjing Massacre during World War II, about 300,000 Chinese people lost their lives and 20,000 women were raped, said J. Fred Arment, executive director of International Cities of Peace in a video speech.
This history makes people remember the war and makes them more aware of the significance of peace, he said.
A total of 172 cities in about 50 countries and regions are now on the International Cities of Peace list, according to its website, including Coventry in England, Bern in Switzerland, Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Berlin, Germany.
(source:ourjiangsu.com)
