Has France neglected the memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Emmanuel Macron's Visit to Hiroshima Peace Museum: A Call for Peace and Remembrance
Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, visited the Hiroshima Peace Museum in 2023, marking a poignant moment in the city's history. The museum, significant for its role as a memorial site for the nuclear attacks, served as a powerful reminder of the horrors of war.
The visit took place prior to the G7 meeting, where Macron emphasized the importance of peace following the discussions. His tone was stern, reflecting the gravity of the issue at hand. In the guestbook of the Peace Museum, Macron wrote compassionate words, borrowed from Albert Camus, stating that peace is the only battle worth fighting for.
The hibakusha, the survivors of the nuclear attacks, were the living memory of this nuclear horror. They have been marked every day of their existence, in body and mind, by the effects of the explosions. Many have experienced radiation-induced illnesses, miscarriages, and social exclusion. The number of deaths in Hiroshima and Nagasaki between August 6 and the end of 1945 was staggering, with approximately 220,000 people lost, nearly 38,000 of whom were children.
The effects of the nuclear explosions have also affected the descendants of the survivors. The hibakusha have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress, and their experiences serve as a stark reminder of the long-lasting impact of nuclear war.
Macron's visit to the Peace Museum was deeply moving to him. He acknowledged the hibakusha as the living memory of nuclear horror, emphasizing the need to remember the past to prevent such devastation from recurring. In doing so, Macron joined the ranks of world leaders who visit sites like the Hiroshima Peace Museum to acknowledge past tragedies while promoting a future free from nuclear war.
The visit served as a tribute to the victims, a commitment to remember the past, and a call to action for a world free from nuclear war. Macron's words in the guestbook of the Peace Museum will serve as a testament to this commitment, a reminder that peace is the only battle worth fighting for.
Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, visited the Hiroshima Peace Museum in 2023, emphasizing that peace is the only battle worth fighting for, following discussions on war-and-conflicts at the forthcoming G7 meeting. He acknowledged the ongoing effects and impact of nuclear war on the survivors, the hibakusha, as well as their descendants, highlighting the importance of politics in ensuring a future free from such devastation. In the guestbook of the Peace Museum, Macron's poignant words resonated with the general-news significance of the location as a memorial site for nuclear attacks.
