The plantings at the Comprehensive School in Gavardo as well as at a primary school in Sopraponte in Brescia was initiated by Ms. Nicoli Emilia. As a war-time command center was recently discovered in Gavardo, locals’ hope for peace is growing. Teachers also have strong aspirations to teach their pupils peace and ethnic friendship through the planting of the kaki tree.
The street in front of the lower secondary school was closed when the tree planting ceremony was held, and more than 300 children attended. After primary school children played “Ode to Joy” on the recorder, the mayor made a speech. Four primary school pupils also read poems on peace in turns.
Then, the primary school pupils again played a song on the recorder and sang a song, which was followed by the speeches delivered by representatives and poetry reading by secondary school pupils.
Afterward, only adults moved to the planting site and planted the seedling of the bombed kaki tree while children were watching over the fence. They released many colorful balloons carrying messages into the sky as they closed the ceremony.
Then, secondary school pupils went back to their school building and watched a stop- motion animation film made by two pupils in a big class room. The film was an inspiring work because it delivered messages of “peace” and “antiwar,” that peace on Earth is ensured by each person’s desire for peace, clearly to everyone who watched.
They had learned about the atomic bombing well in advance and the exhibited information materials on the bombing as well as children’s works in the school showed the result of their efforts.
