The “Garden of Peace and Hope” was created in collaboration with Global Hope Network International and Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information & Culture. It is located inside the National Gallery in Kabul.
The garden and its facilities were designed and accomplished with the purpose of providing beauty and inspiration to the art fields and contributing to peace and hope. The garden gives a sense of “paradise” or oasis, in which people seek refuge from the oppressive and hostile elements that often exist in society. It should be the place of reflection, creation, opinion exchange, and aspiration for development and well-being of the art fields. The garden is hoped to be a source of joy, peace and hope for many Afghans.
Ms. Tiziana Volta, editor of an Italian magazine called “Gardenia,” has applied for the plantings at three locations; the National Gallery in Kabul, Afganistan, Conservatorio Botanico della Valle d’Itria, Province of Brindisi, Italy, and Parco San Giovanni, Trieste, Italy. The kaki tree was sent from Japan to Italy and transported from Italy to Afghanistan.
Prior to the tree planting ceremony in Kabul, the tree presentation ceremony was held on 15 April in Castegnato, Italy and attended by Dr. Ebinuma. Ms. Volta and Dr. Ebinuma made speeches in the stone pavement square surrounded by large buildings.
Inside the building, a briefing of the Peace March held at 9am in Franciacorta, Castegnato was held. There were guitar and singing performances. When participants received the passed-around yellow and white tapes, they wrote messages on them. There were speeches by Ms. Volta and Castegnato mayor, as well.
The tree sent from Italy to Kabul had arrived safely in Afghanistan, and people held the tree planting ceremony in the “Garden of Peace and Hope” at Kabul’s National Gallery.
A few soldiers with guns were around the premises and watched over the ceremony. The garden is surrounded by walls and filled with roses. There is also a water fountain. The tree was planted in the brick edging flower bed. After the representatives’ speeches, people enjoyed the guitar performance. The Kaki Furoshiki was hung on the wall of the building inside the garden decorated with ribbons. They prepared a lovely cake with “KAKI TREE PROJECT” letters placed on top and shared it with the participants after the ceremony.
We, the members of the Kaki Tree Project hope that the seedling of the bombed kaki tree from Nagasaki would become a light in the hearts of people of Afghanistan, and keep praying for it from Japan. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude and respect to Ms. Tiziana Volta for her efforts for this planting.
