Sebastopol World Friends is asking people to ring bells to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, Sebastopol World Friends is inviting people to take part in “ringing the bells of peace,” where members of the organization and members of the community take a pause on Aug. 5 at 4:15 p.m. and Aug. 8 at 7:02 p.m. to ring a bell in remembrance.
The project is being done in collaboration with Sister Cities International — Sebastopol has two sister cities, one of which is Takeo, Japan and the other of which is Chihirin, Ukraine.
Sebastopol World Friends works to help link the city with its sister cities through educational and cultural programs, and helps coordinate exchanges between cities.
According to Sister Cities International, the simultaneous ringing of bells in sister cities is an inaugural project that came out of discussions with citizen diplomats surrounding how to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombs being dropped.
“Commemorating this important moment, at different locations but together in spirit, will be a powerful gesture of our commitment to world peace,” reads the event announcement from the Sebastopol World Friends.
While a public gathering can’t be held for the event, the Sebastopol World Friends is encouraging people to find a bell and ring it 75 times, or for 75 seconds — one ring or second for every year since the attacks.
The group is asking those who participate to document their bell ringing by sending them photos and videos. Meg Mizutani, a board member for Sebastopol World Friends, said that she hopes the project will give people a chance to reflect on the events and think about what they can do to promote world peace.
“Our friends in Takeo are going to join this effort as well,” the invitation reads. “We should remember that the concept of sister cities was created after World War II to promote world peace. Our work is not possible without support from the community. Your participation would be meaningful and greatly appreciated. Together we can show the world hope, especially during these uncertain times.”
