Teens embrace peace on Hiroshima visit

By Kapono Dowson
Advertiser Staff Writer

A dozen teenagers returned to Honolulu from Hiroshima yesterday, more aware of the horrors of war than when they left July 25.

Rachel Hopfe of Waimanalo finds herself surrounded by affection from grandmother Claudia Dudoit and sister Rayna when she returned from Japan yesterday. Rachel participated in a YMCA youth exchange program between Honolulu and Hiroshima. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

The teens represented five YMCAs across O'ahu. Living with Hiroshima host families, they participated in a multi-national peace seminar, discussing peace issues and hearing stories from A-bomb survivors.

"That was the most moving part," said Ikaika Regidor, a Kalani High senior. "We had first-hand accounts from atomic bomb survivors. You see their wounds, the radiation scars, and you ask, 'Why do we have nuclear war?'

"What really moved me was when that survivor asked, 'We are all human; why are we all trying to kill each other?'

"We only see war in history books. We don't know what war can do. But here we felt their pain and saw their suffering. Now we want to prevent war. We want peace."

Sept. 11 and terrorism was brought up, Regidor said. One Hiroshima survivor said he would like to have terrorists, all the radical groups and President Bush come to Hiroshima and see them, Regidor recalled.

In preparation for the trip, delegates read about the history of Hiroshima.

Young people are removed from what took place with Hiroshima, said Debbie Bickell, Mililani YMCA executive director.

"If people understand that those you are at war with are people, too, it becomes personal and harder to do," Bickell said.

During the Hiroshima anniversary ceremony, the group observed a minute of silence at the atomic dome — the only structure left standing after the bomb exploded over Hiroshima. The whole city went quiet, said Rachel Hopfe, a 16-year-old Kaiser High senior.

"That moved me. But what really changed my opinion was finding out there were a lot of teenagers there who did care about 9/11 and wanted to bring peace," said Hopfe, who represented the Kaimuki YMCA.

Hopfe met youths from China, Taiwan, the Philippines, as well as Japan, who want to work for peace and were truly concerned about what happened in America last September, she said.

"Our mission is to promote international and intercultural understanding and appreciation between the youth of Japan and Hawai'i," said Bobby Stivers, YMCA program and training vice president. Each year the exchange program alternates between Hiroshima and Honolulu.

The selected delegates must "earn and learn" their way through the program, Stivers said. The YMCA subsidizes a portion of the costs, but the delegates raised the bulk of their money through fund-raising projects such as car washes and chili sales.

The delegates trained for nearly six months, learning about Japanese culture, some language as well as basic survival skills.

They learned Hawai'i facts and statistics so they could field questions from the Japanese. They also learned about Hawaiian culture, including some songs and hula.

Rayna Hopfe said her sister Rachel told her another part of the cultural exchange involved a Hawai'i twist on a Japanese staple: Spam musubi.

The group prepared it for their Japanese hosts.

"Finally, they tried it and really liked it. It ran out quickly," Rayna Hopfe said.

"It was a real winner," Regidor agreed. He said the Hawai'i group wouldn't let the Japanese have the recipe. "We told them they have to come to Honolulu next year for it."

Reach Kapono Dowson at kdowson@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8103.