Upon joining GFM-visiting Palestine has been my lasting dream

From Hiroshima to Gaza

                                                              Hisae Ogawa

                                                                              CODEPINK Osaka JAPAN

The first time I met and had a chance to talk to the Palestinian women was back in 1975, the UN International Women’s Year. I was then working for WIDF (Women’s International Democrat Federation), one of the UN accredited NGOs..

WIDF’s head office was in East Berlin, the capitol of GDR (German Democratic Republic). It had over 100 member groups all around the world and the secretaries were sent from more than ten countries from Europe, Africa, Asia and America. Then general secretary was from Argentina and the president was from Australia. It was indeed an international place. But at the same time I was so disturbed to see the East Berliners suffered lack of freedom due to the wall dividing the city.

One of my co-workers was a young girl from Iraq. She was working hard trying to cover the whole issues in the Middle East. From her I learned what was happening in the Middle East.

It was through her that I got to know the Palestinian issue and made friends with Palestinian women. One day she brought some women from Palestine to the WIDF office. They were touring Europe to appeal their plight. They said Israel was doing the same things to Palestinian people as Nazi had done to the Jewish people during the World War II.

  As a secretary from Asia, my concern then was Vietnam war. I was mostly calling for the end of Vietnam war. I had very little knowledge about the Middle East. As a citizen from Japan who has experienced the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the first time in human history I called for the elimination of nuclear weapons as well.  

Thanks to the friends from Iraq and Palestine I could realize that the Palestinian issue was also the center of focus for all the peace actions of the world. I strongly felt that the women of the world should work in solidarity to support Palestinian women.

  The Vietnam war was over. But the U.S.A. has been engaged in wars one after another. As a woman from Japan, which has peace Constitution, I’ve committed myself to work for making the world free of wars.

I would like the USA to stop monopolizing the world through wars and military. I would like my own country Japan to be out of the military alliance with USA and to be a partner of any countries of the world on equal footings. 

  I support the call of GFM. I appreciate so much that CODEPIN has extended the kind invitation toward us to join the March. I’m so proud of being a part of it. Visiting Palestine and supporting their struggle has been my long lasting dream. I’ll make the best out of my visit and carry on my mission for peace.

No more Hiroshimas!  No more Nagasakis!  No more Gazas!