KIDS' GUERNICA at Oharu Elementary School in Japan

120 students of 6^th grade at Oharu Elementary School created a Kids’ Guernica peace mural and it was exhibited in their school on November 16 and 17, 2012. The school is located near to Nagoya City in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The students hold many workshops to study a lot about world peace and each of them wrote his/her own essay on peace. 

They decided on “Light, Life and Bonds” as the theme of their peace mural because they thought that these three were important elements of peace. “Light” symbolizes “hope of human being” as the brilliance of the sun and galaxy eternally exists in the universe. “Life” is a metaphor of succession and the helix structure of DNA and the mother earth are showing the origin of life and the biological diversities. The continuity of geometrical patterns expresses “Bonds” and indicates the biological diversities and the connectedness among various races. As well as the huge painting, the students also created clay-figures titled “Hands of Hope” to express the spirit of peace. All the clay-hands were installed in front of the painting as a collaboration of painting and modeling to convey their message against a violent world. World peace is not yet achieved but they expressed their strong wish for peace. Having such a dream, they completed their art work.

Wonderful Exhibition in Gernika, Spain

October 15, 2012

The Kids’ Guernica exhibition in the town of Gernika successfully ended. The Gernika Peace Museum held the exhibition from June 28 to October 14 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Gernika. More than twenty Kids’ Guernica peace murals were displayed throughout the town and this exhibition itself expressed a strong wish for peace.
http://www.museodelapaz.org/en/index_en.php

Kids' Guernica at St. Hilda's School in Tokyo, JAPAN

October 06, 2012

A Kids’Guernica peace mural was created at St. Hilda’s School in Tokyo, Japan. During the school festival, it was displayed with another mural of Haiti and Japan.

Kids’ Guernica at Seiryo Junior High School in Japan

September 29, 2012

A Kids’ Guernica peace painting was completed by the ninth grade students of Seiryo Junior High School in Kyoto, Japan and it was exhibited in their school festival on September 25. The main theme of the school festival was “Bonds”. 31 students of the ninth grades expressed their wish to create bonds across borders for a peaceful world through this Kids’ Guernica painting. The blue sky of the painting indicates “beyond borders”, the bridge of rainbow shows “connecting peoples’ hearts” and the smile of children symbolizes “peace.” In July, they made a basic concept of this painting and worked very hard to complete it during summer holidays. Each student’s individual vivid expression can be seen in the different styles of drawing a variety of faces and clothes.

A Kids' Guernica in Kameoka, Japan

September 17, 2012
A new Kids’ Guernica peace mural was completed in Kameoka City, Kyoto, Japan. Children started creating this mural in July and it shows their full energy. It will be exhibited in an art festival in October 6 in the city.

A Kids’ Guernica Mural is Exhibited in Fukushima

September 04, 2012
A Kids’ Guernica mural is exhibited at Namie Elementary School in Fukushima, Japan. The mural was created by children of Nakateshima Elementary School, Osaka last year to show their support to the affected areas in the north-eastern part of Japan.
The town of Namie is located very near to the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant and all the students of Namie Elementary School had to evacuate to Nihonmatsu City, 50 km far away from the power plant. Currently, Namie Elementary School is in Nihonmatsu City.

Photo by Mr. Hideyuki Yokoyama, Editor in Chief of Education Division Shougakukan Publishing Company, Board Member of Renaissance of Japanese Education 

Kids' Guernica at Aikawa High School in Japan

September 01, 2012
A Kids' Guernica peace mural was created by art club students of Aikawa high school in Japan.