Read more about Green Legacy and its work http://www.unitar.org/greenlegacyhiroshima
purpose – I don’t have children of my own, but living in Hiroshima has made me more engaged, to work for the sake of my nieces, nephews, godchildren and just about all of us – so that what befell this city in 1945 never happens again, anywhere. I guess this sense marks most things I do. Hiroshima’s real philosophy and contribution – to forgive but not to forget is a powerful concept more so at a time when so many countries seem to forget but not to forgive... Would you tell us about the beginnings of Green Legacy? Well, maybe I should first speak of the trees? Some 170 trees in about 55 locations within a two-kilometer radius of the bomb's hypocenter have been classified by Hiroshima City as A-bombed trees (Hibaku jumoku). It's a miracle they survived in the first place, but then there was a second miracle – nurtured over the decades, they made it to the 21st century. I love trees. In the living realm, humans have few allies as essential, generous or frugal as trees. Their roots, trunks, bark, leaves, fruit, nuts, shade, cool, warmth, their ability to hold off winds or erosions, filter the air and the waters, their beauty and grace, it is just breathtaking how much trees give us, and how little they ask in return. I always ask visitors to imagine the Peace Avenue (Heiwa odori) without trees… In the case of Hiroshima trees, all this is amplified by their message, about the threats of nuclear weapons...
Over the years I had seen these trees, and knew of citizens’ efforts, to spread them around the world (I also read the wonderful book by the husband-wife team of Mandy Conti and David Petersen called ‘Survivors’). Hundreds of professionals around the world with whom I had worked throughout my career often asked me, 'Nassrine what can we do to spread the message of Hiroshima?' – so my first simple idea was to put all these disparate parts together, allowing the survivor trees to become ambassadors of Hiroshima, globally. Of course a good idea without implementation is only wishful thinking – so I sought the help of my friend Tomoko Watanabe, executive director of the local NPO, ANT-Hiroshima. She is a real dynamo, and soon thanks to Tomoko we had a whole network of volunteers rallying around the idea -- including a marvelous gardener Chikara Horiguchi, who knows each of the survivor trees inside out, and our very able manager, Hideko Yamada. We were still taking our time to prepare though, when the disasters of March 11, 2011 happened, we felt the message of the trees had become ever more urgent. We launched in July 2011. In addition to UNITAR and ANT, we are endorsed by many including the City, Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, the Botanical Garden, Hiroshima University as well as the Prefecture. Where is Green Legacy now and what is its vision for the future? Well, there are still some 17,000 nuclear weapons worldwide, and only 170 Hiroshima survivor trees – In my lifetime I'd definitely like to see those numbers
reversed! Of course the point is not to plant everywhere, but to pass on the message, have people from different walks of life around the world think about what it means for a tree – or any living being – to be on this fragile planet alongside these atrocious weapons. Needless to say, the trees are spreading, we now have partners in some 20 countries. Mayors of Peace cities are also getting involved, so our master gardener, bless him, is super busy! And of course we would love to have the trees of Nagasaki, too. The beauty of Green Legacy actually any project involving trees – is you can hardly go wrong, trees are that generous! How can those moved by a visit Hiroshima spread its message and contribute to its legacy? Oh God yes! I marvel still at the art of channeling rage, hatred, wounds and grief to something that transcends one’s own pain. As my Sufi master used to say, you must find a way, to turn your personal rage into universal outrage. I recently heard that when one visits Ground Zero in New York, there seems only sorrow and anger - one can understand that, but it highlights even more Hiroshima’s strength – how it has avoided mere recrimination, to move to the next level - transcend and transform its suffering into something more universal. We all aspire to do that in our personal lives, and must learn to do it collectively, as well. It is the only path forward. The survivor trees I often feel, are simply showing us how.
GetHiroshima / Summer 2014
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