This August 12, one of our graduates deeply involved in global peace-building visited the campus to speak about this important work.
Thomas Mathew, a graduate from India, travels to Japan almost every year to attend the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6th and the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 9th. Peace activities are a critical pillar of his work. His passionate commitment to peace activities was sparked by his training at ARI in 1988. During the Western Japan Study Tour, he visited Hiroshima, where he encountered the history of the atomic bomb and listened to a “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors, which sparked his concern about India’s nuclear possession. “Nuclear weapons are different from other weapons. They have the power to totally eliminate humanity and nature.”
After returning to India, he dreamed of creating dialogue between hibakusha and his region, so that his people could hear their stories. After a short time, he successfully brought several hibakusha to his community in1990 August and it is still going on. Since then, he has also worked to raise awareness of the dangers of nuclear weapons, including photo exhibitions, seminars and producing a documentary about the serious impact on the environment and humans after India’s nuclear tests in May 1998.
During his session at ARI, he described the work he does now: “Social services in the community you belong to and where you were raised is very important. However, no matter how much economic growth there is, it will not last long without peace. That is why doing both social services and peace activities is my mission.”
When one participant asked if he could truly imagine a world without nuclear weapons, he replied, “This is my dream. Dreams need to be fulfilled. We work. Educate the younger generation. Listen to hibakushas. One day, that day will come true.”
After his lecture, the author asked him to write his answer to “what does food mean to you?” on the Peace from Food campaign sticker.
His answer was, “Food is peace.”
Read more about Thomas Mathew’s work in volume 2 of our series, Peace from Food, in the article series linked below.
Peace from Food Donation Campaign
August 1, 2025 (Friday) – September 20, 2025 (Saturday)
▶ Visit our campaign website: ari.ac.jp/donate/peace2025
Written by Yuko Emura
Click here to read the series of articles
“Peace from Food” from the tables of ARI’s graduates Vol. 1
“Peace from Food” from the tables of ARI’s graduates Vol. 2
“Peace from Food” from the tables of ARI’s graduates Vol. 3
“Peace from Food” from the tables of ARI’s graduates Vol. 4
“Peace from Food” from the tables of ARI’s graduates -spin off- ← Now, you’re here.
