Kanagawa, Japan—To commemorate the International Day of Peace 2017, UPF-Japan, in partnership with the Youth and Students for Peace (YSP), organized a cleanup at Wada Nagahama beach along the Miura peninsula in Kanagawa prefecture on September 17, 2017.
The International Day of Peace, which is observed each year on September 21, was established by the UN as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence. This year, UPF chapters held commemorative events under the Day’s 2017 theme, “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All.”
About 20 youth volunteers, some from local volunteer groups, gathered in the early morning for the activity. Mr. Kazunori Arase, deputy secretary general of UPF-Japan, began the cleanup by speaking on the theme for this year’s Day: the “UN has appealed to its member states and NGOs to support refugees and immigrants, who face enormous hardships.” He added, “Let us, with Ambassadors for Peace and other like-minded individuals, cultivate the spirit of one family under God by fostering volunteerism, which can help alleviate these global challenges.”
In a short period of time, the volunteers, wearing rain gear, as a typhoon was approaching the area, picked up a lot of litter on the beach, including empty cans and plastic bottles, and even pieces of wood, nails and screws that remained from a demolition of several seaside facilities.