To mark the anniversaries of the Japanese nuclear bombings, the Mayor of Newham accepted a presentation of a seed pod from a Hiroshima Camellia tree.
The tree, from which the seed was taken, survived the atom bomb of 1945, and is today located at the Yoshijima Inari shrine in Hiroshima, Japan.
Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz received the seed pod on behalf of the borough, together with a certificate from the Japanese government, which provides certification of its authenticity from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz said: “The seed I received on behalf of Newham is an important symbol of peace and of remembrance of the horrors of the nuclear bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima that we mark annually. I am proud to be a member of the Mayors for Peace network, an international movement to progress peace and solidarity which remains so vitally important. The tree will be a permanent reminder of the need to strive for peace and reconciliation.”
The Camellia tree seed will be cultivated in a council operated green house, with the involvement of council apprentices, as part of their training.
After it has gained sufficient maturity, it will be planted in one of the council’s public parks as a permanent symbol of peace. The tree will be one of many from this same Camellia tree grown from its seeds and planted in public parks across the world, including the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
The presentation of the seed coincides with a period of commemoration around Hiroshima Day (6 August) and Nagasaki Day (9 August). The event was part of a network of commemorative moments across the world marking the anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
The plans to cultivate the Camellia tree follows last year’s decision at Full Council in July 2020 to answer the historic call by the UN ‘for cities throughout the world to transcend national borders and join in solidarity to work together to press for nuclear abolition.’ This coincided with the 75th Anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. In accordance with the motion, the Mayor joined up to Mayors for Peace, established originally by the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Later this year, the Mayor will plant a new memorial tree, to remember all victims of nuclear weapons, as part of the council’s wider tree-planting programme. This will take place during Newham’s Alternative Peace Week (13 - 17 September) which will present positive, peaceful alternatives to the DSEI Arms Fair.