On November 11th, our association took part in the Peace Day in the commune of Lasseran in the Gers department (Occitania). For several years, under the impetus of Mr. Michel Soriano, mayor of the town, and with the active participation of elected officials, teachers and students of the school, without forgetting the inhabitants, the day of November 11th has been focused on the theme of peace in line with the commitment of the town in the network of Mayors for Peace.
This year, the day was organised around several highlights. First of all, the 150 participants left from the Peace Square in the middle of which there is an Olive Tree and all around it, plaques with all the French Nobel Peace Prize winners. Then all the participants went down, with the children in the lead waving the peace flags, for the inauguration of the Peace Garden, with a « Sentinel » area in memory of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a space dedicated to the symbol of peace, another to the story of the birth of the Dove of Peace and the last space on the Rainbow Peace Flag. The presence of Mr Michel Cibot, General Delegate of the Mayors for Peace France and Mrs Miho Shima, Hiroshima’s ambassador to France, should be noted. We must salute the very original idea of the commune of Lasseran to have installed this garden on a hiking trail.
Then, at the war memorial, we were able to listen to four very moving texts. Then the children of the school recited a poem by Paul Éluard and interpreted the song « Nos mains (Our hands) » by Jean-Jacques Goldman.
Then after the convivial meal, we attended the screening of the film « La bombe et nous (The bomb and us) » in the presence of the film’s producer, Jean-Claude Bauduret, followed by a debate.
Looking forward already to next year’s edition