The Peace Boat is a Japan-based international nonprofit and nongovernmental organization that promotes peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment.

Peace Boat aims to create awareness and action based on effecting positive social and political change in the world.

“Saudi Arabia is known for serenity and peace and this is why we wanted this country to be one of our stops because we wanted to meet the people and ask them to help us spread awareness against weapons of mass destruction,” said Mia, one of the Filipino delegates on the boat and a volunteer English teacher there.

“We want the world to be WMD-free, we want to start spreading the word on this harmful effect. We want the Middle East and North Africa to be a peaceful and safe place in line with what Islam has stressed,” she added.

Dr. Yousef Al-Sadoun, undersecretary for economic and cultural affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, greeted the Japanese delegation. He stressed the core meaning of Islam is to promote peace and understanding among people of different races and nationalities.

“Islam strongly prohibits all kinds of violence and aggression against all people regardless of their race,” he said. “We Saudis have always been believers and advocates of peace across the world. In 2008 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah launched an initiative that calls for dialogue between different cultures in order to spread understanding between nations,” he added.

Dr. Faisal bin Muammar, adviser to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, secretary-general of the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue and acting secretary-general for King Abdullah International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue in Vienna, delivered King Abdullah’s message in which he said that the Peace Boat is the biggest center for dialogue and communication around the world and this is why he wished that he had come up with this idea of a floating peace vehicle, and he congratulated the person who came up with the idea.

WMDs matters not only to the Japanese but to the whole human race, said Muhammed Al-Tayeb, director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “The traces of Hiroshima and Nagasaki can still be found within the Japanese as they lived and experienced the devastation. Some are still suffering the after-effects of the nuclear desolation,” he said. “It’s a great pleasure to meet them and welcome them in the land of peace. It is also a pleasure to hear their stories and experiences,” he added.

The Saudi Youth Forum in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who promotes peace and understanding between cultures attended the event to make friends with the Japanese delegation. “We the youth of Saudi Arabia reject violence and are eager to participate in the enhancement of global cooperation and resolving issues of great concern to humanity,” said Sarah Al-Khudairy of the forum. Al-Khudairy read these excerpts from the letter the Saudi youth had written to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

“We urge the United Nations to step up its efforts when dealing with issues that are destroying our future and the future of generations to come.”

The last 10 survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings shared their stories and experiences.