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British Activist Speaks to Nagano Students (February 9)
On February 8, Chris Moon, a British activist working to end the use of land mines who himself lost his arm and leg to a mine in Mozambique in 1995, talked to students at Nagano High School in Nagano City. Mr. Moon had run one of the final legs in the Olympic torch relay the day before. In his speech, he told the students: "If each person does what he or she can do, no matter how small, we can get rid of all land mines."Using slides, Mr. Moon showed how land mines are affecting places like Cambodia and explained the anti-mine movement. He told the students how he had finished a super-marathon across the Sahara Desert in six days, saying: "It's easy to give up, but if you hold on to your dreams, you can achieve any goal."
The students asked him lots of questions in English and crowded around him after the presentation, shaking his hand and taking pictures with him. One student said, "I might not be able to accomplish great things like Mr. Moon, but I'd like to start doing what I can do, like collecting donations for the movement."
Mr. Moon went on to visit the "Peace Appeal" exhibition in Nagano City. He also met with 14 middle school students working as junior Olympic reporters, telling them, "It's easy to say you want world peace. I'd like everyone to really do something for it." (Shinano Mainichi Shimbun)
Chris Moon meets with some Nagano City students. (Shinano Mainichi Shimbun)