- UNITAR will use 3D virtual technologies to bring to online learners the powerful experience of visiting the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima.
- The 360-degree tour will include the inside of the Atomic Bomb Dome and 14 other monuments around the park.
- The virtual tour will be used in the UNITAR Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Training Programme 2022 (25 February to 18 March 2022).
- The training programme teaches participants about the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the latest developments in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
- Programme participants are nominated officials from 19 Asian countries. They work on nuclear disarmament in the ministries of foreign affairs and defense.
- UNITAR plans to make some of the virtual tours publicly available on its website.
360-degree Photography at the Atomic Bomb Dome
21 February 2022, Hiroshima, Japan – UNITAR Division for Prosperity will introduce 360-degree virtual tours to this year’s training programme on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, to be held from 25 February to 18 March 2022. UNITAR also plans to make some of the tours publicly available from the UNITAR website.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, UNITAR relied on in-person visits to Hiroshima and meetings with hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) to let participants feel the destruction and suffering caused by atomic bombs. With trainings going online, UNITAR is turning to 3D technologies to bring that powerful experience to participants. The emotional connection motivates participants to work for the abolishment of nuclear weapons.
The 360-degree tours will include the Peace Memorial Park, which symbolizes the Hiroshima’s destruction from the atomic bomb and its reconstruction. Visitors will be able to explore 15 monuments in the park, including the Atomic Bomb Dome. The virtual tour will give participants a special glimpse of the inside of the dome, which is usually closed to visitors.
The tour was inspired by the hi-meguri, or tour of monuments, that Hiroshima school children do in their peace studies. In the activity, children go around the Peace Park, collect stamps, and learn why and to whom the monuments are dedicated.
360-degree Photography at the Atomic Bomb Dome
The new technologies will support the programme’s aim to provide participants an in-depth understanding of the history and significance of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and the current state of discussions on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The virtual tours will complement microlearning modules, webinars with global experts, and a mock negotiation.
The programme is for representatives from ministries of foreign affairs and of defense from 19 Asian countries. The participants play or are expected to play an active role in nuclear disarmament negotiations, which is why the UNITAR programme seeks to equip them with effective negotiation and communications skills.
The 2022 round marks the eighth year of this UNITAR training. It embodies Hiroshima’s legacy and UNITAR’s commitment to promote a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons.