- Koto Kajihara is a high school student from Hiroshima, Japan, who is a passionate advocate for peace.
- Koto joined the 2024 UNITAR Youth Ambassador Asia-Pacific Programme, which brings together youth from the region to deepen their understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals while practicing entrepreneurship, leadership and problem-solving skills.
- The 8-week programme is organized by UNITAR and ITS Education Asia.
- Koto won the 2024 Youth Ambassador Impact Prize for her project to support a Hiroshima-based non-profit organization that provides warm meals to children throughout Japan.
Koto KAJIHARA
13 June 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – Koto Kajihara, a high school student in Hiroshima, is a passionate young advocate for peace. She is one of the 26 young changemakers who completed the 2024 Youth Ambassador Asia-Pacific programme.
Discovering A Passion for Peace
Koto’s peace advocacy began at her school’s Thousand Crane Club, a student-led initiative with over 40 years of history. The club collects paper cranes – a symbol of hope and peace – from all over the world and delivers them to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
The cranes [are] more than just paper. They carry the thoughts, wishes, and hopes of people from all over the world; Being part of the club and contributing to peace efforts [are] … about creating connections and raising awareness for peace across borders. - Koto explains. Now, she serves as vice president of the club, bridging Hiroshima with other countries and deepening her understanding of peace.
Joining The UNITAR Youth Ambassador Programme
UNITAR
Koto learned about the 2024 UNITAR Youth Ambassador Asia-Pacific Programme through her teacher. Organized by UNITAR and ITS Education Asia, the 8-week Youth Ambassador programme brings together youth from across the Asia-Pacific region to deepen their understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while practicing valuable skills in entrepreneurship, leadership and problem-solving. The 2024 programme focused on the theme “Local Solutions for Global Challenges: Youth Empowerment and Community Impact”.
It was an incredibly meaningful and impactful learning experience. I not only deepened my understanding of the SDGs but also gained valuable life skills in problem-solving, project development and leadership. The sessions with professionals and alumni were eye-opening and helped me better understand how I can be part of the solution for global challenges. – Koto Kajihara, UNITAR Youth Ambassador Asia-Pacific Programme 2024
For Koto, this programme was the perfect fit. It aligned with her passion for peace advocacy and her desire to make a lasting impact on her community. During the programme, Koto focused on Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger and launched a project to support a Hiroshima-based non-profit organization and its national programme to provide children with warm meals at little or no cost. Koto organized donation points at local restaurants, shops and her school and donated rice to the national meal programme. For her project, Koto was awarded the Impact Prize of the 2024 UNITAR Youth Ambassador Asia-Pacific Programme.
But for Koto, the journey is far from over. She plans to expand her efforts by supporting the organization’s other activities.
I want to help by providing art supplies to encourage children’s creativity and supporting children with disabilities, raising awareness about the organization’s work and the issues they address is also a priority for me.
– she says.
The Road Ahead
Koto KAJIHARA
Koto intends to apply the team-building and leadership skills that she gained from the Youth Ambassador programme to her work as vice president of the Crane Club. She expects those skills will help her manage some of the challenges of leading a large group, particularly when engaging with peace-promoting activities outside of school.
The programme … gives you the chance to engage with professionals and alumni, gain insights into the SDGs, and develop solutions to global challenges. It’s a lifelong learning experience that equips you with skills that you can apply in the future, whether for a job, academic pursuits or advocacy work. – Koto Kajihara, UNITAR Youth Ambassador Asia-Pacific Programme 2024
As for her future, even though she is uncertain about her career path, Koto envisions promoting peace education and building connections between local high schools. She believes that fostering meaningful discussions on peace and related topics among these schools and their students would have a positive impact on a peaceful future.
UN Volunteer Mai Anan contributed to this article.
About UNITAR
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations. In 2024, UNITAR trained over 550,000 learners around the world to support their actions for a better future. UNITAR has a global presence, with offices in Geneva, Hiroshima, New York and Bonn and networks around the world. Find out more at www.unitar.org