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This year, which marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of the idea behind the Red Cross, we are producing an animated film about Dr. Marcel Junod, the "benefactor of Hiroshima." Although there is a monument to Dr. Junod in the southeast corner of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, he is not well known in the city. With gratitude to Dr. Junod and the many others who helped Hiroshima, and in the hope of becoming a bridge toward peace, in 1994 we began conducting medical support activities. We named our organization MOCT, which means "bridge" in Russian.
We encountered a series of difficulties, however, and after 10 years I began to feel it was time to end our aid efforts. While feeling frustrated and depressed, I suddenly recalled how difficult it had been for Dr. Junod to deliver medical supplies to Hiroshima. I wondered what sort of life this man, who had overcome obstacles to help Hiroshima, had led. I wanted to learn about his background and his life.
Every time he confronted obstacles, he consistently demonstrated that love, which lay at the heart of the regulations of the Red Cross, was essential in order to overcome those obstacles. I learned that that is selfless love and the spirit of the Red Cross. And I felt strongly that the life of Dr. Junod, who held on to hope in times of despair, serves as an excellent example for living.
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Through the life of Dr. Junod, I was able to overcome my frustration. I believe we received a gift of love from Dr. Junod. I decided to produce this animated film about the life of Marcel Junod to inspire as many people as possible with hope and courage. Through this film, which attempts to describe not what the world should be like but what people should be like, I want to deliver a gift of love like that Hiroshima received from Dr. Junod.
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