About Us
Our Story
The concept of our organisation began back in 2019, when our founder, Olivia Shimasaki, interviewed nuclear test veterans, hibakusha, and those impacted by the use of nuclear weapons. Conducting interviews and hearing oral histories of individuals sparked a passion in our founder to get us to rethink how we remember history and give people a voice- thus, this movement for peace began.
It is our vision to share the voices of those impacted by war, disasters, and violence, and to hear their stories of peace. We believe people have stories to share that can create positive change for peace.
Join us in speaking out to create change!
We invite you to learn more about how you can make an impact and support us today.
Founder
Olivia Shimasaki
Olivia Shimasaki holds a Master of Arts in Anthropology and first-class Honours in Human Services from the University of Canterbury. She is extremely passionate about human rights and nuclear disarmament. In 2019, she travelled to Japan and around New Zealand to research nuclear narratives through interviews with test veterans, Hibakusha (a Japanese term used to refer to individuals exposed to an atomic bomb and/or its radiation) and individuals who work with those exposed to nuclear radiation. She had the privilege to hear oral histories of those directly impacted by nuclear weapons which inspired her to found Peace Project- an organisation that encourages individuals to share their stories and empower the next generation to speak out for peace.
Olivia has volunteered and worked for multiple non-governmental organisations which advocate for human dignity and social justice. From September till December 2022, she interned with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in their Department of Safeguards.
She has recieved many awards including: Academic performance awards for each year of her degree programmes, the 2017 Freemasons University Scholarship, 2018 Quakers Scholarship, 2018 and 2019 PADET Grants. She is also one of the first 100 recipients of the International Atomic Energy Agency Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship and following this received a 2022 internship at the IAEA in Vienna, Austria.