World Peace Prayer Ceremony '97
in Hawaii

World Peace Prayer Society has been conducting such a peace movement actively in various countries since it was approved as a non-governmental organization (NGO) of DPI of United Nations in 1990. Their purpose is to promote a message of peace "May Peace Prevail on Earth" which transcends all national boundaries, race, religion and creed to awaken the universal wish for peace within the hearts of humanity. All the staff are volunteers. It has a peace assembly regularly in Amenia. World Peace Sanctuary that is located in the suburbs of New York.

On the day, participants were welcomed with the heartwarming sound of Niibori Guitar Ladies' Quartet. And when the time to start came, clear sound of hand bells played by the orchestra announced participants the beginning of the ceremony. Throughout the ceremony, the orchestra played beautiful music as BGM including fanfares. In the middle of the ceremony, Niibori Guitar Orchestra presented a short concert and played a few music. The ceremony was closed with a chorus "Let there be Peace on Earth" accompanied by the orchestra. And following the closing address, Ladies Quartet played a music and members of the guitar orchestra waved to the audience with a big smile and left the stage one after another. After the ceremony, lots of people came from various countries lavished praise on the guitar orchestra, and said that the sound of guitar orchestra was suitable for the ceremony, and the heartwarming healing power would convey the prayer for peace all over the world.

In the ceremony, people who came from various countries raised national flags of 192 nations in turn and all participants recited the prayer "May Peace Prevail on Earth, I pray for the happiness of the people of (the name of a nation). May Peace be inn (the name of a nation)". And the society presented Peace Poles curved a message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" to the Mayer of Honolulu, Honolulu University and Dr. Niibori.

Mr. M. Yamauchi

In the concert, "Guitar concerto D-major" by Vivaldi (conductor: Mr. Moriaki Yamauchi), a Spanish students' song "Clavelitos" (Ladies Quartet), "Hawaiian Wedding Song" and "Spanish Coffee" by F. Mills (conductor: Dr. H. Niibori) were played. Mr. Moriaki Yamauchi who acted as a conductor in the concert, is an adviser of Tsu Guitar Ensemble in Mie prefecture. Although he has a severe kidney trouble, he went back and forth between Mie and Yokohama for rehearsals taking 9 hours once a week. Also in Honolulu, he participated in this ceremony as having a dialytic treatment every other day at a hospital in Honolulu. He overcame lots of hardships and showed excellent conducting on the stage. As the result of it, he was conferred a degree of "bachelor of arts in music" by Honolulu University.

They are the new "bachelors of arts in music" !

** from left **
President of Honolulu University Dr. Earl McMillin
Mr. Moriaki Yamauchi, Prof. Kiyoshi Koyama,
Mr. Satoshi Sakamoto, Mr. Sadao Nakatani,
Mr. Toshinori Sugihara,and Dr. Hiroki Niibori

Prof. Kiyoshi Koyama	Niibori Guitar Music Academy Joetsu campus
Mr. Satoshi Sakamoto	Principal of Nara Niibori Guitar Music School
Mr. Sadao Nakatani	Principal of Okayama Niibori Guitar Music School
Mr. Toshinori Sugihara	Principal of Shibuya Niibori Guitar Music School
Mr. Moriaki Yamauchi	Adviser and instructor of Tsu Guitar Ensemble in Mie

They are all veterans who learned guitar orchestras by Niibori Method.

World Peace Conference was held on April 18 after the peace prayer ceremony. Representatives from 13 countries attended it. After some speeches about peace, They made a written resolution to submit to the president of U.S.A., the secretary general of United Nations and leaders of countries in dispute. The resolution is as follows: