Inspired by a mother from Hiroshima, Ray Matsumiya has devoted his professional career to unofficial diplomacy, cross-cultural exchange and peacebuilding. Over the past twenty years, he has designed and supervised dozens of programs for thousands of participants ranging from politicians, to civil society leaders, and high school students. These programs have been implemented in the US, Japan, Spain, and nine Middle Eastern/ North African countries in partnership with the US Department of State, UNESCO, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and others.
His most recent project is the Oleander Initiative which gathers high-impact individuals from around the world to Hiroshima, Japan for life-changing programs, workshops, and study tours. He is also a Senior Fellow at the War Prevention Initiative, where he works to enhance the effectiveness of Rotary International peacebuilding programs.
Ray’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Boston Globe, PBS, El Pais, and NHK World. He has been an invited speaker at TEDx, the Massachusetts State House, the Dayton International Peace Museum, the US embassy of Tunis, and universities such as the Sloan School at M.I.T and the Fletcher School at Tufts University. He has also had pieces published in USA Today and Inkstick Media.
Ray received his Master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and his BA with honors from Wesleyan University. He is the immediate past president of the Rotary Club of International Peace and is a certified mediator under M.G.L. ch.233 § 23C. Ray is fluent in English and proficient in Japanese and Levant Arabic.
I was introduced to Ray by Anne Marie Codur. He is an innovative dedicated peace activist who has also been involved in the University of the Middle East Project. At some point, he and I have promised each other a chess game. I will certainly lose.