Mako Miyamoto of San Francisco

Miyamoto joined Beyond War in Spring 2004 as an intern to Executive Director Gayle Landt while finishing a BFA in Multimedia Design. Outside of web design, Miyamoto is an outdoor enthusiast, artist, and a musician -- he's played guitar for eight years and also plays the drums.

Landt welcomed Miyamoto's technical knowledge. “When we'd talk specifically about graphic arts,” she recalled, “It was obvious he knew the language, which some of us didn't have a clue about. So, we were very happy to have him involved.”

Before Beyond War, Miyamoto worked at The Daily Emerald, University of Oregon's campus newspaper. He met a lot of people there, but admitted, “It's really great to see your work published, too."  Beyond War gave Miyamoto a chance to see people working hard for a cause. “I had never been a part of an organization such as Beyond War and been surrounded by people who had such dedication to what they believe in,” he said.

At first, he joined as a “side project to school helping them out with the aesthetic side of their website,” he said. However, after becoming involved with their process and engaged with the ideas, he gained a new perspective. “Being a part of Beyond War has opened my eyes and shown me that you can make a difference and you can bring about change if you truly believe in what you do,” Miyamoto explained.
Miyamoto said he believes that the threat of nuclear destruction is one that “perpetually hovers on the horizon.” He added, “I also believe that creating new and more powerful weapons of mass destruction is no way to prevent nuclear war.”

According to Miyamoto, most of his friends agree with his opposition to war, but aren't sure how to express it. “At the point we're in, it's out of our hands and we just feel kind of helpless.”
He agreed that it was an attitude of his generation, “We feel stuck in a country where you don't have much say in anything. It's lost in all the bureaucracy. Even if it might not be, it feels like it.”
Having said all that, Miyamoto also emphasized, “Being part of Beyond War has helped me with that attitude.”

Landt appreciates Miyamoto's sincerity and described him as: “True hearted...the kind of person you can really trust.” Miyamoto continues to help maintain Beyond War's website and he also actively engages in civic dialogue to help the nonviolent movement. He concluded, “I realize that there are people out there doing the same thing and if we each live our lives in a nonviolent and peaceful way, we can build a world beyond war.”