All posts by CPNN Coordinator

About CPNN Coordinator

Dr David Adams is the coordinator of the Culture of Peace News Network. He retired in 2001 from UNESCO where he was the Director of the Unit for the International Year for the Culture of Peace, proclaimed for the Year 2000 by the United Nations General Assembly.

Congo and UNESCO to Cultivate Peace in Youth

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by Don Verdon Bayeni in Vox

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Civic Education, Employment and Qualifying Training, Hugues Ngouélondélé indicated on August 12 in Brazzaville a capacity building workshop for leaders of juvenile associations will be held to cultivate the culture of peace and non-violence among young people.


(Click on image to enlarge)

“Those who choose to be beneficiaries of this training as agents of awareness of the culture of peace and social cohesion, thus realize their responsibility as citizens to help young people to turn away from negative values, violence and identity withdrawal, ”explained Hugues Ngouélondélé.

(continued in right column)

Question related to this article:
 
Youth initiatives for a culture of peace, How can we ensure they get the attention and funding they deserve?

Can a culture of peace be achieved in Africa through local indigenous training and participation?

(continued from left column)

The capacity building workshop on the culture of peace organized by UNESCO and the Pan-African Youth Network for the Culture of Peace, in collaboration with the ministry in charge of youth, intends to equip and empower the leaders of youth associations.

“This training should be a moment of strengthening the patriotic spirit at all levels of Congolese society. For the trainees, it will be a question of ensuring the transmission of the lessons received to propote the culture of peace, social cohesion and living together as the theme of all young people”, said Fatoumata Barry Marega, the UNESCO representative in Congo.

After this workshop, the beneficiaries are called upon to pass on the information received to their respective associations as well as to other youth circles and through outreach and media campaigns.

(Click here for the original French version of this article)

Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Benin: Traditional kings and religious leaders pray for peace in Parakou

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from l’Agence Benin Presse

The Ecumenical Foundation for Peace in Africa (EFPA), initiated this Saturday in Parakou, a session, during which the traditional kings and religious leaders of several countries of Benin, prayed for peace in Benin and Africa, in the presence political and administrative authorities.

(continued in right column)

(Click here for the original French version of this article)

Question related to this article:
 
How can different faiths work together for understanding and harmony?

Can a culture of peace be achieved in Africa through local indigenous training and participation?

(continued from left column)

“What can we do if we don’t make peace?” Asked Gildas Aïzannon, president of the organizing committee, before inviting everyone to cultivate peace. “Our responsibility is immense in maintaining peace in Benin,” he said.

Inoussa Chabi Zimé and Gilbert Dakè Djokess, respectively mayor of Parakou and president of EFPA, reminded everyone that peace is not an empty word but rather behavior.

“The unfortunate events that occurred during the last presidential election challenge us all,” recalled the mayor of Parakou, before inviting all social groups to promote a culture of lasting peace.

The traditional kings and religious leaders or their representatives have said prayers for the safeguard of peace in Africa in general and in Benin in particular. In their different invocations, they exhorted each other to the sense of forgiveness, of love for one’s neighbor. To do this, they especially invited everyone to have the fear of God.

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Cameroon : From a life of violence to a culture of peace

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from the United Nations

A young peace campaigner from Cameroon who turned his back on the violence prevalent in his hometown and became a youth civil society activist, has been telling the United Nations about how he is helping other young people to reject conflict, and take a greater role in building peace in the country.


© UNICEF/Salomon Marie Joseph Beguel
Young people in Cameroon are key to promoting a peaceful culture in the West African country.

Christian Achaleke spoke to the UN ahead of International Youth Day, which is marked annually on August 12th.

“My decision to become a peace activist was influenced by my personal experience. I grew up in a community plagued by violence: it was a way of life. At some point, I came to realize that violence leads us nowhere. I lost some friends and acquaintances, and others were thrown into jail.

I began volunteering in 2007, and this gave me a new perspective built around peace and helping to improve communities. It has been an inspiring, life-changing experience.

As a young person involved in peacebuilding and countering violent extremism, I find myself speaking to my peers. When I go to prisons to speak to other young people, I can show them that there are better ways to respond to the challenges they face than violence and develop solutions to the drivers of conflicts.

(Continued in right column)

(Click here for a French version of this article.)

Question related to this article:
 
“Put down the gun and take up the pen”, What are some other examples?

Can a culture of peace be achieved in Africa through local indigenous training and participation?

(Continued from left column)

Underestimated youth

However, I would say that our role has been underestimated. Sometimes I feel that communities, leaders and institutions turn a blind eye to what we are doing, even though we are the ones who suffer the most in times of conflict. 

In Cameroon, we have tried to provide young people with the opportunity to engage in local community peacebuilding and peace process initiatives, giving them guidance, mentorship and support. 

We are telling the government, the UN and other organizations that it is a good strategy to involve youth, to give them the skills to take part in mediation and provide a safe space in which they can be a part of the process.

Culture, diversity and heritage are very important to me as a Cameroonian. They should serve as a unifying factor but, because we did not properly harness them, we are facing a violent conflict. 

That is why managing culture, heritage, diversity and our diaspora community is very important for peace, and it is something that we have been trying to practice for a long time.

Values to prevent conflict

To me, a culture of peace is a set of values, lifestyle, morals, and ethics which are developed as a way to prevent conflict or violence and also to engage people towards peaceful and ethical living. 

To create a culture of peace in Africa, young people and women need to be engaged, and at the forefront of the process. It is also important to provide opportunities for people and communities to be able to share experiences and ideas.

Little is being spoken about young people changing the face of the African continent but that does not mean that we are not doing good work. I am calling on heads of States, policy makers, communities and every person of good will, to stand and support young boys and girls, and ensure that they can lead the transformations of their countries, and build the African continent”.

Africa, DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, United Nations,

Childrens Message for Peace

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

A message from the Japan Art Mile Foundation, received by email from Joanne Tawfilis

This mural was created by the 66 members of the Yuge Elementary School graduating classes of 2004.


(Click on image to enlarge)

This mural was born in the process of a Peace Study.

Their town is located near City Nagasaki, where the second Atomic Bomb was dropped in 1945.

The image of the painting was developed from “The Statue of Peace”; the symbol of Nagasaki Peace Park.

His right hand stretching up means “the threat of the Atomic Bomb” and his left hand stretching horizontally shows “Peace”.

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Question for this article:

Do the arts create a basis for a culture of peace?, What is, or should be, their role in our movement?

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The children tried to express their wishes for peace in the beautiful rainbow derived from the tip of the statue.

The rainbow is a bridge for peace, extending to the bright future.

The children poured their love into this mural, not only toward their home area but also toward our planet.

They enclosed their wishes, hopes and dreams within this painting.

(Thank you to Joanne Tawfilis for sending this to CPNN.)

See the following CPNN articles about or by Joanne Tawfilis:

US: The First Mural Museum in the World is a Culture of Peace Museum

Oceanside woman promotes peace through murals (US)

UNA-USA San Diego 2006 Eleonor Roosevelt Human Rights Award

BAM in a Box

Peace through Art

The Art Miles Mural Project

East Asia, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Declaration for the Transition to a Culture of Peace in the XXI Century

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article by Roberto Emmanuele Mercadillo Caballero from the Global Campaign for Peace Education

It is time for a new step forward in the transition from the culture of war to the culture of peace.

The first step was taken in 1986 with the Seville Statement on Violence which showed that war is a cultural invention, not a biological process, and therefore a culture of peace can also be invented.

The second step forward was taken in 1999 with the Declaration and Programme of Action for a Culture of Peace, developed at UNESCO and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, which provided a precise definition of the culture of peace.

In 2011, the 25th anniversary of the Statement was celebrated at the XXXIII International Colloquia on Brain and Aggression held in Rome, Italy. Participants included Roberto Mercadillo as a researcher from the National Council of Science and Technology, Mexico, and David Adams, as the director of the Culture of Peace News Network. Adams had been a signatory of the Seville Statement along with Federico Mayor Zaragoza. Mayor later became the Director-General of UNESCO, where he was responsible for the UN Declaration, along with Adams who was working with him at that time.

At the meeting in 2011, Adams and Mercadillo concluded it was time to take the next step to propose a specific program for the transition from the culture of war to the culture of peace through educational innovation and the participation of local governments.

The program includes proposals for radical reforms of the United Nations, that were developed in 2016 by Federico Mayor Zaragoza and David Adams including the formation of an alternative to the UN Security Council involving mayors of major cities, directed by a small volunteer secretariat.

(Article continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

How can we develop the institutional framework for a culture of peace?

(Article continued from left column)

It was thus that, in 2019, Mayor-Zaragoza, Adams, and Mercadillo undertook the task of elaborating a new Declaration following a cognitive approach of consciousness in four steps:

First, to recognize the current status;

Second, to remember what we have done so far;

Third, to understand what we have done and must do based on our present situation;

Fourth, to propose and define actions to move towards a Culture of Peace in the 21st century.

For the first step, called “we recognize”, the Declaration displays actions on the culture of peace carried out around the world during the last 20 years, as well as the violent actions and war that continue to prevail.

For the second step, called “we remember”, the Declaration reviews previous declarations and manifestos such as the Seville Statement and the Declaration and Programme of Action for a Culture of Peace, along with other declarations that emerged from the United Nations, with emphasis on those promoted by UNESCO referring to the Culture of Peace and science that can be linked to educational initiatives.

For the third step, called “we understand”, the Declaration analyses the revised previous declarations and manifestos in light of the problems, needs, and possibilities of the 21st and recovered the mention “we the peoples” that opens the Charter of the United Nations signed in 1945 to initiate future actions and consciences.

For the fourth step, called “we propose”, the Declaration describes strategies in two simultaneous routes: local and global. The local route is fundamentally pedagogical and is carried out mainly by organized civil society supported by local governments. The global route involves the expansion of the UN General Assembly and creation of councils for economic, environmental, and social affairs, along with the formation of an international security council of mayors, mentioned above, that would issue regular press releases demonstrating that the culture of peace could be achieved if the United Nations were governed by “we the peoples.”

The Declaration is available in two versions, the full version as described here, and a brief version consisting of the fourth step, “we propose.”

Download the full version of the Declaration

Download the summary version of the Declaration

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Past virtual events in August

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Here are events and application deadlines in August that were previously listed on the CPNN page for upcoming virtual events. Where possible links are provided to recordings of the events. Unless otherwise noted the events are in English.

August 4, 2:00PM – 3:30PM EDT USA
MMIGRATION NATION – UNDERSTANDING AND ADDRESSING THE WEAPONIZATION OF IMMIGRATION TO CREATE FEAR AND DIVISION IN THE UNITED STATES

U.S. officials are struggling to respond to the arrival of displaced people at the southern U.S. border. The challenges at the border are exacerbating perceptions inside the United States of immigrants and immigration as being a threat, which is fueling xenophobia, racism, animosity, and polarization. This perception has galvanized the anti-immigrant movement and made life substantially more difficult for all immigrants and the communities that welcome them.
— This session will explore the complex issue of immigration, starting with what is the state of our immigration system, what is happening at the border, why and how the issue is being weaponized and turned into a wedge issue that is fueling divisions in the country, and what immigrant rights groups are doing to change the narrative and address these divisions, while ensuring that immigrant communities in the United States can live in safety and peace.
— Zoom Registration

Thu 5th Aug 2021, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm AEST (Australia)
Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki Webinar – Brisbane 2021

Brisbane antinuclear groups invite you to commemorate the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 with a webinar celebrating the work that the community has done over time in opposition to nuclear weapons, in Brisbane, nationally and internationally, leading to the recent UN Total Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty.
— The speakers, who will reflect on their personal histories as anti-nuclear activists, include:
Ross Gwyther, a founder of People for Nuclear Disarmament in Brisbane
Dr Helen Caldicott, international anti-nuclear activist
Bob Henricks, former secretary of Electrical Trades Union and driver of union support for the anti-nuclear movement
Chris Henderson, from the Cities and Towns Appeal for Australia to sign the Ban Treaty
— Get tickets here – free

Friday, August 6 at 2:00 – 3:15 pm EDT
Hiroshima Day: Have we done enough?

Sponsors:
Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons, Charter for Compassion
Speakers:
Audrey Kitagawa
Jonathan Granoff
Marilyn Turkovich
Monica Willard
Pragna Vasupal
Kehkashan Basu
— zoom registration

Friday, 6 August 2021
NUCLEAR WEAPON ABOLISHMENT AND A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE — A CALL FROM HIROSHIMA

UNITAR, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), Hiroshima Prefecture, and the Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace (HOPe), will host a free, public seminar on promoting the abolition of nuclear weapons. The public is invited to join. Please
— The seminar will comprise of:
2:00 – 3:30 pm JST: Plenary Session
4:00 – 5:00 pm JST: Session on Partnership with the Private Sector
5:00 – 5:30 pm JST: Dialogue Session between UNITAR Director of Division for Prosperity and UNITAR Goodwill Ambassador
6:00 – 8:00 pm JST: Session on the Youth Initiative
— Register here

Aug 12, 2021 02:00 PM in Nairobi
Post-GEF Youth Forum International Youth Day

Nala Feminist Collective will be hosting a “Post-GEF Youth Forum” around the question: “What are the challenges and solutions for Generation Equality commitments, accountability?”
— As we move from the Generation Equality Forum towards action and implementation of Africa Young Women Beijing+25 demands, we are in constant reflection of how we will collaborate to ensure there is accountability to the commitments made.
— Join us to explore together, share stories and experience about how to establish youth-led accountability on Generation Equality commitments
— Who is invited? African youth and stakeholders
— When? 12th, 13th and 14th August 2021 – 2:00PM – 4:00PM EAT
— Please note that the following registration is uniquely for the 12th of August.
— Zoom registration

13 de Agosto, 18:30 Time in Brazil
Cultura de Paz: Um horizonte em permanente construção

Palas Athena – Celebração do 15Oth Fórum de Cultura de Paze Não Violéncia
Participação especial de:
Marlova Jovchelovitch Noleto
Leoberto Brancher
Lia Diskin
— youtube recording

August 13 16:15 India time
Ahimsa Conversations: The Seville Statement on Violence

The Seville Statement on Violence was drafted in 1986, by a group of natural and social scientists from several countries. Later adopted by UNESCO, the Seville Statement marshalled scientific evidence to show that violent behaviour is not generally programmed into human nature.
— Prof. Ashis Nandy from India and Prof. David Adams from USA, were two of the leading academics who drafted the Seville Statement. In this episode of Ahimsa Conversations, both scholars look back on the significance of the Seville Statement and reflect on possibilities of nonviolence in our times
— Moderator: Rajni Bakshi, freelance journalist and author
— youtube recording, short version
— youtube recording, long version

Wednesday, 18 August; 8 pm Europe, 9 pm Palestine
Palestinian Grassroots Organising against Colonial Incarceration

Palestinians are self-organising and pushing forward their liberation goals of freedom and justice, building upon the unity built through the past few months. In this conversation we will hear about these efforts, including the Dignity and Hope Detainees Fund Project to provide legal support and solidarity to the families and communities most impacted.
— This event is hosted by Baladna: Association for Arab Youth and Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and will feature a panel of activists and lawyers.
— Register here

Wednesday, August 18, 2021 • 7:00 PM • Eastern Daylight Time (US & Canada) (GMT-04:00)
End the Selective Service for ALL!

Registration with the Selective Service System, intended to collect information about draft-eligible U.S. residents, is a burden that has been unjustly placed on men for too long. Now members of Congress are attempting to expand the unnecessary, burdensome, and punitive system to women. Forcing Americans into warfighting doesn’t represent equality for women. It represents a step back toward militarism that hurts us all and should be ended once and for all.
— Join the American Friends Service Committee, Center on Conscience and War, and Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND) for a discussion about the Selective Service System, its individual and societal impacts, and how you can help end, rather than expand, the registration system.
— Register here

Tuesday August 24. 11am-1pm Eastern Time USA, 5pm-7pm Central European Time
Taking Climate Change to the World Court

Governments are not doing enough to prevent a catastrophic collapse of the climate. And so youth are taking action. One of the most exciting of the youth-led actions is the World’s Youth for Climate Justice campaign to take the issue of climate change to the International Court of Justice. Such a case could affirm, strengthen and ensure implementation of the legal obligation to stabilise the climate in order to protect current and future generations.
— To help you learn more about the campaign and how you can help, World’s Youth for Climate Justice and Normandy Chair for Peace are running a series of webinars on the importance of such a case, what to ask the court, how to win the case and how the outcome could be implemented.
— The first webinar held in June focused on the importance of climate litigation and assessed lessons from other Advisory Opinions, in particular the historical 1996 ICJ opinion on nuclear weapons. You can watch the recorded sessions on facebook. Session 1. Session 2.
— You are cordially invited to the 2nd webinar in this 4-part series:
Topic: What legal question to ask the Court?
What sources of law can be used?
— Register here

Tuesday, August 24, 2021 • 1:00 AM Central European Time
COP 26 Webinar: Countdown to Glasgow

CODEPINK and World Beyond War are hosting a webinar highlighting the intersection between militarism and climate change leading up to the COP26 talks in Glasgow, Scotland.
— For zoom registration, contact Nancy Mancias at nancymacias@codepink.org

Tuesday, August 24, 2021 • 7:00 PM • Eastern Daylight Time (US & Canada) (GMT-04:00)
Time to draft Women Too? A Call to End the Selective Service System for Everyone

Sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action. With Edward Hasbrouck. His Web site, Resisters.info, is the most comprehensive resource about the draft, draft registration, and draft resistance in the U.S. since 1980.
— Edward will discuss:
* The largely-unknown history of Selective Service since the end of the
U.S. war in Indochina, including how resistance to draft registration has
prevented activation of a draft.
* Why Congress is now considering proposals either to end draft registration (as endorsed by Peace Action) or to expand Selective Service registration to women, and the fallacy of trying to expand draft registration to women as a path to gender justice.
* How draft registration and contingency planning for a draft enable planning for longer, larger, and less popular wars, and how ending draft registration could constrain war planning and empower young people and older allies to greater resistance to war and war preparations.
— Register here

Aug 26, 2021 07:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
The U.S. and China – Past, Present and Future: Conflict and Cooperation in U.S.-China Relations

Organized by CPDCS, with Mass. Peace Action and the Committee for a Sane U.S.-China Policy
— featuring the scholars Mark Selden and Zhiqun Zhu.
— Register here

August 26 (Thurs.), from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm Japan time
Mayors for Peace Youth Webinar for Peace Action

Mayors for Peace will hold a peace education webinar titled Mayors for Peace Youth Webinar for Peace Action, aiming to further stimulate youth-led peace activities in member cities. This webinar will be streamed live on YouTube. Registration for online viewers is now open until Sunday, August 22 Japan time.
— Young people from around the world, who will create our future, will give presentations on their peace activities and have a discussion.
— Register here

Thursday, August 26, 2021 • 11:45 AM • Eastern Daylight Time (US & Canada) (GMT-04:00)
Celebration to Honor David Hartsough, Recipient of the 2021 Clarence B. Jones Award for Kingian Nonviolence

Please join the USF Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice as we recognize David Hartsough with the Clarence B. Jones Award for Kingian Nonviolence, and celebrate his life of moral achievement as an unparalleled nonviolent activist for peace, justice, and human rights.
— Our extraordinary group of speakers gathering in honor of David Hartsough includes some of the most prominent and impactful nonviolence activists and scholars in the United States:
Dr. Ken Butigan, Dr. Clayborne Carson, Professor Erica Chenoweth, Mel Duncan, Daniel Ellsberg, Father Paul J. Fitzgerald, Dr. Clarence B. Jones, KathyKelly, George Lakey, Rev. James L. Lawson, Jr., Joanna Macy, Starhawk, Rivera Sun, David Swanson, Ann Wright, Professor Stephen Zunes,
— Register here

Sunday, August 29, 2:00-4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (Toronto)
Global Town Hall

On the last Sunday of every month (except for major holidays) Project Save the World holds an open Zoom meeting for activists everywhere in the world to discuss our concerns. There is no pre-determined agenda. After the show, the recording will be edited and uploaded to our Youtube channel Youtube.com/c/tosavetheworld within a week or so.
— Zoom link The host will admit you without a password, but please keep your microphone muted except when called upon to speak. Please do keep your camera on, however, for it is pointless to have a zoom conversation where the participants are invisible.

Tuesday, August 31, 2021 • 5:00-6:30 PM • Pacific Daylight Time (US & Canada) (GMT-07:00)
Campaign Nonviolence Skillbuilding Webinar: Preparing for Protests

When we get ready for protests or street actions, we need to be prepared for a range of potential situations. In this skillbuilding webinar, we’ll look at everything from sensible shoes to great (waterproof!) signs to whether or not you should bring your phone with you. This is an excellent skillbuilding webinar to invite your organizing team to attend together.
— Please note that this webinar is free if you sign up to do some action for peace during the Campaign Action Nonviolence week
— Sign up with an action and receive webinar registration here

Uncategorized

UN pledges full support to Nagasaki voices fuelling ‘powerful global movement’ against nuclear arms

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from the United Nations

António Guterres has reaffirmed the full support of the United Nations to amplifying the powerful testimony of the survivors of the atomic bomb that was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, 76 years ago, which has helped build a “powerful global movement against nuclear arms”.


In his message to the Nagasaki Peace Memorial on the 9 August anniversary, the UN Secretary-General said he continued to be humbled by the “selfless acts of the hibakusha, the name given to those who survived and continue to bear witness.

“Your courage in the face of immense human tragedy, is a beacon of hope for humanity”, he said in his address, delivered on his behalf at the ceremony by the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu.

“I reaffirm the full support of the United Nations to ensuring that your voices are heard by the world’s people, and especially by younger generations.”

Out of the ashes

The UN chief told the people of the city that was devastated in 1945, just days after the first bomb was dropped by the United States on Hiroshima during the final days of World War Two, that they had built a “cultural metropolis” out of the ashes.

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Question related to this article:
 
Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

(Continued from left column)

“Your dynamic city exemplifies modernity and progress, while you work diligently to prevent devastation from ever befalling another city”, he said, warning however that the prospect of another nuclear weapon being used, were as dangerous now, as any time since the height of the Cold War between the US and former USSR.

“States are racing to create more powerful weapons, and broadening the potential scenarios for their use. Warlike rhetoric is turned up to maximum volume, while dialogue is on mute”, said the Secretary-General.

Grounds for hope

But two developments this year provide grounds for hope, in the form of the reaffirmation from the US and Russia, “that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”, together with a commitment to engage in arms control talks.

Secondly, said Mr. Guterres in his message, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has now come into force, representing “the legitimate fears of many States, about the existential danger posed by nuclear weapons.”

And for the parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the UN chief said they all parties now need to reinforce “the norm against nuclear weapons” at the upcoming Tenth Review Conference, and take real steps towards elimination.

It is incumbent on all Member States of the UN, “to seek the abolition of the most deadly weapons ever made”, said Mr. Guterres, and together, we must prevent the tragedy of Nagasaki’s nuclear destruction, “from ever occurring again.

(Thank you to Phyllis Kotite, the CPNN reporter for this article.)

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global, United Nations,

UNAC statement: Ban nuclear weapons starting with the US! Remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

A statement from the United National Antiwar Coalition

On August 6, we will once again recognize one of the most horrendous events ever to take place in human history. On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the largely residential city of Hiroshima. Three days later they dropped a second nuclear bomb on the city of Nagasaki. As many as 250,000 people, men, women and children were annihilated and many more died subsequently from the wounds, radiation poisoning and radiation-induced cancers. The United States is the only country to ever drop a nuclear bomb on people.

The stated reason for this barbaric act was to hasten the end of World War II. But many historians believe that Japan was ready to surrender before the dropping of the bomb especially once the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan and moved its forces into Manchuria. Germany had already surrendered, and Japan stood alone. At the time, some argued that the bomb should be dropped in Tokyo Bay in the water where it would have done far less damage and Japan’s leaders could see its destructive potential, but the decision was made to drop it on Hiroshima and then Nagasaki. Once was not enough, they had to do it twice.


Many people now believe that the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not to end WWII, which was in its final days but to start the Cold War and show the Soviet Union and the world what the US could do if any country dared to oppose it.

One also wonders if dropping the bomb on non-white people played a role. Were Japanese lives valued less by the white supremacist US government, which maintained a segregated military during World War II? After all, people of Japanese descent, including US citizens were put in internment (concentration) camps in the US while people of German descent were not.

There was also serious consideration by the US of using nuclear weapons in the Korean war. The US actually sent the B29 bombers used to drop the bombs on Japan to a military installation in Okinawa along with the nuclear bombs and the fissile cores needed to make them work. This was in preparation for their possible use in the war. President Truman told a press conference in November 1950 that he would take whatever steps were necessary to win in Korea, including the use of nuclear weapons. General Douglas MacArthur, who was the “supreme commander” of the US led forces in Korea disagreed with Truman on the use of nuclear weapons in the war. So, Truman fired MacArthur and replaced him with General Matthew Ridgway, who was given “qualified authority” to use the bombs if he felt they were necessary.

(Continued in right column)

Question related to this article:
 
Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

(Continued from left column)

The problem the US administration faced with in the use of the atomic bomb in Korea were two-fold. The first was that the US public and certainly the people of the world were horrified after seeing the effects of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Much of this horror was accredited to the book Hiroshima by John Hershey which was published in its entirety in the New Yorker magazine in 1949. The book described the destruction and told the story of 6 survivors of the bombing. It led to a groundswell of opposition to nuclear weapons. The second problem for the US administration was that in 1949 the Soviet Union conducted their first tests of an atomic bomb, and the assessment was that they soon would have a workable weapon. Although nuclear weapons were not used in Korea, the military did several test-runs with their B29 bombers carrying conventional bombs.

Unlike WWII, the United States has consistently refused to end the Korean war. To the US government, it is still going on and they still intend to win. The US maintains a large troop presence in Korea at the border with the North and has conducted annual “war games,” which many consider practice invasions of the Democratic People Republic of Korea (DPRK), AKA, North Korea. These “war games,” typically include scenarios in which the US uses nuclear weapons against the DPRK. In recent years the US has provocatively sent nuclear capable bombers within 75 miles of the border with the DPRK. Yet in the upside-down logic of US Imperialism and its corporate media it is not the war games, the US troops on the border, or the nuclear capable flights that are provocative but the clearly defensive nuclear program of the DPRK.

The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki opened the nuclear arms race that has led to today’s reality where it is possible to kill off the entire population of the world several times over. This is supposed to make us safer.

But the nuclear arms race was always one-sided, with the US making the new and more advanced systems, and then the Soviet Union and later China taking steps to do the same to gain parity. After the development of the atomic bomb, the US made the more powerful hydrogen bomb, then the Soviets did the same. The US then made missile delivery system and multiple warhead missiles, nuclear submarines, etc. and then others scrambled to gain parity. And now the US has announced it will develop a space force, so other countries feel the need to find a way to counter or do the same. Without the investment of money and effort that was put into these weapons of mass destruction, the world may have been able to address global warming, hunger, poverty, etc. That would have made us safer.

In recent years the U.S. has unilaterally withdrawn from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, has initiated a $1.5 Trillion program to modernize the US nuclear arsenal and started the creation of the new military space force.

For these reasons, the United National Antiwar Coalition sees the main danger of nuclear war coming from the United States and believes that we in the US have a special obligation to the world to oppose that danger.

Ban nuclear weapons starting with the US!
Remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, East Asia, North America,

Nagasaki Peace Declaration

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

A declaration by TAUE Tomihisa Mayor of Nagasaki

This year saw the passing of a Catholic monk. OZAKI Toumei spent his whole life following in the footsteps of Father Maximilian Kolbe, the man who was called the “Saint of Auschwitz.” Brother Ozaki spoke out about his experiences in the atomic bombing up until just before his life came to a close at the age of ninety-three. In his diary he left behind these words:

The countries of the world, all of them, must completely abolish nuclear weapons or there will be no peace on earth. Nuclear weapons are not conventional bombs. Only those who experienced the atomic bombings can understand the terror inherent in radiation. Parents, children, loved ones and many others were killed by these bombs. In order to see that they are not used again I keep saying, “This is wrong! This is wrong!” I keep screaming for the abolition of nuclear weapons.


Those of us who survived the hell of the atomic bombings want to make sure that we have peace without nuclear weapons before we die.

The “peace without nuclear weapons” that Brother Ozaki continued to call for has not as yet been realized. However, the wish he had has borne fruit in the form of a certain treaty.

This year marks the 76th year since humankind experienced the tragedy of the atomic bombings and we are now standing on a new horizon with regard to nuclear weapons. When the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons came into force this January, it was the first time in human history that there had been an international law clearly stating that nuclear weapons are unequivocally illegal.

The process to make this newly-established treaty grow into a universal rule for the world and realize a world free of nuclear weapons will now begin. The point of departure will be the first meeting of state parties to the treaty, which will be held next year.

Conversely, however, the danger of nuclear weapons continues to grow. While the nuclear-armed nations have a responsibility to uphold the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and reduce nuclear weapons, moves such as the public announcement by the UK about increasing the number of nuclear warheads in that country show that dependence on such weapons is actually increasing. Furthermore, the competition to replace existing nuclear weapons with more sophisticated weapons and develop new types of nuclear weapons increases.

In order to follow a single path toward a world free of nuclear weapons amidst these two conflicting movements, world leaders must commit to nuclear arms reductions and build trust through dialogue, and civil society must push them in this direction.

I hereby appeal to the Government of Japan and members of the National Diet:

As the country that is most aware of the tragic consequences of nuclear weapons, please join as an observer to the first meeting of state parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in order to look into ways to develop this treaty. With regard to the stipulation in the treaty to provide assistance to victims of the use or testing of nuclear weapons, surely this is an area where Japan and its government can contribute more than any other country. In addition, please sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and see to its ratification at the earliest possible date.

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Question related to this article:
 
Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

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While adhering to the war-renouncing principle of peace in the Japanese Constitution, please look into building a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Northeast Asia that would create a “non-nuclear umbrella” instead of a “nuclear umbrella” and be a step in the direction of a world free of nuclear weapons.

I hereby appeal to the leaders of nuclear-armed nations and countries under their nuclear umbrellas:

You must face the reality that thinking of nuclear weapons as necessary to defend your countries under “nuclear deterrence” actually makes the world a more dangerous place. I ask you to see that substantial progress towards nuclear disarmament is made at the next NPT Review Conference, starting with greater steps by the U.S. and Russia to reduce nuclear weapons.

To everyone living on this earth:

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we have experienced on a global scale the loss of everyday aspects of our lives that we previously took for granted. We have learned that in order to overcome this crisis it is necessary for each and every one of us to think of ourselves as concerned parties and act appropriately. Now we all ponder together the question of how we can build an even better future when the pandemic is over instead of just returning to the way things were before.

It is the same with nuclear weapons. Are we members of the human race going to choose a future in which we continue to maintain nuclear weapons that will pollute the earth and doom humanity?

Hasn’t the time come for us to raise our individual voices, as is being done in the movements for decarbonization and sustainable development goals, and speak out against the dangers inherent in nuclear weapons in order to bring about change in the world?

May Nagasaki be the last place to suffer an atomic bombing.

These words are sent from Nagasaki to people all over the world. Hiroshima will eternally be remembered in history as the first place to suffer an atomic bombing, but whether Nagasaki continues to take its place in history as the last place to suffer an atomic bombing depends on the future we build for ourselves. The unchanging resolve of the hibakusha to see that “no one in the world ever goes through that experience again” is expressed in these words, as is the goal clearly stated in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. It is a hope that each and every one of us should continue to hold onto.

Let us share these words with the people of the world and follow a clear path towards a nuclear- free world over the twenty-five-year period that begins this year and brings us to the one- hundredth anniversary of the atomic bombings.

While joining forces with young people of the last generation to directly hear the voices of the hibakusha, Nagasaki will continue to communicate the truth about what happened seventy-six years ago; facts that must never be forgotten.

The average age of the hibakusha is now over eighty-three. I ask that the Government of Japan provide improved support for the hibakusha and relief measures for those who experienced the atomic bombings but have not yet received official recognition as bombing survivors.

Ten years have now passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake and its aftermath. We will not forget what happened in Fukushima. We extend from the bottom of our hearts a call of encouragement to all those in Fukushima who continue to face a variety of hardships.

While extending our deepest condolences to those who lost their lives to the atomic bombs, I hereby declare that Nagasaki will work tirelessly alongside Hiroshima and all people who desire peace to spread a “culture of peace” around the world and bring about the abolishment of nuclear weapons and the realization of eternal peace.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY

The City of Hiroshima: PEACE DECLARATION

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

A declaration by The City of Hiroshima

August 6, 2021. On this day 76 years ago, a single atomic bomb instantly reduced our hometown to a scorched plain. That bombing brought cruel death to countless innocent victims and left those who managed to survive with profound, lifelong physical and emotional injuries due to radiation, fear of aftereffects, and economic hardship.One survivor who gave birth to a girl soon after the bombing says,”As more horrors of the bomb came to light, and I became more concerned about their effects, I worried less about myself and more about my child. Imagining the future awaiting my daughter, my suffering grew, night after sleepless night.”


“No one else should ever suffer as we have.”These words express the will of survivors who, having known horrors too painful to recall, were condemned to fear, frustration, and agony by the likely future of their children and their own irradiated bodies. When hibakusha tell their stories, they convey not only the horror and inhumanity of nuclear weapons but also an intense yearning for peace, born of compassion. Finally, after 75 long years of sustained activity, their demands have moved the international community. This year, on January 22, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entered into effect. It remains now for world leaders to support this treaty, shifting their focus toward a truly sustainable society free from nuclear weapons.

The novel coronavirus still ravages our world. The community of nations recognizes this threat to humanity and is taking urgent measures to end it. Nuclear weapons, developed to win wars, are a threat of total annihilation that we can certainly end, if all nations work together. No sustainable society is possible with these weapons continually poised for indiscriminate slaughter. The combined wisdom of all peoples must be trained on their total abolition.

The road to abolition will not be smooth, but a ray of hope shines from the young people now taking up the hibakusha’s quest. One survivor who witnessed hell that day entrusts our future to the young with these words:”Start small, but I hope each of you will do whatever you can to promote and maintain the treasure we call peace ..” I ask our young to sustain an unshakeable conviction that nuclear weapons are incompatible with full, healthy lives for their loved ones. I further ask them to share that conviction persuasively with people around the world.

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Question related to this article:
 
Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

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We must never forget that young people can certainly compel world leaders to turn away from nuclear deterrence. Three years after the bombing, Helen Keller visited Hiroshima, encouraging its residents in the struggle to recover. “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” Her words remind us that individuals, when united, have the power to change the world. If the determination to live in peace sweeps through civil society, people will elect leaders who share that determination. Nuclear weapons are the ultimate human violence. If civil society decides to live without them, the door to a nuclear-weapon-free world will open wide. The atomic bombed city of Hiroshima will never stop preserving the facts of the bombing, disseminating them beyond borders, and conveying them to the future. With the more than 8,000 Mayors for Peace member cities in 165 countries and regions, we will promote a worldwide “culture of peace.” In a global culture where peace is a universal value, world leaders will find the courage to correct their policies.

Given the uncertainty concerning nuclear weapons derived from stalled disarmament negotiations, I have an urgent demand to make of world leaders. The time has come for a profound tactical shift away from reliance on threats toward security based on trust derived from dialogue. Experience has taught humanity that threatening others for self defense benefits no one. Our leaders must understand that threatening rivals with nuclear weapons achieves nothing of value, but treating each other with empathy and building long-lasting friendships connect directly to national self-interest. To that end, I urge all world leaders to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, achieve a deeper understanding of the bombings, fulfill the disarmament mandate of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and join the discussions aimed at maximizing the effectiveness of the TPNW.

With respect to the Japanese government, I request productive mediation between the nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states. Furthermore, in accordance with the will of the hibakusha , I demand immediate signing and ratification of the TPNW, then constructive participation in the first Meeting of States Parties . Fulfilling the role of mediator must involve creating an environment that facilitates the restoration of international trust and security without reliance on nuclear weapons. The average age of our hibakusha is close to 84. I demand more generous assistance for them and the many others suffering daily due to the harmful physical and emotional effects of radiation. I demand as well immediate relief for those exposed to the black rain.

At this Peace Memorial Ceremony marking 76 years since the bombing, we offer heartfelt prayers for the peaceful repose of the souls of the atomic bomb victims. Together with Nagasaki and likeminded people around the world, we pledge to do everything in our power to abolish nuclear weapons and light the way toward lasting world peace.

MATSUI Kazumi
Mayor
The City of Hiroshima

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, East Asia