2015 World Conference
against A and H Bombs
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, August 2-9, 2015

Organizing Committee
World Conference against A and H Bombs

Organizing Committee
World Conference against A and H Bombs
2-4-4 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8464 Japan
Tel: 03-5842-6034 Fax: 03-5842-6033
E-mail: intl@antiatom.org November 2014

背表紙
2015 World Conference against A and

H Bombs

2015 World Conference
against A and H Bombs
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, August 2-9, 2015

Main Theme:- A Nuclear Weapon-Free, Peaceful and Just World Let Us Make the 70th Year of the A-Bombing a Decisive Turn
to a World without Nuclear Weapons

Organizing Committee
World Conference against A and H Bombs

Table of Contents
Declaration of the International Meeting ………………………………………………………1
International Meeting, 2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs………………….. 3
Opening Session (August 2) .. ……………………………………………………………………3
Address of the Organizer:
Sawada Shoji, Committee of Chairpersons of the World Conference Organizing Committee
Greetings on behalf of the Hibakusha:
Wada Masako, Japan Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo)

Messages from Heads/Leaders of National Governments and International Organizations....7
Plenary Session I: “A-Bomb Damage of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Struggles of the
Hibakusha” (August 2)………………………………………………………………………… 12
Introductory Reports:
Yamada Sumiko, A-Bomb Survivor of Hiroshima
Komine Hidetaka, A-Bomb Survivor of Nagasaki
Kang Hojung, Korean Atomic Bomb Casualty Association, ROK
Special Reports: …………………..………………………………………………………………..15
Saito Osamu, Physician at Watari Hospital (Fukushima)/ Representative Director of Gensuikyo
Miyahara Tetsuro, Lawyer, National Liaison of Counsels for Collective A-Bomb Lawsuits
Abacca Anjain Maddison, Ex-Senator/ “Iju in Ean” of Rongelap, Marshall Islands
Report and message from Lithuanian Chernobyl Fund “Our Shore” (by Fukao Toshiko, Fukuoka)

Plenary Session II: “International Treaty for a Total Ban on Nuclear Weapons; A Nuclear
Weapon-Free World; Role of Peace Movement and Civil Society”（August 2）…………………29
Introductory Reports:
Joseph Gerson, American Friends Service Committee, U.S.A.
Dave Webb, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, U.K.
Claude Ruelland, French Peace Movement, France
Yasui Masakazu, Japan Council against A and H Bombs (Gensuikyo)
Statements:………………………………………………………………………………………...35
Ogata Yasuo, Committee of Chairpersons, Organizing Committee of the World Conference/
Japanese Communist Party
Alyn Ware, UNFOLD ZERO
Kasai Kimiyo, President, New Japan Women’s Association (Shinfujin)
Jammu Narayana Rao, Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
Kisten McCandless, Campaign for International Co-operation and Disarmament (CICD) , Australia
Cesar Jaramillo, Project Ploughshares, Canada
He Jun, Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament, Republic of China
Eeva-Helena Inomaa, Performers and Artists for Nuclear Disarmament (PAND), Finland
Arundhoti Roy Choudhury, Thakurpukur Centre for Peace and Development Initiative, India
Niranjan Chatterjee, Centre of Indian Trade Unions West Bengal State Committee, India
Prakash Meghe, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, India
Vidar Birkeland, No to Nuclear Weapons, Norway
Wolfgang Schupp-Hauck, Friedenswerkstatt Mutlangen e. V., Germany

Plenary Session III: “For a World without Nuclear Weapons: Overcoming Nuclear
Deterrence Doctrine; Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts; Sustainable Life andEnvironment” (August 3) ……………………………………………………………………….54
Introductory Reports:
Madelyn Hoffman, New Jersey Peace Action, U.S.A.
Lee Taeho, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, ROK
Colin Archer, International Peace Bureau (IPB)iNakajima Takashi, Head of the plaintiffs of Fukushima victims lawsuit
Higa Mizuki, Member of Okinawa Prefectural AssemblyStatements:…………………………………………………………………………………………62
Guido Grünewald, German Peace Society-United War Resisters (DFG-VK), Germany
Mariannick Le Bris, CGT France
Pierre Laurent, French Communist Party, France
Moñeka De Oro, Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice, Guam
Jnan Sankar Majumdar, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, India
Sadhana Das, Freelancer, India
Florine M. Hofschneider, Tinian Women's Association, Northern Mariana Islands
Bimal Khadka, Member, Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organization, Nepal
Agneta Norberg, Swedish Peace Council, Sweden
Subrata Ghoshroy, International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility/
Massachusetts Peace Action, U.S.A.
Meher Hans, Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Committee, U.S.A.
Nguyen Thi Hoang Van, Vietnam Peace Committee
Iraklis Tsavdaridis, World Peace Council
Reference Papers: ….…………………..…………………………………………………………….78
Balkrishna Kurvey, Indian Institute for Peace, Disarmament & Environmental Protection, India
Ajoy Barua, Buddhist Brotherhood Assembly, Bangladesh

Closing Session (August 4) …………………………….……………………………………………. 82
Reports from Workshops:
Workshop I: Yamamoto Yoshiko, Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions (Min-Iren)
Workshop II: Nishikawa Kyoko, New Japan Women’s Association (Shinfujin)Workshop III: Moñeka De Oro, Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice, Guam
Report from the Scientists’ Forum: Yoshimura Takao, Japan Scientists’ Association

Opening Plenary, 2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs (August 4) ……..........89
Keynote Address on Behalf of the Organizer:
Tomida Koji, Drafting Committee Chair of the International Meeting
Message from Mayor of Hiroshima:
Matsui Kazumi, Mayor of Hiroshima City
Greetings from Guests:
Tsuboi Sunao, Japan Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo)
Moritaki Haruko, Hiroshima Alliance for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (HANWA)
Takarada Akira, Actor
Statement by Government Representative: ....………………………………………………………96
Muhammad Anshor, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Indonesia to the U.N.
Peace Movement Representatives from Overseas:
Joseph Gerson, American Friends Service Committee, U.S.A.
Nguyen Thi Hoang Van, Vietnam Peace Committee
Lee Taeho, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, ROK
Cesar Jaramillo, Project Ploughshares, Canada
Claude Ruelland, French Peace Movement, France
Next Steps after the NPT Review: Relay Talk of Young Participants…………………………………...101
Delegation of Kushiro Gensuikyo, Hokkaido
Higa Naoto, Okinawa Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions
Moñeka De Oro, Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice, GuamFujioka Ayame, Gunma Gensuikyo
Reports on the Nationwide Peace March:
Japanese Through Peace Marchers: Takeda Akihiko; Nishida Shigeyoshi; Matsunaga Yoko;
Yamaguchi ItsuroInternational Youth Relay Marchers: Mary Popeo (U.S.A.); Magiting Fabros and AG Saño (Philippines)iiInternational Forum: “Achieving a Nuclear Weapon-Free World -- Dialogue between
Governments and NGOs (August 5). .…………………………………………………………… 105
Panelists:
Muhammad Anshor, Ambassador/ Deputy Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the U.N.
Shane Reti, Member of Parliament of New Zealand/ Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation
and Disarmament (PNND) - New ZealandFernando Gonzalez Llort, Vice President, Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples

Special Event: For a Nuclear Weapon-Free World -- Forum of Hibakusha andCitizens to Mark the 70th Anniversary of the A-bombing (August 5) ……………………110
Colin Archer, International Peace Bureau
Hiroshima-Nagasaki Declaration Commemorating the 70th Year Since the Atomic Bombing

70th Anniversary Hiroshima Day Rally/ 2015 World Conference (August 6)………..…113
Speeches by Representatives of the U.N. and National Governments:
Kim Won-soo, Acting High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations
Fernando Gonzalez Llort, Vice President, Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, Cuba
Video message: Alexander Kmentt, Ambassador/ Director for Disarmament, Arms Control and
Non-Proliferation, Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Austria
Message of Solidarity:
Onaga Takeshi, Governor of Okinawa Prefecture
Special Program Commemorating 70th Anniversary of A-Bombing: From Hiroshima
to the World: ………………………………………………………………………...…………… 116
Setsuko Thurlow, Hibakusha of Hiroshima/ Toronto, Canada
Kang Hojung, Korean Atomic Bomb Casualty Association, ROK
Yoshii Toshihiko, Kagawa A-bomb Sufferers’ Association/ Jazz Pianist
Sakuma Kunihiko, Hiroshima Federation of A-Bomb Survivors Associations
Miyake Noriko, Hiroshima Youth Organizing Committee
Greetings of Solidarity:
Shii Kazuo, Executive Committee Chair, Japanese Communist Party
Grass-roots Actions for a World without Nuclear Weapons:……………………………………… 119
He Jun, Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament, People’s Republic of China
Bruce Gagnon, Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany/ World Council of Churches
Matsuo Yuki, Miyazaki Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions
Kanagawa Chapter, New Japan Women’s Association
Hiroshima Appeal

Gathering in Nagasaki, 2015 World Conference (August 7)…………………………..…..125
Keynote Address on Behalf of the Organizer:
Tomida Koji, Drafting Committee Chair of the International Meeting
Greetings by Nagasaki Mayor:
Taue Tomihisa, Mayor of Nagasaki
Statements by Government Representatives: ………………………………………..……….….… 125
Muhammad Anshor, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Indonesia to the U.N.
Seiko Ishikawa, Ambassador to Japan, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Address of the Hibakusha:
Taniguchi Sumiteru, Hibakusha of Nagasaki/ Co-Chair, Nihon Hidankyo
Next Step for a Nuclear Weapon-Free World: …………………………………..………...….….… 127
Prakash Meghe, Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, India
Pierre Laurant, French Communist Party
Grass-roots Actions for Abolition of Nuclear Weapons; against War Bills, for Defense of theConstition of Japan:
Furuya Takahiro, Fukuoka Gensuikyo
Mouri Yasunori, Miyazaki Gensuikyo
Ikeda Katsuhisa, Kagoshima Gensuikyoiii

International Forum: “Achieving a Nuclear Weapon-Free World -- Dialogue between
Governments and NGOs” (August 8) ………….……………………….………………………. 130
Panelists Presentations:
Shane Reti, Member of Parliament of New Zealand/ PNND
Fernando Gonzalez Llort, Vice President, Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, Cuba
Joseph Gerson, American Friends Service Committee, U.S.A.
Tsuchida Yayoi, Japan Council against A and H Bombs (Gensuikyo)

Nagasaki Day Rally/ Closing Plenary, 2015 World Conference (August 9) ...................... 134
Greetings of Solidarity:
Kakinuma Tomiko, National Federation of Regional Women’s Organizations
Statements by Government Representatives:
Fernando Gonzalez Llort, Vice President, Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, Cuba
70th Anniversary Special Program:……….…………………………………………………………135
Okumura Ayako, Hibakusha of Nagasaki
Abacca Anjain Maddison, Iju in Ean of Rongelap, Marshall Islands
High School Students’ 10,000 Signature Campaign
Let Us Open a New Horizon to Achieve Abolition of Nuclear Weapons:………………………….. 137
Madelyn Hoffman, New Jersey Peace Action, U.S.A.
Florine M. Hofschneider, Tinian Women’s Association, Northern Mariana Islands
Vidar Birkeland, No to Nuclear Weapons, Norway
Dave Webb, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, U.K.
Corazon Valdez Fabros, Nuclear-Free Philippines Coalition
Morikawa Aya, Kumamoto Chapter, New Japan Women’s Association
Sato Koichi, Nihonmatsu Gensuikyo, Fukushima
Determination and Proposal for Actions:............................................................................................. 143
Yasui Masakazu, Secretary General, Japan Council against A and H Bombs
Call from Nagasaki

Appendices:.................................................................................................................................... 145

Overseas delegates and guests in the 2015 World Conference
Messages of solidarity from overseas
70th Anniversary Hiroshima and Nagasaki Days Actions around the world
Program of events of the 2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs
List of Organizing Committee members

iv

Setsuko Thurlow, Hibakusha of Hiroshima

Taniguchi Sumiteru, Hibakusha of Nagasaki

Kim Won-soo, Acting High Representative for
Disarmament Affairs, United Nations

Muhammad Anshor, Deputy Permanent
Representative of the Republic of Indonesia
to the U.N.

v

2015 World Conference against Atomic & Hydrogen Bombs

Declaration of the International Meeting
It will soon be 70 years since atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the UnitedStates. This year also marks the 70th year after the end of World War II. We the delegates assembling in
the International Meeting of the 2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs are determined to make thisyear a point of decisive turn to achieve a world without nuclear weapons.
The Charter of the United Nations pledged “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,
which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind”, and the first resolution of the U.N. General
Assembly called for “the elimination from national arsenals of atomic weapons”. This is exactly where postWWII world politics began. Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which provides for the renunciation of
war and non-possession of war potentials, is rooted in both the deep reflection on Japan’s war of aggression andcolonial rule and the cruel experience of the suffering from the A-bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
With the Hibakusha, we say, “No more wars!” and “No more Hiroshimas or Nagasakis!”
There are still about 16,000 nuclear warheads in the world. The use of one of them, even by accident,
would cause “hell on earth”, a situation beyond description. In Hiroshima and Nagasaki a total of 210,000
people died by the end of 1945, and those who survived in the moment were later afflicted both mentally andphysically. As the Hibakusha warn, the damage to Hiroshima and Nagasaki shows that nuclear weapons
are the “weapons of devil”, with which humans cannot coexist.
To root out this danger is an urgent task for world peace and the survival of the human race. In
international politics, too, discussions and understanding on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences ofnuclear weapons are increasing, and the determination of not allowing nuclear weapons to be used ever again
is gaining ground. Now is the time for the peoples, governments and international organizations to cometogether to accomplish the prohibition and the elimination of nuclear weapons without delay.
We regret that the 9th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (April-May 2015)
failed to agree on a final document due to opposition from the U.S., the U.K. and Canada to the proposed
language on an international conference on a Middle East zone free of nuclear and other weapons of mass
destruction.
The conference, however, saw a number of important achievements reflecting public opinion and the
movements: The voices calling for legally binding measures to achieve “a world without nuclear weapons”,
including the start of negotiations on a treaty for the prohibition of nuclear weapons, represented the vast
majority states, driving nuclear powers into a corner. This was shown by the fact that at the drafting stageof the final document, the need for a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons was formulated for the first time.
The process to achieve it should start at the 70th Session of the U.N. General Assembly. Further, as seen in
the joint statement on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, joined by 159 states representing
more than 80% of the parties to the NPT, the demand to prohibit nuclear weapons from the humanitarian
viewpoint was so widespread that even nuclear powers had to express their “understanding”.
It is more important than anything else to note that these developments have been supported by the
movements and public opinion around the world. In diplomatic negotiations on nuclear disarmament, thecurrents of democracy that bring together the voices of the majority is developing into a major force. Promoting
further this process both at the grassroots level and in international politics, surrounding the pro-nuclear forces andincreasing pressure on them will make it possible to open a road to a world without nuclear weapons.
The key to making further progress is to overcome the “nuclear deterrence” doctrine. Though achieving“a world without nuclear weapons” was agreed by the 2010 NPT Review Conference, nuclear powers are
refusing straightforward discussion of the abolition of nuclear weapons, relying on their so-called “step by step”
approach. This amounts to an attempt to maintain their own nuclear forces on the grounds of their “nuclear
deterrence” doctrine, the assumption that their nuclear arsenal is needed for their own security.
With the heightening regional tensions involving nuclear powers, there are concerns over the dangerof the use of nuclear weapons. The modernization of nuclear weapons, their build-up and training exercises,
which squander a vast amount of resources, not only violate the NPT and other international agreements andtheir spirit, but also increase the danger of actual use of nuclear weapons. We categorically oppose them.
1The Marshall Islands’ case filed before the International Court of Justice against nuclear-armed states fortheir failure to observe their nuclear disarmament obligations commands broad support around the world.
The tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki shows that the doctrine of “nuclear deterrence” cannot bejustified for any reason whatsoever. It is important to press for the start of negotiations on a treaty to prohibit
nuclear weapons, revealing the catastrophic consequences the use of nuclear weapons could cause. We note,in this regard, the fact that the “Humanitarian Pledge” which seeks “legal measures” for the elimination of
nuclear weapons from the viewpoint of their inhuman nature draws support from 113 states.
To achieve regional peace and security on the basis of the peace principles of the U.N. Charter and by
non-military means represents the major current of world opinion. To resort to deterrence simply generates
a vicious circle of tension and arms build-up. We call for peaceful settlement of all international conflicts
in compliance with international law.
We warmly welcome the final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program reached through the effort forpeaceful solution. We call for a diplomatic solution of North Korea’s nuclear issue. We support the creationand expansion of nuclear weapon-free zones. We demand an international conference for a Middle Eastzone free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction be promptly convened as agreed upon by the past
NPT review conferences.
The Japanese people’s movement against war bills, supported by public opinion, is making
unprecedented progress. The planned war legislation is intended to enable Japan to exercise the right tocollective self-defense and the Self-Defense Forces to use force abroad in violation of the JapaneseConstitution. This reckless, anti-democratic action by those in power, who do not admit even the error of
the past war of aggression, is eliciting protests from a broad range of people. Criticism against the Japanese
government is also developing internationally as well as at home for its objection to the negotiations for atreaty to prohibit nuclear weapons, and for its stance that runs counter to the major world development.
Underlying it is a policy to rely on the “nuclear umbrella” provided by the US and even to condone the useof nuclear weapons, the attitude that is utterly incompatible with its position as the only A-bombed country.
Incorporated as it is in the U.S. nuclear strategy under the Japan-U.S. military alliance, the Japanese
government now aims to railroad the war legislation through the Diet. This is a truly serious danger.
We express our solidarity with the movement of Japan to scrap the war bills in defense and advocacy
of Japan’s Constitution, the struggle of Okinawa against the construction of a new U.S. base and to the
movement to achieve a nuclear-free and peaceful Japan.
The essential factor that promotes and maintains the global progress toward achieving the eliminationof nuclear weapons is the movement of the peoples around the world and the support of public opinion.
-- Let us increase our efforts to make known the damage by the A-bombings and build momentum
demanding the start of negotiations for a treaty for the prohibition of nuclear weapons. Exhibitions on the
A-bomb damage everywhere in the world and signature campaigns that connect each individual citizen to
the worldwide movement will serve as its mainstays. The International Day for the Total Elimination of
Nuclear Weapons, Disarmament Weeks and other U.N.-related occasions should be made good opportunities
to develop joint actions.
-- Let us continue to extend our support and solidarity with the Hibakusha, whose average age has now
reached 80, and help them to win their demand for State compensation. We must inherit from the Hibakusha theirmemories of experiences and struggles. Let us strengthen our relief and solidarity with the nuclear victims,
including those of nuclear tests and nuclear power plant accidents. Let us strengthen our support to the victimsof the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident and develop solidarity with the movements for ZERO
nuclear power plants. Let us support the victims of Agent Orange, depleted uranium and other war atrocities.
We will work in solidarity with the people who stand up against war, for peace, for the solution ofpoverty and social inequality, for the reduction of military expenditures, for people’s livelihood, jobs andsocial welfare, for freedom and democracy, for climate change prevention and protection of global
environment, for overcoming sexual and all other types of discrimination, and against social injustice.
Together, let us move forward to achieve a “nuclear weapon-free, peaceful and just world”.
August 4, 2015
International Meeting, 2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs

2

International Meeting2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs
Main Theme:-- A Nuclear Weapon-Free, Peaceful and Just World -Let Us Make the 70th Year of the A-bombing a Decisive Turn to a
World without Nuclear Weaponsresisting any ban on such weapons.
We welcome representatives of the United
Nations and national governments that played a keyrole in the NPT Review Conference. We also greet
leaders of peace movements, grassroots activists,
Hibakusha and other nuclear victims who haveassumed a great role in bringing together different
citizens’ campaigns, including the International
Peace & Planet Conference held in New York aheadof the NPT Review Conference. Many of theWorld Conference participants took active part inpetition drives in their respective communities tocollect signatures in support of the Appeal for a
Total Ban on Nuclear Weapons and took thesepetitions with them to New York to present them to
the United Nations and the Chairperson of the
Review Conference.

Opening Session (August 2)
Address of the Organizer:
Sawada Shoji
Committee of Chairpersons, Organizing
Committee of the World Conference
On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I
would like to welcome and extend my heartfelt
solidarity to all participants from abroad as well asfrom all over Japan at the 2015 World Conference
against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs.
The 2015 NPT Review Conference was held
amid increasing shared understanding about thehumanitarian impact of nuclear weapons andgrowing international opinion calling for startingnegotiations for an international convention
banning and eliminating nuclear weapons, inisolation from security issues.
Although theConference failed to adopt an outcome document, it
has become clearer than ever that the nuclear
weapon states and their allies have lost rationale for

Need for a convention to ban nuclear weapons iseven more evident
We know that the NPT Review Conference
ended without adopting the final document because
the U.S., Britain and Canada succumbed to pressure
from Israel, which is not party to the Treaty, and3

refused to accept the proposal on convening ameeting about potentially developing a Middle Eastzone free of weapons of mass destruction, eventhough it had been agreed upon at the previous NPT
Review Conference.
In the Middle East, acomprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear
program has been reached after persevering withnegotiations. Every year at the U.N. General
Assembly, Iran has voted in favor of an early startof negotiations on a nuclear weapon convention. By
contrast, Israel, which is regarded as possessing
nuclear weapons, consistently opposes such a
convention. It will be very significant to holdpeaceful discussions at a forum that includes Israel,with a view to creating a nuclear-weapon-free zone.
If we miss this proposal for a precious opportunity,
we will jeopardize the reliability of the NPT itself.
The chairperson of the First Committee of the
NPT Review Conference proposed a final document
draft based on what had been discussed in thecommittee meeting. It included the draft of acomprehensive nuclear weapon convention and “aroadmap with a time frame to the elimination of
nuclear weapons”. However, it was rejected by
nuclear weapon states and their allies, including
Japan that relies on the nuclear umbrella. They
counterposed a “step by step” approach, but they
were unable to deny the need for “legal provisions”
and a “stand-alone legal instrument”. In my view,the discussions of the NPT Review Conference laid
the groundwork for future efforts at the UN General
Assembly and other forums to get nuclear weapons
eliminated.
From its preparatory stage, the 2015 NPT
Review Conference was backed by growing
discussions about the humanitarian consequences ofnuclear weapons.
People deepened theirunderstanding that the use of nuclear weapons will
have consequences that must not be condoned froma humanitarian point of view and that the totalelimination of nuclear weapons is the only way toensure their non-use. The concept of nuclear
deterrence is premised on the possible use of such
weapons. But, in the face of growing arguments
about the atrocious nature of nuclear weapons, it has
become difficult to argue that such weapons may be
used.

way for creating a peaceful world in whichinternational disputes are settled throughnegotiations and without the use of force. During
the same period, however, the development of theatomic bomb was under way. American historians
revealed from accumulated historical facts that theatomic bombing was carried out primarily tointimidate the Soviet Union. As a result of theatomic bombing, the Soviet Union, which was
supposed to be intimidated, countered the US
nuclear development by developing its own nuclear
weapons. That was how the Cold War began, led bya nuclear arms race, and the UN Charter’s principleof non-use of force was neglected. Thus, the politics
of nuclear blackmail persists today, 70 years after
the end of WWII.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of both theatomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and theend of WWII. The world should use this occasion
to reaffirm the principles of the U.N. Charter andthe First UN General Assembly Resolution andbegin marching towards a total ban on nuclear
weapons and peaceful resolution of international
disputes.
Nuclear powers that hold the key
positions in the U.N. Security Council have aparticularly important role and responsibility in thisregard.
Stop the “war legislation” by bringing success to2015 World Conference
At the NPT Review Conference the Abeadministration betrayed the expectations of thepeople of Japan, the only A-bombed nation, by
joining with nuclear weapon states in putting a
stumbling block to concluding an international
convention banning nuclear weapons. At home,the same administration on July 16 railroaded “warbills” through the House of Representative in
violation of the war-renouncing Article 9 of theConstitution and sent them to the House ofCouncilors. It extended the current session of theDiet until 27 September to recklessly get themenacted.
Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration andexpressed remorse over its war of aggression. After
the War, it established the Constitution, whichapplied the UN Charter’s principle of non-use offorce to its Article 9. It stands on the idea thatJapan defends the security and peace of the nation
by deepening mutual understanding withneighboring countries and building an international
environment of peace. It should be considered as
one of the highest achievements of humanity.
Nevertheless, amid the Cold War between the U.S.
and the Soviet Union, Japan was pressed intocreating what is now known as the Self-Defense
Force and hosting U.S. military bases in Okinawa

Eliminate nuclear weapons to achieve a world of
non-use of force
In June 1945, when World War II was about toend, the Allies wrote the United Nations Charter,
which included the principle that the use of force
should be excluded from international disputes sothat they should be resolved by every possible
peaceful means through negotiations. There were
expectations that Japan’s surrender would pave the4and elsewhere in Japan. Today, in violation of
Article 9 of the Constitution, the Abe government isrushing to turn Japan into a country that can wage
war abroad together with the U.S. forces under thename of exercising the right to collective selfdefense.
Prime Minister Abe cites the changing situation
relating to Japan as the main reason for seeking toenact the “war bills.” He understands nothing about
the basic idea behind the Constitution. On thecontrary, he holds a wrong perception of Japan’s
history, in particular about the past Japanese war of
aggression and colonization of Manchuria andKorea. He dares to pay official visits to Yasukuni
Shrine.
In addition, he is responsible forworsening the situation in East Asia by claimingthat strengthening of U.S. bases in Japan and ofJapanese Self-Defense Forces contributes tostrengthening deterrence. With help from ouroverseas friends, we will bring success to the 2015
World Conference and use this success as
momentum, to force Abe government to step down
as soon as possible.

are called upon to provide assistance and support tonuclear victims and work in solidarity with themand those who are fighting against nuclear power
plants.
A world free of radiation threats
Even though the actual state of the crippled
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant after the accident
is not known, the Abe government has failed tocome up with comprehensive plans for radiologicalprotection and evacuation of local populations incase of major accidents at nuclear power plants inJapan, a country with so many volcanoes andearthquakes. It is now pushing ahead with restartsof nuclear plants that have been off line.
Historically, Japan’s nuclear energy policy beganwith the aim of maintaining the infrastructure for
the U.S. to manufacture weapon-grade enricheduranium. The government is doing everything in theinterest of power companies and nuclear plantbuilders, giving the green light to nuclear plant
exporters in disregard of the safety of the Japanesepeople. In fact, it overlooks the aggravating
radiological environment in Fukushima due to a
massive accumulation of radioactive waste, eventhough methods of disposal are not established, andignores risks of accidents. Modern science andtechnology, if they work hand in hand with theadministration, are capable of producing renewableenergy, replacing currently used limited resources
such as fossil fuel and uranium fuel.
Friends,
As was shown at the NPT Review Conference,
the forces calling for an early elimination of nuclear
weapons are driving into a corner the forcesclinging to such weapons. On behalf of theorganizers I would like to conclude this speech by
expressing my wish that this World Conference willbring together the antinuclear forces, that throughsubstantive discussions and reflection it will launchcreative and concrete strategies for this 70th
anniversary year of atomic bombing, and that thisyear will represent a decisive turning point towards
the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Solidarity with Hibakusha and victims of
nuclear testing and nuclear accidents
The average age of A-bomb survivors has
exceeded 80.
They are still afflicted withaftereffects caused by exposure to radiation fromatomic bombings 70 years ago. The government
has underestimated or even totally ignored theeffects of residual radiation, in particular those ofinternal exposure.
Hibakusha’s concerted
lawsuits
demandingwithdrawalofthegovernment’s refusal to certify their illnesses ascaused by atomic bomb radiation continue. In
most of these lawsuits, courts have upheld
Hibakusha’s call for residual radiation to berecognized as a cause of their illnesses. But the
government would not revise the method for
certifying Hibakusha with atomic bomb-caused
diseases to one of adapting methods to the realities
of atomic bombing for the Hibakusha. The legal
suits have helped to prove that internal exposure byinhaling particles that fell from the atomic cloud
were an important contributing factor to theconsequences of exposure to radioactive fallout.
This runs through as a common issue among people
who were exposed to radiation caused by nuclear
testing or nuclear plant accidents. The urgent need
is for our movement for the elimination of nuclear
weapons to work to build an effective system ofprotection against radiation exposure based onhuman rights, a system that will not be distorted by
pro-nuclear weapon policies or policies promoting
nuclear power generation, and to eliminate damage
from exposure to radiation. At the same time, we

5After a while I saw a startling scene on thebrown mountain path. A long black line, like amarch of ants, was slowly moving down Mount
Kompira to Tateyama. They came over themountains fleeing from the fire that had broken out
in Urakami, the hypocenter, and looking for water.
They were suffering from burns and were wounded.
They were almost naked. Their hair was stuck
together with blood like horns. Many people may
have died along the way.
The land next to my house was left vacant since
the family was forced to evacuate. There was a wellin my backyard. Those who were suffering severeburns or injuries came one after another to the well
for water. Carrying Masako on my back, I cleaned
the wounds of countless people. Pieces of clothsterilized in boiling water, which I had collected,
were helpful. There was no knowing what happened
to these people afterwards.
In the evacuated land, bodies were cremated day
after day, from morning till night. Due to thefrightful stench of death, I was unable to eat at all.
Box-shape garbage carts loaded with bodies arrived
there. People collected roadside bodies and threw
them into the cart, just like collecting the garbage.
Charred hands and legs were seen sticking out of the
cart like dolls. Each day we talked about whether alarge or small number of bodies had been collected.
Everybody became numb to sights like this.
What is human dignity? How can we tolerate
this kind of treatment of human beings?
On August 15, when the War ended, I went to
the gymnasium of the present school of economics
of Nagasaki University to help the medical teamtreating the people for injuries and burns. It isdifficult to describe how these people were andwhat the scene was like in the gym where they werelaid on the floor. When the doctor visited eachpatient for treatment I accompanied him with
antiseptic solution. But I was frightened to see theirsevere wounds. I screamed, “Please take thisantiseptic solution!” then fainted. Medicines wereinvaluable at the time. When I was pulled back to
consciousness, I found myself lying down on thegym floor as well. They said they didn’t need anurse like me and I was told to do cleaning. My job
was to remove maggots with a broom from festeredwounds. Maggots were crawling around all over thepatients’ bodies. They had grown as big as a thumb.
I had never seen, and will never see such big
maggots or so many.
A friend of mine, who lived in the Nishizaka
district of the city near Nagasaki Station, told methat after the air-raid warning was lifted, she sawfrom the window upstairs a B29 overhead dropping
three cocoon-like balls and fly away. Immediately
after she saw them moving away toward Urakami,

Greetings on behalf of the Hibakusha:
Wada Masako
Assistant Secretary General,
Japan Confederation of A-and H-BombSufferers Organizations(Nihon Hidankyo）
Message for friends who are working together
for peace
My name is Wada Masako from the Japan
Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers
Organizations, Nihon Hidankyo. Thank you forgiving me the opportunity to speak to you.
Seventy years have passed since the atomic
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The Hibakusha are aging. The average age ofcertified Hibakusha reportedly exceeded 80 for the
first time. While voices against the threat of nuclear
weapons and nuclear wars are increasing, the Abomb damage and sufferings are fading away as oldmemories as time goes by.
Allow me to talk about what happened on thatday. I was born in Nagasaki in 1943. I’m one of theyoungest Hibakusha. I was only 22 months old atthat time, so I was too young to remember what
happened. I cannot talk about the indescribablehardships that older Hibakusha might have gone
through, but I was there with my mother andgrandfather. Here is the story of my mother’s atomic
bomb experience as she related it to me.
*
*
*
*
*
August 9 - it was a sweltering hot day. I was
preparing lunch with some food stuff used as areplacement for rice. There was no air-raid warning.
My eldest daughter, Masako, who was born in
October 1943, was playing alone on the dirt floor of
the entrance of the house. I had told her to stay inthe house to avoid the summer heat. We spent quiet
hours before lunch.
It was 11:02 am. All of a sudden there came a
Kaboom! When I came to myself I found that thefloor of the room of my house was covered with 30
centimeters of dirt overburden. My house was in
Imahakata-machi, 2.9 kilometers (1.8 miles) fromthe hypocenter. The windows, shoji sliding doors,lattice doors, clay walls and everything had
crumbled into dust. I had no idea what had
happened. I saw orange smoke hanging in the air. I
could see none of the houses that had existed acrossthe street from my house. People were crying, “Abomb fell on my house!” The tiles of every house in
the area had slid off the roof to one side like scales
scraped off a fish. The green mountains surrounding
the city had turned brown.

6there was a flash. Her younger brother quickly
threw himself on her. She was saved from the heat.
But her brother suffered burns on his back and died.
I recently learned that the cocoon-like balls which
she saw were parachutes equipped with radio
sensors used to monitor the effects of the bombing.
Many Koreans, Chinese and even Allied
military personnel who had been taken prisoners
were among the many victims of the atomic
bombing. They were people who happened to be
there at that moment, regardless of nationality andrace. I wonder if that recording device only reported
to the US military the effect of the A-bomb, and not
the state of each one of us, our families, and thepreciousness of human life.
*
*
*
*
*
This is the account I heard many times from mymother. She died four years ago at the age of 89. She
had suffered from stomach cancer, liver cancer andvarious other diseases, and had been hospitalized 28
times. She seemed pretty unsatisfied when she readthis memorandum I wrote. That may be because shethought that her experience of hell on earth couldn’t
be described in such words. I am sure that other
Hibakusha would feel the same. The two atomic
bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima andNagasaki have left many Hibakusha and theirfamilies with diseases, agony, sorrow, anger andanxiety.

But we have never thought of taking reprisals.
That’s because we never want anyone else toexperience the same tragedy. What is nuclear
deterrence? Why are nuclear weapons necessary asa deterrent?
We have been calling for ”No More Hiroshimas,
No More Nagasakis, and No More Wars”. This callshould be the deterrent! You cannot deter anyone
with many nuclear weapons. The first step tocreating a world without war can only be taken
when those who experienced war and those whoheard about war experiences clearly understandhow awful and insane it is to hurt each other or killeach other. The 2015 NPT Review Conference
ended without a final agreement. That’s very
regrettable and disappointing. But the governmentof 159 countries proclaimed the inhumane nature of
nuclear weapons. We will continue to take action
with strong support from civil society.
You are in Hiroshima today. I ask you to visit
the Peace Museum and listen to more Hibakusha sothat you can better understand how horrible nuclear
weapons are. Now it’s your turn. Please tell yourfamilies, friends and people around you what you
have heard from the Hibakusha. That would be thefirst step toward a world free of nuclear weapons.
Let us move forward together to a world where
human beings will never again lose their lives like“mere objects”. Thank you for your attention.

Messages from the Heads/Leaders of National
Governments and International Organizations
irreplaceable elements of their security strategies.
Nuclear powers appear to be on the cusp of fallingback into a new nuclear arms race and into thedangerous dynamics of “mutually assured
destruction - MAD” as a means to maintaininternational security.
This has become particularly evident at the
recent Review Conference of the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty (NPT).
Nuclear weapons
States did not commit to clear and credible steps
away from a reliance on nuclear weapons, as
demanded by the Treaty.
No progress was
possible and no consensus was achieved. This
was not only a wasted opportunity. It was also acollective failure to live up to the expectations of theinternational community for a world without
nuclear weapons - because, in fact, today, theHeinz Fischer
Federal President, Republic of Austria
70 years after the tragedy of the nuclear
detonations over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which
killed thousands of people and so gravely affected
the lives of the survivors and their families,
humanity is still endangered by the existence ofmore than 16,000 nuclear weapons.
Recentdevelopments in many regions of the world haveagain increased tensions among nations, combinedwith a re-emergence of Cold War rhetoric, even
including nuclear threats.
Large-scale
investments into nuclear weapon modernization are
taking place in all possessor states and nuclear
weapons are again presented by these states as7international community and humanity at large are
more united against nuclear weapons and the deadly“logic” of nuclear deterrence than ever before.
However, the 2015 NPT Review Conference
has sent a clear signal: 159 States expressed their
deep concern at the humanitarian consequences ofnuclear weapons in a joint statement that wasdelivered by the Foreign Minister of Austria
Sebastian Kurz. During the past few years, theinternational community has focused on looking at
nuclear weapons through the humanitarian lens.
This clear focus is important. It has the potential
to change how nuclear weapons are perceived:
namely that they should not be considered as ameans to ensure security but, rather, as a practicethat is simply too dangerous and too risky forhumanity to continue in the 21st century and that an
urgent reappraisal and change in the discourse about
nuclear weapons is necessary.
As President of the Federal Republic of Austria
I support the recent humanitarian focus withconviction. Humanitarian arguments and the needto prevent nuclear weapons from ever being usedagain should be at the very centre of theinternational nuclear disarmament efforts. For
this reason, Austria hosted the Vienna Conference
on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons
last December. We also issued the “Austrian
Pledge” – which is now called the “Humanitarian
Pledge” – which was formally endorsed by over 110
States.
The Humanitarian Pledge represents a
commitment to the urgent and full implementationof existing disarmament obligations under the NPT
and to identifying and pursuing effective measures
to fill the legal gap for the prohibition andelimination of nuclear weapons. Moreover, it is acommitment to cooperate with all relevant
stakeholders, States, International Organizations,the International Red Cross Movement,
parliamentarians and civil society, in the efforts tostigmatize, prohibit and eliminate nuclear weaponsin light of their unacceptable humanitarianconsequences and associated risks.
It is an inescapable logic that the only guarantee
to prevent the humanitarian consequences fromhappening is through the prohibition andelimination of these weapons. The strong andgrowing support for this notion makes me
optimistic that reason will prevail in the end. It isin the interest of the very survival of humanity that
nuclear weapons are never used again, under any
circumstances.
The catastrophic effects of a
nuclear weapon detonation, whether by accident,
miscalculation or design, cannot be adequately
addressed. Austria believes that all efforts must be
exerted to eliminate the threat of these weapons ofmass destruction.
The 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings ofHiroshima and Nagasaki thus serves as a reminderof our joint obligation. At the same time, it is atestimony of the unspeakable harm caused by
nuclear weapons. In this regard, I warmly thankthe organizers of the World Conference against
Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs as well as civil society
in Japan for their ongoing commitment and work inthis field.

Alexander Kmentt
Director for Disarmament, Arms Control
and Non-Proliferation, Federal Ministry
for European and International Affairs,
Republic of Austria(Please see page 115 for his video message.)

Dilma Rousseff
President, Federative Republic of Brazil
It is an honor to address the World Conference
against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs on the year inwhich we observe the 70th anniversary of thenuclear attacks against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thehorror of which lives on in the memory of the world.
The accounts by the survivors illustrate in a starkmanner the terrible human suffering caused by
nuclear weapons and constitute a vigorous stimulus
to the struggle for a world free of weapons of mass
destruction.
Approaching nuclear disarmament with ahumanitarian focus renews the debate on the issue
and emphasizes the catastrophic consequences ofintentional or accidental use of nuclear weapons.
The recent Conferences on the Humanitarian
Impact of Nuclear Weapons highlighted that nocountry or organization is prepared to respond to anuclear detonation or to offer adequate
humanitarian assistance to the victims. They also
underlined the long-term effects of such adetonation on the environment and on human health.
Around 17,000 nuclear devices still exist.
This is due to the nuclear armed countries’
resistance in fulfilling their commitments under the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and in effectively
engaging in multilateral negotiations towards
nuclear disarmament. The existence of nuclear
arsenals constitutes a destabilizing factor in regard
to international peace and security. For as long as
some countries consider that they have the right topossess nuclear weapons, there will be the risk that
others will seek to acquire them. Maintaining andmodernizing existing nuclear arsenals expends

8resources that could be spent on economic andsocial development.
Brazil considers that the only guarantee against
the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is thetotal elimination of nuclear arsenals, by means of atransparent, verifiable and irreversible process of
disarmament.
Concrete progress towards disarmament could
positively influence the global order, reducing
tensions and fostering peace and security. In
multilateral forums, Brazil will continue to work infavor of effective nuclear disarmament measures.
They have been clear successes in nonproliferation, but the fulfilment of commitments
related to nuclear disarmament requires urgent
action and innovative ideas. Concern with thehumanitarian impact of nuclear weapons should
inform all efforts in the field of nuclear
disarmament. Brazil is one of the 108 countries who
endorsed the goal enshrined in the “Humanitarian
Pledge” of banning and eliminating nuclear
weapons by means of an international legal
instrument.
To this end, we will continue to count on thecommitment and support of important civil society
organizations such as Gensuikyo. Together, wemust fulfill this urgent and critical mission.

years old this year, and it is incumbent on all states
to live up to their obligations and see that its
promise is fulfilled. It will take political resolve andsolidarity, but the cause is a worthy one, and thepotential costs of inaction or apathy are incalculablyhigh.
The scars borne by the victims of Hiroshima andNagasaki demand the deepest reflection and respect.
As we pay tribute to the victims, we should commit
again to honour their memory by persisting in ourshared endeavor to achieve a world free from
nuclear weapons.

Choummaly Sayasone
President, Lao People’s Democratic
Republic
On behalf of the Government and people of the
Lao PDR, I would like to convey my heartfelt
congratulations to the Organizing Committee anddelegations of the 2015 World Conference against
Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, which will be heldon 2-9 August 2015 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki ofJapan. This year marks the 70th Anniversary of
the Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
I very much hope that this Conference will play asignificant role in mobilizing the solidarity of allpeace-loving people against the production and thepossession of weapons of mass destruction.
I believe that the unwavering efforts of thepeople of Japan and the peace-loving worldcommunity as well as the solidarity will help tocontinuously suppress the use of atomic andhydrogen bombs in order to build a world of peaceand stability free from weapons of mass destructionin the future.
Once again, on behalf of the Government andpeople of the Lao PRD, I wish the 2015 World
Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs
great success.

Michael D. Higgins
President, Republic of Ireland
I have the distinct honour and pleasure of adding
Ireland’s support to the efforts of the Conference
against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs.
It is now 70 years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki
suffered the devastation wrought by these weapons,
and as our understanding of the consequences hasgrown, so has Ireland’s commitment to a world freefrom the shadow cast by nuclear weapons.
In 2014, Ireland hosted a disarmament
education symposium at which Hiroshima
Hibakusha Setsuko Thurlow gave moving
testimony about the human suffering brought about
by these weapons. We know now that the world’s
capacity to respond to a nuclear strike would behopelessly inadequate and that the scale of thesubsequent humanitarian disaster would be beyond
the resources of most nations to alleviate. The focus
on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences,
aided by the work of this conference, should
continue to motivate and mobilize civil society,states, and public opinion to work together withgreater urgency towards a world free of nuclear
weapons.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,
championed by Ireland since its inception, is 45

Tony deBrum
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of
the Marshall Islands(Please see page 27 for his message, included in
Abacca Anjain Maddison’s speech)

Enrique Peña Nieto
President, the United Mexican States
Thank you for your kind invitation to the World
Conference against Atomic & Hydrogen Bombs. I
inform you that my country will be represented at9the highest level possible.
For Mexico, it is essential to continue toredouble its efforts to achieve a total ban andelimination of nuclear weapons, which is the only
guarantee to prevent grave humanitarianconsequences.
Wishing you the success of this important
conference, I would like to extend my warmest
greetings to you.
(Unofficial translation)

movement, which marks 70th Anniversary of theend of World War II and also 70th Anniversary of
the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In Vietnam, we are also celebrating 70th
Anniversary of our National Day and 40th
Anniversary of the Liberation of South Vietnam andNational Reunification. Decades have passed but
consequences caused by the war, nuclear weapons
and weapons of mass destruction are still days bydays affecting the victims, and we are still trying ourbest to overcome such war injuries.
I would like to take this opportunity to express
my sympathy towards all losses and pain that thevictims of atomic and chemical weapons as well as
victims of the war in general are suffering from. I
would also like to extend my sincere thanks toJapanese peace forces and organizations inparticular and those across the world as a whole foryour fine sentiments and precious support for
Vietnamese people during our struggles for national
independence as well as in our present national
construction and defense.
We welcome continuous effort of theJapan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs(Gensuikyo) to annually organize World Conferences
against A & H Bombs since 1955 (on the 10th
anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki disaster). We
highly appreciate Gensuikyo’s initiative in launchinga global signature collecting campaign in order tooppose atomic weapons on the occasion of the 2015
Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons wasorganized in New York, the US early this year. I
also appreciate the Vietnam Peace Committee
which has actively participated in this meaningful
campaign and has collected 1.528.730 signaturesfrom Vietnamese people nationwide.
Having experienced numerous pains andcatastrophic consequences of the wars, Vietnameseand Japanese people as well as people in many othercountries always wish for a peaceful and stableenvironment for development, for an ever better lifeof the people. Still, in many regions of the world,wars and conflicts are threatening peace, security
and people’s life. Peace movements and peaceloving people all over the world should join hands
and raise their voices against the use of weapons ofmass destruction, the threat or use of force, andviolations of the lawful sovereignty of nations.
I am strongly confident that the 2015 World
Conference against A & H Bombs will offer achance for peace forces and organizations to
broaden their ranks, enhance solidarity, and initiate
new activities to push further ahead the world
movement against nuclear weapons. I also believethat the Conference will reaffirm its solidarity withand support for victims of A & H bombs, Agent

Didier Burkhalter
Head of the Federal Department of
Foreign Affairs, Swiss Confederation
I wish to thank you for your letter of 3 June 2015
regarding the “2015 World Conference against
Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs”.
The attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70 years
ago have shown the unacceptable consequences of
the use of nuclear weapons. These two cities and the
Hibakusha’s testimonies exemplify until today thethreat that nuclear weapons pose to human security
and future generations.
A nuclear weapon detonation, whether byaccident, miscalculation or design, would result incatastrophic consequences and represent ahumanitarian disaster of such magnitude that theinternational community would have no response toit. We all share a joint responsibility to do
everything possible to ensure that such weapons arenever used again, under any circumstances.
It is a missed opportunity that the 2015 Review
Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferationof Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was unable to findconsensus and thereby charting a way forward to
make more decisive progress. But no matter how
complicated things are, we have to continue to work
together, overcome progressively our differences,and strengthen global security. Switzerland isdetermined to facilitate this indispensable dialogue
and to play its role as bridge builder.
I wish you a successful conference and am
convinced it will advance our common objective ofa world without nuclear weapons.

TRƯƠNG TẤN SANG
President, Socialist Republic of Vietnam
On behalf of the State leaders and people of theSocialist Republic of Vietnam, I avail myself of thisopportunity to extend the warmest greetings andregards to all participants in the 2015 World
Conference against A & H Bombs.
2015 is a significant year for world peace10Orange, and other war crimes in order, and pave theway for a future without any threats of nuclear
weapons, a world of peace, stability and prosperity.
Let us unite and struggle for a world with “nonukes, peace and justice”, a world without victimsof atomic bombs and other weapons of mass
destruction.
I wish you all good health and the Conference
great success!

to alleviate the immense sufferings caused by theradiation, burns, blindness, and blast injuries.
Seventy years later, there is no effective or feasiblemeans in most countries or at the international levelof assisting a substantial portion of survivors in theimmediate aftermath of a nuclear detonation, while
adequately protecting those delivering assistance.
Based on these experiences, the ICRC
concluded as early as September 1945 that thehumanitarian consequences of the atomic bomb are
simply unacceptable, and since then, both the ICRC
and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement have regularly voiced their concern
about the dangers of weapons with such uniquedestructive power and have called on States to reachan agreement to eliminate them.
Although bold steps towards the elimination of
nuclear weapons were unfortunately not taken at the2015 Review Conference for the Treaty on the NonProliferation of Nuclear Weapons, there is wide
acknowledgement that the detonation of even alimited number of nuclear weapons would provoke
a severe humanitarian crisis. One-hundred and fiftynine States participating in the NPT Conference
recognized and collectively expressed their deep
concern about the “catastrophic humanitarianconsequences of nuclear weapons” and acknowledgedthat “all efforts must be exerted to eliminate the threatof these weapons of mass destruction.”
For its part, the ICRC will continue its efforts tomobilize the community of States and people ofgood will to help ensure that nuclear weapons arenever used again. We will also continue to call for
negotiations to formally prohibit their use, and toeliminate nuclear weapons through a legallybinding treaty, in accordance with existingobligations. We remain convinced that a world
without nuclear weapons is the only way forward
and that we all must ensure that those tragic days inAugust 1945 never happen again.

Peter Maurer
President, International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC)
In this symbolic year of the 70th anniversary of
the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
events that have left an indelible mark on
humanity’s conscience and consciousness, theInternational Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
would like to commend the Japan Council against
Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (Gensuikyo) for its
support to the victims of the atomic bombings andits persistent efforts to help advance nuclear
disarmament.
This year’s anniversary is a forceful reminder ofthe catastrophic and lasting cost of nuclear weapons,
the incineration of two cities and their inhabitants,
the wounds and illnesses of the survivors many ofwhom could not be immediately treated because
medical infrastructure had been destroyed, and theslow and painful deaths suffered by many others.
The ICRC and the International Red Cross and
Red Crescent Movement’s involvement in the
nuclear debate dates back to the moment the firstatomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Japanese
Red Cross staff and Dr. Junod of the ICRC, the first
non-Japanese doctor to assess the event, worked inunimaginable conditions and did what they could to
aid the victims, but had clearly insufficient means

11Plenary Session I:
A-Bomb Damage of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Struggles of the Hibakusha(August 2)
Tokamachi Town. My parents were running a
groceries wholesale business. Even during thewar, my family never suffered from a lack of food.
However, the A-bomb dropped on August 6, 1945
ripped apart the family.
On that day, on the order of the military, myfather had gone to the Hiroshima Prefectural
Office building near what is now Peace Park, andmy mother to Koami Town near our house, both toengage in work to take down buildings. There
they were hit by the bombing.
My father’s remains were not found. My
mother breathed her last on August 23. Until thelast moment she was very worried about me, her
two year-old daughter. Losing my parents, I also
lost the days when I had lived without any
inconveniences.
I was passed around from relative to relative.
I stayed with them for a week at the shortest, for amonth with some relatives, and at the longest for
12 years. Child as I was, I felt despair in my life.
Gradually I became a child who gave no smile toanyone and closed her mind to others. When I
was around 13 years old, I could not stand being a
trouble to my relatives. I was so desperate that I
even thought about committing suicide.
A turning point in my life came one winter,when I was 15 years old and just about to graduate
from junior high school. My oldest sister’shusband offered to take me under his care. I
decided 57 years ago to move from Hiroshima totheir place in Okayama. When I left Hiroshima, I
made up my mind to start a new life and forget
everything about my hometown Hiroshima.
After being taken in by my sister and herhusband, I went to college and then worked for 37
years as a medical social worker in a hospital.
Since then I have not looked back on the past. I
have continued to live facing forward. As a
medical social worker, I have given counsel tomany Hibakusha and learned many ways of life
from them, such as the importance of caring forothers and the strength to never yield to anything.
Now I am working as a counselor to help elderly
people who have dementia or other types of
disabilities to live in their own homes. I also give
advice to Hibakusha. When I ask Hibakusha to talkabout what happened when they were caught by
the A-bomb, they say, “It’s about the past. I don’t

Introductory Reports:
Yamada Sumiko
A-Bomb Survivor of Hiroshima
Good afternoon, everyone. Friends comingfrom inside and outside Japan to participate in theInternational Meeting of the World Conference
against A & H Bombs, I have been impressed byyour tenacious efforts for peace. Thank you forgiving me this opportunity to speak.
I had just turned two years old when the atomic
bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, so I cannot talkabout my own experiences regarding how the
A-bomb devastated the city of Hiroshima. But
Hibakusha’s sufferings did not end on that day. I
can tell you about the hardships I have had
continuously in my life since the bomb was
dropped on Hiroshima.
On that day, I was at my mother’s parents’house located 2.3 km from the hypocenter. I waswith my oldest sister, who was 20 years old at thetime. The blast from the A-bomb blew me about
1 meter away. Window glass was broken, and thefragments stuck into my face and head. My sister
later told me that the scars from the injuries stayed
on my body for about a year. My sister and I ran
into a bamboo grove at the back of the house.
There we saw the black rain full of radiation
falling down on us.
I suffered poor health in my childhood. My
oldest sister took me to the Red Cross Hospital. I
was told that I had fewer than normal white blood
cells. I still suffer from a low white blood cellcount, but I have had a relatively healthy life
without suffering from major diseases. However,mysecondson
wasdiagnosedwiththrombocytopenia. I cannot stop worrying if his
disease is caused by a weakened immune system
inherited from me as a Hibakusha. I used to think
optimistically that second generation Hibakusha
would not have radiation impacts. But now I am
worried every day about how I could apologize tohim as his mother if his disease has been caused byme. Hibakusha’s sufferings continue even 70
years after the A-bomb.
Let me go back to my own A-bomb
experiences and the damage done. I was born 0.7
km from the hypocenter in what is now called

12

want to bring it back to memory.”
What is on Hibakusha’s minds is that they do
not want to look back on or remember their own
past. But I strongly believe that we should neverforget what happened to us in the past. Children
have the right to be raised by their parents. But I
lost my parents in the war. Children should notexperience what I went through, but conflicts
occur in many parts of the world with killings
taking place every day. In the middle of such asituation, the Japanese government forcibly passed
the security bills through the House ofRepresentatives in disregard of many Japanesepeople’s voices.
The Japanese Constitution in its Preamble
declares, “We, the Japanese people,… resolvedthat never again shall we be visited with thehorrors of war through the action of government.”
During the war, lives of 20 million people wereclaimed by the Japanese Army in Asia, and 3.1
million Japanese people lost their lives in the war,
including the Great Tokyo Air Raid, the Battle of
Okinawa, and the A-bombings of Hiroshima andNagasaki. Based on remorse over the war, Article
9 of the Japanese Constitution says, “the Japanesepeople forever renounce war as a sovereign rightof the nation and the threat or use of force asmeans of settling international disputes.” I am
only 72 years old. I am determined to work tonever allow another war or the use of nuclear
weapons.

me. Until I reached fourth grade, I often said,“Mom, today I saw many jeeps and trucks with
American soldiers passing in front of me. I
wanted to throw stones at them.” One day, shesaid, “Hidetaka, you often say you hate America orGIs, but you should think carefully. What you
should hate is neither America nor American
soldiers. If you need to hate something, you
should hate war and the atomic bomb.”
Such was my mother. She always stoodoutside our house to see me come home fromschool, unless there was something exceptionally
important. I was grateful, especially in winter.
Trudging sideways, it took me almost two hours tocome back home.
With warm words ofappreciation, such as, “Great, you went to schoolin this cold”, she held me in her arms and took me
into the house. She massaged my numbed hands
and legs in a warm room, saying, “May Hidetaka’s
hands and feet get warm now.” With the warmthof my mother, I felt as if I were in a cradle. “Mymom must be a goddess”, I thought.
When I graduated from junior high school,
yearning to become a sushi chef, I visited a sushi
shop in front of the Nagasaki Railway Station.
But my request was simply turned down. “Ourbusiness is to sell food. We cannot hire you.
You are affected by the A-bomb” were the words
given to me.
In 1956, I entered a night course at theNagasaki prefectural hair-dressing school.
Commuting from Sumiyoshi-machi to Suwa-machi
every day by tram was like a dream. Three years
later, when I finally got a notice saying that I had
passed the state examination, it was as if I were on
top of the world. It was summer and I was 18
years old. In those days I was not so conscious ofmyself being a Hibakusha.
In 1966, when I was 25 years old, I becameacquainted with a woman. I was joyful every day.
Then, I got a call from a man who said, “Youshould not go around with my daughter. You area Hibakusha. What a nerve!” I was deeply hurt.
I had no energy to go to work. After patience
upon patience, then this came.
Everything
became loathsome, and I took poison to commit
suicide, but that ended in failure. Mother said,“Hidetaka, you must not do it again. Even if
something hard to bear happens to you again, youmust by all means get over it. Even if you haveto wriggle over, roll over, or slop over, still you
have to live on.” Even now I do not fully
understand what she really meant. But I felt fromher eyes that she was telling me that I had to live
on no matter what. Still I did not want to stay inNagasaki any longer, so I left for Osaka.
At the time, I was surprised to find that the

Komine Hidetaka
A-Bomb Survivor of Nagasaki
I am honored to be given this opportunity to
speak to friends from around the world at theInternational Meeting of the World Conference
against A & H Bombs, marking the 70th year of
the A-bomb tragedies.
When the atomic bomb exploded, I was on a
farm in Nishigo-Karimata, Nagasaki City, some
1.3km from the center of the explosion. I wasfour years and eight months old. I was burnt on
hands, body and both legs. I later learned that adoctor of the medical team who saw me said, “Thisboy cannot survive”, and turned us away.
I barely survived. In 1947, I entered the
Nishi-Urakami elementary school, but my school
life was like hell. I was bullied. “Rotten foot”,“Chicken leg”, and ”Gane (swimming crab)” weremy nicknames. It made me really sad. For mein those days, there was nothing I could do but put
up with the pain of my wounds and heartache.
By so doing I was facing up to the fear of death.
In the midst of this life, my mother was special to13

woman whose parents opposed our closefriendship ran away from home to follow me to
Osaka. We got married, but on the first evening,when she saw my body she turned her back insurprise. Perhaps she was crying. If she said
she would go back, I thought I would let her go.
But she did not.
Later, we came back to Nagasaki, opened asmall barbershop with two haircut chairs, and wereblessed with three children. But some 10 years
later, my wife began to talk about getting a divorce.
Given the fact that I was Hibakusha with an ugly
body, I had no other choice but to accept her
decision. I was 36 years old at the time.
It was hard work to bring up three children.
My eldest daughter, when she was in the second
year of junior high school, meddled with paintthinner. Days of agony and despair continued
like a nightmare. I tried to get through it bytelling myself, “Don’t give up, Hidetaka. You
endured harder times when you were in elementary
school.”In 1956, an organization with the name of“Nagasaki A-bomb Youth and Maidens
Association” was launched. I was invited manytimes but did not join.
In 1982, I at last plucked up the courage to visit
the office of Nagasaki Hisaikyo, “Nagasaki
Council of Atomic Bomb Sufferers”, to say“Hello”. There I encountered the now familiar
faces of Yamaguchi Senji, Taniguchi Sumiteru,
Hayama Toshiyuki and others. None of themshowed the slightest unpleasant expression. My
irritated mood dispersed in a moment. There I
felt as if I was a different person. Why? Was it
because we were all Hibakusha? Was it because
each of the lines etched in our faces carried deep
untold tragedies? Although 20 odd years had
elapsed since I had met them last, they acceptedme as if we had been meeting one another everyday. Although I did not talk of anything concrete,they looked as if they knew why I had suddenly
visited them in their office. It was an air that I
had never experienced before, as if I had found mybrothers. I told myself, “I am really glad I camehere!”I was not born to suffer from the A-bomb. I
wanted to live just like other people. But theatomic bombs harm even our offspring. Recently,
my second daughter contracted cancer of thewomb and had an operation.
We should not allow any more victim cities,
like Hiroshima or Nagasaki, ever to appear onearth. Those who were killed by the bombs were
not even allowed to die in dignity, and many arestill suffering from diseases in agony. That’s why
we Hibakusha want the abolition of nuclear

weapons from the bottom of our hearts.

Kang Hojung
Korean Atomic Bomb Casualty
Association, Republic of Korea
I bring greetings to the organizers of the World
Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs,
members of international and social organizations,who have come all the way to attend this event. I
appreciate your attendance. I am happy to see you.
I am Kang Hojung. I am here on behalf of the
2,600 Koreans who were exposed to A-bombradiation in Japan. This is my first participationin the World Conference.
At this gathering commemorating the 70th
anniversary of the atomic bombings, I vividly
recall the awful images and stories that I haveheard from my parents. My uncle died three days
after the bombing due to the after-effects.
My uncle, who loved me so much, diedwithout leaving even one word for me. My family
was plunged in grief. I remember it was a rainy
summer day. I could not understand at all what
was going on but I still clearly remember justcrying while sitting by the window.
The atomic bomb was detonated in August
1945, and my family returned to Korea thefollowing year in 1946. All that we had with usthen were the aftereffects of the bomb and hunger.
What hurt us more than anything was the label of
Hibakusha and the sense of alienation from society.
This kept us from seeking help. To be honest, wewere alone without any support.
A lot of Hibakusha lost their lives without
decent medical support since during those days
there were not many hospitals or medical
institutions. Quite a lot of people are still sufferingfrom the aftereffects of the atomic bombing evento this day. Furthermore, there are many second
generation Hibakusha who are suffering fromunknown diseases that they could only imagine thecause as the result of the atomic bombing, as if
they had inherited the suffering from their parents.
The hereditary nature of radiation diseases
should be fully elucidated and solutions be pursued.
Otherwise, the A-bomb radiation will be a serious
problem, affecting not only the Hibakusha but also
the second generation. It is a matter of protecting
the fundamental human rights as well as an issueof recovering the right to live for the Hibakusha
and their second generation. This needs to beaddressed promptly by the governments of the
Republic of Korea and Japan, as the parties
responsible for compensation for the damage
caused by the A-bombing.

14

We, the atomic bomb survivors, are older than
70 years of age. We are still living in agony of allsorts of diseases and poverty. Even at thismoment, survivors are dying.
At that time, 70,000 Korean residents sufferedfrom the atomic bombing. More than 40,000
were killed, and more than 23,000 out of the
30,000 who narrowly survived went back to theircountry. Most of them died a painful death inpoverty and agony, and to this day, only 2,600 are
still living.
However, A-bomb survivors in Korea arediscriminated against by Japan, the country
responsible for the war. They are also unable toreceive the necessary support from the Korean
government. Countries with nuclear energy say
they use it for peaceful means, but that is not true.
If they have a chance, they are trying to
produce nuclear weapons. The northern half of the
Korean Peninsula possesses nuclear threat to us inSouth Korea. We, the Hibakusha, have actuallyexperienced the damage and aftereffects of theatomic bombing. We believe a tragedy like thismust not be repeated. Nuclear weapons thatcause such a dreadful misfortune and damage must
be abolished by all means. Let us unite to get ridof nuclear weapons.
We pray for the victims of atomic bomb.
A-bomb survivors, friends from the Organizing
Committee of the World Conference against A and
H Bombs, and delegates of internationalorganizations and NGOs who came all the way toparticipate in this conference, I wish you all thebest and a successful world conference.
And let us vow to make efforts to pass a
nuclear free, peaceful world on to our children andgrandchildren.

because they see value in nuclear weapons
evidenced by those tragic days that occurred 70
years ago. For any Hibakusha, this is nothing but
an utter affront which will not allow them to live inpeace. For the last 70 years, the Hibakusha have
lived on with patience, carrying the memories of
the atomic devastation and of their loved ones lostin the bombing.
[2] The atomic bombing by the United States
was also to verify whether their atomic arsenals
were powerful enough to enable them to fight theCold War to their advantage. How was it possible?
On that day, 2,314 students were mobilized for the
demolition of buildings to make fire lanes in thecity. They were not able to escape from the sudden
attack by the Enola Gay at 08:15. Those students
near Ground Zero were burned, torn to pieces anddisappeared. The exact number of those students
and where they were working at the time had beenrecorded, so it was possible to be sure that they had
disappeared.
[3] When the flash and blast wind subsided,
fire broke out all over the city and soon generated
a gigantic cumulonimbus cloud. It caused Black
Rain that showered radioactive substances on the
citizens of Hiroshima, including those students. It
was one of the major sources of residual radiation.
[4]
Most of the students working near
Ground Zero were killed instantly. What parts of
the human body did the heat rays affect mostheavily? One of the surveys conducted on a vastgroup of Hibakusha indicated that 70% of burns
were concentrated on arms and faces. Anotherstudy showed that many of the dead had their spine
and pelvis crushed by the blast, which prevented
them from immediately moving. Most of proximal
victims were killed on the spot, because they wereunable to take refuge due to the burns on their face
and their smashed spine and pelvis.
This slide shows the mortality rate curve of thestudents exposed to the atomic bombing when
outdoors. Within 2 kilometers from Ground Zero,
80% of them died. It is this mortality rate curvethat for the first time in the world allowed thekilling power of atomic weapons dropped on cities
to be evaluated. It was precise evidence of thedestructive power of a nuclear bomb provided at
the sacrifice of innocent children’s lives. The
collected data were stored as confidential for along time at the U.S. Armed Forces Institute of
Pathology.
[5] Three days later, similar atrocities werecommitted on Nagasaki. In the burned ruins, many
corpses, petrified in a posture of trying to escape,were found scattered around. When such tragic
scenes unfold one after another in silence, humanconsciousness gradually adapts to them,Special Reports:
Saito Osamu, M.D.
Physician of Clinical Hematology at
Watari Hospital (Fukushima)/ Former
Director, Fukushima Medical Coop
Hospital (Hiroshima)/ Representative
Director, Japan Council against A and H
Bombs (Gensuikyo)
Inhumanity of Nuclear Weapons[1] Seventy years after the first use of nuclear
weapons, the international community still retains
the possibility of using nuclear weapons as ameans for resolving conflicts. Nuclear weapon
states continue to maintain their nuclear arsenals,

15

assimilates them and, after some time, people areable to stand besides these strangely shaped
corpses as if it were completely normal.
However, this can be regarded as an advanced stateof apathy.
The mental wounds sustained by Hibakusha
are usually treated as post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), but the total picture of this disorder has
not been fully elucidated. The biggest reason isthat traumas of each Hibakusha, surface andsubmerge repeatedly over decades, sometimes lay
the foundation for different mental disorders.
Among researches conducted about A-bomb
aftereffects, those on Hibakusha’s psychologicalwounds remain the most incomplete. When one
thinks about a major event in which an entire citywith hundreds of thousands of people living
disappears in a very short time, what would be themost appropriate methodology to be used toanalyze and explain the traumas sustained by thesurvivors? It is hopeless to find such amethodology. What should be kept in mind here isthat not a few Hibakusha have lived accepting that
hopelessness.
[6] In 1952, in Saka-machi town, Aki districtin the north of Hiroshima City, the remains of 156
A-bomb victims were unearthed. They were buried
because of the massive A-bomb dead had greatly
exceeded the town’s capacity for cremation. Blastpressure and heat rays were the major causes ofdeath within 2 weeks from the atomic bombing.
The victims were unable to understand what
happened to themselves. In those days, an averagefamily was made up of slightly over 4 people. Outof them, on average 2 or more members were lostin the atomic bombing. It was a very significant
loss for the family and made the living of surviving
members extremely difficult. The death of one
spouse in a family significantly raised the death
rate of the other spouse.
In the photo, lying on top of the long bones, thesculls with deep hollow eye sockets facing us seemto be asking, “Why has this happened?” There arealso remains of children. To this day, for each childthere is a father and a mother lamenting bitterly for
not being able to find the remains of their children.
[7] Hibakusha who narrowly escaped deathfrom the bomb blast and heat rays were stricken byradiation sickness. With most of the doctors andnurses in the city injured or killed, those doctors
who entered the city from neighboring areas after
the bombing could do nothing but observe thedevelopment of common symptoms appearing on
victims’ bodies. They were caught by a deep
feeling of incompetence, realizing the fact that
medical science was totally helpless to save them.
Hibakusha who developed violent radiationdisease eventually died without knowing why they
had to die. A 21-year-old man who was at 1
kilometer from Ground Zero noticed loss of hairon the 12th day from the A-bombing. He started
bleeding from his gums and skin on the 23rd day,developed fever on the 25th day, tonsillitis on the
26th, delirium on the 27th, and died on the 28th
day. He was precipitated irreversibly towards
death.
[8] A 29-year-old man who was A-bombed at
a distance of 1 kilometer died on the 29th day. The
postmortem found an abnormally large number ofbacilli colonies in his bone marrow. They were notattacked at all by white blood cells and were
proliferating as if they were in a seedbed. Hisbone marrow had stopped producing white blood
cells. His body succumbed to the rule of the bacilli.
[9] A 23-year-old male, who was exposed at
900 meters from the blast center died on the 26th
day. His heart was found with a large number ofpetechial hemorrhagic lesions. Although it
sustained his life for 26 days, it was doomed to failin the end. The hemorrhage of blood from thepumping system meant the failure of capillary
vessels and depletion of platelets, indicating that
not only his heart but all his internal organs were
bleeding uncontrollably.
[10] The photo of two brothers who missed
their parents was taken on August 10, 1945. The
younger boy’s face was badly burned. We do notknow how much longer they actually survived
after that. Many children in Hiroshima andNagasaki were made orphans. The Hibakusha
quoted on the first slide said, “Hibakusha lived
with patience.” These Hibakusha of course
included many orphans.
On August 6, 1955, ten years after the bombing,
50,000 Hibakusha who gathered at the Hiroshima
Peace Memorial Ceremony appealed that surviving
victims were in great agony. The Japanese
government had not tried to establish any laws toprovide relief for the Hibakusha. The shorthistory of 10 years had taught us an importantlesson: the inhumanity was inevitably further
demonstrated in the fact that the government
closed its eyes to the inhumanity of nuclear
weapons. The year 1955 saw the convening of theFirst World Conference against Atomic andHydrogen Bombs. Hibakusha were determined to
be self-reliant and take necessary actions.
[11] Now that 70 years have passed since theatomic bombing, are the traces of the radiation nolonger visible among the diseases of the
Hibakusha? It is said that leukemia, a typicalcondition among radiation-induced illnesses,
would not affect people who had been radiatedover 30 years ago, or after around 1975. However,16

that was not the case at all. According to the latest
report of 2013, leukemia incidence for Hibakusha
was significantly higher than for the general public
even 55 years after the atomic bombing.
[12] In conclusion, I want to make twopoints.
The first is the inhumane nature of nuclear
weapons. The atomic bombs brought about
unbearable tragedy to the citizens. They eradicated
all lives without leaving even a trace of anythinghuman. In addition, Hibakusha are still living withthe possibility of encountering the atomic bombing
in later years. Thus the inhumanity of nuclear
weapons was two-fold: life-eradicating effects andsustained violation as long as the victims survive.
At the same time, we should remember that
this inhumanity was created by humans. So thecreators had to conceal the inhuman facts.
Regarding the life-eradicating nature, they
confiscated photos and banned press reports
depicting the atrocious effects of the bombs,
thereby hiding the facts from the public. In termsof the sustained violation, they tried to wipe out
the traces of the misery and concealed the creatorsof the inhumanity by showing merely the
relationship between radiation dosage andincidence of illnesses through epidemiologicalmethods.
The second point I want to make is the powerof the nuclear weapons abolition movement. The
abolition movement was driven fundamentally by
the inhuman nature of nuclear weapons. If we dare
to ask, what is the power necessary for us to makeprogress in the movement to abolish theseweapons? The answer is the understanding of thehistory of the Second World War, which was theaggregation of such evils as massive aerial
bombing, development of weapons of mass
destruction, ethnic discrimination, the intentions ofshrewd political leaders, etc. We needunderstanding so that we can prevent therecurrence. In other words, the power should be
the positive understanding of history.
More concretely, what is necessary for solving
international conflicts is moral thinking, and forpolitical response and economic philosophy toremain absolutely separate from the military. It
requires universal determination to seek justice andtrust in relations with neighbors and all countries
around the world, and to work together hand inhand in living the 21st century. In this sense, we
can say that the Japanese movement to abolishnuclear weapons is now entering the mostimportant stage in the last 70 years.
So far, the international movement for theelimination of nuclear weapons has been complex
and never easy. However, the World Conference
against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, ever since
its first meeting in 1955, has consistently worked
actively to bring together, discuss and learn about
national peace movements and nuclear related
issues of different countries. Despite thecomplexity of problems, we have worked to
advocate justice and build mutual confidence. The
friendship we have built over these 60 years is so
invaluable. I would like to express a heartfelt thankyou to all our forerunners in different parts of theworld for being able to commemorate the 60th
anniversary of the conference.
Thank you for your kind attention.
１

被爆者は忍耐をもって生きた

２０１５．８．２ 原水禁世界大会国際会議
齋藤 紀

Ｈｉｂａｋｕｓｈａ ｌｉｖｅｄ ｗｉｔｈ ｐａｔｉｅｎｃｅ ｆｏｒ ａ ｌｏｎｇ ｔｉｍｅ

Ｈｉｒｏｓｈｉｍａ

Ｈｉｒｏｓｈｉｍａ 尾木正巳撮影
Ｎａｇａｓａｋｉ，ｎｅｘｔ ｄａｙ

17

山端庸介撮影２

原爆投下時、建物疎開作業に１７，０００人の学生が従事していた
１７，０００ ｓｔｕｄｅｎｔｓ ａｔ ｗｏｒｋ ｗｅｒｅ ｅｘｐｏｓｅｄ ｔｏ ｔｈｅ ｅｘｐｌｏｓｉｏｎ

Ｄｉｓｔｒｉｂｕｔｉｏｎ ｏｆ ｗｏｒｋ
ｐａｒｔｉｅｓ
ＨＩＲＯＳＨＩＭＡ「原子爆弾の医学的効果」１９５１年「Ｍｅｄｉｃａｌ Ｅｆｆｅｃｔｓ ｏｆ Ａｔｏｍｉｃ Ｂｏｍｂｓ」１９５１ （Ｍ．Ｅ．Ａ．Ｂ）

３

放射性物質を含む巨大な積乱雲
Ｇｉgａｎｔｉｃ ｄａｒｋ ｒａｄｉｏａｃｔｉｖｅ ｃｌｏｕｄ （ｃｕｍｕｌｏｎｉｍｂｕｓ）

１９４５．８．６ ａｔ ｎｏｏｎ 松重三男撮影

北方から広島市内を望む

４

部外秘とされた屋外生徒の死亡率曲線
Ｍｏｒｔａｌｉｔｙ ｒａｔｅ ｏｆ “ｕｎｓｈｉｅｌｄｅｄ” ｗｏｒｋｉｎｇ ｓｔｕｄｅｎｔｓ
９３．８％
８３．７％
屋外被爆

１．０

ＲＥＳＴＲＩＣＴＥＤ

２．０

３．０ ｋｍ

部外秘（Ｍ．Ｅ．Ａ．Ｂ）

18

５
Ｎａｇａｓａｋｉ

倒壊家屋の下で焼死した被爆者のそばに立つ若い婦人

Ｙｏｕｎｇ ｗｏｍａｎ ｓｔａｎｄｉｎｇ ｂｅｓｉｄｅａ ｂｕｒｎｔ ｂｏｄｙ

焼死体 ａ ｂｕｒｎｔ ｂｏｄｙ
８月１０日 山端庸介撮影

６
Ｓａｋａ ｔｏｗｎ （Ｈｉｒｏｓｈｉｍａ Ｐｒｅｆ．）
１９５２

物言えぬ遺体 ・・・
ｉｎｅｘｈａｕｓｉｂｌｅ “ Ｗｈｙ ” ，ｆｒｏｍ ｃａｖｉｔｉｅｓ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｏｒｂｉｔｓ

１９５２年、安芸郡坂町で土葬された

被爆者遺体が１５６体発見された

中国新聞社撮影

７

放射能症の不可逆的経過
Ｉｒｒｅｖｅｒｓｉｂｌｅ ｃｏｕｒｓｅ ｏｆ ｒａｄｉａｔｉｏｎ ｉｎｊｕｒｙ
２１歳男性、１０００ｍ
Ａｇｅ ２１ Ｍａｌｅ，１０００ ｍｅｔｅｒｓ

１９４５．８．６

８．１８

切創 Ｗｏｕｎｄ脱毛 Ｅｐｉｌａｔｉｏｎ
出血 Ｈｅｍｏｒｒａｇｅ

８．２９
８．３１
９．１
９．２
９．３

発熱 Ｆｅｖｅｒ
扁桃腺炎 Ｔｏｎｓｉｌｌｉｔｉｓ
意識朦朧 Ｄｅｌｉｒｉｕｍ
死亡

Ｄｅａｄ，２８ｔｈ ｄａｙ
死亡２時間前の写真 木村権一撮影
Ｐｈｏｔｏ ｔａｋｅｎ ２ ｈｒｓ ｂｅｆｏｒｅ ｄｅａｔｈ19

８

細菌感染に思うままにされている人体

Ｂａｃｉｌｌｉ ｒｕｌｅｄ ｔｈｅ ｂｏｄｙ

２９歳、男性、１０００ｍ被爆、２９日目死亡、骨髄中の細菌群

Ａｇｅ ２９ Ｍａｌｅ，１０００ ｍｅｔｅｒｓ，ｄｉｅｄ ｏｎ ２９ｔｈ ｄａｙ，ｂａｃｉｌｌｉ ｉｎ ｂｏｎｅ ｍａｒｒｏｗ

白血球にまったく攻撃（貪食）されない細菌たち

Ｂａｃｉｌｌｉ ｉｎ ｌａｒｇｅ ｎｕｍｂｅｒｓ
ｗｉｔｈｏｕｔ ｃｅｌｌｕｌａｒ ｒｅａｃｔｉｏｎ（Ｍ．Ｅ．Ａ．Ｂ）

９

全身臓器からのとまらない出血

Ｕｎｃｏｎｔｒｏｌｌｅｄ ｂｌｅｅｄｉｎｇ

２３歳、男性、９００ ｍ 被爆、９月１日死亡 （２６日目） 心臓の出血

Ａｇｅ ２３ Ｍａｌｅ，９００ ｍｅｔｅｒｓ，ｄｉｅｄ ｏｎ ２６ｔｈ ｄａｙ，ｈｅｍｏｒｒｈａｇｅ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｈｅａｒｔ

心臓外膜の点状出血斑
Ｐｅｔｅｃｈｉａｅ ｉｎ ｅｐｉｃａｒｄｉｕｍ（Ｍ．Ｅ．Ａ．Ｂ）

１０

生きる ・・・
Ｗｅ ｗｉｌｌ ｇｏ ｏｎ ｌｉｖｉｎｇ ・・・
Ｎａｇａｓａｋｉ １９４５．８．１０

Ｈｉｒｏｓｈｉｍａ １９５５．８．６
Ｈｉｂａｋｕｓｈａ ５０，０００ Ｐｅａｃｅ ｍｅｍｏｒｉａｌ ｐａｒｋｂｒｏｔｈｅｒｓ
山端庸介撮影中国新聞社撮影

ｃｆ．１９５７年 医療法制定
Ａ‐ Ｂｏｍｂ ｍｅｄｉｃａｌ ｒｅｌｉｅｆ ｌａｗ

20

１１

５５年経過後も白血病リスクは消失していない
Ｉｎｃｒｅａｓｅｄ ＥＲＲ ｏｆ ｌｅｕｋｅｍｉａ ５５ ｙｅａｒｓ ａｆｔｅｒ ｔｈｅ ｂｏｍｂｉｎｇｓ
過剰相対リスク／Ｇｙ
ｅｘｃｅｓｓ ｒｅｌａｔｉｖｅ ｒｉｓｋ／Ｇｙ

１０歳被爆 Ｅｘｐｏｓｅｄ ａｔ ａｇｅ １０
３０
５０

年齢
ａｔｔａｉｎｅｄ ａｇｅ

Ｈｓｕ ｅｔ ａｌ． Ｒａｄiat Res ２０１３、齋藤作図

ＥＲＲ＞０

１２

最後に
Ｉｎ ｃｏｎｃｌｕｓｉｏｎ， Ｉ ｗａｎｔ ｔｏ ｍａｋｅ ｔｗｏ ｐｏｉｎｔｓ

参加総数２６２７名
内、海外代表１４か国５２名
Ｈｉｒｏｓｈｉｍａ １９５５．８．６－８．８
中国新聞社撮影

Conference. Austria reminds me of “The Soundof Music”, a musical film about the resistanceagainst Nazi Germany’s military by the von Trapps,
a proud Austrian family.
On June 26 this year, NHK satellite TV aired averyinteresting
documentaryfeaturingAmbassador Kmentt, entitled “What Was behind
the Breakdown” (A Convention to Prohibit andEliminate Nuclear Weapons and a Diplomat). At
the opening, the narrator said, “We witnessed how
ripples created by a diplomat grew into waves”.
Unfortunately, the NPT Review Conference
failed to adopt a final document. Although the draft
final document did not refer to “a convention
banning nuclear weapons”, it included thefollowing passage: “The Conference recommends
that the United Nations General Assembly

Miyahara Tetsuro, Lawyer
General Secretary, National Liaison ofCounsels for Collective A-Bomb Lawsuits
Exposure to A-bomb Radiation andInhumanity of Nuclear Weapons
1. International currents on the humanitarian
impact of nuclear weapons(1) Intervention of Disarmament Ambassador
Kmentt
It is a well-known fact that H.E. Mr. Alexander
Kmentt, Austrian Ambassador for Disarmament(49 years old), was a key player in building up
support for a “convention to prohibit and eliminate
nuclear weapons” during the latest NPT Review

21establish at its seventieth session an open-ended
working group to identify and elaborate effective
measures for the full implementation of article VI,
including legal provisions or other arrangementsthat contribute to and are required for theachievement and maintenance of a world without
nuclear weapons”. Asked about the inclusion ofthis passage, which was included in the final draft,the ambassador told that it was a significant
achievement; we succeeded in changing theperception of nuclear weapons”.
In thebackground of this comment, there was an attitudeof nuclear weapon states that claimed in unison
that a step-by-step approach should be the mosteffective and tangible way to achieve nuclear
disarmament, while insisting that moreconsideration should be given to the global
security environment.
What is more, as many as 159 countries,
including Japan, supported the “Joint Statement on
the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear
Weapons”.
Referring
to
this,
U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that those
support the joint statement account for about 80
percent of UN members; and this fact must not be
overlooked.
Austria’s “Humanitarian Pledge” (renamed
from “Austrian Pledge”) calling for filling the legal
gap for the prohibition and elimination of nuclear
weapons was supported by a growing number ofstates. The number of those states increased from76 at the beginning to 107 at the end. In
explaining this development, Ambassador Kmenttsaid that during the Conference, the more
confidence in the discussions about nuclear
disarmament lost, the more support for the Pledge
increased.
I was particularly impressed by footage shownat the end of the NHK documentary. Soon after it
became certain that the final document would not
be adopted, Ambassador Kmentt spoke at theclosing of the Conference. Guess what he said.
Instead of making a speech, he called out thenames of all 107 endorsing countries and territories
in alphabetical order beginning with Afghanistan
and Argentine.
Ambassador Kmentt looked confident when hesaid that to appeal the folly of maintaining nuclear
weapons is the mission of us, have-nots. He alsostressed that there are many obstacles but that weshould not give up, as so many countries aresupporting the proposal of a single country”.
(2) Global Tide Denouncing the Humanitarian
impact of Nuclear Weapons
It may be somewhat misleading to say that acall made by a single diplomat eventually gave rise
to a new trend, because discussions had alreadyoccurred and a number of resolutions had been
adopted in the First Committee of the United
Nations General Assembly on the inhumane effectsof nuclear weapons.
And what I consider
particularly important is a series of “international
conferences on the humanitarian impact of nuclear
weapons” held first in Oslo, Norway, in March
2013, then in Nayarit, Mexico, in February 2014,
and finally in Vienna, Austria in December 2014.
The chair’s summary of the Conference inNayarit, Mexico, states: “awareness of thehumanitarian impact of nuclear weapons is alreadychanging the hearts and minds worldwide of thoseengaging in discussions concerning nuclear
weapons. The broad-based and comprehensive
discussions on the humanitarian impact of nuclear
weapons should lead to the commitment of States
and civil society to reach new international
standards and norms, through a legally binding
instrument”.
2. What does the humanitarian impact of
nuclear weapons mean?
(1) Introduction
People around the world came to share acommon awareness of the inhumane impact of theuse of nuclear weapons thanks to the great
contribution of Hibakusha’s testimonies about theactual damage and after-effects of the atomic
bombings. There have been numerous cases inwhich A-bomb survivors who, years after sufferingfrom the A-bombing, developed heart diseases orliver diseases, not to mention cancers and leukemia,
even though they had barely thought of the effectof the atomic bombing before. In dealing withthis issue, we lawyers have for more than 10 years
fought in support of over 400 Hibakusha in theircourt battles, along with Hibakusha and theirsupporters who are calling for the abolition of
nuclear weapons. I would like to look at themeaning of the damage and after-effects of theatomic bombing, the struggle of the Hibakusha,
and why their calls capture the hearts of the people
around the world.
(2) A-Bomb Damage is not only the devastation
immediately after the atomic bombing
a. Testimonies of Hibakusha first remind usof the devastation immediately following the
A-bomb detonation. Survivors had their own
houses destroyed, lost their relatives and neighbors
and were deprived of their work. The city they
lived in was destroyed. Human connections
between people, things that made people human,and everything that had been familiar to people
were annihilated in an instant, taken by atremendous force that had nothing to do withhumanity. Anybody can understand how cruel it

22

was. However, the Hibakusha’s sufferings are notlimited to what they went through on that day.
b. Sense of guilt: There are countless poignant
stories:
Parents had to leave behind theirchildren; children had to leave behind theirparents; husbands had to leave their wives, or
wives had to leave behind their husbands in a seaof flames. Here is a story told by a Hibakusha: “Iwalked around desperately searching for my family.
I became heartless. If I had remained merciful, I
would not have been so coldhearted as to stomp
over bodies. What scared me most were the eyesof those who were burned black. It was as if they
were calling on someone to rescue them.”
Dr. Robert J. Lifton, an eminent psychiatrist,
wrote that the Hibakusha have a strong “sense of
guilt” for having survived at the sacrifice of others(“Death in Life--Survivors of Hiroshima”).
c. Obstruction of the Relief Operation by
GHQ and the Policy of the Japanese
Government: Dr. Marcel Junod on September 2nd
received a telegram from Bilfinger whom he had
sent to Hiroshima to investigate the city’s
devastation. It read: "Visited Hiroshima thirtieth,
conditions appalling stop city wiped out, eighty
percent all hospitals destroyed or seriously
damaged; inspected two emergency hospitals,
conditions beyond description full stop effect ofbomb mysteriously serious stop many victims,
apparently recovering, suddenly suffer fatal
relapse due to decomposition of white blood cells
and other internal injuries, now dying in great
numbers stop estimated still over one hundred
thousand wounded in emergency hospitals locatedsurroundings, sadly lacking bandaging materials,
medicines stop please solemnly appeal to allied
high command consider immediate air-drop relief
action over centre city stop required: substantial
quantities bandages, surgical pads, ointments forburns, sulphamides, also blood plasma andtransfusion equipment stop immediate action
highly desirable, also dispatch medical
investigation commission stop report follows;
confirm receipt”
Dr. Junod on September 3rd went to theSupreme Command of the Allied Forces, carrying
with him the telegram and the pictures depicting
the catastrophic state of Hiroshima borrowed fromthe Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He met
with Brigadier General Sams in charge of theGeneral Headquarters and requested to urgently
send to Hiroshima foods and medicines for thevictims. Despite this, only 15 tons of relief stuffs
were transported to Hiroshima on September 8th.
On the contrary, Brigadier General Thomas
Farrell, assistant head for the Manhattan Project,
on September 6th met foreign reporters at theImperial Hotel in Tokyo to announce that “all those
who should die have died and as of early
September, none is suffering from A-bombradiation”.
However, as he spoke, over ahundred survivors were dying in intense agony andtens of thousands others were suffering from
A-bomb disease in first-aid shelters in Hiroshima
and Nagasaki (“The A-Bomb Crime” by SHIINA
Masae).
The United States tried to black out theexistence of suffering Hibakusha from society
primarily because they needed to cover up theatrocity and inhumane nature of the atomic bomb,as it would provide the strongest evidence that theatomic bomb is a weapon of mass destruction
prohibitedbyinternationallawthat
indiscriminately inflicts unnecessary sufferingsand pains upon people. On September 19, GHQ
issued the press code that lasted until the end of theoccupation in April 1952. As a result, noJapanese newspapers, with a very few exceptions,
reported anything about the atomic bombing of thetwo cities.
In addition, the Japanese government did notprovide any concrete and positive relief to thesurvivors who were suffering in a dismal situationthat was like an inferno.
d. “Do You Know Sadako?” -- Atomic Bomb
Disease: Have you ever heard the phrase “Do you
know Sadako?” How many Japanese people havebeen asked this question when they traveled
abroad? But I wonder how many of them said
“Yes, I do” and was able to explain about Sadako?
In Peace Park in Hiroshima stands a statue of
warning.
It’s the bronze statue of Sadako(entitled “A-Bomb Child”) stretching her arms
high towards the sky, holding a golden paper crane.
Many of you remember seeing it once. A large
number of folded paper cranes are offered to
Sadako’s statue.
The novel “Sadako Will Leben” (Sadako Wants
to Live), written by Karl Bruckner, a writer born in
Vienna, has been translated in 22 countries aroundthe world. It is a long-seller that has been read bymore than 2 million people. I want as many
people as possible to read the message of Bruckner.
It contributes to achieving a world without nuclear
weapons.
Sadako was born as the first daughter of abarber. She was two years old and was at home
at about 1.7 km from the hypocenter when theatomic bomb was detonated. She was not injured
or burned. She grew up very healthy and wasgood at sports. When she was a sixth grader (12years old), she developed leukemia and wasadmitted to the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital.
She died after 8 months in the hospital. She

23

believed the legend that “your prayer will be heard
if you fold one thousand paper cranes”. She had
made more than one thousand paper cranes when
she died. The paper crane she made is now thesymbol of the Hibakusha movement.
In the book by Karl Bruckner, Sadako’s father
is quoted as saying: “This is beyond humanimagination. My daughter looked much healthierthan any other girls of her age. Two or three days
earlier, she had taken part in a bicycle race andovertook many other racers. She was suddenlyattacked with the disease. It came after 10
carefree and happy years of joyful and playful
childhood. She was stricken and laid flat by asingle flash.
After 10 years, the Pikadon(A-bomb) was looking for new victims again, as if
the death of 210,000 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
was not enough”.
Sadako’s story deeply touches our hearts andconvinces us that how merciless the atomic bombis even towards a defenseless innocent child.
e. Suffering of the Hibakusha: In his book,
Bruckner wrote: “The 20th century science
succeeded in inventing the atomic bomb but it has
not been able to invent the means to heal thewounds it inflicts”. The unhealed wound is thedelayed radiation effect. Lifton described it inharsher terms as “Carved seal of death”.
The Hibakusha are terrified not only to see
people around them who are apparently healthy
dying suddenly, but also to witness the brutal
deaths that come after they become weak andvomit blood. A healthy man whom they see
cheerfully riding a bicycle in the morning diessuddenly vomiting blood.
Many of you may have heard the word
“A-bomb bura-bura disease”. Bura-bura disease
is a symptom with an unknown cause. It includes
physical conditions that make people feel tired
easily or weary, and fall ill easily due to themal-function of their immune system. Due to thisafter-effect, many Hibakusha have difficulty
getting a steady job and making ends meet. The
Hibakusha would force themselves to work andfall ill. They are thus inevitably driven into an
inescapable plight.
What is more, Hibakusha are constantly
tormented by feelings of guilt for those who were
killed by the atomic bombing and are troubled withphysical disorders caused by the bombing, loss offamily members and discrimination in marriage
and getting jobs.
Worse still, Japanese politics completely
neglected the Hibakusha when they most needed
public help and assistance in every aspect of theirliving. The Hibakusha were therefore obliged tohelp themselves and try to meet their own needs.

It was a “decade of distress” under the U.S.
occupation that covered up the damage by
suppressing the media and speech and under thepolicy of successive Japanese governments that
could be described as abandonment of the people”.
(“Transforming
A-bombExperience
into
Philosophy” by ISHIDA Tadashi). Imagine howhuman beings feel when they are placed in such asituation.
3. Conclusion –Hibakusha rising from distress(1) A considerable number of Hibakusha havelost the will to live on, continuously tortured by thefear of living without knowing when it ends, of theend that may come anytime and of A-bomb disease
that may also develop anytime. If there is no
meaning to live today, there will be anothermeaningless 24 hours tomorrow. One may say, “I
have lived for nothing meaningful” or “There is no
meaning to life.” They began to suffer evendeeper feelings of loneliness and despair. Theygave up trying to be connected to the society they
once belonged to. In fact, many Hibakusha
thought: “I do not care what happens to society andto other people, and I do not care what they may
do. It does not concern me at all” (“Transforming
A-bomb Experience into Philosophy” by ISHIDA
Tadashi).
(2) Hibakusha Rising to Fight: On August 10,
1956, after the 2nd World Conference against A
and H Bombs, Hibakusha decided to rise up andestablish the Japan Confederation of A- and
H-BombSufferers
Organizations(NihonHidankyo).
The founding aim of Nihon
Hidankyo was to demand the abolition of nuclear
weapons (to allow no more Hibakusha to becreated). It also demanded that the national
government provide state compensation byenacting a Hibakusha aid law based on
acknowledgement of the state’s responsibility for
the war.
Nihon Hidankyo has been actively engaged inactions. It has organized various campaigns andother initiatives such as nationwide petitions,representations to members of the Diet(parliament), political parties and the government,
signature drives, nationwide caravans, rallies andsit-ins in front of the health ministry. Hibakusha
aid bills were introduced to the Diet several times
and scrapped several times, but as a result of ourcampaigning, we have won three laws providing
aid to Hibakusha.
In parallel with this movement, in April 1955,
the Shimoda A-bomb lawsuit was filed with theTokyo District Court. The plaintiffs claimed thatthe use of nuclear weapons is a violation ofinternational law. It was followed by individual24lawsuits for A-bomb disease recognition filed by
Ishida, Kuwahara, Matsuya and Konishi. In
addition to these, lawsuits were filed by Hibakusha
living outside Japan such as the Son A-bomb
lawsuit for state compensation. The Hibakusha arefighting for justice about the delayed effects of
exposure to atomic bomb radiation. These are theconcerted lawsuits in which we lawyers arefighting side by side with the Hibakusha for
A-bomb disease recognition, in what we call “No
More Hibakusha Lawsuits”.
Nihon Hidankyo is also very active
internationally in the campaign to achieve theelimination of nuclear weapons. It contributed toholding the three special sessions of the UN
General Assembly on nuclear disarmament (SSD I,
II and III) as well as to getting the advisory
opinion from the International Court of Justice(ICJ) recognizing that the use and threat of use of
nuclear weapons is against international law,
especially humanitarian law. The actions of the
Hibakusha for international solidarity gradually
made the names of Hiroshima and Nagasaki enter
the common language around the world.
(3) Transforming A-Bomb Experience into a
Philosophy:
ISHIDA Tadashi, Professor
Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University, in a series ofwritings
entitled“Transforming
A-BombExperience into a Philosophy” presented the words
of a Hibakusha who said: “What I, and only I, cando as a Hibakusha is to tell the world about the
problems facing Hibakusha and to strive for theelimination of war and of nuclear weapons.
Ishida then wrote: “Only by resisting theoverwhelmingly painful experience of the atomic
bombing and confronting it courageously, by going
through this fight or this resistance, will they beable to recover their dignity and pride as humanbeings and accept and assert themselves as they
are”.
What Hibakusha want is not compassion orpity based on a negative stereotyped perceptionthat Hibakusha are weak, tragic and miserable
people. Ms. Watanabe Chieko, a Hibakusha ofNagasaki, said: “I do not want to capitalize on mybeing an A-bomb survivor. I do not want to liveon the pity or compassion of others”. She also
said: “If you feel any compassion or pity for
Hibakusha, please act with me” (from the samebook).
In concluding, allow me to quote the words of
Ms. Watanabe Chieko who was 16 years old at thetime of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Here iswhat she said on the founding of Nihon Hidankyo.
“An American atomic bomb took away the
springtime of my life. It deprived me forever of themost beautiful days of my life. I tried many times

to kill myself. My sufferings lasted 10 long years.
I am still bedridden, but I have begun to live a newlife as a woman who believes in the future ofhumanity. The atomic bombing tried to destroyme, but a movement for destroying the atom bomb
has started.
Without the Movement against
Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, I would not have
lived till this day” (From “The A-Bomb Crime” by
SHIINA Masae).
The call of the Hibakusha was born from theiruntold sufferings and it has spread. They give
their lives to this call. Their movement is theirresistance to the atomic bombs. We are deeply
touched by their call because we somehow feelthat it is the starting point for all of us who live inthis nuclear age.

Abacca Anjain Maddison
Ex-Senator/ President of Iju in Ean,
Rongelap Atoll, Marshall Islands“A-Bomb Damage of Hiroshima and Nagasaki;
Struggles of the Hibakusha”
At this 70th year of the atomic bombing inJapan we should ask the question. What does it
mean? What is to you as an individual, as acommunity, as a nation? Have we done enough?
Are we doing the right thing? What is the next
step?
I am from the Marshall Islands, a former
senator for people of Rongelap and currently thepresident of Iju in Ean club, a non-profit
organization owned by Rongelapese women. I
am very honored to be at this very important
conference and on behalf of the Hibakushas andfamilies from Rongelap I express our sincere
appreciation to the Japanese people for yourcontinued support and friendship and thankGensuikyo for the invitation.
I have been involved in the movement
advocating for justice and human rights since I was
13 years old. My father was the first Senator of
Rongelap. He led the people out of contaminatedhomeland to a temporary home on Mejatto Island
at Kwajalein Atoll and convinced US Congress toadmit that radiation level on Rongelap is beyond
safety standard and approved a resettlement trust
fund and called for immediate actions for clean-up
and humanitarian assistance to improve their living
conditions. This whole experience have taught
me a great deal and in fact it’s an inheritance thathas enriched life and has made me strong as aperson who has nothing but strong will to speakout for human rights.
Sixty-one years ago, a hydrogen bomb called25

Bravo Shot was detonated on Bikini Atoll on
March 1, 1954. Its destructive power was 1,000
times greater than Hiroshima bomb and it was oneof the 67 bombs US Military tested as part of thebomb testing program in the 1940s and 50s.
Bravo Shot is a code name the United States usedbecause it was a huge success as designed andintended. It made the US victorious in the arms
and super power race world-wide until today.
However, the other side of the story is the peopleof Rongelap and Marshallese people. Bravo shotbrought devastations to our land and environment,
damaged our health and livelihood, violated ourhuman rights and forever changed our lives.
Late John Anjain, then Mayor and a victim of
Bravo shot, also taught me a lot about his
experience: As a result of US bomb testing
program how his family and Ronglapese people
overtime were inhumanely mistreated and suffered.
Ordinarily in our culture, the elderly tell stories(folklore) to children, which we call ‘inon’, butinstead Uncle John was telling horror stories.
The bomb changed our culture and the way of ourlife and the younger generations have no choice
but to live in the shadow of the bomb that includes
suffering and death by radiation-induced diseases.
On the day the bomb was exploded, the sky
displayed beautiful colors; but all of sudden loudthundering noise was heard; he thought the war
broke out and then the strong wind blew off houses
and he himself almost fell off his feet that reallyfrightened him and everyone on the island. Lateron, flakes fell off from the sky; he thought it wassnow, children thought it was soap so they playedwith them putting on their hair and skin. Not for
long, every one of all 85 residents including infants
suffered from skin burns, itchiness, eyes irritation,
nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Three days later
everyone was moved to a military camp on
Kwajalein.
Three years after they were told Rongelap was
safe and they returned in 1957, that’s when all thediseases appeared and people were transferred to
US where medical treatment was available.
Women gave birth to deformed and monster-likebabies and had multiple miscarriages. Men andwomen were suffering from various types ofcancerous illnesses including breast, liver and lungcancers. Today the Nuclear Claims Tribunal isclosed and all claimants from other atolls including
the Hibakusha have yet to collect half of theiraward from personal injuries and billion dollars
more for land damages.
The people of Rongelap continue to live on atemporary home island called Mejatto where life ishard. Some have moved on to other islands andUnited States as well seeking better health care anda better life. Like Fukushima, Rongelap atoll is aghost town where brand new houses await forpeople to return but great fear still remain in alarge number of community people. They don’t
trust the United States even after it declared
Rongelap to be safe from radiation and regardlessof ultimatum of withholding financial resourcesand other benefits.
There is too much burden our governments has
to absorb now. Climate change and sea level riseis increasingly a threat to our islands, so that thepeople of Bikini on Kili Island has declared a stateof emergency. The biggest inundation this year
destroyed the environment.
Sea water isspringing in the middle of the island, causing
floods, breaking up the septic tanks and flooding
homes. It’s so bad that they are reconsidering
moving out of the island and calling on US to takeresponsibility should there be a repatriation.
Unpredicted storms and waves are becoming thenorm. Three weeks ago Majuro had an historicalincidents of big boats capsized, ran aground orcollided in the lagoon and people’s beach front andsea walls, causing oil and gas spill in the lagoon.
Marshallese Government is trying to make anassessment but already from what it looks, it willcause cost money the Government doesn’t have.
Although it is a great disappointment to hear
the end result of the NPT this year, we all gave ourbest try but we expected it the way it did. For
Marshall Islands, it gives us all the more reasons tohold steady and remain strong with the law suit
initiated at the International Court of Justice.
However, there is a need for more and more
support from individuals to sign on, especiallyfrom countries to sign on. Please help us lobby.
This case is for all of us to save human kind.
Early this year, Ms. Tsuchida came to the
Marshall Islands accompanying a journalist. At
that time we were preparing to hold the first forum
on nuclear and human right issues. It was a big
help to make our people understand from theinternational stand point how important it is to
network and to be in solidarity. Thank you
Gensuikyo for always in our support and I
understand there is a plan to visit Enewetak
community, too. They really need your help.
They are currently suffering from 3 typhoons.
They are worried about contaminant waste
underneath the dome to spread out to residential
areas. I hope this visit will be materialized thisyear.
The theme of this session is ‘A-Bomb Damageof Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Struggles of the
Hibakusha” it is very fitting to the story of thepeople of Rongelap and Marshall Islands as awhole.
The world should learn from the26

experience of the Hibakusha and their struggles toensure such tragedy should never be repeated.
Lemeyo Abon, a survivor and advocate for humanrights from Rongelap atoll expressed her desire for
United States to put an end to her sufferings andinjustice by making the return of her children andgrandchildren to Rongelap possible andeliminating nuclear weapons in her life time. She
is now 78 years old. “Money can’t bring back the
lives of my families I’ve lost, so this is the least
United States could do” she said.
In closing, I’d like to include a message from
Minister Tony deBrum. He says, “My heart andsoul are a part of Gensuikyo and I believe with all
my being in what they are doing and fightingfor. I just wish I could be in three places at one
time. Japan is also making rather confusing
moves in Climate Change, Nuclear Peace andSanity, as well as in its Defense and Military
Ambitions in the world. So this would have beena good time to visit but please tell them my not
being there cannot be in any way interpreted tomean I am less committed...I am just too old andcannot stretch as long as I used to be able
too. Please give them my love and respect asalways and you can speak with confidence for allof us.”

20 years in a form of 1-yen coin donationcollection, to support the victims of the Chernobyl
nuclear power plant accident, especially to give
preventive vaccine of thyroid cancer for children.
The final part of the program was a signingceremony. In order to ensure employment of morethan 2000 survivors of the accident, an agreement
was signed between the charity organization “Our
Coast”, for which Dr. Gediminas Rimdeika serves
as the vice-president, and a governmental
employment agency, similar to the Japanese Public
Employment Security Office.
Unfortunately, Dr. Rimdeika cannot attend thisyear’s World Conference, so he asked me tosubmit the report of the ceremony and conference
to the chair of the World Conference, along withhis condolences at the 70th anniversary of theHiroshima and Nagasaki tragedy and his best
wishes for a success of this year’s World
Conference.
Now, allow me to read out the message from
Dr. Rimdeika.
*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Message to the International Meeting of
the World Conference against A and H
Bombs
Gediminas Rimdeika
Vice President of the Lithuanian
Chernobyl Fund “Our Shore”

Fukao Toshiko
Fukuoka-Nishi Chapter, New Japan
Women’s Association

Dear Chairman of the Conference, dear
Conference participants,
Today the whole world is commemorating an
unprecedented event, the 70th year anniversary ofHiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb explosions.
We,
Lithuanian
Chernobyl
members,
Chernobyl emergency workers, since 1992, when
Gensuikyo delegation arrived in Lithuania, led by
Isamu Kimura, actively started to take part in yourstruggle to prohibit and abolish the nuclear
weapon.
Lithuanian schools for several years organized
the children’s drawing competitions – how they
understand the tragedy of Japan, and the best
works were brought to Japan, we organized thecollections of the signatures as well, fromschoolchildren, students, nurses, ministers,
members of the Lithuanian Parliament.
The Lithuanian Parliament chairpersons, theheads of the Government of Lithuania haverepeatedly sent the support and congratulatory
letters for Global Conferences. Each year, while
commemorating the anniversary of the Chernobyl
accident, more than 7,000 young Lithuanian men

Report and Message from Lithuania
Hello. I am Fukao Toshiko of the New Japan
Women’s Association’s Fukuoka-Nishi Chapter.
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak
here.
Together with Mr. Kimura Isamu, former
secretary general of Fukuoka Gensuikyo, I
attended the 29th memorial ceremony of theChernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident held in
Vilnius, Lithuania on April 27th.
The event consisted of a memorial ceremony,an international conference and a commendation
ceremony conducted in Lithuanian and Latvian
languages. They were very fruitful, sincere andinteresting. At the international conference, anactive exchange took place, including thepresentation made by the representative of Latvia.
At the commendation ceremony, Mr. Kimura wasawarded for his significant support to thedevelopment of the Chernobyl movement in
Lithuania. I also received an award on behalf of
the Fukuoka-Nishi Chapter of the New Japan
Women’s Association for sending donation over27

were taken to emergency works, at the conferences
we discuss the painful past of Japan too. This
year’s Chernobyl annual conference we dedicatedto commemorate the tragedy of Hiroshima andNagasaki. Please accept our conference printed
material.
We all understand and accept Your goal – toeliminate nuclear weapons. A man cannot livewith a nuclear weapon, as well as the so called“peaceful atom”, as there is no safe nuclear power– there is no peaceful atom. Chernobyl, and later
happened bigger or smaller accidents at nuclear
power plants, just confirmed that one more time.
We welcome the world’s countries and theirgovernments that stop the nuclear power work,
while Germany has already decided in 2022 tocompletely close all operating nuclear power
plants. We welcome the these days reachedagreement of the world’s countries to limit Iran’scapability to build a nuclear weapon; that is a great
merit of the United Nations as well.

Today we want to thank the Japanese nation,
the nation that lived through the tragedy and stillfound the strength to rise to the global fight for thewelfare of other countries on banning nuclear
weapons and its abolition. In this difficult, but very
meaningful fight the whole world and a little
Lithuania is together with You. We want to thank
You for the great support, which Japanese
specialists – doctors, gave us. With their help wehave improved the treatment therapies ofChernobyl members, as well as improved theirhealth condition.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Bikini Atoll,
Chernobyl, Semipalatinsk, Nevada, Lop Nor – thisis the most shameful list, we must say STOP for its
extension. Your seventy years ago started Peacemarch across the World today gives the results. We
join it and urge all advanced forces in the World tofollow the Japanese people AND WORKTOWARDS THE GLOBAL ABOLITION OF
NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
LIVE WITHOUT NUCLEAR POWER.

28

Plenary Session II:
International Treaty for a Total Ban on Nuclear Weapons; A Nuclear
Weapon-Free World; Role of Peace Movement and Civil Society（August 2）
Conference and joined our Peace and Planet
Mobilization. Many of our conference
participants reported that our opening ceremony,with talks by Taniguchi-san and Thurlow-san,
was a transformational high point for them. And
the Hibakusha in wheelchairs who led andnavigated the obstacles of our two mile march to
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, where eight million
abolition petition signatures were delivered to the
Review Conference, demonstrated inspiring
commitment and courage.
This 70th anniversary is a moment ofcontradictions. Together, we have avoided nuclear
war for seven decades, and we did much of thework that led 113 governments to sign the
Humanitarian Pledge “to cooperate with all relevant
stakeholders, states, international organizations, the
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,
parliamentarians and civil society, in efforts tostigmatize, prohibit and eliminate nuclear weaponsin light of their unacceptable humanitarianconsequences and associated risks.” Recall
Ambassador Kmentt’s participation in thisconference last year, and appreciate the profound
impacts it had on him, and thus on the Austrian
government. With our work and the Pledge, wehave widened the gap between the majority of theworld’s nations and the nuclear powers – providing
a stronger foundation and new opportunities toachieve a nuclear-weapons free world.
BUT, even as we support the diplomacy thatprevailed in the nuclear deal with Iran, thepromised “good faith” negotiations for nuclear
weapons abolition have yet to begin. The double
standard remains, with Washington and Moscow
still having more than 90% of the world’s nearly
16,000 nuclear weapons. The US and Russia areagain exchanging nuclear threats, increasing thedangers of miscalculations like those that ignited
WWI one hundred years ago We’re faced with a
new era of U.S./NATO-Russia Cold War,increasingly militarized U.S./Japanese-Chinesecompetitive interdependence, Abe’s campaign toremilitarize Japan, and the modernization of thenuclear arsenals and their delivery systems. And
now we know that a small nuclear exchange
between India and Pakistan could lead to global
cooling, famine and the loss of two billion lives.

Introductory Reports:
Joseph Gerson
American Friends Service Committee(AFSC) - New England, U.S.A.
Contradictions, Dangers and Opportunities
Friends, I am honored to return to the World
Conference on the 70th anniversary of the UnitedStates’ criminal and indiscriminate A-bombings.
As you know, they were targeted against“densely packed workers homes”(i) and theSoviet Union. With the development and use of
nuclear weapons, humankind crossed thethreshold in which all life is held hostage to thosewilling to risk omnicide to protect their power
and privilege. Since then, in addition to our
campaigning to prevent nuclear war and to rid
the world of these weapons, luck has also played
its part in our survival of nuclear blackmail,reckless
dependence
on
deterrence,
miscalculations and nuclear accidents.
Hibakusha, who have channeled their
excruciating physical and emotional pain into themost powerful force for the abolition of theseweapons of mass murder warn us that humanbeings and nuclear weapons cannot coexist. And
the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, like the poet
Toge, instructs us to remember our humanity andforget the rest.
I want to celebrate the courage of politicallyengaged Hibakusha, who have found andexercised remarkable inner strength to share their
searing testimonies, who have travelled the world– sometimes rising from their hospital beds to doso – and who have appealed to humanity andgovernments to turn back from the path of
nuclear annihilation. I am among the world’s
most privileged people, having known and beentransformed by Hibakusha including Yamaguchi
Senji, Watanabe Chieko, Taniguchi Sumiteru,
Tanaka Terumi, Kodama Michiko, Kayashige
Junko, and global Hibakusha including Dorothy
Purley, Claudia Peterson, Nelson Anjain andPaul Ahpoy to name just a few.
The powerful influence of Hibakusha wasdemonstrated again in April, when they travelled
to New York on the eve of the NPT Review

29With the relative decline of US power andinfluence, the challenges posed by China’s rise to
the post-WW II dis-order imposed and enforcedby the US, and the collapse of the neo-colonial
order in the Middle East, we face a host of
uncertainties and potential dangers analogous to– but much more dangerous than - the 19th
century mercantile capitalist and colonial
competition. America’s grand strategy is in“disarray”(ii) with the Obama Administration andmost Democrats focused on China as the greatest
threat to U.S. hegemony. Meanwhile thePentagon, John McCain and the right-wing
fanatics competing for the Republicans Party’s
presidential nomination, who are blind to theways NATO’s and the EU’s aggressive
expansion sparked the Ukraine War and the new
era of confrontation, cry that Moscow poses thegreatest threat to the US. And, the U.S. is at war
with Jihadist forces generated by decades of U.S.
suppressionofArabnationalism
andWashington’s Afghanistan and Iraq Wars.
The one point of agreement among these war
hawks is doubling down on militarism –including plans to spend $1 trillion for new
nuclear weapons and their delivery systems.
The Abe government is also doubling down on
militarism. Despite the opposition of most Japanese,
Abe is following in the footsteps of his war
criminal and CIA –backed grandfather, Nobusuke
Kishi, who brutally and undemocratically rammed
through AMPO extension in 1960. Let me ask, is agovernment normal or legitimate when it mangles
its constitution, democratic process and values, andprepares for war? This is compounded by thegovernment’s denial of the history of Japan’s
aggressions and sexual slavery, its disregard of
popular will in Okinawa, and its campaign to trash
Article 9.
Gensuikyo’s resolute protests, Shinfujin’s red
cards, the opposition of constitutional scholars
and of many others to Abe’s war laws have been
essential. They are in the tradition of those who
resisted Japanese militarism in the 1930s and 40s.
They require all of the support that thosecommitted to democracy and peace can provide.

U.S. and other people from learning that many
senior U.S. wartime military leaders opposed the
A-bombings and from seeing photographs,
including of Taniguchi-san’s seared body, that
the U.S. Air Force Association and right-wing
members of Congress forced the cancellation of
the Smithsonian Museum’s exhibit on the 50th
anniversary of the A-bombings.
In fact, the consensus among US historians isthat the A-bombings were NOT needed to end
the war. U.S. Secretary of War Stimson had
advised Truman that Japan’s surrender could be
negotiated on terms acceptable to the UnitedStates; and military leaders, including General –later President - Eisenhower and Admiral Leahy,thought, “It wasn’t necessary to hit [Japanese]with that awful thing.”
Numerous factors, including Truman’selection calculations, vengeance, racism, andinstitutional inertia contributed to the decision todestroy Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But, as General
Groves told Joseph Rotblat in 1944, the bomb
was designed to deal with the Soviet Union. The
determinative reasons for the nuclear attacks
were to bring the war to an immediate end, sothat the U.S. could avoid sharing influence with
the Soviet Union in Northern China, Manchuria
and Korea and to intimidate Soviet leaders bydemonstrating the apocalyptic power of nuclear
weapons and Washington’s willingness to usethem – even against civilians.
Since then, the U.S., and to a lesser degree theother nuclear powers, have repeatedly used their
nuclear arsenals. Daniel Ellsberg explains that the
US has repeatedly used nuclear weapons “in theway that you use a gun when you point it atsomeone’s head in a confrontation….whether or
not you pull the trigger...[and] You’re also using it
when you have it on your hip ostentatiously.”
During wars and international crises, the US has
prepared and/or threatened to initiate nuclear war
on at least thirty occasions - at least 15 times
during the Korean and Vietnam Wars and crises
with China and at least 10 times to reinforce US
Middle East hegemony. And the grim truth is thateach of the other eight nuclear powers has madesuch threats or preparations at least once.

Hiroshima, Nagasaki & Nuclear Threats
There are also dangerous denials andcontinuities of history in my country, where thewidespread belief continues that the atomic
bombings were needed to end the war with Japan.
There is still also broad acceptance of Truman’s
propaganda lie that the A-bombs saved the livesof half a million US troops. These myths serveas the ideological foundations for continuing U.S.
preparations for nuclear war. It was to prevent

From the NPT Review to a Nuclear WeaponsFree World
Friends, going into this year’s NPT Review
Conference our expectations were not high, andyou know the outcome. The P-5 resisted allefforts by non-nuclear weapons states to draft afinal statement that would have required
meaningful progress toward negotiation of a
nuclear weapons convention, as required by30Article VI of the NPT. The Review Conference
collapsed in failure when the U.S., Britain andCanada refused to accept language requiring theconvening of the long-promised conference for a
Middle East Nuclear Weapons and WMD-Free
Zone. The US even said that the twenty-year old
promise is now null and void.
The Review Conference’s one achievement
was widening the gap between the non-nuclear
weapons states and the nuclear powers, codified
in the Humanitarian Pledge, which will be afoundation for future nuclear disarmament
initiatives, including the anticipated mandate thisfall from the U.N. General Assembly for a newOpen Ended Working Group.
While not wanting to overstate ourcontributions to this achievement, we shouldcelebrate decades of dedicated organizing andaction by Gensuikyo and our movements that
helped to build the growing internationalpressure for nuclear weapons abolition. Building
on our movement’s history and Ban Ki-moon’s
admonition in 2010 that governments alone will
not eliminate nuclear weapons, and that nuclear
weapons abolition cannot be won without broad
and intense pressure from below – we created thePeace & Planet mobilization to reassert people’s
power for a nuclear-free world.
We had two goals: First, to press the Review
Conference to take meaningful action toward
fulfilling the promise of Article VI. Second, tosupport, revitalize, and expand the bases of the
US and other nations’ abolition movements forthe longer-term. Gensuikyo’s leading roles in themobilization were critical to our successes. Your
strong presence and the spirit you brought to
New York inspired the thousands of people wegathered.
Angela Kane, the U.N. High
Representative
for
Disarmament
andAmbassador Taous Feroukhi, the President of the
Review Conference, were both deeply moved bytheir experiences with us. So much so that during
the opening days of the Review Conference they
instructed the hundreds of diplomats gathered at
the U.N. that our events and the nearly eight
million abolition petition signatures we presented
to them, represented the expectations anddemands of worldwide civil society.
Many of you here were among the roughly
600 people from 20 nations together for thePeace & Planet International Conference, which
provided a unique opportunity to learn from one
another and from experts, to explore theconnection between issues and our movements,
and to develop plans for the future. Nudged by
Rev. Mori of Japan Religionists for Peace, weorganized an International Interfaith Convocationthat drew a standing room audience and which
has received unstinting praise, including from theWorld Council of Churches. Between 7,000 and
10,000 people participated in our internationalrally, march and festival, with Angela Kane andAmbassador Feroukhi receiving the petition
signatures from Gensuikyo, Mayors for Peace(whose petitions were presented by the Mayor of
Hiroshima,) and by Peace & Planet’s CoConveners. Deeply moving was the launch of the
Global Peace Wave by a second-generation
Kazakh Hibakusha. Imagine seeing all of ourmore than 100 Peace Wave actions in more than
50 countries.
Essential to our mobilization were our socialand mainstream media campaigns. Via social
media, we reached thousands of young people
with our messaging. Nearly 20 articles appearedin the US press, including one that appeared in
250 media outlets. And we were inundated by
Japanese media.
As we say at conferences like this, we’re gladthat you’re here, but most important is the workthat we will all do when we return home. With
Peace and Planet we revitalized communitybased nuclear disarmament and peace movement
organizing in the US and elsewhere. We created,
identified and popularized a number of strategies
for future nuclear weapons abolition advocacy,
brought young activists into the movement, andmade connections to other issues and movements.
As we meet here, Peace and Planet activists
are holding commemorative and organizing
events across the US and internationally. Our
next major push, led by Unfold Zero, will be a
Global Peace Wave in September between theInternational Day of Peace and the International
Day for the Complete Elimination of Nuclear
Weapons.
Friends, as Daniel Ellsberg said during thePeace & Planet conference, we are living on
borrowed time in which human survival still
hangs in the balance. On this anniversary, here in
Hiroshima and in the presence of Hibakusha, let
us deepen our resolve that we will do all in our
power to ensure Never Again to Anyone, that
there are No More Hiroshimas. No MoreNagasakis. No More Nuclear Weapons. And No
More War.
----------------------------(i) Joseph Gerson. With Hiroshima Eyes: Atomic War,
Nuclear Extortion and Moral Imagination, Philadelphia:
New Society Publishers, 1995, p. 15(ii) Michael T. Klare. “The next Cold War is here: China,
Russia and the ghosts of Dwight Eisenhower”
http://www.salon.com/2015/07/02/the_next_cold_war_is_here_china_russia_and_the_ghosts_of_dwight_eisenho
wer_partner/31

have to endure severe cuts in public spending on
welfare with severe implications for the poor, theelderly and the infirm. The crisis does not affecteveryone in the same way and the gulf between
rich and poor widens. Existing policies areflawed and unsustainable. The failure to address
climate change is beginning to show in crop
failures and increased tensions over the scramble
for diminishing resources. Conflicts arising frompoverty and marginalisation have resulted insevere challenges and refugee problems. Yet
instead of addressing the root causes of these
problems governments are trying to divert ourattention by the use of scare tactics and anemphasis on military action which is only
leading to more problems. The aggressive
expansion of NATO in Europe and the US pushin the Pacific to contain Russia and China are
fuelling a new Cold War and associated arms
race. Despite all the additional humanitarian helpthat is needed, NATO is telling its members toincrease military spending and the nuclear
weapon states seem unprepared to relinquish thestatus that they think the possession of nuclear
weapons gives them.
However, people are looking for alternatives
to current failed strategies. In June some 250,000
people joined an anti-austerity march in London,
many carrying messages to scrap Trident. In
Scotland - where the Trident system is based –nuclear weapons became a huge issue during thevote on independence last year and in the run up
to the General Election in May. The Scottish
National Party brought a breath of fresh air to
British politics by saying loud and clear that
there is no place for weapons of mass destructionin Scotland. They won 56 of the 59 Scottish
parliamentary seats, 50 more than they had
previously, and destroyed the myth that nuclear
disarmament is an election loser. The result also
shook the Labour Party which lost 40 seats tothem, only retaining 1 seat in Scotland and losing
the election. Unfortunately, early indications arethat the Party may mistakenly feel it needs tomove even further to the right to get re-elected.
Even so, a significant number of young Labour
Party election candidates, some of whom were
elected as MPs, were in favour of scrapping
Trident and CND vice-chair Jeremy Corbyn isstanding in the Labour leadership contest anddoing very well! There is no other place in the
UK where Trident submarines could berth andforcing a replacement on a Scotland that refuses
it will not be easy for the government. It is evenpossible that the SNP will force another vote forindependence before a replacement for Trident
comes into service if they win that then there

Dave Webb
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
U.K.
It is a great honour for me to be here
representing the Campaign for Nuclear
Disarmament and I bring greetings and solidarity
from the UK. This year we are separated fromthe first use of nuclear weapons by 70 years - alifetime - and we will remember all of those lives
that were horribly cut short or severely affectedby those criminal acts. The resilience and passionof the Japanese peace movement and thecommitment of the Hibakusha to rid the world of
nuclear weapons continues to be an inspiration.
As we continue our struggle to rid Britain andthe world of nuclear weapons we are aware of theincreasing challenges you face here. The US has
pushed hard on Shinzo Abe to force through a law
through parliament to allow Japanese armed
forces to fight alongside its allies. This forced
reversal of your country’s renunciation of war andthe preparations for war through Article 9 of theJapanese constitution is an unforgivable action
taken by your Prime Minister against your wishes.
The ‘peace clause’ is respected internationally andyou have passionately supported and defended it.
We support and stand with you as you continue toresist the growing tide of militarism andaggression.
The outcome of the 2015 NPT Review
Conference made it clear that, despite thepressure exerted by non-nuclear weapon states
and the citizens of the world, the nuclear weapon
states have little intention of honouring Article 6of the NPT and moving in good faith towards
nuclear disarmament. However, 159 countries atthe conference signed the Joint Statement on the
Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons thatwas delivered by Austria and 113 countries havesigned the humanitarian pledge to ban nuclear
weapons. Although support for a ban is growing
it may not mean much until a nuclear state signs
up and so far none have. The UK is perhaps alikely candidate but is too closely tied to US
policy and we will need to work very hard to
make any progress. In 2016 the UK government
is set to vote on a £100 billion replacement forthe current Trident submarine based nuclear
weapons system which could tie us in to anuclear weapons programme for another 50 years.
The result of the general election a few months
ago means that it might not be a favourable
outcome for us and we will have to work hard to
make a breakthrough – but we will try!
We live in dangerous times, we are told thatthe global economy is in crisis and so we will32

could be nowhere for the nuclear submarines togo except the scrap yard!
The next few years will be difficult but likeyou we are committed to work for the totalelimination of nuclear weapons. Campaigners
around the world are saying that we need tostrengthen alliances with other campaigns andbuild stronger links with international groups.
Let us once more commit to our goal - and work
together until the last nuclear weapon is gone.
No more Hiroshimas! No more Nagasakis!
No more Fukushimas! No more Hibakusha!

What to do ?
Our objective is simple.
We will doeverything we can to help the project of the 107
countries. That means a treaty banning nuclear
weapons. European countries, for the majority,
constitute a major obstacle. It is necessary for us
to construct, with all urgency, a strategy for ourcontinent, and first of all our country, France.
- To construct a campaign for European
countries to join the 107 countries and support
Austria.
- To make the seventieth anniversary of theatomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki a
trampoline for this campaign. For example,
the Mouvement de la Paix organizes a debate
at the Memorial of Caen on the theme Seventy years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
what security for the people, with or without
Nuclear Deterrence ?
Regarding the direction of an effective
strategy, the debate is outstanding :What is likely to create or raise a publicdebate during which a dynamic campaign could
help us to win the majority of public opinion ? Is
it our continued opinion-based campaign,
founded on the denunciation of the destructive
power of atomic bombs, targeting a rise in thepressure of public opinion on our governments tofinally meet the commitments taken in 1992 bysigning the Non-Proliferation Treaty, or a new
campaign founded on human tragedy, the terrible
carnage of which would be provoked by atomic
explosion, signed before the harbinger end of theworld ? Does one not also have to demand
unilateral nuclear disarmement of our country in
the framework of its commitment to the sides of
the 107 countries on behalf of the adoption of thetreaty banning these weapons of terror and the
apocalypse ?
In any case, another struggle is on theinsufficient knowledge of public opinion, in ourcountry and across the world, about the tragedies
experienced in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, andabout the breadth of human disaster which it has
resulted in (which the international community
always had the tendency to neglect, even forget).
The struggle continues in making our citizens
aware of the tragic occurences experienced by
the people of Hiroshima since August 6, 1945
until today, and leading them to understand thethreat which weighs on humanity. Because ofthis they would have a reason to rally anddemand that leaders of our countries commit to
the European plan as well as the International, on
the side of Austria and the 107 other countries,
which have already mobilized.

Claude Ruelland
French Peace Movement
FranceIn the name of my delegation from France, I
would first like to greet the Japanese people, inparticular the Hibakushas, who had that tragic
experience, one of the most cruel whichhumanity has known in the twentieth century, 70
years ago, when, this abominable summer
morning, a monster collapsed on your city.
Although immediately following this tragedy
and over the next decades, people tried to erase
humanity's memory about the events which took
place, the Hibakushas, admirable with courageand dignity, gradually found the strength to rise
and remind the whole world, with the aid ofJapanese pacifist organizations, of that tragedy
which had instantly caused uncountable deaths
and then inexpressible suffering for these
decades, as well as for the next generations.
Admiring these people, who did not surrender
despite their physical and psychological suffering,our delegation wants to contribute with allmodesty required in the meeting today.
Alas, during the last NPT Review Conference
which was held in New York in May, thecountries armed with Nuclear Weapons,
following the example of France, did not want todisarm, and imposed their vision of international
security on the rest of the world, which isconstructed under permanent threat. This is
unacceptable.
Despite the fact that for the essentials theidea of Non-Proliferation functions well, the fivearmed States have still not realized theircommitments to disarmement. In fact, over theyears we have witnessed the permanence of
nuclear weapons solely reserved to the fivearmed countries, with their exlclusion to all theothers. The NPT Review Conferences haveshown that there is no consensus between thearmed states and the numerous other nations.

33

Review, and to deliver the voices of people of the
A-bombed country to the international politicalarena.
Unfortunately, the recent NPT Review
Conference failed to reach any agreement to takethe next step toward a nuclear weapon-freeworld. But we witnessed significant changes
taking place during the conference.
Concerned about the humanitarian impact of
nuclear weapons and in order to prevent therecurrence of a nuclear catastrophe, 159
countries, or over 80% of the States Parties to the
NPT, issued a joint statement proposing tostigmatize, ban and eliminate nuclear weapons as
the next step forward. They are determined toenhance the consensus for abolition, rally thewill of the majority, and start a practical process
to achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons.
This current is supported by civil society andhas now become irreversible, despite theresistance of the nuclear-armed states.
Recent developments in the world are backing
this current. The “Final Agreement” on Iran’s
nuclear program and the restoration of diplomatic
relations between the U.S. and Cuba show thattoday’s international problems can find solutions
based on the principle of peaceful resolution of
conflicts, as stipulated in the U.N. Charter, andfrom the standpoint of abolition of nuclear
weapons. Threats and rivalries involving nuclear
weapons have only worsened international
problems.
We believe that our movement seeking a total
ban on and the elimination of nuclear weapons isplaying an important role to encourage the recent
world current for peace, to encourage movements
working to secure the survival of humanity andcivilization, and to broaden the common
foundation for future efforts.
Now, I want to share with you mydetermination to develop future actions.
The first thing is to broaden joint activities tomake known the A-bomb damage andaftereffects to people throughout Japan and theworld and also at the international political arena
to share the lesson of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
that the tragedy should not be repeated everagain. This includes creating opportunities forpeople to listen directly to testimonies of the
Hibakusha, making use of films, theaters, audio
recordings, books produced in the last 70 years,
and other new means. It is especially important
to attract young people, so as to lay a broad baseof public opinion in favor of a total ban on
nuclear weapons. These efforts are especially
important in nuclear weapon states, their military
allies=those relying on their nuclear umbrella

Yasui Masakazu
Secretary General, Japan Council
against A and H Bombs (Gensuikyo)
To Achieve a Nuclear Weapon-Free WorldFirst of all, I would like to extend mywarmest welcome to all the delegates joining theWorld Conference against A and H Bombs as we
commemorate the 70th year since the atomic
bombing.
Also, I want to say THANK YOU again to ourfriends in the United States and from around theworld, who prepared and took actions together in
the Peace and Planet Conference, marches, rallies
and the presentation of petitions to the NPT
Review Conference last April in New York.
This year’s World Conference is being held
as part of all the great efforts waged both at theinternational political level and at the grassroots
levels, trying to make this 70th anniversary adecisive turning point to achieve a “nuclear
weapon-free world”.
In Japan, even at this very moment, people
all around the country are struggling to stop the
war legislation, which would scrap theConstitution of Japan. People of all walks of life
and all strata are raising their voices in
opposition. They are surrounding the Prime
Minister’s Office and the Diet building andstaging numerous protests in the form of rallies,
marches and other actions on the street.
For the last 70 years, Japan has not killed asingle soldier of other countries, nor had any
members of Japan’s Self Defense Forces killed ininternational conflicts. No doubt, this was thanks
to Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan. The
point of origin of Article 9 was the experience ofHiroshima and Nagasaki. People’s strong desire
for peace and nuclear weapons abolition isexpressed in the unprecedented support for thenationwide Peace Marches, now walking towards
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Everywhere aroundthe country, a larger number of people, about
100,000 in total, are joining the marches andyoung marchers are leading the way. Thesemarches, following different courses, will cometogether to reach Hiroshima Peace Park in twodays from now.
During these years, we in Gensuikyo haveworked to build powerful opinion within civilsociety for the abolition of nuclear weapons. In
this we have been encouraged by theinternational agreement to “achieve a world
without nuclear weapons”. Gensuikyo sent alarge delegation of 1,058 members to New Yorkto join the actions associated with the NPT

34

and in those involved in conflicts.
Secondly, even after the NPT Review
Conference, we will continue to develop andbring our signature campaign to a higher stage -a campaign more attractive with straightforward
and clear-cut demands -- and start discussing it inthis World Conference.
Ever since the preparatory process of theFirst World Conference against A and H Bombs
in 1955, we have attached great importance tothe signature collection campaign. The signature
campaign will not only put pressure on thoseclinging to nuclear weapons, but also help eachand every citizen of the world realize their own
role in securing their own future, and the futureof the entire human race.
Ambassador Taous Feroukhi of the NPT
Review Conference said, “Disarmament is not an
activity exclusively limited to States” and“Petitions give each citizen a personal role toplay in this larger process of achieving a world
free of nuclear weapons.”
In conclusion I want to emphasize the role ofJapan among all these efforts madeinternationally. We must make every effort tomake Japan play its due role, as the country
which experienced the A-bomb, to achieve theabolition of nuclear weapons and to achieve
peace. So definitely we will NOT allow Japan tobe turned into a country that wages war. We
oppose the war bills now being debated in theDiet.
I want to close by renewing mycommitment to make every effort to make Japan
independent from nuclear weapons, to defend our
Constitution and peace, and to create broadbased public support for a total ban on nuclear
weapons. The Japanese Movement against A and
H Bombs will play its role.

take on the solemn obligation to lead global
efforts to eliminate all nuclear weapons.
However, it has blocked the move to create anuclear weapons convention in order to support
U.S. nuclear policy and is attempting to lead thenation again onto a path to participate in wars by
imposing new war legislation which thwarts theConstitution and goes against the public will.
The other face, as we can witness here, is theface representing peace in which the majority ofJapanese citizens have made great contributions
to promoting peace in their united efforts to raise
public awareness around the world about theinhumane nature of nuclear weapons and havestrongly opposed the war bills being discussed atpresent in the Diet. We are determined to work
together to have this new momentum of the
public contribute to the success of this year’s
conference.
It was unfortunate that the NPT Review
Conference (RevCon) held this year failed toagree on the contents of the final document.
Still, the discussions at the conference
highlighted the complex dynamics in which an
overwhelming majority of nations now standagainst the nuclear-weapons states which arebeing forced to clearly reveal their resistance toestablishing a world without nuclear weapons. I
strongly believe that this new dimension ininternational relations reflects the importantachievements made through the cooperation
between governments and civil society globallyover the past five years.
One of the RevCon First Committee’s
memos dated May 8 mentioned for the first timecreating a legal framework including a nuclearweapons-ban treaty within a specified timeframe.
It states, “[T]he Conference encourages all states
to engage, without delay, within the frameworkof the United Nations disarmament machinery, in
an inclusive process to identify and elaborate thelegal provisions required for the achievement andmaintenance of a world without nuclear
weapons.” The legal provisions mentioned
above can be enacted through various approaches
including by a “stand-alone instrument”, which
could take the form of a nuclear-weapons-ban
treaty or a comprehensive nuclear weapons
convention that includes a phased program forthe complete elimination of the weapons within a
specified timeframe. That is what our movement
has demanded for many years in our petition
campaigns and this is a remarkable breakthrough.
Anticipating this move, the five nuclearweapons states jointly made a statement dated
April 30 to emphasize the need for “practicalsteps.” It states, “We continue to believe that anStatements:
Ogata Yasuo
Committee of Chairpersons, Organizing
Committee of World Conference/
Vice Chair, Director of International
Commission, Japanese Communist
Party
We convene here today on the occasion of the70th anniversary of the atomic bombings ofHiroshima and Nagasaki while Japan’s Diet isdeliberating the passage of new security bills in
its extended session. Japan has two faces which
contrast sharply with each other. The one is theJapanese government. The government ought to35

incremental, step-by-step approach is the only
practical option for making progress towards
nuclear disarmament, while upholding global
strategic security and stability.” According to thestatement, the “practical steps” mean full
implementation of the New START Treaty
between the U.S. and Russia; bringing the CTBT
into force; and advancing negotiations on the
FMCT as well as Nuclear Weapons Free Zones.
However, history clearly shows us that suchincremental steps have failed to make significant
progress towards the elimination of nuclear
weapons.
It is the “step-by-step approach” mentioned
above that the nuclear-weapons states insist on as
their final bulwark against the imposition ofcomplete nuclear disarmament as their “nuclear
deterrence” theory has been discredited. The
U.S. government continues to repeat thatargument. A U.S. report submitted to the
RevCon this year emphasized the need for a“step-by-step approach” in order to reach an
agreement on further nuclear disarmament.
Behind the U.S. argument is the U.S. nuclear
strategy which states, “The United States would
consider the use of nuclear weapons in extreme
circumstances to defend the vital interests of theUnited States or its allies and partners.” Thestrategy is now focused on modernizing its
nuclear arsenal over the long-term.
The Russian government updated its military
doctrine in December 2014 to strengthen its
nuclear arsenal in order to counter the moves
being made by the U.S. and NATO. It insists on
keeping its right to use nuclear weapons in caseof a nuclear or non-nuclear attack on Russia.
Equally troubling, the other nuclear-weapons
states aligned their stance with the U.S. approachby signing off on the joint statement at the
RevCon and tried to discourage support for alegally binding process toward the elimination of
nuclear weapons. The attempt to maintain
nuclear arsenals by insisting on a “step-by-step”
approach is being taken by the other nuclearweapons states as well. Deplorably, none of thefive nuclear-weapons states in the joint statement
introduced any initiative for complete nuclear
disarmament during the conference.
Although the U.S. government advocated anincremental approach at the RevCon, it failed toprovide any convincing logic for it. A U.S.
representative just argued that “effective
measures” were “not limited to ones that arelegally binding.” Still, he had to concede, “We
can also accept that the final phase in the nuclear
disarmament process should be pursued within
an agreed legal framework.” He acknowledged

the need for the ban and elimination of nuclear
weapons by treaty though he said it would be in“the final stage” of the process.
Ambassador Taous Feroukhi of Algeria,
Chair of the RevCon, delivered the Draft Final
Document May 22. You see the outcome fromthe debates reflected in the inclusion of phrases
such as “legal provisions or other arrangementsthat contribute to and are required for theachievement and maintenance of a world without
nuclear weapons” or “the legal provisions could
be established through various approaches
including a stand-alone instrument or aframework agreement.” As the previous RevCon
five years ago used the term “legal framework”,
the term “legal provisions” used this time shows
substantive progress achieved in the conference
which the nuclear-weapons states were not able
to block.
Our next challenge is to defeat completely
the logic of the “step-by-step” approach which isat present the nuclear-weapons states’ trump cardin response to an overwhelming majority of
global public opinion supporting the enactmentof a legal agreement, including a nuclear
weapons convention, which will ensure a world
without nuclear weapons.
Successive declarations adopted every year atthe World Conference against A and H Bombs
have contributed to galvanizing anti-nuclear
movements among people and governments
around the world and encircling the nuclearweapons states that have insisted on keeping theweapons.
I conclude my remarks byemphasizing the need for us to stay on coursewith perseverance to reach our final destination.

Alyn Ware
UNFOLD ZEROUNFOLD ZERO: United Nations initiatives
for the abolition of nuclear weapons
UNFOLD ZERO is a platform established in2014 by the Basel Peace Office, Parliamentarians
for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament,
Global Security Institute, Prague Vision Institute,
Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign, NGO
Committee on Disarmament and Lawyers for
Peace.
UNFOLD ZERO highlights United Nations
forums to advance nuclear disarmament,
including the General Assembly, Security
Council, International Court of Justice,
International Criminal Court and UN Open
Ended Working Group.

36

UNFOLD ZERO promotes United Nations
initiatives for nuclear abolition.
And UNFOLD ZERO highlights thepossibilities to achieve security and resolveinternational conflicts through United Nations
mechanisms, approaches and forums. In thisway the current dependence on nuclear
deterrence can be eliminated.
One of the initiatives highlighted by
UNFOLD ZERO is the 5-point proposal for
nuclear disarmament advanced by the UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The proposal
calls for negotiations on a nuclear weapons
convention – a global treaty for the prohibitionand elimination of nuclear weapons. The
proposal also calls for a number of simultaneous,
reinforcing measures, including establishment of
nuclear-weapon-free zones, nuclear nonproliferation agreements and conventional
disarmament measures.
The proposal for a nuclear weapons
convention has wide-spread support from aroundthe world including from UN resolutions, theInter Parliamentary Union, Mayors for Peace andAbolition 2000 – the global network of over2000 non-governmental organisations.
Another initiative promoted by UNFOLD
ZERO is the Nuclear Zero case in theInternational Court of Justice. The MarshallIslands has lodged cases against the 9 nuclear
armed States. The cases are proceeding withrespect to the United Kingdom, India andPakistan – all of whom accept the compulsory
jurisdiction of the court.
The cases allege that the nuclear armed States
are in violation of their obligation to negotiate
for nuclear disarmament. The case is a follow-up
to the 1996 Advisory Opinion of theInternational Court of Justice which concluded
that there is a universal and unconditional
obligation to conclude negotiations on nuclear
disarmament in all its aspects. The MarshallIslands case therefore calls on the States tocommence negotiations on a nuclear weapons
convention.
Other States parties to the NPT are invited tointervene in the case against the UK. UNFOLD
ZERO asks non-governmental organisations tourge their governments to intervene in support of
the Marshall Islands.
There is also an initiative by the governmentof Mexico to make the employment of nuclear
weapons an international crime under thejurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
They have proposed an amendment to the Rome
Statute establishing the Criminal Court and areseeking support from other countries.

In 2013 the United Nations General
Assembly established September 26 as theInternational Day for the Total Elimination of
Nuclear Weapons.
For the first commemoration of the day in2014, UNFOLD ZERO coordinated actions
around the world, including: A UN commemoration event at theUnited Nations in Geneva,
 Support for the day from over 100 nongovernmental organisations in the fields
of human rights, environment, peace,disarmament, development, inter-faith….
 Joint statements by Korean & Japaneseparliamentarians and by European
Parliamentarians
 Motions in several parliaments
 Global video action – ‘How many
nuclear weapons in the world’ And many other events
For the 2015 commemoration of the Day,UNFOLD ZERO (and the United Nations Officeof Disarmament Affairs) will be linking with theInternational Day for Peace on Sep 21, so thatorganisations can do actions/events anytime in
the week of Sep 21-26.
We will organise a global action – encouraging
civil society to call on your leader to highlightnuclear abolition and the international day in the
opening session of the UN General Assembly
which occurs in September in New York.
UNFOLD ZERO is working with Light Cone
Pictures for an International Screening week ofthe movie ‘The Man who Saved the World’,
which is about the incident on Sep 26, 1983
when we almost had a nuclear war by mistake.
Please contact UNFOLD ZERO if you would
like to organise a screening of the movie.
UNFOLD ZERO is calling on the UN
General Assembly this October to establish an
Open Ended Working Group on nuclear
disarmament. This would pick up on the
preparatory work done by an Open Ended
Working Group that ran in 2013.
The 2015 NPT Final Draft Document
included the recommendation that the UN
General Assembly should establish an Open
Ended Working Group. The proposal is
supported by Inter Parliamentary Union which
comprises 166 parliaments, and the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly which comprises 57
parliaments.
An Open Ended Working Group is acommon UN practice to pave the way fornegotiations. A UN OEWG on the Arms Trade,for example, paved the way for the successful
negotiations on an Arms Trade Treaty.

37

An OEWG could examine options to ‘fill thelegal gap’ as highlighted by the Humanitarian
Pledge, and pave way for negotiations.
The United Nations has decided to hold aHigh Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament
no later than 2018. The OEWG could prepare anuclear disarmament agreement (or agreements)
for adoption at the High Level Conference.
For more information on these, and other UN
nuclear disarmament initiatives, please visit
www.unfoldzero.org

signature drives towards this World Conference.
In Japan today, the movement to block the
war bills is developing involving people ofdifferent sectors, different communities anddifferent generations. Above all, mobilization ofyoung people and women is amazing, and theunprecedented rise of people’s movement isdriving the Abe Cabinet into a corner. Facing theimpact of the Great East Earthquake that took
place on March 11, 2011 and the Tokyo ElectricPower Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear
Power Plant accident, the growing gap between
the rich and poor, and the coming of the extremeright Abe Shinzo into power, those who started tofeel “things were not going right” stood up atonce, and a new power for democracy is poppingup from day to day throughout the country.
In the searing heat, women are organizing red
actions all over Japan almost every day, wearing
red to show that they are giving “red card” to Abe
Cabinet. Their actions are mobilizing public
opinion from the grass roots. Young mothers
marched through the streets of Shibuya, Tokyo,
chanting, “We will not let anyone’s child get
killed”. Those who saw the notice circulated on
the Internet or those who just happened to be
there joined the march one after another, and thenumber of the participants swelled to 2,000.
Inspired by the success of the Shibuya
demonstration, mothers have started to organize
actions in their communities. Such actions like
mothers’ “zoo jack” and “sea Jack (action in frontof the aquarium) have spread so quickly in 33
prefectures. The Abe Cabinet’s reckless push fora war-waging nation has shaken up those who
used to have little interest in politics ormovement, and more and more people are saying“No” to the doctrine of maintaining militaryforce as “deterrence” in opposing to the war bills
as well as to the construction of a new base in
Okinawa. The call for Japan to stick to peace
diplomacy based on Article 9 as its security
policy is gaining wider support.
Being women of the country that waged awar of aggression and of the only nation that
suffered the Atomic bombing, Japanese women
have carried forward the movement consistently
calling for preserving war-renouncing Article 9
and for the abolition of nuclear weapons together
with the Hibakusha. What is remarkable about
the current development is that those who havelong and tenaciously been committed to the
movement and those starting to take actions are
joining together in a common effort. Youngpeople are chanting, “Thank you, seniors. We get
the baton,” “Tell me what democracy looks like.
Don’t decide without us. We are the ones toKasai Kimiyo
President, New Japan Women’s
Association (Shinfujin)
Japanese women are marking the summer ofthe 70th year of the Atomic bombing amidst theepoch-making groundswell of people’s struggle.
Prime Minister Abe Shinzo addressed the US
Congress this past spring, just when we weretaking part in the New York Action for the 9th
Review Conference of the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty (NPT), and he promised tohave legislation enacted by summer for enabling
Japan to wage war with the United State. The
war bills, now pending in the current Diet
session, will destroy the Japanese Constitution
which pledges Japan’s renunciation of war inorder to remake Japan under the US nuclear
umbrella into a “country that wages war” with
the US, incorporating the country further into the
US nuclear strategy. People and women of Japan
will never allow this to happen.
The NPT Review Conference was not able toagree on a final document and most Japanese
media reported that the Conference “failed”. But
this is a very superficial view. The truth is that asa new trend addressing nuclear weapons focusing
on their inhuman nature and growing actions ofcivil society are gaining momentum, the idea of
introducing a convention banning nuclear
weapons got into the Conference discussion for
the first time with an overwhelming majority ofState Parties supporting it.
Some nuclear
weapons states and their allies including Japan
were miserably besieged and isolated. Throughvarious activities organized under the theme of“Peace & Planet”, we civil society members
shared a vision for realizing a bright future of ajust society by eliminating nuclear weapons.
Shinfujin members including myself who were
there have worked to make all these known to
our members and the public, as we gear up our
campaign against the war legislation whileorganizing A-bomb photo exhibitions and38

decide our own future”. The future they want isa society without nuclear weapons and war.
Giving a priority to involving young generationsin the peace movement, Shinfujin has worked
hard to send younger members to the New Yorkactions for the NPT Review Conference and theWorld Conference against A and H Bombs. Allover Japan, Shinfujin local members haveorganized “Constitution Café”, small groupgatherings to learn about issues regarding theConstitution and war bills. Young members whowent to NY are speaking about their convictionthat the international community is greatlychanging to work together to eliminate nuclear
weapons. They are confident that our movement
has pushed the world forward to this direction.
These young members have become organizers
taking the lead in collecting signatures in
opposition to the war bills and in support ofnuclear abolition towards this World Conference.
The number of signatures for the abolition of
nuclear weapons has reached 1.58 million, adding
80,000 to what we brought to NY last April.
To make the 70th year of the Atomic
bombing a decisive opportunity to achieve theabolition of nuclear weapons, Shinfujin is
resolved to do its utmost to block the war bills
and knock down the Abe administration, so thatJapan can finally take significant steps towards aworld free of nuclear weapons and war.

Mankind, except of a handful of leaders whoare in possession of the Nuclear Weapons who
are determined to preserve and use them at sometime or the other, the people of the World wanttotal elimination. There are several UNO
resolutions and treaties. But the end is not visible
when these weapons will be totally abolished.
The obstacle is United States of America whichis the first country to test, produce and use theseweapons of mass destruction. But President of
U.S Barack Obama has created a hope that theabolition of Nuclear Weapons is not far off when
he said on 5 April 2009 in Prague that “As aNuclear Power as the only nuclear power to haveused a nuclear weapon-the United States has amoral responsibility to act. We cannot succeed inthis endeavour alone, but we can lead it, we canstart it”. Having said this he stands stillabandoning any leading role, rather he is moving
backwards instead of moving forward.
All the Presidents and Prime Ministers of the
Nuclear Weapon Countries must be made to see
collectively the destruction, death, suffering,agony of the people of Hiroshima and Nagasakipreserved in the Peace Museums at Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. These great people should be
asked whether they want to do the same thing
once again with greater force to the people now,with the Nuclear Weapons which they arepreserving. If the nuclear deterrence is in theirinterest to save their people, the same logic canalso be justified by other countries and the
Nuclear Arms Race will continue.
Scientists and Physicians have createdenough evidence what will happen if some ofthesedeadly Nuclear Weapons are used,
resulting in Nuclear Winter, Nuclear Famine,climate & ecological changes, draining ofresources and ultimately obliterating life on earth.
Handful of leaders are holding the billions ofpeople of the world as hostages. The first
resolution passed by the UNO, the NPT, theCanberra commission, Hans Blix Commission of
Weapons of Mass Destruction, The Millennium
Declaration and several resolutions world overare repeatedly drawing the attention of the
Nuclear Nations about the need to work for theabolition of Nuclear Weapons.
According to the Weapons of Mass
Destruction Commission headed by Hans Blix,
there were 27,000 Nuclear Weapons in the year
2006.According to the Bulletin of the Atomic
Scientists, in the middle of 2014, there are 16300
Nuclear Weapons. While the reduction of thenumber is a welcome trend, this cannot be a
substitute for total elimination.

Jammu Narayana Rao
Global Network Against Weapons &Nuclear Power in Space
NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT HOW FAR
As it is stated in the Appeal for a Total Ban
on Nuclear Weapons by GENSUIKYO “In
August 1945 two atomic bombs dropped on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki instantly turned the twocities into ruins and took the lives of about 210
thousand people. Even now, more than 200,000
Hibakusha, A-Bomb survivors, are carrying withthem scars. Their tragedy should not be repeatedanywhere on earth.” On this occasion of the 70th
year of this barbaric, Inhuman and deadly
destruction of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki by themost terrific weapons of terror, by the UnitedStates of America which has specialized in massmurders and destruction of countries we havegathered here to take stock of our efforts toensure Total Ban on Nuclear Weapons. The
destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki wasunprecedented in the Human History which was
the height of cruelty.

39

The demand for prevention and eliminationof Nuclear Weapons started even before they
were produced. Hungarian Physicist Leo Szilard
along with 60 other scientists sent a letter to
President of USA Franklin D. Roosevelt not to
use the atomic weapons on Japan. It was
followed by the Bertrand Russell and Einstein
Appeal in July 1955 which states that “Weappeal as human beings to human beings,
remember your humanity and forget the rest. If
you can do so there lies open to a new Paradise:
if you cannot, there lies before you the risk of
universal death”. Pugwash Movement of the
Scientists,
International
PhysiciansforPrevention of Nuclear Weapons, International
Peace Bureau, World Peace Council, Women’s
International League for Peace and Freedom,
Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear
Power in Space, and many International andNational movements are campaigning for
abolition of Nuclear Weapons. Above all
GENSUIKYO is rallying the people world over,to voice for abolition of Nuclear Weapons. Now
the UN Secretary General Bank-Moon has joined
us to demand Abolition of Nuclear weapons with
his Five Point Proposal. He should make step
forward to emulate Gandhi and lead a movementof “Satyagraha”
Thanks to the bilateral treaties between the
USSR and US several agreements beginningwith Partial Test Ban treaty in 1963 to New
START Treaty in 2010 have been adopted toreduce the Number of Nuclear Weapons andCarriers like missiles and rockets. But these twocountries which hold 90% of the total Nuclear
Weapons must work for the implementation of
Article VI of the NPT, which states that “Each of
the parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue
negotiations in good faith on effective measuresrelating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at
an early date and nuclear disarmament, and on aTreaty on general and completer disarmament
under strict and effective international Control”.
This also has been emphasized by theInternational court of Justice which states in it’sadvisory opinion on 8th July 1996 that “there
exists an obligation to pursue in good faith andbring to a conclusion negotiations leading to
nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict
and effective international control”. The mostpractical steps in the direction of Nuclear
Disarmament are suggested in 2007 Draft
Nuclear Weapon Convention.
The Nuclear Security Summits which arebeing held at regular intervals of two years since2010 are camouflaged to divert the attention
from the issue of total abolition of Nuclear

Weapons. These summits are concentrating on
preserving the Nuclear Weapons bringing theTerrorist threats into limelight. In none of themeetings not a single word of commitment of
Nuclear Abolition is spoken or recorded in the
declarations about total abolition of Nuclear
Weapons.
The real solution or the Abolition of Nuclear
Weapons lies in the proposed model Nuclear
Weapon Convention 2007 which states that “allstates would be prohibited from pursing or
participating in the development, testing,production, stockpiling, transfer, use and threatof use of nuclear weapons. Those States thatpossess nuclear weapons would be obligated todestroy their nuclear arsenals in series of phases.
These five phases would progress as follows:
taking nuclear weapons off alert, removing
weapons from deployment, removing nuclear
warheads from their delivery vehicles, disabling
the warheads, removing and disfiguring the “pits”
and placing the fissile material underinternational control.”Lastly I quote Mahatma Gandhi what he said
about the antidote to the Bomb.” I regard theemployment of the atom bomb for the wholesale
destruction of men, women and children as themost diabolical use of science.’ What is theantidote? Has it antiquated on-violence?” No. On
the contrary, nonviolence is the only thing that is
now left in the field. It is the only thing that theatom bomb cannot destroy. I did not move a
muscle when I first heard that the atom bomb had
wiped out Hiroshima. On the contrary, I said tomyself,’ unless now the world adopts nonviolence, it will spell certain suicide for mankind”.
Once again the NPT Review Conference of2015 ended in a disaster.US and Israel teemed tosabotage it. A country devoid of compassion andconcern for humanity cannot be called a Super
Power. It is a satanic power. I suggest that let us
collect signatures on an appeal addressed to the
President of US to stop alibis and commit itself
for total abolition of Nuclear weapons andsubmit it to the US Ambassadors in all Countries
on the Hiroshima Day in 2015.

Kisten McCandlessCampaign for International Co-operation
and Disarmament (CICD)
Australia
The Campaign for International Co-operation
and Disarmament sends its support and best
wishes to the 2015 World Conference against A& H Bombs. We hope it will inspire, strengthen

40

stop – that we are better than this and won’t
stand for it anymore.
Once the public is informed and motivatedthey can demand that the trillions of dollars spenton the military industrial complex be used forending world poverty, raising the standard ofliving for all and preventing and reversing manmade climate change. Pressure will be put on
their governments to end the threat of the everpresent danger of nuclear conflict in this unstableworld by demanding the complete prohibitionand elimination of the nuclear arsenals.
Gatherings such as this conference can enlighten
the public to realise their power in uniting
together to demand their governments implement
these goals.
Nuclear weapons bring insecurity andinstability, not safety and protection. There areover 15,000 nuclear weapons on alert and readyto use in the hands of nine states. This is morally
unjustifiable on every level and these statesshould be regarded as international outlaws; thateliminating those arsenals is an obligation thatcan no longer be deferred. The flimsy policy of
nuclear deterrence is unjustifiable. Nuclear
weapons are the antithesis of civilisation andhumanity. They are pure madness. For some ofthose states that possess them they are theultimate expression of imperialist aggression anddominance over others – that possessing them isa threat psychologically over the population ofanother country.
Biological and chemical
weapons are banned – so too should nuclear
weapons.
One of the most powerful moral deterrents
against the use of nuclear weapons are thepersonal testimonies of survivors. The survivorsof nuclear tests from Australia, the USA andMarshall Islands to name a few should be heard
and be made known to as many people aspossible. But the most powerful testimonies in
inspiring people to demand a ban on nuclear
weapons are those of the Hibakusha.
On this 70th Anniversary Commemoration of
the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
the brave Hibakusha and their stories of what it
was actually like to experience an atomic
bombing in all its horror on them, their loved
ones, friends and cities as they innocently went
about their morning should be listened to, really
understood and relayed to the world.
The CICD stands in solidarity with the
Hibakusha on this important anniversary andworld conference. We stand with these survivors
in their steadfast call for the total elimination andban of nuclear weapons; for no more Hibakusha.

and galvanise all participants to work towards
eliminating the world of nuclear weapons as amatter of urgency.
The CICD believes that gatherings such as
yours are important for developing solidarity
with peace movements worldwide and forbringing the inhumanity and horror of theseweapons of mass destruction to the attention of
the public.
The majority of the world’s people support a
total ban on nuclear weapons. In Australia wellover 80 per cent of people support a ban. We
have a healthy and active peace movement inAustralia of which the CICD is a part.
Gatherings such as this 70th Anniversary
Commemorative Conference go a long way inputting pressure on governments – especiallygovernments of nuclear-armed countries – bybuilding up public opinion to defeat the nuclear
deterrence theory that they rely on to justify
having these weapons.
The Australian government does not have an
independent foreign policy. We blindly follow
the USA into their wars. We host and participate
in joint military exercises in the top of Australia
as part of America’s Pacific Pivot strategy. We
allow US spy bases to operate and expand here
and we rely on the nuclear weapons of the UnitedStates and its nuclear deterrence policy for our“security”.
The Australian government therefore puts at
risk the security and well-being of the people it is
supposed to serve by making Australia a target in
the event of a nuclear war. Despite this, morethan 100 Australian parliamentarians have signed
ICAN’s global appeal for a treaty banning
nuclear weapons. (ICAN is the International
Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.)
Many people feel powerless and as aconsequence defeated by what is happening in
the world on the big issues of weapons of mass
destruction, climate change, and the dangerous
conflicts raging around the planet at the moment.
There is a heightened and relentless level ofmisinformation being peddled by the world’s
mainstream media outlets that often results inpeople feeling fearful and apathetic about theseissues.
This World Conference and 70th Anniversaryis important for informing and educating the
public about what is really going on and for
motivating them to join together in demanding
their governments negotiate for peacefulsolutions to end these wars. This conference has
a role to play in mobilising people to demandthat these inhumane and uncivilised ways of
conducting ourselves on this fragile planet has to41

Only through international co-operation anddisarmament can all of humanity experience true
well-being and our precious planet flourish.
Yours for a nuclear weapon-free, peacefuland just world.

which the very states that have developed,
stockpiled, tested, and used nuclear weapons
deem themselves fit to chastise others on therisks of proliferation. The moral high groundclaimed by nuclear-weapons states (NWS) isbuilt upon an extremely weak and inherently
unjust foundation.
The combined nuclear arsenal of these states
is more than 15,000 warheads, many of which
are tens of times more powerful than the ones
that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Manyare on high alert status, ready to be launchedwithin minutes.
The risk of deliberate use is compounded by
the concomitant risks of accidental or unintended
use. But demands for nuclear abolition aremounting. Calls come from a growing number ofscientists,
legal
scholars,
mayorsandparliamentarians, active and retired diplomats,statesmen and regular citizens—from both
nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states.
The humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons
should be the key consideration in all nuclear
disarmament efforts. Indeed the only foolproof
way to ensure that humans do not again suffer
the devastation caused by nuclear bombs is toeliminate this category of weapons altogether.
The humanitarian initiative is not focused on
merely recognizing the impact of nuclear
weapons, but on drawing out the policy
implications that follow from such a recognition.
If the consequences of nuclear weapons use areunacceptable, and there is a clear and present
danger that these weapons may be used by
accident, miscalculation, or design, then theymust be eliminated.
The process to establish a legal ban on
nuclear weapons, with or without theparticipation of nuclear weapons states, would
constitute a welcome step forward. It would berooted in the widespread rejection of thecontinued existence of nuclear weapons and afull recognition of the catastrophic humanitarianconsequences of their use.
The road to complete abolition will haveobstacles. All the more reason to start a serious
process now, before the accidental or deliberate
detonation of a nuclear weapon—by a state or
non-state actor—reminds the world of just how
urgent this matter is.
Let me share a passage by the late author andNobel Prize laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez:
Since the appearance of visible life on Earth,
380 million years had to elapse in order for abutterfly to learn how to fly, 180 million years tocreate a rose with no other commitment than tobe beautiful, and four geological eras in order

Cesar Jaramillo
Project Ploughshares
CanadaToday is a somber day. But it is also a
hopeful day.
Somber because we stand here to rememberthat dreadful month of August, 70 years ago,
when death, destruction, and incalculable humansuffering befell the men, women, and children of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Many died instantly; others in the weeks andmonths that followed. Up to a quarter-million
people are estimated to have been killed. Farmers
and teachers, singers and poets, sons anddaughters, old and young.
Yet some survived: the brave Hibakusha,
who have since offered firsthand, living
testimony of the utter devastation caused by
nuclear weapons and the long-lasting physicaland emotional scars they leave behind.
So yes, this is a sad anniversary. A grim
reminder that humankind has devised the means
to destroy itself—efficiently.
But this is also a day of hope. Because thepush for a ban on nuclear weapons is growing
with every passing day. In intensity, in
sophistication, in effectiveness, in numbers.
People all over the world are working tirelessly
and diligently to make sure that humanity neveragain witnesses a tragedy like the bombings ofHiroshima and Nagasaki.
And how can the international community go
about preventing such a tragedy? There must bea global legal ban on nuclear weapons, withspecific provisions for the elimination of existingarsenals and a timeline for verified
implementation. There is no other way to rid theworld of the most destructive weapons ever made.
Regrettably, this issue has drifted endlessly
without resolution, despite overwhelming
evidence that nuclear weapons lack any legal,
political, military, or moral justification. Morethan four decades after the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty came into force, and sevendecades after the devastation of Hiroshima andNagasaki, the states that rely on nuclear weaponsconsider serious work toward nuclear abolition.
The discriminatory nature of the NPT isuntenable. Just consider the lopsided logic by42

for us human beings, unlike our primitive
ancestors, to be able to sing better than birds,
and to be able to die from love. It is nothonorable for the human talent, in the golden
age of science, to have conceived the way forsuch an ancient and colossal process to return tothe nothingness from which it came through thesimple act of pushing a button.
The calls to address the fundamental
injustices underpinning the global nuclear
disarmament regime are getting louder and moredetermined. An engaged international civilsociety will continue to urge progress andscrutinize results. And decision-makers will be
increasingly held accountable by theirconstituents for their failure to act.
The use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable
and the goal of their complete elimination is not
negotiable. It is thus imperative that decisionmakers realize that they must have the wisdom,
the courage, the foresight, and the audacity to rid
the world of the most devastating instruments ofmass destruction ever conceived. What betterway to honour those who suffered thedevastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
The stakes are that high. And the cause is thatworthy.

cooperation, and the win-win approach constitutean irresistible world trend. At the same time, we
are witnessing the emergence of hegemony,authoritarianism, and new interventionism, thus
intensifying international disputes among various
international forces over a redistribution of
power and interests and giving rise to terrorist
activities day by day and making ethnic andsectarian conflicts and border or territorial
disputes more complicated. Small-scale conflicts
are constantly taking place; clashes are
unstoppable; and crises are everywhere. The
world is still exposed to real or latent threats oflocalized conflicts.
Coordination and cooperation have recently
increased in the international community,
perseveringly promoting global nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear disarmament, and theprocess of nuclear security. Our goal to achievea nuclear-free world through a total ban on
nuclear weapons and their elimination has been
widely accepted these days. The internationalsociety has the shared awareness in regard tonuclear nonproliferation. Nevertheless, there aremany pending nuclear issues that we cannot
overlook. Global negotiations on nuclear
strategies are intensifying and regional nuclear
issues are diverse and complicated. The full
implementation of the NPT is thwarted in many
ways. Above anything else, we must pay
attention to the issue of nuclear security, which isstill a sword of Damocles hanging over our heads.
Globally, we have already witnessed a number ofnuclear accidents happening, which have brought
about tremendous damage to humankind and theenvironment. With nuclear materials andtechnologies proliferating nuclear threats facing
us is further increasing. I don’t think we can be
optimistic about the present world situation
regarding nuclear weapons.
As a nuclear state, China has been working
hard to promote nuclear disarmament,
tenaciously calling for a total ban on nuclear
weapons and their complete elimination. Soon
after China possessed nuclear weapons, we
cordially declared to the world our determination
to not preemptively use nuclear weapons at any
time and under any circumstances.
China
promised it will neither use, nor threat to use,
nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon
states or nuclear-free zones. China’s nuclear
strategy is structured on self-defense.
It
maintains its nuclear forces at a minimum level
to ensure the national security. It has neverdeployed nuclear weapons outside the country. It
has never participated and will never take part in
the nuclear arms race in any ways. In April thisHe JunChinese People’s Association for Peaceand Disarmament
People’s Republic of China
I think it is significant for us to gather here in
Hiroshima to review history and discuss ways tomaintain the world’s security and peace. Allowme, on behalf of the Chinese People’s
Association for Peace and Disarmament, toexpress our cordial gratitude to the Organizing
Committee for its proactive effort in preparation
for the World Conference.
Seventy years ago, the atomic bombings ofHiroshima and Nagasaki caused tremendous
human damage. I would like to take thisopportunity to express my deepest sympathy to
all the victims of the tragedy. I’d also like tocongratulate the people of Hiroshima, Nagasaki
and the rest of Japan on the social development
and economic growth they have achieved
through efforts after WWII by pursuing the pathfor peaceful development.
With the world being polarized, theglobalization of the economy underway, andsociety becoming IT-driven, the international
community is becoming day by day a community
sharing common destiny. Peace, development,

43

year, the Standing Committee of the National
People’s Congress discussed and approved theProtocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear Weapon Free
Zone in Central Asia. This is intended to support
the international nuclear nonproliferation regime
and ensure the security of the neighboring areas.
Amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and tolerance
are China’s approaches to diplomacy withneighboring countries.
Here, I would like to take this opportunity tocall on all nuclear powers to steadfastly
implement their commitment to nuclear
disarmament and not to seek to possess nuclear
weapons permanently. In order to reduce threatsof nuclear weapons, nuclear powers should
abandon their policy of threatening with nuclear
weapons based on the doctrine of the preemptive use of nuclear weapons, promise not touse nuclear weapon preemptively, and startnegotiations on a treaty of non-first-use of
nuclear weapons. Nuclear powers should also
make clear that they will not threaten to use or
use the weapons against non-nuclear countries orin nuclear-free zones.
In addition, I hopecountries should give up developing a missile
defense system that changes the strategic
stability of the world, promote vigorously
multilateral negotiations on the use of space forpeaceful purposes to avoid a space arms race,and create a good atmosphere for global strategic
environments for nuclear disarmament.
If we make a step forward in the nuclear
disarmament efforts, the world will be a safer
place. We will continue to make efforts tocontribute to achieving lasting peace. The
Chinese People’s Association for Peace andDisarmament is the largest civil organization in
China. Its main aim is to promote mutual
understanding, friendship and cooperation
between Chinese people and peoples around theworld, work together to maintain global peace,
oppose the arms race and war, call on the total
ban and elimination of weapons of mass
destruction including nuclear weapons, andfacilitate the harmonious development of theworld. Our association will work to promotemutual understanding and friendship amongpeoples as well as peace and security of theworld.
Let us promote regional and international
cooperation for nuclear security by increasing
mutual communication and sharing experience,resources and platforms. Let us coordinate ourefforts and work together to help more peaceorganizations join in the nuclear disarmament
process, get benefits from that, and put energy in
it. Let’s respect the right of nations to adopt theirown nuclear security policies most suitable totheir situations and advance international nuclear
security cooperation proactively and moderately
by holding mutual respect and fairness.
Today, as we meet here and witness theprosperity of Hiroshima that resurrected from its
total devastation, we must keep in mind theimportance of realizing that we can maintainsocial stability and people’s happiness only if wetake the path of peaceful development. We will
join you in defending peace and justice of theworld and oppose war. Let us walk hand in handto help people gain confidence in the prospect ofa nuclear-free, peaceful and secure world.

Eeva-Helena Inomaa
Performers and Artists for Nuclear
Disarmament (PAND)
Finland
Peace and Love from Finland!
The members of our delegation are from anorganisation called PAND - The Artists for
Peace, PAND stands for Performers and Artists
for Nuclear Disarmament. Our aim is to work forpeace, human rights and nuclear free world.
Besides of artists our members are from various
fields of culture workers wanting to dosomething for peace.
I came to PAND through the story of Sadako,
I love the art of origami and when I heard how
the paper crane became the symbol of peace, I
wanted to tell it to everyone. “No more
Hiroshima!”
So 10 years ago I started the project The
cranes of Peace in PAND. We have had
workshops where I have told Sadako’s story andwe have made thousands of cranes. The
workshops are not only for making cranes, but
we talk about how senseless wars are and how tomake people work for peace.
We have raised money with exhibitions ofcranes for The Red Cross to the victims of wars.
Every year there is a Hiroshima event in
Helsinki, where people set the candles to the gulfof Töölö and PAND has made the origami cranes“fly” through the center of Helsinki and join theevent to honour and remember the victims of
Hiroshima.
Today, there are conflicts everywhere in theworld and the threat of war is hanging above us,
it is more important than ever to take action forpeace!
So we remind people how destructive anddangerous nuclear weapons are and especially44how important it is to work for nuclear
disarmament.
But what has happened? It seems that there ismore and more armament race everywhere, it has
to stop!
PAND wants to ask you by what kind of
weapon do you aim for peace?
We arm ourselves with arts and aim forpeace.
Through music, poetry, acting, dancing,
literature and all various arts, we can bring hope
to despair and overcome fear. With collaboration
we can reach peace, together!

any circumstances. There can be no issue which
can’t be resolved across the table. We need tomake use of the opportunity here, to once again
remind the world about the tragic consequencesof nuclear testing. We need to take a pledge on
nuclear disarmament and push the global
community towards more decisive actions toachieve a final and definitive ban on such testingor using. We have our talents; we have our
virtues, why can’t we reason out! All you need isa plan and the determination to see it through.
One after the other resolution is being madeto achieve a permanent end to nuclear weapons
testing and the total abolition of nuclear
armament but still there remains a ‘BUT.’
We say we are ‘civilized’. I need to ask, ‘Are
we? ‘To get the answer I think, we need to go deep
down into the meaning of the word ‘civilized.’
We are well aware of the effects of the
Nuclear Weapons. So why do we need to show
our power to prove our superiority? When it issaid that the world could be erased in a single
flash of light with Nuclear Weapons, can’t we doaway with those for our global safety, security,
society, economy, and ultimately our survival.
We know that it takes patience, persistence goodintention but for how long we need to wait? 70
years have passed since it was used and still weexist with a threat. It is high time we ignore thevoices who tell us that the world cannot change.
We have to achieve a global ban on nuclear
testing. After more than five decades of talks,conferences, paper work it is time for the testingof nuclear weapons to be finally banned.
We need to think over - can we begin with theidea of ‘catch them young’. Let us try out Right from school education, and make ourchildren understand the importance of nuclear
disarmament. I quote from the National Council
for Education and Research and Training(NCERT) India:“When we are teaching English you arepreparing the ground to spread the culture
worldwide.
When you are teaching Sanskrit you areplanning to dig the mines of knowledge.
When you are teaching Sciences, you are
driving away poverty and diseases that are eating
away the humanity.
When you are teaching social sciences you
are preparing the fine leadership in yourclassroom.
When you are teaching Art, you are bringing
the future generation close to nature and natural
way of living.

Arundhoti Roy Choudhury
Thakurpukur Centre for Peace andDevelopment Initiative, India
When we sit on the issue few questions crop up :As human beings what are our goals,
whether short term or long term?
 We need to construct our planet or destroy it.
 If there is any danger existing in the world,
is it dangerous for all or only for one?
 What are the things that can destroy
humanity?
 Are we here only to exist/survive; only
struggling?
 Who is tragedy struck at the end of the day–the bomber or the bombed?
 Who can choose the answers?
The only one to whom I can point to, for all
the answer is ‘me’ or ‘we’.
We only can advocate for nonviolence. Love,
honor, and respect can be our shield. But we needto understand that when we all have the same home
we have to all share equally, be it destruction orpeace. And at the end none will be left behind.
The competition, which we are into is so
dangerous -- one country has Nuclear Weapon,
so why won’t I? It is every one’s responsibility
and not my alone to think over the issue to makeevery one understand that disarmament is acompulsion. Why can’t we try to put the cup
upside down? No one has, so I won’t have either.
Now comes up the question, who will give up
first? The one, who started with it, can take up
the competition the other way round.
I add my voice to those urging substantialcommitments and real progress towards therealization of a world without nuclear weapon. I
believe, people who have never suffered the kindof irreparable damages those nuclear weapons
would wreak, need to try to understand the issue.
We all need to promise that Nuclear weapons
must never be used, not even for testing – under

45

When you are teaching Craft, you are making
the hands of the child strong, so that it can live
life in a dignified way.”
This is peace education. Peace is there in theclassroom. Peace is there in the teacher’steaching. Peace is there in the love for the child.
We need to deliver it. We can show the Peace tothe world as peace in action. In the present
circumstances of global and local conflicts
sometimes it may appear that to talk about peaceis like moving the mountains --- it is likeswimming against the tide. But obstacles canovercome with unity, dedication and hard work.
There is no curse bigger than living a life of
threat. Let us walk together in the pathways ofpeace along with children so that we can bringpeace in the world. Enough of teaching ourchildren ‘A’ for apple. Why don’t we start rightfrom the alphabet and see if we can sow the seedof peace right from the time the child learns tocommunicate? To you, who can fund, I say,fund not the nuclear rather fund a world“new and clear” of nuclear. Let us make thekids on earth understand the following. I quote:“All though we hail from different lands We
share our earth and sky and sun Remember
friends, the world is one”.
The march of civilization started with thebattle for survival of the fittest. Today as we aremoving at lightening speed towards what seems
like the end of civilization, the need of the day
looks like another battle for survival and mostcertainly it has to be the survival of the weakest.
The strong needs to willingly and lovingly lose
this battle to the weak, ensure them that we will
cohabit this world without demarcations of
nuclear strong or nuclear weak. In this selflessdefeat will lie the true victory of humanity.

survivors are telling us that nuclear weapons, if
used, would cause catastrophic humanitarianconsequences. There must never be another “hell”
anywhere on earth.
US Hegemony
We have gathered here to observe 70th
Anniversary of Nuclear Bombings on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. When imperialists powers such
US and NATO are aggressively pursuing theirmilitary hegemony throughout the world. A
Nuclear weapons free world and an International
treaty for a total Ban on Nuclear Weapons cannot
be achieved without fighting against imperialist
forces. These battle also a battle of classes. Most
people - even the leaders of nuclear armed states- say they want a world without nuclear weapons.
Everyone recognizes the brutal consequencesthat would be caused by the use of nuclear
weapons. But at the same time nuclear armed
states continue to value nuclear weapons highly
and invest billions of dollars in upgrading anddeveloping them.
Non-proliferation Treaty
In May 2010, the 189 parties to the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), including the
Nuclear weapons states, agreed “to achieve thepeace and security of a world without nuclear
weapons.” Now is the time to act to accomplishit.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Review Conference of 2015 has failed to makeprogress in controlling nuclear weapons. At
present day world’s nine nuclear armed states are
already directly or indirectly engaged in armed
conflicts. When the Non-Proliferation Treaty
came into full force in 1970, it recognized 5
nuclear armed states, which are also the 5permanent members of the United Nation
Security Council. Of those, the US, UK, Russia
had signed the treaty, along with 40 non-nuclear
states. In 1992 nuclear armed France and China
acceded to the treaty. Today there are 191 parties
to the treaty, 189 UN member states plus the
Vatican and Palestine.
NPT & After
After 45 years the number of nuclear armed
states has increased to 9. The two major nuclear
armed states, the US and Russia have reduced
their nuclear arsenals to about 5000 each whileother nuclear arsenals have stabilized to continue
to grow. United States has embarked on an
overhaul of its nuclear arsenals and infrastructure,
a commitment that may cost 1 trillion dollars
over the next 30 years. Between March 2004 andMarch 2015 both Russia and the United Statesslightly increased their numbers of deployedwarheads and both countries are working on new

Niranjan ChatterjeeCentre of Indian Trade Unions-West
Bengal State Committee, India
On behalf of Centre of Indian Trade Unions I
must express my revolutionary greetings andsolidarity to the all organizations those arefighting to create a nuclear free World.
Past History
We all know in August 1945, Hiroshima andNagasaki were turned to a “hell” by only twobombs. By the end of the year, as many as
210,000 people died. Approximately 200,000 of
those who barely survived have later sufferedfrom diseases, wounds in both mind and body,anxiety on their health and many otherunmeasurable agonies.
Testimonies of the46

long range strike bombers. France is developing;a new cruise missile and UK will decide in thenear future whether to replace its fleet of nuclear
armed submarine. This is the reality of the world.
The role of Civil Society
Within civil society, international peace
movement, the Red Cross movement and in
diplomatic discussions between governments,
there has been a renewed focus on thehumanitarian impact of nuclear weapons.
Banning nuclear weapons would likely entail thedevelopment of an international legal instrument
prohibiting the use, development, production,
stop pilling, transfer, acquisition, deployment
and financing of nuclear weapons, as well as
prohibiting assistance with this acts. It could also
recognize the responsibilities of the state toensure the rights of victims of nuclear weapons
use or testing, require decontamination andremediation of affected areas and provide forcooperation and assistance to meet theseobligations. It could provide a frame work for theelimination of nuclear weapons within agreed
time frames, for those states with nuclear
weapons that join or that negotiates otheragreements consistent with the treaty.
Preparation for World Convention against
Nuclear Weapons
146 countries with 81% of world population
support the immediate commencement ofnegotiations leading to a convention. Only 26
countries opposed to the idea and 22 seats on thefence. The whole of Latin America, Caribbean
and Africa are in favour of a nuclear weapons
convention, along with most nations in Asia,
Pacific and Middle East. Support is weakest
among European and North American nations,many of which are part of NATO. Countries ofEuropean unions are not favouring this move. 4
nuclear armed states China, India, Pakistan andNorth Korea support this move but US, UK,
Israel, and France are against a total ban on
nuclear weapons.
Task & Struggles
The ruling class of US and NATO simply
wants business by promoting war and nuclear
industry. They want to grab wealth of othercountries by any means so they are engaged in
war or proxy war to change the regime of othercountries.
Only struggles of working class against theruling classes of the imperialist forces canchange the equilibrium and status quo. WFTU is
playing a pivotal role towards the present taskof the time.
It is the responsibility of all states to makeprogress towards negotiation on nuclear

disarmament. Banning nuclear weapons is apragmatic way to confront the risk posed by
nuclear weapons and is a logical evolution of
nuclear disarmament discourse and process.
ConclusionWhen
wecommemorate
the70th
Anniversary of the Atomic annihilation ofHiroshima and Nagasaki we should keep in mind
fight against nuclear weapons cannot be won
without fight against neo-liberal rightwing policy
onslaughts of imperialist powers. Only a classoriented movement and progressive forces wholead the peace movement can make a global
opinion, participation to create a nuclear freeworld.
Now is the time to work for peace and nuclear
weapons free world. Let us all boldly and finallymove towards this goal. Give peace a chance.

Prakash Meghe
Coalition for Nuclear Disarmamentand Peace
India
NUCLEAR WEAPON FREE WORLD:ONLY OPTION TO SAVE EARTH
Dear participants of the world conference
against Atomic & Hydrogen Bombs, I earnestly
thank the organizers for inviting me to participate
in this conference as a Representative of
Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace(CNDP), India. I express deep gratitude towards
organizers for granting me such unique
opportunity to communicate with you on theoccasion of 70th Anniversary of Hiroshima andNagasaki atomic bombing.
Since the theme of the conference being "aNuclear weapon free, peaceful and just world andto make 70th year of atomic bombing a decisiveturn to a world without nuclear weapons", Ichose this session to express my views in thisconference.
When we talk about achieving a Nuclear Free
World, then naturally the question arises, why
nuclear weapons are invented or created in thisworld? Is it merely as one of the science
experiment or invention or for some otherulterior motive or purpose? one cannot deny thefact that, when atomic bomb was dropped on
Hiroshima on 6th August, 1945 and thousands
and thousands people died, suffered from burns
and disabilities due to radioactivity, the Uncle
Sam from its Headquarters declared shamelessly
that "Our experiment of science is successful". In
this declaration there is hardly any shame for47

such massive killings of people of Hiroshima. It
seems the destruction of Human lives andproperty in Hiroshima was not sufficient forthem, they went ahead to bomb Nagasaki. After
70 years, one can definitely say that the Nuclear
Weapons are Weapons of mass destruction andthey have potential to destroy the entire
civilization and eco system of this planet.
After atomic bombings in Hiroshima andNagasaki, the world opinion was totally against the
U.S. Imperialism. However, the U.S. came out with
their new strategy to distract the attention of peopleof the world from this ghastly and heinous crime
which they committed at Hiroshima and Nagasaki
with slogan of "Atom for Peace" by which they
campaigned for Nuclear energy. In last 70 years, it
is now clear to entire world that Nuclear energy isprocess through which Nuclear weapons can bebuilt-up. Take example of India which declared fornumber of years that, they are using Nuclear
material for generating only energy and then firstatomic explosion was performed in 1974 andsubsequently in May, 1998 conducted Nuclear
Tests. It was followed by Pakistan on 28-29 May
1998 as a retaliatory measure. This brought a new
unstable atmosphere with Nuclear threat and race of
Nuclear arsenals between India, Pakistan and China.
Despite such drastic effect of atom bomb,
Russia, France, U.K. and China went to perform
Nuclear tests and armed themselves with Nuclear
Weapons under the "Doctrine of Deterrence".
Due to increasing piling of Nuclear Weapons,
ultimately the pressure from Non-Nuclear states
increased and due to sentiments of people in thedecade of sixties, the Non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT) came into existence which created lot ofhopes amongst people to proceed towards aworld without Nuclear Weapons. However evenafter the period of more than 48 years and after
the failure to reach consensus in the Review
Conference of NPT 2015, the hopes of a Nuclear
Weapon Free World hit another blow. By roughestimates, more than 17000 atomic bombs arelying in storage with these Nuclear Weapon Statesand out of that more than half are with U.S. alone.
After the end of cold war in 1991 when theSoviet Union got dissolved, separated nations
like Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan decided toreturn the nuclear war heads to Russia anddecided to join the group of Non-Nuclear States.
It created another hopes amongst world people
that U.S. in this era would avail this opportunity
to go for abolition of nuclear weapons andparticularly when two nuclear weapon statesowning more than 95% nuclear weapons, evenwent for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty(START–I) in 1994 and even (START-II) also

took place. However, lots of hopes were there
from NPT Review Conference 1995.
After the advisory opinion of International
Court of Justice which held that use or threaten
to use Nuclear weapon is against Internationallaw and appealed to Nuclear Weapon States tonegotiate for Nuclear Disarmament, a new
momentum generated in organizations working
against nuclear weapons. At the same time,group of Non-Nuclear States comprising ofBrazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand,
Slovenia, South Africa and Sweden came withjoint declaration namely "Towards A Nuclear
Weapon Free World: The Need For New
Agenda", thereby
forming New Agenda
Coalition (NAC). This Coalition, in its
unequivocal terms declared its objective to havenuclear weapon free world. The group also went
ahead to bring resolution in General Assembly ofUnited Nations based on verdict of International
Court of Justice which passed with 114 Nations
voting in its favor. These developments clearly
revealed that, majority nations on this planet arefor a world without nuclear weapons. Meanwhile
Costa Rica moved Model Nuclear Weapons
Convention which aims for eliminating nuclear
weapons from this world and appealed to nuclear
weapons states to negotiate on the issue ofabolishing nuclear weapons. Not only that, theopinion polls on nuclear weapons convention
during 1997-98 clearly in favor of negotiations
on nuclear weapons convention. The Japan
overwhelmingly voted with 78% for abolition of
nuclear weapons.
Under these circumstances, the need of thehour is to bring the Nuclear Weapons States on
negotiation table for wiping out nuclear weapons
from this world by stages. This can take place
only with the help of strong, committed people's
movement against Nuclearisation and suchinitiative must come from civil society
organizations. Almost all nations havedemocratic setup and the Governments of NonNuclear States can take initiative for bringing
Nuclear Weapon States to have dialogue forannihilation of these weapons but, such initiative
can be possible if, such movement develops inthese countries. Number of Governments of Nonnuclear states have taken initiative by forming
commissions and lobbying with nuclear states inthis regard. After Fukushima disaster, even socalled 'peaceful use of atom' is equally dangerous
for humanity, is proved and therefore, themovement should be against nuclear weapons aswell as against nuclear energy too.
Therefore we must try to develop movement
demanding that:48

1. Nuclear Weapon States should declare exact
number of nuclear weapons in their storage
and also transparently account for fissile
material stockpile.
2. They should declare how they would reducethem by stages to bring it to zero level.
3. They should immediately stop Research,
Design,Development,
TestingandProduction of Nuclear Weapons.
We must try to coordinate amongst all suchgroups at global level like 'Middle Powers
Initiatives', 'Abolition 2000' etc. The recent
initiative on the humanitarian consequences ofnuclear weapons, by the International Campaign
to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has got
encouraging response with more than 30
countries signing the humanitarian pledge. In
India, our coalition is engaged in active
campaigns for nuclear disarmament in South
Asia and the world through various
campaigns and awareness programs. The needis to campaign for a nuclear free world byspreading the evils caused due to atomic
bombing took place at Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
various documentaries showing the effects ofradioactivity for generations together, to publish
various literature jointly and particularly tocounter the wrong notions created by nuclear
weapons states like 'Deterrence', 'Self-defence'etc. Such mass movements can force various
governments to declare reduction in Nuclear
Weapons and their dependence on nuclear energy
like various countries in Europe and other partsof globe did after Fukushima Disaster. Based onsuch strategy, the real movement against
nuclearisation can be built up to save this planet
from destruction and also its ecology.

not like any other military blasts. These
explosives were aiming at the very fabric of life.
Thus, these blasts have resonated for generations
and revisited the people of Hiroshima andNagasaki as illness and deformities in thefamilies of the brave Hibakusha. Like a
flashflood of suffering and human degradation,
this eternal scar has followed in what seems tobecome the eternal wake of the catastrophe.
But, this devastation was also, even though
not as brutally unleashed on innocents whenbombs were blasted over the plains and people ofKazakhstan and Nevada, over the islands northof Russia, in the Pacific and in northern Africa.
The universal crippling effect of the atomic
weapons can thus not to be doubted. Illness,
death, handicap and suffering was always the toll
felt by the people effected from St. George to
Bikini and Kazakhstan.
But, the politicians instead of sealing the
Pandora’s box, when they all had realized thedevastating effects of the new know how,through a universal ban on the technology,
eagerly started using this technology as a new
military and political tool. We all know there
have been successes in closing Pandora's boxes
before, when other possible devastating weapons
realized through human inventions and research,
have been deemed to destructive. Instead offinding a political resolution to this ultimate
ethical question, the leaders continued tocompete how to develop stronger, more accurate,
faster and more devastating bombs.
It was proven again and again how this lineof weapons was unique in its total lack ofsustainability. After decades of developing andtesting ever-stronger more accurate, faster andinhumane weapons, the common sense approachof ending the race has never seemed further frombeing realized. All seems to be based on thesame terrible equation of insane logic shared by
all parties acquiring the bomb, if our weapons
only get stronger, more maiming and destructive
and accurate we will deter the others from using
their stockpiles on us.
As the margin of errors grew shorter andmore fragile, the destructive capabilities
increased through an everlasting increase in
spending of funds and resources. All thishappened in a world that cried out for basic
necessities to be provided for starving millions.
We need to keep in mind, that our own
leaders and politicians designed this insane
reality. While they kept talking of disarmament,
nuclear control and set up never ending processes
that only could lead to naught, they always
assured only one truth; the supreme rule of MAD.

Vidar Birkeland
No to Nuclear Weapons
NorwayThe bomb is too dangerous for thepoliticians and military leaders to control. We,
must all, in the spirit of the Hibakusha, join in
the fight of wrestling our future loose from theleaders that set up the structures that will
annihilate us all unless we overcome them.
70 years ago the Pandora's box of the nuclear
age broke open over the cities of Hiroshima andNagasaki killing 140.000 people on two brightAugust days. We must never forget the terrible
atrocity that befell the people that lived here
those fateful days in 1945.
The havoc wrought over the men, womenand children in these two Japanese towns, was49

It is long overdue that we the people, in the
only decent way of remembering all those whodied and suffered from the politician's incrediblelack of common sense, now force a change to thenonsense disarmament game. We cannot let the
Hibakusha's deaths be in vain, while letting theleaders continue to play power games that put
our common future at stake. Let us all pledge,
after decades of nonsense processes, that weshall no more respect non proliferations talks to
be true processes of peace. The inability even, in
this year's non-proliferation talks, of making useof this unique opportunity of commemorating thevictims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, by making
no progress at all at the meaningless last round of
nonproliferation talks, must we never forget.
This one, last nonsense process, if not all equal
processes up till now was sufficient, proves to us,that nothing will be achieved unless we take up
the struggle for the planet and humanity in thespirit of the survivors against the forces thatcaused their demise. These forces still rule overthe destructive forces of the nuclear weapons anddesign the never-ending processes of nonsense.
We need no further proof. The current
players have proven a total incapacity to achieve
what all we people yearn for, a peaceful future
and that the box of destruction released over
Hiroshima and Nagasaki will be closed through aban universally accepted forever.
We cannot continue to let the forces thatcreated this ultimate madness decide over ourcommon future. We cannot continue to let thepoliticians fool us to believe that they have tried
to make a difference when all their efforts 70
years later have proven to be totally inadequate
to deal with their own atomic monster. Shallhumanity survive we collectively need to be able
to avoid using all our advances to destroy ourown existence. Thus, this fight is about morethan the nuclear threat. It is about the everlasting
enigma how humanity may keep control over theforces unleashed through their own advances.
If we let the atomic powers decide over our
future, there will be no future. I pledge you all tostand up today in the presence of all the nations
we represent, and all our organizations, to let thisday be the first day of our common struggle. We
must use this opportunity to start on the path to a
new world where we the people force the nuclear
weapons of mass destruction to become obsolete.
We pledge to wrest the power from thetechnocrats, military establishment, big businessthat rakes it profit from this ultimate power game,and the politicians and government that created
our world's most inhumane monster.

We will not let our future anymore, be
decided in venues of endless nonsense talk of
disarmament, while the arsenals increase its
accuracy, velocity and destructive force. It istime for action. Let the powerful feel the soft
power of sensibility and grassroots. Let theleaders feel the action of the common people, theyoung and those among us that still carries theultimate sacrifice for this insanity, the Hibakusha.
We honor their memory and plight today andin all days to come in succeeding to brake theviscous circle of power arrogance of the leadersand lack of trust in the ability of people to dictate
their own future as we through history has
proven is possible again and again.
If this should not be possible today, whenshould it be? We are able to convene here in
Japan through the incredible combined efforts ofour committed hosts. We can regroup; reassess
our resources and ties in a united world, and wewill win because the people want peace andnuclear disarmament.
After a string of state conferences that started
in Oslo, about the humanitarian consequences ofnuclear weapons, a ban on nuclear weapons isalready high on the agenda. Over 150 countries
have so far participated in the state conferences.
At the last conference in Vienna in December
Austria made us all a promise (The Austrian
Pledge) to work to stigmatize, prohibit andultimately eliminate all nuclear weapons. The
first step in the process, to put the scarlet letter,
the stigma of nuclear weapons on nuclear
weapon States, has already forced some nuclear
weapons states to meet up at these conferencesand defend their nuclear strategies. More thanhalf the nations in the world, staggering 113
countries have so far supported Austria's pledge
or rather "The Humanitarian Pledge".
At the NPT Review Conference this year astatement about the Humanitarian initiative was
supported by 160 countries.
The Norwegian government is wary of The
Humanitarian Pledge arguing, that ourmembership in NATO is an obstacle. As alliedwith nuclear weapons states it would be a foreign
policy burden on Norway to take the lead ininternational efforts to ban nuclear weapons,claims the current rightwing government, but wedon’t agree.
I am convinced we can make the ban a reality
if we only take up the torch of sanity, for a world
freed of nuclear bombs. Come let us all be part ofthe moment that frightens the leaders because
they cannot control it. Let us all convene on
Austria to win the next battle of the fight, for wehave to win, there is no alternative. Let us all be50the Hibakusha and let the planet be the ultimate
survivor and the Hibakusha through our joint
efforts.
As the Hibakusha survivors rebuilt theirmaimed life in postwar Japan, we all need to join
in a combined effort to rebuild the sanity andsustainability of our world. I do not know if wewill succeed in the anniversary year of theultimate catastrophe that happened here, but let
us all begin here today in Hiroshima to succeed
in fulfilling the final redemption of the
Hibakusha, a nuclear free world!

Wolfgang Schlupp-HauckFriedenswerkstatt Mutlangen e. V.
Germany
Main Areas of Engagement
 Chairman of the association ”Friedenswerkstatt Mutlangen“, which is based in the village,
wherein the 80th nuclear missiles have been deployed.
 Working closely together with Mayors for peace as 2020 vision campaigner
 Member of the Advisory board of the Global Network Against Nuclear Weapons in Space.
Former deployment site of Pershing II missiles is used today for housing and producing solar energy.
A historical path remembers the military history

Nuclear Weapons today In Germany there is still on site, where nuclear weapons of the US are deployed.
 In Stuttgart there is the US Command responsible for it.
 In Büchel there are estimated 20 nuclear bombs on the airfield of the Bundeswehr, which offers the
Tornados as delivery system
Picture shows the first drop-test of new B 61-12 nuclear bomb, July 1st 2015
The bombs are planned to be modernized and get more accuracy.
The same nuclear sharing takes place Belgium, Netherlands, Italy and also in Turkey.

51About 50 Peace Groups and Organizations build a coalition in the “Trägerkreis Atomwaffen
Abschaffen – bei uns anfangen”.
The main demands are:
 Withdrawl of the bombs
 No modernization
 A treaty which bans all nuclear weapons worldwide.
 The ways of engagement are together with Mayors for Peace advocacy work in the Bundestag and at International Conferences direct actions in Büchel
 blockading the base fasting campaign(Ending on Nagasaki Day – Starting Each year one day earlier as long as the nuclear weapons are there.)
Bicycle Tours
PEACE MAKER
For sportive racing cyclist
300 km / one day
REGIO – TOUREN
For everybody Bicycle courier bringing petitions togovernment and embassies.

Flag day: Remembering the International courtof justice decision of 1996 July 8th and thecurrent complaint of Marshall Islands against all
nuclear weapons states.

Advocacy work in the Bundestag
and at International Conference

Direct actions at the nuclear deployment
site Büchel

52

Nuclear Power Powers the Bomb – So let us stop bothSome words to Nuclear Energy Even if Germany has decided to phase out nuclear energy, there is
nuclear industry, try to obstruct the process and is delivering to other countries. The percentage of
renewable energy is growing and Germany is selling more energy to it neighbors then it has to buy.
In the year 2013 and 2014, 25% of the in Germany produced electricity was made by renewable sources.
Germany is exporting about 5% of its electricity.

53Plenary Session III:For a World without Nuclear Weapons:
Overcoming Nuclear Deterrence Doctrine; Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts;
Sustainable Life and Environment(August 3)
only was that not true, but U.S. actions in 1945 inJapan still affect the Japanese today. The U.S.
agenda for Asia is forcing Japan to make adecision about reversing 70 years of acommitment to pacifism under Article 9 of theJapanese constitution and to succumb to U.S.
pressure to become a military ally in surrounding
and isolating China.
After my apology, Dr. Yamanouchi turned tome and said, “You’re the first American who hasever apologized to me for the actions of theUnited States during World War II.”
But we aren’t here only to look back at what
happened 70 years ago, and the millions ofpeople in the Asia Pacific who lost their lives
during World War II, but to assess where we aretoday on the issue of ridding the world of nuclear
weapons. We are here to discuss the legacy of thetwo atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945, forJapan, for the United States and for the entire
world. Prime Minister Abe recently suggested
that the New Security Deals currently underdiscussion by the Diet will allow Japan to change
its status from an “exception” to becoming a“normal” nation once again, one that can act
militarily in self-defense and help allies fightagainst their “enemies.” In other words, Japan
would finally shed its pacifism, originallyadopted 70 years ago due to Japan’s all-toopainful understanding of the dangers and terrorsof war and free Japan to become more like theUnited States.
At the same time, those of us working forpeace in the United States have looked to Japan
post-World War II as a model for how a country
should act internationally. We know that the
majority of Japanese disagree with Prime
Minister Abe and oppose the New Security Deals.
We stand together with you in your efforts tomaintain Japan’s constitutional commitment topacifism. Barack Obama said in a 2009
campaign speech in Prague that since the U.S.
was the only country in the world to have usednuclear weapons, the U.S. has a “unique
responsibility” to work for a world without
nuclear weapons. Moving the United Statescloser in policy and perspective to Japan would

Introductory Reports:
Madelyn Hoffman
New Jersey Peace Action
U.S.A.
My name is Madelyn Hoffman. I am the
Executive Director of New Jersey Peace Action,(NJPA) founded in November of 1957, as New
Jersey SANE, Committee for a SANE Nuclear
Policy. I was born in November of 1956, so it issobering to me to realize that there has been aneed for our peace organization every year of mylife save one. I have been the director sinceAugust 2000.
New Jersey SANE’s primary mission wasand still is the abolition of nuclear weapons, what
our founders called “a danger unlike any that had
ever before existed,” especially as a nuclear arms
race was underway between the United States
and the former Soviet Union.
Because of our work on this issue for somany years, I am most moved and honored tohave been invited to Japan for the 70th
anniversary commemorations of the atomic
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On July
16th, at a gathering for writers titled “The Story:
Exploring our Personal Encounters with History,”
I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Midori
Yamanouchi, one of the translators of “Listen to
the Voices from the Sea.” Dr. Yamanouchi isalso a Hibakusha from Okayama. She described
her experiences and memories of the day the U.S.
dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima after
weeks of firebombing throughout Japan. Dr.
Yamanouchi described much death anddestruction and certain unacceptable behaviors of
U.S. civilian men and soldiers in Japan at thattime.
In response to what Dr. Yamanouchi
described, I apologized to her for some of theactions of the U.S. military in Japan during
World War II. I wasn’t alive at the time, but I felt
nauseous thinking about the impact of U.S.
actions on the Japanese – and the widespread
belief that dropping the bombs on Hiroshima andNagasaki was the only way to end the war. Not

54

help to accomplish the abolition of nuclear
weapons, not the other way around.
It isn’t time for Japan’s “peace experiment”
end. In fact, it’s time for Japan to become the
new “normal” and to lead the way toward
genuine peace and security by finding ways toresolve international conflicts that don’t involvewar. Peace Action will stand alongside you in
resisting this change, first because it will help
create a more thriving Japan and second, because
if more countries followed Japan’s lead, theworld would be a better place.
If Japan were to become more like the UnitedStates and provide military support to advance
the U.S. agenda, what would that mean? Current
U.S. foreign policy requires a huge monetary
outlay. The U.S. Congress typically agrees tospend between 45% and 55% of all the money it
can decide how to spend (discretionary spending)on the military, or close to $800 billion for 2016,
leaving only 6% for education and less forindividual items like housing, alternative energy,
the environment and climate change, jobs
creation, infrastructure improvement and more.
You may have heard about the recent collapse of
a 30-foot section of a bridge in California due toexcessive flooding, leading to the indefinite
closure of the bridge and a major highway
between California and Arizona. We need moremoney to spend on infrastructure in the U.S. The
U.S. agenda has already pushed Japan to allocate
more money for the military, as for 2016, the U.S.
is counting on Japan to provide half of the costs
for Japan to become a U.S. military ally in the
Asian-Pacific region.
In addition, Peace Action knows that 65% of
Okinawans oppose the expansion of the militarybase in Okinawa. We know that U.S. plans areproceeding, despite protests from the people of
the region concerned about the impact of such
expansion on the environment and the increased
militarization of the area. Haven’t we alreadycaused enough destruction to Japan? We knowthat people have been arrested because of theirprotests and that both the recently elected mayor
of Nago City and the governor of the Prefecture
oppose the expansion. We stand in solidarity
with those protesters – both because of the
impact that an expanded military base would
have on Japan and for the costs of such an
expansion to the U.S. domestic economy,
ranging in the billions of dollars.
Peace Action is one of the main organizations
behind a “Move the Money” campaign in the
U.S., one that advocates for the U.S. Congress totake at least 25% of the money in the U.S.
military budget and move it into the kinds ofprograms the community needs. We also support
legislation that calls for cuts in nuclear weapons
spending and oppose the President’s proposal tospend $1 trillion in the next 30 years on“modernizing” the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
Ironically, President Obama promised this in
exchange for U.S. Senators’ support for the new
START Treaty on nuclear disarmament between
the U.S. and Russia and while the world makes
sure Iran doesn’t acquire even one nuclear
weapon. Additionally, in May 2015, the U.S.
blocked the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Review Conference’s final agreement because ofa provision to hold an international conferenceon creating a nuclear-weapons-free, weapons-ofmass-destruction-free Middle East, alreadyagreed to by all participants in 2010. Such a
conference would have required Israel to look at
the 200 – 400 nuclear weapons it possesses.
There is an unemployment problem in Japan,
primarily affecting single mothers. In order tomeet some of the financial obligations increased
militarization of Japanese society would require,
Japan’s government is already cutting money foreducation and for other programs that assist
single mothers and other low-to-moderate
income people in making it through their lives. A
more militarized society will demand even moremoney for war preparations and leave less money
for the kinds of community programs necessary
for a country (and a culture) to survive.
But this isn’t only an issue of money, peaceand security, it is also an issue of democracy.
More than 50% of the Japanese people oppose
this change. Many remember all too vividly thehorrors of war, including the horrors of firebombing and the horrors of the atomic bomb.
Does any politician have the right to ignore themajority of the people – particularly in matters ofpeace and war, life and death? I don’t think so.
The Hibakusha have worked so hard for solong and have given so much of their time totravel all around the world to plead with world
leaders and with ordinary citizens to never again
allow atomic bombs to be used by anyone. NJPA
has had the privilege of hosting many Hibakusha
over the years and arranging for Hibakusha tospeak to many gatherings. One such speaking
event included the Hibakusha being given a key
to the city of Newark, New Jersey’s largest cityand one of its poorest.
Despite these pleas, and the presence of
hundreds of Japanese in New York City thisApril, before the five-year review conference
under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, no
agreement was reached for reducing the world’s
nuclear weapons for the next five years.

55Thankfully, 110 countries have signed the
Humanitarian Pledge calling for the world-wide
elimination of nuclear weapons, so we can buildon that. In addition, we believe that a “Move theMoney” campaign, both here and in Japan could
help create a movement large enough and strong
enough to change our nations’ spending priorities– people affected by cuts to domestic spending orconcerned about the environment or in need ofhousing, food, education or health care – can join
together to oppose nuclear weapons and morewar – as the war machine and war profiteers
continue to steal money from our communities
and funnel it into violence, death and destruction.
Thank you again for the honor ofparticipating in this conference. Together we canpromote Japan’s Article 9 as the model of a “newnormal” for peace and make militarization the
exception!

Weapons before the 2015 NPT Review
Conference. However, despite the global interestin abolishing nuclear weapons, the 2015 NPT
Review Conference failed to reach any consensus
agreement on the action plan after the conference.
Although the will of global citizens and most
non-nuclear countries for abolition of nuclear
weapons is growing, the anachronistic militarism
obsessed with the nuclear deterrence still remains
strong. As the nuclear powers keep delaying
acting on their promises of reducing nuclear
weapons, the possibility of nuclear proliferationand the threat of using nuclear weapons aregradually growing. The non-cooperation anddouble standards of some nuclear umbrella
dependent governments are also the big
stumbling block. Unfortunately, the governmentsof South Korea, my home country, and Japan, thehost nation of today’s meeting, have chosen the
military strategy that depends on the nuclear
deterrence and joined the ranks of stumbling
block to a world without nuclear weapon.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I said the same thing here last year, and I say
it again today – it is a huge irony that the
government of Japan, the government of acountry that has become the first ever nuclearbombed country, is obsessed with the nuclear
umbrella. It is just as ironical for the governmentof South Korea, the government of a country
with the stigma of some one hundred thousand ofits people being conscripted by the Japanese
government during the colonization and exposed
to radiation when Hiroshima and Nagasaki werebombed, is mimicking the mistake that the
government of Japan is committing.
Many South Koreans and Japanese say thatthey need the nuclear umbrella, because North
Korea developed nuclear weapons and missiles.
They do have a point. However, since the Cold
War, long before North Korea developed thenuclear capacity, South Korea and Japan havebeen depending on the nuclear umbrella. The
North Korean nuclear weapon is a dilemma
created by the double standards of Northeast
Asian countries toward nuclear weapon. Every
Northeast Asian countries, where we belong, areobsessed with military strategy that depends on
nuclear deterrence. The U.S., Russia, China,
Japan, North Korea and South Korea… All ofthem are depending on nuclear deterrence.
But there is an exception. Mongolia,
surrounded by the nuclear powers, independently
declared that it is a nuclear-free zone and won
the official recognition by the U.N.
The
government and people of Mongolia chose tomaintain friendly and cooperative relationships

Lee Taeho
People's Solidarity for Participatory
Democracy
Republic of Korea
Minasan, ohayogozaimasu!
Hello! It is very nice to meet you!
My name is Taeho Lee, secretary general of
People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy
from South Korea.
I would like to thank the Organizing
Committee for inviting me to the 2015 World
Conference against A and H Bombs and giving
me an opportunity to give a speech.
First, I would like to ask all of you to remember
those who lost their lives by the nuclear bombs
dropped here in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70
years ago. My heart also goes to many
Hibakushas who are still in pain.
And I would like to say heartfelt hello on behalfof the Koreans who agree with all of you
gathered here today to create a world without
nuclear weapon, and even further, a world safe
from all kinds of nuclear disaster.
The world clearly witnessed the cruel andinhumane nature of nuclear weapons through thebombs dropped here in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
70 years ago. The weapons of mass destruction
are against the humanity, and the voice ofmankind that claims for the permanentelimination of these weapons is growing louder
than ever.
In last May, the interest of international
community for illegalizing and abolishing
nuclear weapons was materialized into theStatement on Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear
56

with all of its neighbors, instead of signingmilitary alliance agreements with some countries
or expanding its armament. Mongolia chose tomaintain peace through a peaceful way. The
case of Mongolia is a good example of removing
the nuclear threat from the East Asia.
The Japan’s Peace Constitution is also one of
the strongest methods and recourses that canassure peace in East Asia and the Pacific, if it
remains completely effective.
The Peace
Constitution is the promise of Japanese people tothe international community and the safeguardthat the dark histories of the World Wars andimperial invasion will never be repeated.
The history of the Peace Constitution mirrors
the 70-year long light and shade of post-war
politics in East Asia. As you may be aware,
while Germany had been separated after theWorld War II in Europe, the Korean Peninsula
has been separated East Asia. The world had to
pay the cost of separated Korean peninsula forthe safeguard for East Asia called the Peace
Constitution. Thereafter, the Korean Peninsula
fell into the civil war while the U.S. and Japan
strengthened their military alliance by entering
into the San Francisco Peace Treaty. The San
Francisco Peace Treaty, where the Peace
Constitution and military alliance awkwardly
coexist, is inseparably related to the armisticesystem in Korean Peninsula that relies on
military alliance.
Meanwhile, the Abe Administration is now
claiming that Japan must ‘overcome the post-war
period’ and become a ‘normal’ state that can starta war. The Abe Administration must be thinking
that ‘overcoming the post-war period’ isachieved by denying the country’s past. The Abe
Administration is trying to practically abolish the
Article 9 of the Peace Constitution, the safety pinof peace in East Asia, in the name of “reinterpretation.”
The Abe Administration istrying to allow Japanese military forces (SelfDefense Force) to engage in the war, together
with the U.S., anywhere in the world, in thename of ‘collective self-defense.’
I believe that Japan can truly 'overcome thepost-war period’ only by fully admitting the stain
in her history and completely removing thelegacy of militarism, not simply turning a blindeye to her history.
The most meaningful
contribution Japan could make for peace andprosperity in the East Asia would be improving
the incomplete Peace Constitution into acomplete one and turning into the exemplary
peace-loving nation that does not rely on the
nuclear umbrella or military alliance, instead ofturning into a war-capable nation.

Fortunately, many Japanese people decided
to disapprove the Abe Administration’s
legislating the security-related laws, and toprotect the Peace Constitution. I thank theJapanese people for their fight and give my full
support.
Not only Japan under the Abe
Administration, but also all nations in the world
shall not adopt militarism to solve any problem.
Every nation must adopt the Peace Constitution
as their constitutions. The people of South Korea
will stand in solidarity with the world to march
toward the true democracy and peace!
Friends,
Another unique item in the post-war politics
in East Asia is the Korean Peninsula still underarmistice system. Ending the armistice systemon the Korean Peninsula and moving on to thepeace system is one of the most important tasks
in overcoming the distorted post-war politics inEast Asia. The separated Korean Peninsula isone of the world’s most dangerous places where
the largest armament can be found, as well as thelargest military exercises are conducted every
year. The peaceful Korean Peninsula, once
achieved, can become one of the strongest
elements of peace in East Asia, together with thePeace Constitution of Japan. This is why thesocial movements aimed at preserving the Peace
Constitution and at signing a peace treaty on the
Korean Peninsula must closely work together.
Peaceful resolution of the North Korean
nuclear issue is directly related to peace on the
Korean Peninsula, because the North Korean
nuclear issue is created by the nuclear armament
race in Northeast Asia and by the unstable stateof armistice in the region. Even if South Korea
andneighboring
countries
theoreticallystrengthen its dependence on nuclear umbrella
and adopt the missile defense system, it cannot
be a practical solution to the problem. Rather, it
will trigger another armament race for greater
nuclear deterrence, exposing the people in theregion and the world to a greater nuclear threat.
Thus, reconvening dialogues without
condition and rebuilding trust are absolutely
necessary. The U.S., South Korea and Japan who
have the upper hands in terms of military andeconomy should take an active role first. We
must open the doors to dialogue, by making
comprehensive and preemptive peace proposals
to North Korea, which includes improving
relations, signing a peace treaty, Negative
Security Assurance, and restriction of military
threat, etc. And other nations including South
Korea must give up their military strategy ofdepending on nuclear weapons. This is why theissue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula

57

must be linked to the establishment of a Nuclear
Weapon Free Zone in Korea and/or in Northeast
Asia.
My friends!
The recent emergence of territorial conflictand hegemonic race, together with the Korean
Peninsula under armistice system trigger nuclear
armament race in East Asia. The Asia-Pacificregion that once was the target of colonization by
the West has now become the center of global
economy. However, the deeper economic interdependence has become, the deeper the militarytension and conflict have become.
The territorial dispute in East Asia is asensitive issue resulted from the historic disasters
that took place not so long ago. The outposts
being built in the disputed seas in East Asia, andprovocative military exercises conducted aroundsuch military bases and nuclear /missile
armament races are likely to aggravate theconflicts that could have been diplomatically andpeacefully solved, and turn the situation into a
consumptive armament race and military conflict.
What is missing in the East Asia region is not
the means of war, such as the outposts, artificial
islands, AEGIS battleships, aircrafts, or
submarines. Those most dearly wanted are thewill of governments all aimed at peacefully
solving the conflicts, cooperative framework for
multilateral solution of disputes and capacity ofcivil society organizations that will materialize
peace beyond borders.
Someone asked if the past of Europe would
become the future of East Asia. The race forhegemony in Europe surrounding the Atlantic
Sea triggered two world wars in the last 20th
century. Japan, which adopted the industrial
advancements of the West also joined the race
for colonies in Asia during the same period. We
must not allow the hegemonic race surrounding
the Atlantic Sea in the 20th century to repeat
itself in the Pacific in the 21st century.
I was at Gangjeong Village in Jeju Island,
which locates southern part of South Korea until
yesterday. Right after the South Korean
government named Jeju Island as the island ofworld peace by its own initiative, it started tobuild a gigantic naval base in Gangjeong Village,
large enough for two nuclear carrier ships and
AEGIS battleships can simultaneously call at theport. The people of Gangjeong Village and Jeju
Island have fought for 3,000 days to prevent theisland of world peace from being turned into the
outpost of war under the military alliance
between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan. The
peace activists from Okinawa, Saipan (Tinian
Island), the Philippines and Taiwan, who had

been fighting to return their homelands into
islands of peace, participated in the one-weeklong grand march and culture festivalcommemorating the 3,000 day of struggle against
the naval base construction in Gangjeong Village.
I have a heartfelt respect for every one ofthose who are struggling to achieve true peace inthe world, and I believe the world peace cannot
be achieved by nuclear umbrella or missile
defense system. I have no doubt that theunrelenting efforts of those activists will create abrighter and more peaceful East Asia and world.
No more Hiroshima! No more Nagasaki! No
more Nuke! No more Nuclear Umbrella! No
more War! Let's give peace a chance!

Colin Archer
International Peace Bureau (IPB)
Dear friends of peace,
Let me begin by conveying to you thewarmest of greetings from the IPB: from Reiner
Braun and Ingeborg Breines, our two CoPresidents, our staff, Board and Council, and in a
wider sense, all our 300 member organisations
and individual members around the world. It is agreat personal pleasure to be among you once
again.
Above all else I wish to express our deep
appreciation to the members of Nihon Hidankyo
and all the other Hibakusha who have devoted
their adult lives to the struggle to make sure thatthe tragedies experienced here and in Nagasaki
should never, and nowhere, happen again. Andof course to all of you who make up thiswonderful World Conference.
In our lifetimes it has always been adangerous period: whether we think of theterrible destruction of WW2, of the Cold War
period with its apocalyptic terrors, or the period
since 1990 in which public attention has been
distracted from the menace of nuclear destruction.
And there are new dangers now, both in East
Asia and in East Europe, or indeed in the Middle
East or in South Asia – all areas where thenuclear sword of Damocles hangs over us.
Time does not permit me to talk in detailabout Ukraine. Suffice to say that the
responsibility for once again bringing us to thebrink of an all-out confrontation belongs with all
3 main external parties: Russia, the US, and the
EU. The difficulty for peace movements is that
we do not agree on what portion of the blame lies
with each of the 3. This makes it hard to mobilise
popular opinion, which is at the same time
struggling to focus on so many other issues and58

other conflicts. Yet we cannot turn our faces
away. In part we are involved because of ourown history, as activists who played our part inbringing an end to the Cold War confrontationand giving birth to what followed, even if inmany ways it was not what we struggled for. We
wanted social justice, for some the vision wassocialism itself. We wanted a new equality
among states, a generalised form of mutual
respect. What we have got is neo liberal societies
and the domination of western forces, giving rise
to a new wave of authoritarianism and even war.
Let us set it in a global view: the US and its
allies face (for the first time since 1941)
essentially 3 adversaries. This time it is not
Germany, Italy and Japan, but China, Russia andmilitant Islam. This alone would be sufficient to
put the Pentagon a full war footing. Yet while
there are preparations for war and many actual
strikes with drones and other weapons, we are
not in a full war situation. That could be becauseof Obama’s relatively dovish posture (or indeed
confusion); or war weariness after Iraq and
Afghanistan; or lack of economic resources on
all sides; or fear of a new Cold War; or China’s
policy of what I call ‘non-aggressive militarism’– there are many explanations.
Nevertheless, these are not reasons forcomplacency – quite the reverse. There areserious dangers in the current situation and the
new Japanese militarism of Prime Minister Abe –bolstered by the US and mirrored by China represents one of them. For that reason the IPB
expresses its solidarity with the Japanese peace
movement in its efforts to reverse the legislation
planned by Abe and its determination to stand by
Article 9 and the values its embodies.
Since 2004 that IPB’s main focus has beenon military spending, militarism in general, andthe impact of armament on sustainable
development. We have acted as the initiator andcoordinator of the Global Day of Action on
Military Spending, which has now been run 5
times, starting in 2011. This has now beenbroadened into a year-round Global Campaign
on Military Spending (GCOMS). In order to give
greater power to this Campaign we are currently
preparing a major world congress on the subject,
to be held in Berlin from Sept 30 to Oct 3 next
year. The Japanese perspective is an important
one and we are hopeful not only of a strong
participation at the conference, but also theorganisation of one or more ‘PrepComs’ in thiscountry in order to engage a wider participationin the campaign.
Three final points:

First: the importance of considering the geopolitical dimension in whatever we focus on. I
am convinced that among the most powerfuldriving forces in tomorrow’s conflicts will be theissues of access to natural resources. We musturge our governments to resolve these tensions –which are probably inevitable – thoughinternational law and by cooperation amongstates and peoples. The alternative is too terrible
to consider.
Second: we must think carefully about thelink between nuclear and conventional war. Fearof an adversary’s conventional forces tends toreinforce the temptation to go nuclear, or to use
nuclear forces. Thus the effort to reduce
everyone’s military commitment is work thathelps us avoid nuclear war too.
Thirdly: In this place and with this audience I
scarcely need to stress the urgency of moves
towards global nuclear abolition. And yet ourpoliticians don’t hear it, don’t get it, don’t
remember it. We have to speak louder, both heart
to heart, and still more convincingly, reason toreason.
Our future depends on being successful.

Nakajima Takashi
Head of plaintiffs in lawsuit forrecovering pre-disaster living andworking conditions and community,
Fukushima
My name is Nakajima Takashi. I’m the headof the plaintiffs in a lawsuit demanding
revitalization of livelihoods and communities.
I have run a mini supermarket for 30 years,
selling mainly fish in Fukushima’s Soma City,
which is located 40 km north of the power planton the Pacific coast.
We are engaged in the court battle against thenational government and Tokyo Electric Power
Company (TEPCO) to hold them legally
accountable for causing the nuclear accident anddemand that they fulfill their responsibility torestore the affected people to the status quo ante
and take relief measures for the victims. With
about 4,000 plaintiffs, this is the largest suit everfiled by nuclear disaster victims.
In court, TEPCO said, “It is technically
impossible to restore pre-disaster conditions bycarrying out decontamination.” The utility
continued, “Even it were technically possible, itwould be financially impossible because it would
incur huge costs for restoring the residents to thestatus quo ante.

59

TEPCO also referred to the plaintiffs’
complaint that they are forced to live in fear of
future health problems such as cancer among
themselves and their children and that this hascaused them to suffer from emotional distressand even mental disorders. It responded that
there is no cause for worry about health problems
even if people are exposed to low levels ofradiation of around 20 millisieverts per year, andthat the risk is similar to health risks like a lackof vegetable intake or exercise, or obesity.”
The national government has also taken a sowhat attitude by saying that it has “noresponsibility for the nuclear accident, which wascaused by an unforeseen natural disaster.”
At my supermarket, I’m selling fish caught
under the name of “experimental fishing”.
Initially, many customers hesitated to buy thosefish because of their fear of developing healthproblems. However, consumption of fish is rising.
I’m not sure if this is because more people are
tired of worrying about the safety or because
they now recognize fish as safe.
But one day, an elderly customer said to me,“Local fish tastes really good. He said I don’t
have many years before I die. I would like to eat
the food I like before I die.” He uttered this in acasual tone but showed mixed feelings toward
local fish he has been familiar with.
In Fukushima Prefecture, the number ofchildren diagnosed as having thyroid cancer is on
the rise.
The prices of rice produced in Fukushima in2014 were the lowest among Japan’s 47
prefectures. Sale price of fish and other seafood
products is not good either. The same is true forpeaches and other fruits, and vegetables. No
matter what Prime Minister Abe says, the nuclear
disaster is yet to be brought under control andradiation-contaminatedundergroundwater
continues to flow into the Pacific Ocean everyday. It may not be easy for consumers to stopthemselves from worrying about radioactive
contamination. I also have contradictory feelings
because I need to sell local fish to make a living.
Compensation payments offered by TEPCO for
business operators are too small.
In Fukushima, there are 120,000 evacuees,
who are forced to live at temporary housing units
or in towns far from their own homes. Only ahandful of people have been able to resume theirpre-disaster jobs. Many are struggling to findjobs at places where they live as evacuees, or
have few opportunities to work. Such people
tend to stay home all day, which results in more
health problems. Reportedly, the number ofpeople with depression is increasing.

It appears that the Japanese government istrying to airbrush the nuclear accident itself outof history instead of taking relief measures for
those people suffering from various kinds ofdamage and hardships. The government recently
announced its plan to lift boundaries of restrictedzones, such as “areas in which residents are notpermitted to live”, in March 2017. It alsoannounced that in March 2018 it will stop paying
compensation for mental distress and for damage
to business to those who are forced to leave theirhomes in zones within 20 km from the crippledpower plant.
In addition, the Fukushima Prefectural
government will terminate its financial support
for evacuees’ rent payments in March 2017.
Without this public support, it will be difficultfor evacuees to keep on living away from theirhometowns.
Everyone wishes to return to their home town
where they grew up and lived for many years.
However, radiation levels are high in themountain areas close to their homes. People are
not sure if a supermarket will be built at theirtown, or if a hospital will open. They are also
concerned for the safety of their children. Theirconcern is so much that it is not easy for theevacuees to return to their homes.
How absurd it is for the government to try toforce the evacuees to return to their homes!
Without expressing remorse or having a sense of
responsibility for the nuclear accident, thegovernment is moving to promote nuclear
generation again as if nothing had happened. For
those who are in power, both damage from thenuclear accident and the tragedy caused by theuse of nuclear weapons may be things of anotherworld.
Those profit-oriented forces never care about
people’s sufferings and the government istolerating infringement of human rights. We arecalled upon to act by increasing the awarenessthat we are sovereign citizens.
We are facing the danger of exposure toradiation from a nuclear power plant disaster inFukushima, which came after exposure to atomic
bomb radiation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We
must prevent such a mindless error fromhappening again. We have to build people’sunity and make progress toward a society inwhich human rights are fully respected.
The movement you have developed overmany years for the abolition of nuclear weapons
is a lodestar that always points in the right
direction. We wish to take part in this great
movement with you.

60

not even been deliberated on in the Diet. To
appeal his “loyalty” to the U.S., he dared todeclare that building a new U.S. base at Henoko
was the only solution and deliberately avoided
mentioning the will of the people of Okinawa.
In May, an Okinawan delegation led byGovernor Onaga went to the U.S. to explain to
the U.S. public what the people of Okinawa
actually wanted. As expected, the first responseof U.S. federal lawmakers to our request was toremind us that the “relocation of the base to
Henoko had been agreed between the U.S. andJapanese governments”.
We then showed them the Okinawan
newspaper with articles reporting about the large
popular rally held just before our visit to the U.S
in which 35,000 people participated. We told
U.S. congressmen: “An all-Okinawa call, unitedacross the vast political spectrum, has now
spread all over Japan. Nationwide opinion polls
have shown that those who are against the new
Henoko base exceed those who are in favor.
What we call into question is not only the baseconstruction issue but also the current shape of
democracy in Japan and the U.S.” We said to thecongressmen, “The will of Okinawans is
unwavering. We will never allow the baseconstruction, even though the governments of thetwo countries have decided that Henoko is the
only solution”.
Some of the U.S. lawmakers who listened toour story made frank comments. One confessed,“We have never heard anything like that from
Tokyo. Your story allows us to have a moredetail idea of the real situation in Okinawa.”
Another said, “I personally have sympathy withthe argument of the Okinawan people.” It should
be remembered that Kurt Campbell, former U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State under the Obamaadministration, said in an interview withJapanese media: “Any agreement has to be donewith the support of the people of Okinawa andtheir government, and so the fact that there is thiskind of opposition causes all of us to stop andreflect. …the governor’s visit to Washington was
an opportunity for Americans to hear from him
directly about his vision for Okinawa.”
Friends, we Okinawans are not isolated incarrying on our struggle.
The sit-in that
Okinawan grandmothers and grandfathers started
at Henoko has grown into an all Okinawan
movement and their voices have now reached as
far as Washington. It is not Prime Minister Abe
who determines the future of our country. It isthe voices of each sovereign Japanese person andof their movements that drive politics forward.

Higa Mizuki
Member of Okinawa Prefectural
Assembly
Prospects for All-Okinawa Struggle
against a New U.S. BaseThank you for giving me an opportunity toreport at this International Meeting of the World
Conference against Atomic & Hydrogen Bombs
about what is going on in Okinawa.
The year 2014 marked a historic turning
point for the Okinawan people. In fact, people of
Okinawa Prefecture, by an all-Okinawa
campaign organized regardless of differences inpolitical position between conservatives andprogressives, won the election of Onaga Takeshi
as Governor. Onaga had publicly promised in
his campaign to close down and dismantle theU.S. Futenma airbase instead of relocating it
elsewhere within the prefecture. He had told thevoters: “We Okinawans were divided and had
been hurting each other for many years over theissue of whether to accept or reject the U.S
military presence that we had not asked for.
Some people have had a gloat over our quarrel
over it.
They are the U.S and Japanese
governments that have imposed U.S. bases upon
us. That is why we need to make the utmost
effort to get united on and defend the common
position set out in the People’s Petition. The
Petition categorically rejects the construction of
any new U.S. base in Okinawa. Let us handdown an Okinawa that we can be proud of to ourchildren and grandchildren.” Onaga’s words
deeply touched the Okinawan people, who had
endured the history of sufferings. Inevitably he
won a landslide victory with a large margin of
more than 100 thousand votes over theincumbent Governor who had betrayed theprefectural people.
Ignoring the will of the Okinawan people
shown in the election result, the Abeadministration is trying to bulldoze through theconstruction plan for a new base at Henoko.
Huge concrete blocks are being thrown into ourbeautiful sea which we can boast to the world
and where endangered species of dugongs are
swimming playfully. Precious corals are being
crushed into pieces. State power has repeatedly
cracked down on non-violent protest sit-ins by
unfair arrests and excessively severe policing.
In April, Prime Minister Abe delivered aspeech before the U.S. Congress. He assured theCongress that he would get the security
legislation (or war bills) through the Diet by thissummer. When he announced this, the bills had
61

The only ground that allows the Japanese andU.S. governments to forcibly invoke building a
new base at Henoko is the “approval of Henoko
landfill project” signed by former Governor
Nakaima in violation of his own campaign
pledge. Governor Onaga is now seriously
considering the cancellation or withdrawal of thisapproval. He must take the final decision by thissummer. I sincerely ask all of you gathered here
from all over Japan and the world to extend
greater support and solidarity to our unyielding
struggle led by Governor Onaga.
This year is the 70th anniversary of the end ofWorld War II. As I was born and grew up in
Okinawa, I thought I knew Okinawa very well.
Yet, the more I learned about the history of
Okinawa, the more I wondered why older
generations who lived under the U.S. occupation
wanted Okinawa to be again part of Japan.
During the fierce ground battle that took
place in Okinawa 70 years ago, a quarter of the
population lost their lives.
Why did our
grandmothers and grandfathers, who weresacrificed for the Japanese imperial army to buytime to prepare for the decisive battle for the
mainland, want the return of Okinawa to Japan?
Even after the end of the war, Japan abandoned
Okinawa by signing the San Francisco Peace
Treaty. How could our mothers and fathers,
whose basic human rights were infringed onunder the U.S. occupation, want to revert back toJapan again? Even 43 years after the reversion
of Okinawa, the U.S. bases remain there and theJapanese government continues to impose theirpresence on the Okinawan people. Why did the
Okinawan people under the U.S. occupation
struggle for the reversion of their islands toJapan? I could not understand it.
One day, my father gave me a straight answer
to this question. He said, “Okinawans wanted to
be under the rule of the Japanese Constitution.
They wanted to be governed by the Constitution
which stipulates the sovereignty of the people.
They wanted their basic human rights to beguaranteed under the Constitution. And theywanted to have a Constitution which renounces
forever wars and armaments. This is why all the
Okinawan islands united and worked hard.” My
doubt was gone like melting ice and I felt proudof being born and brought up as Okinawan.
The first atomic bombs used in war were
those dropped 70 years ago on Hiroshima andNagasaki. Three million Japanese lives were lost
during the Second World War. Our Constitution
was born out of such a tremendous humansacrifice.
And now, we are seeing theConstitution being in jeopardy and Japan turning
into a war-fighting country.
What Japan needs now is not thestrengthening of Japan-U.S. military alliance or
the construction of a new U.S. base at Henoko,
not to mention the enactment of the war
legislation. Instead, Japan should play a leadingrole in diplomatic efforts for peace and theelimination of nuclear weapons so as to ensure apeaceful solution of international disputes,
making full use of our pacifist Constitution that
we can boast to the world.
“Each individual has limited power but is notcompletely powerless.” This is what we havelearned through the Okinawan struggle. Let us
unite our strength and act together believing injustice and faith of peace-loving peoples of theworld. We as individuals are sovereign in ourcountry and it is we that have the power todecide our future.

Statements:
Guido Grünewald
German Peace Society-United War
Resisters (DFG-VK)
Germany
Dear friends of peace, I’m glad to participate
in the World Conference against A & H Bombs
again after a longer break. This meeting is one of
the few places where for now 60 years
continuously and persistently total nuclear
abolition has been demanded and discussions
take place about ways to achieve that goal. At thesame time the World Conference promotes thetestimony of the Hibakusha and supports theirdemands. Over the years I had the privilege ofmeeting many Hibakusha both in Japan andduring speaking tours in Germany. Your courageand vitality have enriched me and I’m very
grateful that despite of all hardship you havebeen giving spirited testimony of the terrible
consequences of the use of nuclear weapons andthat you persistently repeat the request for anuclear weapon free world.
The situation is grave. All states possessing
nuclear weapons modernize their arsenals, noneof them is ready for steps of nuclear disarmament.
Within NATO the discussion held some years
ago to withdraw substrategic nuclear weapons
from Europe has fallen silent. Instead tactical
nuclear weapons are being modernized andreintegrated into NATO’s strategy. The German
government approves of this development tacitly
62and is not willing to renounce nuclear sharing in
the framework of NATO’s Nuclear PlanningGroup which is a violation of article II of the
Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). In April Russian
President Putin threatened to use nuclear
weapons should NATO enlarge its military
Presence in the Baltic states. These and otheralarming developments – regardless if induced
by an expansionist approach or by fear ofencirclement – indicate that the threshold
between nuclear and conventional weapons isquestioned again as this was the case in the
1980s. Obviously influential political andmilitary circles are working towards taking away
the stigma of moral non-use from nuclear
weapons and integrating them like ordinary arms
into the spectrum of weaponry.
The NPT Review Conference has shown that
we can’t count neither on the governments of thenuclear powers nor on the governments of theirmain allies. It must be us, the civil society actors
in a broad coalition who give the push for theinternational de-legitimization of nuclear arms
and for legislation against them. There is noalternative as we know the terrible truth: as longas nuclear weapons exist they will one day be
used again with catastrophic humanitarianconsequences.
Mankind faces enormous problems. To namejust a few: climate change; worldwide poverty; awidening gap between poor and rich in many
countries; mass exodus of refugees andmigration; a progressive digitalisation of theeconomy (industry 4.0) with probably a
revolutionary change in the structure of theworkforce; erosion of democracy by means of
so-called security bills and surveillance of
citizens. While the nuclear deal with Iran has
shown that a cooperative approach can be
successful, confrontation and tensions increase
up to military conflicts in many regions at thesame time. That is true for the Arabic World aswell as for the waters of southeast and East Asiaand for Europe where the hostility between
Russia and the states of NATO is building up.
Coming from Germany to Japan I’m always
amazed about the similarity regarding thedevelopment of both countries. Germany andJapan played an evil role in unleashing WWII,
they waged both a cruel war and establishedbrutal regimes of occupation though the German
war of annihilation in Eastern Europe and Russia
and the extinction of the Jews were even morebarbarous. After 1945 both governments sided
with the USA in the Cold War but focused theirefforts on building up the economy. Bothgovernments didn’t pursue a policy of peace atall, they built up armies (though disguised inJapan) and supported military aggressions by the
US government but at least they pursued amilitary culture of restraint and didn’t participate
in military conflicts. Since the end of the Cold
War there has been pressure on the German andJapanese governments to abandon this restraint.
The German army has already been restructured
towards a force for intervention to a great part; itplays a leading role in setting-up a super-fast
deployment force (codename spearhead) which
NATO decided on some months ago. In Japan
we face right now the attempt first to reinterpretthe pacifist article 9 of the constitution and thenin a second step to change it; already in April
2014 the Abe government lifted the ban on theexport of arms. In both countries a clear majorityof the population rejects further military build-up
and especially military interventions abroad.
Therefore both governments try to manipulate
the people by propaganda. Prime Minister Abecalls his plans “a proactive contribution to peace”
and speaks in a kinky way about “active
pacifism“(sekkyokuteki heiwashugi) while theGerman government emphasizes the greater
responsibility which a strong Germany is now
assumed to bear. Significantly responsibility isdefined solely in military terms, not as
responsibility for refugees, for still widespread
hunger and poverty or for building civilian
institutions for solving conflicts.
I’m convinced that in addition to directly
fighting against armaments and war we should
also campaign for establishing the institutional
and legal foundations of a peaceful international
system. Alfred Hermann Fried, Nobel Peace
Prize winner in 1911 and with Bertha vonSuttner co-founder of the German Peace Societyin 1892, already at his times consistently pointed
that it‘s not sufficient to campaign for
disarmament or “to love peace”; the essential
task would be “to construct” peace, in fact on asound institutional and legal base. By the way
Fried over many years exchanged letters with theJapanese pacifist Tannejiro Miyaoka. Article 9
and the United Nations are existing thoughimperfect elements of a peaceful international
system, they must be preserved and further
developed. That can be achieved only by way of
dialogue. Therefore I think that it’s an importanttask for all of us to counter enemy images andspeechlessness which increase or re-emerge inmany countries. And of course nuclear weapons
are incompatible with a peaceful international
system; therefore we campaign for their legal
prohibition and total abolition here at the World
Conference and in our countries.

63

Mariannick Le Bris
General Confederation of Labour (CGT)FrancePierre Laurent
French Communist Party
FranceMessage by CGT France"For a world of justice and peace, free of
nuclear weapons"

On behalf of CGT, I would like to thankZenroren for the invitation to be represented at
the World Conference against Atomic andHydrogen Bombs taking place in Hiroshima andNagasaki. The fact that we will becommemorating the 70th anniversary of atomic
bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki this August
2015 is giving to trade unions and peace
movement an increased responsibility.
The NPT Review Conference has been
unable to adopt a final document while more andmore persons and groups are defending a totalbanning of nuclear weapons. This time again alittle group of countries is imposing to the world
their choice to defend and maintain nuclear
weapons not respecting the democracy we needurgently to build a peaceful world.
CGT defends the total banning of nuclear
weapons. What is at stake is democracy, humanand sustainable development, a real struggle
against inequalities and poverty and climatechange, and improvement and respect of tradeunions and workers’ rights. Achieving anothertype of world development require all theexisting resources. We cannot accept a system
implementing an enormous waste to build
weapons and maintain the nuclear powers basedon the right of the strongest and on short terminterests of multinational companies. We cannot
accept policies leading to an increased violence
because of the inequalities that are again rising
between countries and inside our countries. We
cannot accept that the interest of the countries
building weapons and nuclear ones, of thecompanies involved and among them
multinational ones, and of the big state powers
decide for all of us. The essential needs of theworld population and workers should be thepriority of the economic and industrial policies.
Our objectives need a larger unity of workers
and people, the development of a large movement
in all countries. Let us oppose the competition
between workers and people leading toxenophobia, racism, violence and potential war.
Let us join and defend a better world eliminating
the terrible threat represented by non-conventional
weapons and particularly nuclear ones.
The CGT shares Zenroren involvement
against nuclear weapons and for peace. It stands
for enlarging and increasing the workers
mobilisation.

The French Communist Party has chosen to
be present for the commemoration ceremonies
marking the 70th anniversary of the catastrophesof Hiroshima and Nagasaki, an expression of ourenduring commitment to the struggle for peace.
This year is especially important. Seventy years
after the end of the nightmare of the Second
World War, a war that brutally ripped throughAsia, we are still trying to protect the world fromanother potential tragedy.
1945 opened a new period for the world: inEurope it was the end of Nazism and the horrorof the death camps was revealed to all
humankind. In Asia, Americans dropped atomic
bombs for the first time in history, on the cities
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, creating a new threat
for the future of humanity. The immediate
destructive power of the bomb, in addition to its
long-term effects on human health and theenvironment, wreaked devastation on apreviously unimaginable scale. That same year,
the world saw the creation of a new tool with thepotential to work for world peace: the birth of theUnited Nations. And yet, despite the tragedy that
we remember here today, nuclear arms havecontinued to develop in a world fraught by theCold War, leading to a stockpile that could
destroy the planet several times over. The
conference for the review of the NonProliferation Treaty, held under UN auspices in
New York last May, proved how far we have to
go before we reach a world of peace, free of
nuclear weapons.
Today, French Communists are concernedand appalled. Concerned to see that violence andwar are spreading throughout the world,
especially in countries where people already livein extreme poverty and humiliation; appalled tohear the leaders of the world's most powerfulnations – who have been speaking out on the"fight against terrorism" for twenty years now –using the same disastrous methods. Indeed,
military interventions have not only failed to
produce any positive results with regard to theirstated objectives, but they have in every casemade the situation worse.
War, war and more war is the only solution
offered – even though the destruction what has
already been destroyed provides no basis forbuilding the future. The arms trade enables the64

great powers to hold on to their wealth; themaintenance of nuclear arsenals is erroneously
called the "politics of dissuasion". This only
serves to maintain inequality among nations andfuel the flames of war, threatening the very
survival of humankind.
Rather than stoking the flames of war withmore of the same, we need to invent newpolitical solutions.
The world is dangerous because it isprofoundly unequal and fanatics feed on this:poverty, injustice, inequality and humiliation.
They take advantage of the vacuum left by failed
and corrupt states, the sufferings of societies thatare spilt and divided by religious and racial
hatred.
The conviction of French Communists andmillions of progressive women and men in
France, in Europe and around the world is that
we must redouble our efforts to unite our forces
and raise our voices together to stop the insane
machinery of war.
While the United States remains the leadingworld power, imposing its diktat on the world's
progress and on the organisation of international
relations, with the complicity of leaders –including French politicians – who yield up
national sovereignty and independence, the fact
is that the US is overwhelmed by current events.
The monsters created by US policies designed todivide and weaken whole societies now have thepower to threaten their creators.
The world is dangerous because it is notdemocratic, because international relations are
not based on terms of equality: the mostpowerful few (G7 and G8 countries) are losing
ground, while the majority of the world is
expected to accept the old hierarchy.
This same "dialogue of the deaf" wasprevalent at the last NPT conference: whereas thegreat majority of non-NATO countries areforceful in their demands for a treaty to abolishnuclear weapons, based on the three conferencesin Oslo, Nayarit and Vienna, which reported on
the disastrous, uncontrolled impact of any use of
the atomic bomb, the five most powerful nations
have turned a deaf ear and remain locked into
their outdated concept of the world.
When the Cold War was past, NATO had no
more reason to exist. This political and militaryorganisation is an anachronism that has nolegitimacy with regard to international law andagreements, or to the United Nations Charter. In
addition, its existence lends legitimacy to thepossession of nuclear weapons by other countries.
The UN proposal to advance zone by zone, andto work on the denuclearization of the Middle

East is a phase that is not to be neglected, but its
success is also dependent on the real power ofthe institution.
The UN must be deeply restructured, so thatinternational relations are better balanced anddemocracy ameliorated. The United Nations
Assembly is an essential component of any
peaceful solution of conflict. It must be granted
new legitimacy by the peoples of the world. The
expansion of the Security Council, the rotation of
responsibilities, the strengthening of thesovereign powers of the General Assembly, thereorganisation of decision-making processes –these are all levers for building new relations
among nations. At stake is the recognition ofmultilateralism and the construction of peacefulrelations based on cooperation among nations
that are free and equal under law.
This combat cannot be separated from thecombat for a treaty abolishing nuclear weapons,
and more generally for seeking solutions that willbring progress to all nations.
In the struggle for peace, key elements aredevelopment, universal resources and thecommon good, education, health, foodsovereignty, the right to energy and of course,
disarmament.
As Jean Jaurès said, before he wasassassinated because of his objection to the FirstWorld War: "The struggle for world peace is thegreatest battle of all." This phrase isunfortunately truer than ever and this combat isours; all of the bridges that we can build between
the peoples of the world will contribute towinning universal peace.

Moñeka De Oro
Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice
Guam
Konichiwa and Hafa adai,
As an Indigenous daughter of the island of
Guahan (Guam) I am greatly humbled that theMariana Islands has for numerous times in thepast and are continued to be invited to join handswith the people of Nagasaki, Hiroshima as wellas those gathered here both in presence and in
spirit to unite to bring an end nuclear
proliferation and to all wars. As a Chamorro, amother, and a teacher I commit my life toensuring that the world we pass down to ourchildren is safe, secure and clean. I am honored
to be here to share stories of struggle, strengthand hope for a building a more peaceful andprosperous future.

65

devastating rippling effect on the island’s
ecology, causing the dwindling population ofsignificant plant life such as the cycad, a million
year old Jurassic era tree. This is just one
example of how the interconnectedness of all life
is affected by the pursuit to wage wars. We must
remember the lives of all those who suffered anddied from all wars and on all sides of the battle
field including the plants and animals.
Money, modernization and Western ideas
have devalued our ancient ways of being. Native
people throughout the world connect to motherearth in a spiritually meaningful ways. We must
remember that all life, water and land are sacred.
Not as things to own or to profit off of. War andweapons exists to destroy life. The destructionof our planet, along with the suffering and deathsof millions of people have made a few very rich.
Dominance and greed are at the root of what weall must unite against to bring lasting peace. The
American Empire and its consume and waste
culture that has politically oppressed anddisenfranchised my people. As teacher of history
I emphasize the fact that 222 years of the 239
year history of the United States of America has
been spent violently waging wars all over theworld. And that approximately 40 cents of every
US dollar is spent on fueling the US Military war
machine, an insatiable monster that aims todevour more of the Mariana Islands in the very
near future.
Today, my islands are under threat ofincreased US militarization. Guahan already has
lost so much from the occupation of US Militarybases and they want to acquire a Wildlife Refuge
and ancient village for a firing range. Also, theUS has its eyes on transforming the pristine sister
islands of Tinian and Pågan into the world’s
largest military training complex. Millions ofammunitions and bombs will be stored and tested
in on our lands, waters and our air. Communities
that surround military bases are known for higher
incidences of cancers from toxicity, higher rates
of addiction, sex trafficking, crime and othersocial ailments of economic dependency.
Chamorro people are a minority in our homelandhost a disproportionate amount of the overall
footprint US Department of Defense bases.
Additionally, Micronesian people enlist, fightand die at much higher rates than any otherethnic group serving in the US Armed Forces.
We sacrifice our lands and our bodies for war
yet are denied basic democratic rights. As US
colonial subjects we cannot vote for theCommander in Chief. To add insult to injury all
negotiations for the planned military bases havebeen between the US and Japanese government

Today, we gather to remember thedevastation that many historically suffered in one
form or another by the hands of war. For
Nagasaki and Hiroshima, we must remember the
thousands of lives lost, injured and displaced in
WWII. It has been seventy years since theunnecessary attack on women, children, andelders by the United States military. For Guahan
and her people, the trauma left by the JapaneseImperial Force’s occupation still lingers in theheart and minds of many. During my childhood
screams of terror from my nånå’s (grandmother)nightmares recalling her war experiences would
wake me. I grew up listening to my elders, tellstories of rape, beheadings and brutal massacres.
Memories have been passed through generations
as those in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. As part ofhistory, those memories shall live on, but not as atool to hold grudges or fuel animosity but to heal
and learn from.
Our planet is in desperate need of healing,
and peace. The destruction we as human kind
have brought to our only home is alarming.
Weapons and war have wreaked havoc on ourseas, our soils and our souls. I stand here today
representing the small yet significant fifteen
islands of the Marianas, the homeland to the
Chamorro and Carolinian people. The volcanic
hills, limestone cliffs, mangrove forests, coral
reefs and salty ocean waters that envelop it allbirthed the Chamorro language and its uniqueculture, one of the oldest in the Pacific. A fear
and admiration of the natural and spiritual realms
guided and grounded the people. The connection
and reverence for land and ancestry was one in
the same. My archipelago spanning 400 miles
just a few hours south of here (by plane) havebeen endowed to me from the ancestors tosafeguard for future generations. As a result of
war the lands and seas that have nourished thepeople for thousands of years have become toxic
and sick.
Since WWII, sadly the sense of responsibility
to steward the land that is embedded inindigenous knowledge is rapidly faded. The
biggest impact of WWII has been the loss ofimportant practices that protect and honor our
natural resources. Due to large US Militarypresence, brown tree snakes began invading theland. As a result, nineteen species of birds havelost their voice, never to sing, and are wiped outof existence in Guam. Poisonous spray, land
clearing,
Live-fire training, and air traffic noise fromthe many bases throughout the island has greatly
impacted natural habitats for the Marianas Fruit
Bat. The loss of birds and bats have had a66

with little to no consultation with our island’s
leaders. The government of Japan is paying $3
Billion USD of the estimated $8.6 billion to
reduce the presence of Marines in Okinawa andmove them to my homeland. Instead of
relocating bases we need to fight to stop the need
for war, weapons and the greed that drives themilitary industrial complex. We need to join ourefforts to realize justice! I am here to pledge mysupport for all causes to bring needed peace andhealing to our planet and to find solidarity for mypeople’s resistance movement to protect ourislands, the spirits of my ancestors and thegenerations to come.

Israel, Government of India changed its wellknown foreign policy and did not support
Palestinian cause against Israeli aggression in
Gaza causing loss of large number of innocent
human lives and on their right of homeland.
World peace movement has to address theregional conflicts led by USA and its allies.
Unfortunately, India’s above stated position
in UN General Assembly in 1988 changed after
the rightwing parties’ government in India
embarked on Pokhran II tests of five nuclear
bombs. Almost simultaneous nuclear bomb tests
in May 1998 - Pokharan-II by India and Chagai-I
by Pakistan - led to nuclear arm tension in theregion.
There are several evidences to show that theprivate armed industry in advanced capitalist
countries, for their own vested interests, aredeeply involved in opposing nuclear arms freeworld. A military-industrial complex is in place
abrogating the people’s rights.
The world has learnt a lesson from tsunamiwrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and its
serious effect on the people and the environment.
In India all nuclear matters are in the hand of
the government and government controlled
public sector companies. The Indian Parliament
enacted a law on nuclear material supply to
Indian nuclear power plants by foreigncompanies under condition of ‘supplier’s
responsibility’ in case of nuclear disaster. These
companies from abroad are building up pressure
on Indian government through US administration
to change it to ‘operator’s responsibility’ whichmeans Indian public sector operators. The India’s
Modi government is yielding to such pressure
through proposing measures circumventing thelaw.
Not only extreme right-wing government inIndia is giving concessions to the nuclear
supplier’s groups, but also is going ahead withprivate participation in defence production andforeign direct investment (FDI) in this strategic
sector.
Opposing FDI in defence and other strategic
sector of the economy, on other policy related
issues, against government’s attack on the legal
rights of the workers and land rights of the
farmers in favour of domestic and foreign
corporates, against unemployment and price rise;
Indian trade unions, irrespective of their politicalassociation/understanding is preparing for ahistoric general country-wide strike on 2
September, 2015 supported by the peasantry
which is expected to involve vast majority of 1.2
billion people of India.

Jnan Sankar Majumdar
Centre of Indian Trade Unions
India
Friends, On behalf of 5.5 million members of
the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) andthe working class and other toiling people ofIndia, I express my deep appreciation fororganizing this World Conference against
Atomic & Hydrogen Bombs; fully support thecause and commit for united and solidarity
actions on the conclusions of the conference.
Nazism and fascism, which rose out of great
world capitalist economic crisis of 1930s, wasdefeated in the Second World War not by Atom
Bomb. The use of Atom Bomb in Japan by
United States was an act of Terrorism for postwar world dominance through world-wide terror
and subjugation.
“Nuclear deterrence is the ultimate
expression of the philosophy of terrorism:holding humanity hostage to the presumed
security needs of a few,” stated by the then Prime
Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi while introducing
his ‘Action Plan for a nuclear Weapon Free andNon-violent World Order’ in the UN General
Assembly in 1988.
The Doctrine of Nuclear Deterrence, inreality, is the doctrine of Counter-Terrorism.
The movement against Atom and Hydrogen
Bombs and for peace, therefore, is the battle
against nuclear-countries’ terrorism to impose
hegemony diverting attention from nuclear
disarmament to the danger of nuclear
proliferation by non-nuclear countries!
Regional ‘defence’ agreements are part of the
grand design to impose world hegemony and a
unipolar world system in the name of security.
USA-Israel-India-Japan security axis is one of
the challenges for peace movement. Because ofthis military nexus, specially between India and67

In India, CITU is organizing anti-imperialist
campaign during 6 – 9 August, 2015 to observe70th Anniversary of Atom bombing on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki by bringing out rallies
and holding public meetings.
The ongoing world economic crisis in thisphase of neoliberal policies of the world
capitalism is also giving rise of neo-Nazism andracism and political right-wing swing utilizing
the sufferings of the workers and the people andgalloping unemployment, at the same time giving
rise of huge number of dollar billionaires
bringing huge income disparity.
Peace movement is not just for peace, but a
dynamic concept of movement for peace against
nuclear terrorism, for disarmament, fordemocracy and national sovereignty, against
economic and social disparity within and among
the countries.
Peace for justice,
Peace for food security,
Peace for education,
Peace for health,
Peace for fraternity in the world

These incidents are our great concern. Manytimes bullying starts in the classroom i.e. trying
to suppress the other with ones power of strengthand resulting in violence but of course violence
is something bigger. But still it is a matter ofworries. And, with the efforts of the teachers, I
believe, the issue can be taken care of.
The teachers have the self-imposed moral duty
to foster human unity and build sustainable peace
and to prevent and resolve conflicts. It is our duty
to make our future generation understand andnurture friendship, attitude of non-enmity, being
helpful/empathetic/sympathetic. Inculcating thereason to respect others and their culture. The
concept of oneness that fighting (in a broader
sense - War) leads to nothing ultimately. Make ouryounger generation feel that the world is one. The
words of our younger generation would be…….…..
People come in different sizes, colours, shapes
and names
Though we are different on the outside
Inside I think we’re the same!
We love to laugh and play
And would never start a war
We’re all afraid of bombs and guns.
We know that one fight leads to more.
It’s time to try a different way
Where fighting isn’t in the plan.
We can be strong without our bombs
It’s time that all the bombs were banned
Kids like us live everywhere
Around the world in every land
The words we speak are not the same
But Peace on Earth we understand.
National Curriculum Framework-2005 India
recommended inclusion of Peace education as anarea of study in the curriculum for teacher
education.
Peace as a precondition for national
development and as a social temper is proposed
as a comprehensive value framework that has
immense relevance today in view of the growing
tendency across the world towards intolerance
and violence as a way of resolving conflicts. The
potential of peace education for socializingchildren into a democratic and just culture can be
actualized through appropriate activities and a
judicious choice of topics in all subjects and at
all stage.
It is true that Sustainable peace is a necessity
for our younger generation who are not yet here
to speak and act for themselves. It is our
responsibility to speak for them and to do what
we can to pass this planet intact to the generationthat follows us.
Sustainability of peace requires resolving
conflicts and protecting the Earth and its

Sadhana Das
Freelancer, India
The main theme of the conference is “A
Nuclear Weapon-Free, Peaceful and Just World.
Let us make the 70th Year of the Atomic
Bombing a Decisive Turn to a World without
Nuclear Weapons.”
The Global Zero, an international nonpartisan group of 300 world leaders dedicated toachieving the elimination of nuclear weapons
from the world by 2030 through a multilateral,
universal, verifiable process, with negotiations
on the Global Zero treaty beginning by 2019.
(Source: Article by: Michael E O’ Hanlon titled”
Is the World without Nuclear Weapons Really
Possible?”)I, a member of the teacher community would
say that a decisive turn to a World without
Nuclear World is indeed possible if we prepare
our younger generation, then by the year 2030 as
The Global Zero Organization’s goal is to rid theWorld of Nuclear Weapons would be reallypossible.
Some worries of our concern are:i) Nowadays the students in the age groupfrom 10 to 12 have adopted the language of
grenade/cartridges/bombs instead of notebooks
and books.
ii) We come across the little kids playing“fighting games” and pose to shoot or bombard.
68biodiversity. It requires assuring the availability
and quality of the air and the water. It requires
protection of land for agriculture. It requires
reducing greenhouse gases to limit climatechange which is determined by our energy
choices. Our collective efforts for or againstsustainability reflect what we value and who weare. To our dismay mankind has developed
Nuclear Weapons that are contradictory to thesustainability of peace of the planet. A world
with these weapons would not only destroy
civilization, it could foreclose the future forhumans. We need to eliminate these Nuclear
Weapons before they eliminate us. Selfawareness of the dangers posed by Nuclear
Weapons would shed light for the public and our
younger generation on the dangers preparing our
younger generation would zero Nuclear Weapons
and would show that a country was on theprocess of eliminating its nuclear weapons.
There is no reason for a country to threaten a
non-nuclear country of its strength of using
nuclear weapons against the other. The solution
is to build peace among nations whileeliminating all nuclear weapons from the earth. It
is quite evident that Nuclear weapons would
prevent sustainable peace of our planet. It would
destroy the global environment, leading to theextinction of plants and animals, maybe mankind
too. But let us hope that by 2030 our younger
generation would be well prepared to eliminate
Nuclear Weapons and make this world a better
place to live in.

will guarantee the demise of the Chamorro as
people living in peace with their environment.
The draft Environmental Impact Study
released April 2015 promises to:
1. Build military firing range including “live”
ranges.
2. Amphibious landing facility at one of themost popular fishing grounds for people.
3. Disturbance of wildlife including theendangered species of Tinian Monarch; thisbird can only be found on Tinian.
4. Disturbance of our wildlife destroying wild
hot peppers that have significantly
contributed to the cottage industry on Tinian.
5. Disturbance of our herbal medicinal plantsthat have been a traditional healing practicefor thousands of years.
6. Significant disturbance to our ancestral
grounds especially Long Beach and Masaluk
Historical sites.
7. Closing of our air space that would
significantly increase airfare from Tinian to
Saipan that would close access to medical
facilities that would increase significantly ourcost of goods that are flown into the island.
8. Tap into the single water aquifer by digging
five additional wells for use by up to 2,200
troops for up to 20-40 days a year.
9. Significantly impact on our tourist industry
by closing air space and sea lanes 20-40 daysout of the year at any time training is inprogress.
10. The noise factor from these military activities
will negatively impact the learning of at least
600 students enrolled in both public andprivate schools on the island.
11. There is nothing in any of our documents thatguarantees the safety of our people and our
tourist; there is nothing about mitigation on
accidents caused by activities of themilitarization of both Tinian and Pagan.
12. Economic benefit to this monstrosity is that
98 people will be employed.
13. The “pushing-out” or “out migration” ofpeople as one of the results of this militarybuild-up is not addressed in the EIS.
14. The Environmental Impact Study is filledwith technical language making it very, very
difficult for ordinary people to understand.
15. Two additional environmental impact studies
have been issued and when one analyzes
these documents, it is clear that the entire
Northern Marianas is at the mercy of militarybuild-up. Our air space, our ocean and ourland will be in danger of these plans.
16. Expended bullets and other military weaponsand equipment used will have negative

Florine M. Hofschneider
Tinian Women's Association
Northern Mariana Islands
Greetings from our islands in the Marianas,
Tinian in particular and from our members of the
Tinian Women’s Association. We want toextend our sincere appreciation for welcoming
our participation in the conversation for a
Nuclear Free World.
We extend ourcongratulations and appreciation to organizers
and sponsors of this conference and to the New
Japan Women’s Association for their support andgenerosity.
The women of Tinian are facing with anenormous challenge. The U.S. military has
released three environmental impact studies
planning significant militarization of theNorthern Mariana Islands. Our people, water,
sea and air will dramatically change our way oflife and the impact, based on our own analysis

69

impact on our water; the same experience at
the Yakima Firing Range in the Washington
state.

Till date nobody has been able to reply with logic
and sensibility to questions like: What was thecrime of the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Why did they have to be mute recipients to theadverse effect of war?
War imposed on people is dehumanizing anddestabilizing them. The power play of ego andshowcasing of strength victimizes the innocents.
The wounds, disfigurement, pain, discomfort andstress remind us of the futility of wars. But again,
to check the better sides of it, such traumatic
incidents help unite us with poignancy andsincerity. A wake-up call to each one of us tohelp build a congenial home, an amicable
environment, where subservience finds no room
to invade.
The desire to own powerful nuclear energy,
amongst many nations today, gives the feel ofrather distorted and inexplicable competitions.
This sullied pursuit of power has zoned thisbeautiful planet within the periphery of jeopardy.
Any madcap pushes the button, a bang and what
remains is debris and deeds.
This danger has rendered many withsleepless nights. It is indeed the rights of every
individual to live without fear. Yes, it is the birthright of people to live in peace. Only in the soilof peace and brotherhood, the rose of love andcompassion can grow. Today, more thananything else, humanity needs peace andprosperity. We need shared peace andcompassion. With more effort and speed, weshould unite to change this dream into fruition. I
think, it is with this very motto, we are gathered
here. To bring lasting peace and to avoid further
conflict among nations, people and groups, weneed a greater zeal and thirst for love andcompassion. My understanding of peace is notderived from the meaning in a dictionary; rather I
have realized peace from the heartbeat of asleeping child and the blooming petals of a rose.
If you look up for the word “peace” in adictionary, it would suggest tranquility, nonviolence and truce. All these word suggest of asituation where harmony exists. I think the widesignificance and subtle fragrance of peace cannot
be confined into this mundane sense. Peace ismore than nonviolence. In my opinion, it is thecore of existence; the nectar of life and thefoundation of beauty. The huge money we areinvesting in the deadly nuclear weapons is fading
away the very fragrance of the flower each day.
The threat of another world war is sabotaging
the smile of every sensitive person. One cannot
be fearless in the shadow of death. And thefragile rose of peace can't continue smiling in thecloud of fear. If we desire this ever lasting peace,

The Chamorro people have been subjected
hundreds of years of colonization by foreign
powers. The Japanese not only exploited our
natural resources, but also the arrogance of theJapanese rulers lingers in our elders’ memory.
WWII, a world conflict that our people had nocontrol suffered and continue to suffer mentallyand physically. This is the biggest scar that has
reminded all of us through the stories shared by
the Hibakusha as well as those of our elders.
Militarization of both Tinian and Pagan presents
opportunities for both to be used for nuclear
weapons in many forms.
As people of this global world, we need to besmarter and more diligent in finding solutions toour differences. We need to unite to protect our
Earth as it is the only home to the human species.
Nuclear weapons cannot continue as it
guarantees our demise. Our work toward a
Nuclear Free world is the most significant step
toward a truly peaceful world. That requires
each one of us to be alert, stay informed andstrengthen partnerships throughout the global
community.
Thank you for your time and yourcommitment to protect our global community.

Bimal Khadka
Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity
Organisation (AAPSO)
NepalFirst of all, please allow me on behalf of theAfro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organisation,
Nepal (AAPSO Nepal) and on my own to extend
our warm Congratulations on the occasion of thisconference. I would also like to express our
sincere thanks to the organizer of the conference,
the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen
Bombs for their warm hospitality accorded to me
and my colleagues.
Today, as we remember the terrible andinhuman nuclear bombings that humanity ever
witnessed some 70 years ago, precisely in theyear 1945, a harrowing tale of history lurks
around inflicting pain and reminding us thevulnerability of human life and its essence.
Two beautiful cities were turned down tocinders, in a flash. Words fall short to evendescribe the inhuman brutality that Japan had to
face. It’s been decades since, but the wounds andscars are afresh and still wreak pain and havoc.
70

we should launch an anti-mass destructive
weapon campaign. Anti-nuclear weapons laws
should be passed in every nation. And everybody
must tread on road of justice and peace to ensure
a livable and affable environment. We must act
to make a positive difference. My understanding
and experience of life and world says that, true
peace starts from smile of every individual. And
you can't expect anyone to smile in the midst of
hatred, fear, poverty and so on. Let us all then,unanimously voice our concern for a better living
haven, free from ego class and nuclear energy
insanity. Let everyone enjoy his or her rights tolive in peace.
Lastly I would also like to mention here thatAAPSO Nepal organizes conference against
A&H Bombs (Gensuikyo) in Kathmandu every
year within this August 6 to 9 in memory of thedreadful event that occurred in Hiroshima andNagasaki of Japan.
Urging you all to unite for an optimistic
vision and a hospitable milieu, I would like to
put an end to my words here. I am grateful to you
all for listening to me with the great patience.

training grounds for numerous Nato-war
exercises and platforms for various installations,which serve the numerous war exercises in thehigh North and in the Baltic areas andsurrounding waters. I would say perpetual Natowar exercises are ongoing on land, water and in
the sky. Just one example: In late May,
beginning of June, this year, Arctic Challenge
Exercise, ACE 15, was conducted by the US,
Great Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland,
The Netherlands, Norway, Finland and Sweden.
The Norwegian former prime minister, Jens
Stoltenberg, is now the head of Nato why
Norway, was the leading country in this war
exercise. 115 warplanes took part on Swedishsoil. The hypocrisy was shameless by calling thisexercise peace promoting and that it was
supported by the UN. They were NOT. Sweden
and Finland are not Nato countries but inPartnership for Peace. One new frightening
addition to this scary mix were two Airborne
Warning and Control stations, AWACS,
equipped with long-range radar and passive
sensors capable of detecting air and surface
contacts over large distances. And of course, wemust not forget that all US Air wings, are dualcapable, they can be loaded by nuclear bombs,
which are deployed in four bases in European
countries and Turkey.
Gun-Britt Mäkitali and I, together with six
other women, protested against these war
preparations in Luleå. We cut the fence and crept
in to the training field. We were of course
arrested and interrogated by the military.
We received a paper the other day that
informed that the District Attorney didn’t want totake us to court. She wrote off the case. Of
course, it would have been an enlightening
spectacle to drag us in front of the court in Luleå,which the authorities wanted to avoid.
How come we are serving US policy to thisextent?
The answer is that in December 2004, adecision was taken in the Swedish parliament,
which had far reaching consequences for
Swedish neutrality and nonaligned policy. Thisdecision led to that Sweden opened up a large
area in the north and invited foreign military andmilitary corporations, to train all kinds ofmilitary equipment in the large training fieldNorth European Aerospace Test range, in short,
NEAT, which is large as the country of Belgium.
They work in tandem with Swedish Space
Corporation, The Swedish defense and Esrange
Robot Base. Esrange is the world’s biggest
downloading station from satellites, not far from
Kiruna.

Agneta Norberg
Swedish Peace Council
SwedenIncreasing Military activities by the
US/NATO in the High North
Thank you for giving me the opportunity topresent a paper at the event of 70 years since thenuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
I’m humble and grateful to you in Gensuikyo to
be at a place, which has been decisive toenlighten the whole world about the horrifying
consequences of a nuclear war. I have come tounderstand, through reading Joseph Gerson’s,
John Pilger’s and Gar Alperowitz writings, thatthe bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945,
were war crimes committed by the US, with
President Harry S.Truman in power. The aim forthis atrocity was not as much to scare Japan tosubmission, but mainly to send a warning toSoviet Union in front of the coming negotiations
after the war.
I come from Sweden. Earlier, when I
presented myself as a Swede I was a bit proud.
We upheld a policy of nonalignment andneutrality. I am not so proud any more. The
Swedish policy has totally changed. Sweden,
together with countries in the North, have in fact
become launching pads for war against Russia.
Huge areas, large as about Germany in size, are71

Swedish Saab, now Ruag Aerospace, Sweden
AB, has together with France Dassault, among
others, made a drone prototype called nEUROn,
which cannot be seen on radar. This prototype istrained at NEAT. It was ready to be managed in2014 but I haven’t been able to find out where
this flying rock is stationed for the moment,
maybe in Italy, one of the coproducing countries.
At NEAT all kinds of war-equipments aredeveloped and trained.
Among countries which has used NEAT as a
training ground for their many wars is Israel,
which tested their drone UAV Eagle, used in thewar on Gaza. The US has been testing their space
guided robot AMRAAM, which has been used in
the war in Iraq, in former Yugoslavia, in
Afghanistan and in the war on Libya.
NEAT in the North has become an important
training ground for polishing the interoperability
in front of US/Nato’s many wars around theworld. Among the many I will give someexamples: In 2007, Nordic Air Meet, with US,
France, Switzerland, Finland, Norway andSweden. John B. Kelly the head of US Air Forcein Europe, was very impressed by the large
training area when another wargame, Loyal
Arrow, took place and 15 Nato-countries trained
together for Nato Response Force. The homebase was Luleå F21, which most probably will be
the big centre for Nato forces and exercises when
Sweden eventually join Nato. And after that weendured Cold Response numerous times with
16,300 troops in 2012 and 16,000 in 2014. This
became known to the public, when a planecrashed into the mountain of Kebnekaise and five
Norwegian died.
The Arctic area has become extremely
focused, not only for the US. The Canadianforces are frequently using this area for war
training. When the icecap is melting a treasure ofoil and gas is available for exploiting. Norway
has now moved its operational command into the
Arctic, the only command centre above the polar
circle in the world. They have purchased 48 F-35
fighter jets for Arctic patrol. Denmark isestablishing an Arctic Command and an Arctic
Response Force and military buildup at the Thule
Airbase in Greenland. The US and Britain are
conducting joint submarine warfare exercises
under the Polar Icecap. In June this year, I
watched a video showing numerous US warvehicles downloaded from a ferry and rolled intoa cave in Lofoten in Northern Norway.
The North also includes the Baltic states. The
US has set up military bases on former Russian
bases in all Baltic States: Amari in Estonia,
Siauliai in Latvia, Lielvarde in Lithuania as wellas Krzsny in Poland and Taszar in Hungary.
Warfighters from the US, Great Britain,
Germany, Turkey, Spain, Denmark, Norway,
Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Czech
Republic, Rumania and Sweden are among those
who are training close to the big city of St
Petersburg. All this is a breach of Conventional
Forces Agreement in Europe. Estonia, Lithuania
and Latvia have not signed the Treaty why
Washington argues they have the right to deploy
these warfighters in the vicinity of Russia.
Russia is today totally encircled by hostile
installations and war training in the North and in
The Baltics. Some of these installations, as in
Poland, are part of the dangerous National
Missile defense. Huge radars are installed in
Vardö, at the tip of northern Norway, in Rumania
and in Turkey. I am very scared for these hostile
war preparations. The most scaring is that mass
media almost on a daily basis, depict President
Putin as the big danger for World Peace. He isdemonized and sometimes depicted as lunatic.
We, who dare to see what is unfolding, have tounderstand this development and go against thisevil war propaganda which have reached a very
dangerous level.

Subrata Ghoshroy
International Network of Engineers andScientists for Global Responsibility/
Massachusetts Peace Action
U.S.A.
Dear Friends, My name is Subrata Ghoshroy.
I am here today, first, as a human being and,second, as the co-Chairman of the International
Network of Engineers and Scientists (INES) for
global responsibility. It is a very small network. I
often joke that our name, when fully spelled out,
has more letters than we have active members.
Greetings to all the peace loving people fromJapan and all over the world, who have gathered
here in Hiroshima on this occasion. I am deeply
honored to be participating in the 2015 World
Conference against A & H Bombs. We all knowthat this is the 70th Anniversary of the atomic
bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Seventy years ago out of a clear blue sky
monstrous weapons were dropped from an
American B-29 plane that destroyed two
peaceful and beautiful cities that had little
military significance. It was no small coincidence
that these two cities were saved from the type of
firebombing, which cities like Tokyo, Osaka, or
Nagoya had already experienced. As it happened,
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were only to be72

butchered later as sacrificial lamb to carry out
live testing of the uranium and the plutonium
bomb designs, respectively.
I am particularly honored to say a few words
about an organization of scientists and engineers
because this year also happens to be the 60th
Anniversary of the proclamation of what came tobe known as the Russell-Einstein Manifesto. In
his last letter to his friend the British philosopher
Bertrand Russell, Einstein expressed his deep
concern about the possibility of a nuclear war
between the USA and the USSR and warned ofthe extinction of the species in such a catastrophe.
Other than Einstein and Russell, nine otherworld-renowned scientists signed the manifesto
including Max Born, Linus Pauling, and the great
Japanese physicist Hideki Yukawa. It was thelast act of the great scientist Albert Einstein.
Today, sixty years later, we do not have aCold War, but tensions in the world have notdecreased. A super power has run amuck
destroying countries and civilizations. The
expansion of a military alliance called NATO has
stoked fires in a volatile region near the former
Soviet Union. Unilateral abrogation of the Anti
Ballistic Missile treaty is making possible
development and possible deployment of space
weapons. The Intermediate Nuclear Forces
Treaty is being threatened because of missile
defense deployment in Europe, which according
to Russia undermines its security. The U.S.
accuses Russia of testing cruise missiles bannedby the treaty. The world faces urgent dangers
from nuclear power and also climate change,
whose effects are becoming all too apparent toordinary citizens around the world.
It has been four years since the trifecta of a 9Richter earthquake, a massive Tsunami, and anuclear reactor meltdown struck the east coast ofJapan all in a span of a short hour. It seared thename Fukushima forever in the collective
memory of the Japanese people and the people of
the world, who also remembers the nuclear
accident in Chernobyl a quarter century ago.
Like Hiroshima, a city a few hundred
kilometers to the south, Fukushima has become
synonymous with the horrors that can befall anation when atomic reactions cannot be
controlled. In the former, it was a deliberate act
to inflict as much casualty as possible. In thelatter, it was an accident that many werepredictable and hence preventable. Others feelthat the risks are too high for nuclear power tocontinue in Japan, if not anywhere.
I traveled to Japan only last year for the firsttime in my life as a participant in what is called a
Peace Tour organized jointly by the American

University in Washington, D.C. and Ritsumeikan
University in Kyoto. It included among others,
visits to Hiroshima and Nagasaki and meetings
with the Hibakusha - survivors of the atomic
bombings, which affected me deeply.
I got another opportunity to visit Japan in
March 2015 to participate in a meeting of theJapan Scientists Association (JSA). It wasorganized jointly with my organization INES,
and was held at the Yokohama National
University.
The organizers of the conference included
Keiji Ujikawa, Economics professor at the
Yokohama National University and Prof.
Yoshimi Miyake of Akita University. The
coordinators of the conference were Shinjiro
Hagiwara, Professor Emeritus of Economics also
at Yokohama National University, and Fujio
Yamamoto, Professor Emeritus of MechanicalEngineering at Fukui University.
Nearly 80 scientists, engineers, andacademics from all over Japan attended. Many of
the Japanese attendees were renowned academics
in nuclear physics and engineering. Many had
held high-level positions in the nuclear researchestablishment. But, there were young scientists
too. Among international participants weremyself from the U.S.; Reiner Braun, Prof. Jürgen
Scheffran (co-Chair of INES), and Lucas Wirl all from Germany, and Hye-Jeong Kim, a leaderof the anti-nuclear movement in South Korea,
who is also a member of the Nuclear Safety andSecurity Commission.
The importance of this meeting could hardly
be underestimated given that Japan is at a criticaljuncture in its debate about which path to follow
in its energy future. On the one hand, aconservative government led by the Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe, backed by the powerfulforces of business and the nuclear industry, ispushing hard to bring back the reactors and evento build new ones in the future. On the other
hand, public opinion has been growing stronger
in opposition. The voice of the scientificcommunity that can make a credible case against
the government-industry publicity campaign is
critical.
In his brief opening remarks, the Conference
Chair Tsuyoshi Kawasaki, Emeritus Professor at
Tohoku University, who is an eminent expert on
climate science, said it’s a pity that the Japanese
Government wants to not only develop nuclear
power at home, but also export nuclear
technology to other countries. He ended his brief
remarks with these powerful words: “JSA
believes that human beings and nuclear power
cannot coexist.” These words took on a real73

ignorance, and replace it with knowledge. Only
then can we come together and attain theseemingly unattainable. According to Dalai
Lama, “Where ignorance is our master, there isno possibility of real peace.”
When I was around 7 or 8 years old, I used to
do workbooks to improve my reading
comprehension. Every section would have an
excerpt from a book along with corresponding
questions. One time I read a passage fromSadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. This
was the first time I had been so emotionally
moved by an excerpt in one of my workbooks
full of innocent, childish stories. After reading
the passage, I scribbled down the name of thebook and ran to the library. I spent all day
reading it. It brought me to tears, even at such ayoung age. After finishing the book, I folded abeautiful paper crane with gold origami paper andplaced it beside my bed before I went to sleep.
At that young age, I did not completely grasp
the full weight of this catastrophic event. I did
not understand the magnitude of the bombings. I
did not understand that the bombings unleashed afull-blown movement against atomic bombs. I
did not understand that it all had actually
happened, and what intentions were behind it.
Four years later, when I started researching theevent, I would get lost in the research,
completely immersing myself in it. Surroundedby memoirs, editorials, pictures, and statistics, I
would forget time was passing. I uncovered all ofthese outrageous statistics about the number ofdeaths, and learned that this was all an attempt toend the war. Everything about Truman’s decision
was flawed to me. I was thirteen and I wascompletely revolted. Crime is unacceptable andpunishable. Those bombings were crimes against
humanity, far worse than any small-scale
wrongdoing that we are constantly taught not to do.
It was not just the tragedy itself that upset
me. I was frustrated because when I turned to myfriends at lunch, they had no idea what thebombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were.
When I read my World History textbook, there
was barely a paragraph on the event. In the many
years that my teacher had taught US History, no
one had ever chosen the bombings of Hiroshima
of Nagasaki to research for their project. In
elementary school, we read countless fictional
books that made it seem like everything was fun
and games. We knew nothing about the world
around us. William Shakespeare said, “There isno darkness but ignorance.”
While researching, I came across Mrs.
Setsuko Thurlow, a survivor of the Hiroshimabombing. She was gracious enough to allow me,

human meaning for me as we toured the oncelively towns of the Fukushima prefecture thathave been turned into ghost towns – Futaba,
Tomioka, Namie, and so on. The objective of the
Abe administration is to make the Fukushima
tragedy a thing of the past and to promote theidea that the situation is getting back to normal.
Our trip to Fukushima proved that it wasanything but.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT), where I am now based, has a long historyof association both with the making of the bomband the subsequent opposition to it. There werescientists like the Nobel Laureate Henry Kendall,
Phillip Morison, Victor Weisskopf, Bernard Feld
were all renowned scientists who worked in thesecret Manhattan Project to design the bomb.
They later became major advocates for nuclear
disarmament. Nobel Laureate biologist Salvatore
Luria worked tirelessly for nuclear abolition andInstitute Professor Noam Chomsky continues tothis day his vocal opposition to wars and nuclear
weapons. I feel a personal connection to these
giants of science because I too have traveled asimilar road, however insignificant incomparison. For many years, I was a part of the
President Reagan’s Star Wars program to build
powerful lasers to shoot down Soviet ICBMs
before leaving military research altogether andbecoming a critic.
As we recall the collective horrors ofHiroshima, Nagasaki, Chernobyl, and Fukushima,
we need to remind ourselves as scientists andengineers that we have a special responsibility to
speak the truth about the dangers of nuclear
power and nuclear weapons.

Meher Hans
Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Committee
U.S.A.
There is nothing more dangerous than thewidespread, sheer lack of knowledge. We
constantly try to escape the toils of our own lives– tribulations that seem so trivial when they areplaced beside global ordeals, of which nuclear
disarmament is just one of many. Yet, still, we
consistently fail to see the importance of taking
action. The reason for this pervasive dearth of
initiative in large-scale matters is primarily
ignorance. Very few people are properly
educated and informed. The rest of us perceive
these huge issues as nebulous matters that are so
far away, we do not even need to concern
ourselves with them. Most of us are incredibly
ignorant. To achieve, we must realize our own
74

a thirteen-year-old girl, to interview her. I would
thank her a million times for giving me that
opportunity. But she was not the first survivor
that I had asked for an interview. I asked others
as well, but they had brushed me off as anincompetent child. I understood. They are busy
people. They wrote books, told their stories over
and over again to different audiences all over theworld, and for that, I have an enormous amountof respect for them. To relive their traumatic
experience over and over again is not easy, to say
the least. But, in my humble opinion, the youthof the world are most need of this kind of
education. We are lucky to be alive to hear thelast stories of survivors, but we cannot let thisevent in history fade away with them.
We will always have the statistics, the books,
the stories, and the videos. But we will notalways have the survivors sitting next to us to tellus their story. We will not always be able to see
the pain and distress in their voices and faces andeyes. When I interviewed Mrs. Thurlow, I was
not overcome by the same sadness that cameupon me when I read Sadako and the Thousand
Paper Cranes or when I researched. It wasdifferent. My view of the world instantly
widened beyond my family, friends, school, andcommunity.
It all hit me hard and fast. I quickly
scrambled to listen to the 90-minute recording of
the interview, and every time I heard it, I
trembled with emotion. I made a short film that
included a few parts of the interview, along withstatistics, pictures, and videos. My aim with thisvideo was not to make people cry; my goal wasto educate as best as I could.
When I presented the film to my eighth grade
history class, my classmates were shocked. Someclosed their eyes and tried not to listen to thegruesome and horrific details. But in the end, I
think it’s safe to say that every single person in
the room agreed that if humans cannot live
together on a planet in peace, if we are constantly
drawing differences between ourselves andcarrying bombs as threats or protection against
these alleged differences, we would fail very
quickly at preserving humanity. As a youth
delegate from the US, my goal, my wish, is to get
more people, especially young people, to careabout nuclear disarmament; humanity should be
able to flourish peacefully, without any more
atrocities against our own race – the human race.

Nguyen Thi Hoang Van
Vietnam Peace Committee
Distinguished guests, Dear friends, It is mygreat pleasure to be attending the World
Conference Against A & H Bombs in 2015, a
significant event which marks the 70th
Anniversary of the Atomic Bombings ofHiroshima and Nagasaki. Thank you the Japan
Council Against A & H Bombs (Gensuikyo) forthe chance you have offered as well as thegenerous hospitality provided for overseasdelegates, including those from Vietnam.
I would like to convey my warmest greetingsand best wishes to all international and Japaneseparticipants in this conference. I am also
honoured to hand over the message of solidarity
from State President of the Socialist Republic ofVietnam Truong Tan Sang to the conference on
this special occasion.
Dear friends, On behalf of the Vietnam Peace
Committee, I would like to express our profoundsolidarity with all victims of the 1945 tragedies
in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as victims ofAgent Orange and all other kinds of weapons ofmass destruction. Although 70 years have passed
since the atomic bombing of Japan, hundreds ofthousands of people are still suffering fromnever-ending health problems. The situation is
the same in Vietnam, where, 40 years after theend of Vietnam’s struggle for national
independence, millions of victims of Agent
Orange are still living in agony, despite the great
efforts made to overcome the war consequences.
We are aware that under various pretexts,
weapons of mass destruction are still being
developed and used, killing innocent people,
including women and children, every day. In
addition, increasing military spending, expanding
military bases and terrorism are threatening
peace in our world. We are also aware thatgrowing tension resulting from sovereignty
disputes over sea and land between nations are
threatening peace, security and stability in theregion and heavily impacting people’s life,
especially in defiance of international laws andagreements, and from the threat or use of force
by big powers.
In response to Gensuikyo’s signaturecollection campaign for a convention banning
nuclear weapons, the Vietnam Peace Committee
has managed to collect over 1.5 million
signatures from Vietnamese across the country.
By that, the Vietnam Peace Committee would
like to join hands with peace-loving forces
throughout the globe to call on governments andall stakeholders to work hard against research,75

production, use and proliferation of nuclear or
any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction.
Such tragedies as those in Hiroshima & Nagasaki
and Agent Orange should never be repeated.
I am strongly confident that the World
Conference against A&H Bombs will continue tobe a platform for peace organisations andactivists around the world to unite and struggle
for a peaceful world without nuclear weapons
and all weapons of mass destruction. It will alsooffer us a chance to raise our common voice torequest all parties to sovereignty disputes in
Asia-Pacific, as well as in other parts of theworld, to exercise self-restraint and settle
disputes by peaceful means in compliance withinternational law and regulations, to avoid war
and armed conflicts.
I wish for a successful conference, for abeautiful world freed from nuclear weapons, andwish you all good health and happiness.
No more Hiroshima! No more Nagasaki! No
more Agent Orange/dioxin!
Justice for Hibakushas! Justice forVietnamese Agent Orange/dioxin victims!

Berlin on 9th May 1945, which underlined theliberation of the peoples from Nazi-fascism. This
anniversary and the lessons from Nazism,
Fascism and Militarism of that time are very
relevant for today’s times where we observe thegrowing tendencies of fascism again in the world.
In order to understand better the historicaldevelopments we have to understand that thecrime of the USA with the atomic bombing was
the only of that type, but not to the only crime of
the USA in a long list of crimes. Here we may
not forget the imperialist aggression of the USA
and its allies against the Korean people in 19501953, the dirty imperialist war against the peopleof Vietnam which ended up with millions ofvictims poisoned till today’s generation by the
toxic “Agent Orange”. In the same way we recall
the various coups and support by the USA tobloody dictatorships in Latin America andEurope till the 1970.
The same philosophy stands behind theaggression of the biggest war machinery ever, of
US led NATO, against Yugoslavia in 1999 andthe later the occupation of Afghanistan and theinvasion and occupation of Iraq, the bombing
and splitting of Libya.
It is always the imperialist drive to dominate
over peoples and regions, to impose their rule forthe sake of the control of energy resources,
markets and spheres of influence. This has been
witnessed as well on the African continent,
where after the colonial rule was officially over,neo-colonial and imperialist rule took oversupporting amongst others most reactionary
regimes like the Apartheid regime in South
Africa, fighting against the Liberation of theAfrican countries by all means.
Dear friends, the global developments in theworld are increasingly characterized by thegrowing aggressiveness of imperialism, its
internal antagonisms under the light of the deep
capitalist economic crisis for more than five
years now. The global capital, the multinational
corporations and monopolies are intensifying
with the cooperation of the willing governments
their attack on workers’ right, social security andwelfare, trying to shift the consequences of thecrisis to the shoulders of the working masses, theself-employed, small peasants, the pensioners
and the youth. There is growing poverty andextreme poverty in previously high developedand industrialized capitalist countries, with themarginalization of new masses, huge rates of
unemployment,
phenomenaofhunger,malnutrition and desperate suicide rates. At thesame time the profits of the big capital, theIraklis Tsavdaridis
World Peace Council
Dear friends and fellow fighters for peace、On behalf of the WPC we sincerely thank theOrganizing Committee of the conference for theinvitation and express once more our respect to
the Japanese people for the suffering since 70
years due to the murderous atomic bombing of
the USA on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
One must think and maybe repeat the reasons
why the USA committed this crime against
humanity in August 1945, when the WW II was
actually already over. The USA wanted to show
strength to the peoples and countries of the world,in particular to the Soviet Union, to punish theJapanese people massively and to carry out amacabre test in “real terms” on the consequencesof atomic bombing on life and environment.
We declare our solidarity with the Japanesepeople and the Japanese peace movement in theirstrive for the total abolition of all nuclear
weapons, as it was stated 65 years ago in the“Stockholm Appeal” launched and carried out by
the WPC with more than 400 million signatures
worldwide. This appeal is still valid more thanever before.
We emphasize also this year on the 70th
anniversary end of the WW II, or better on theanti-fascist victory of the peoples, marked by therise of the Red Flag on the German Reichstag in76

enterprises and monopolies are growing, despite
the smaller rates in comparison to the past.
The ongoing and increasing wars andaggressions are resulting in huge waves ofrefugees, particularly from the Middle East
(Syria, Iraq) and from Libya and other Africancountries. As consequences of the imperialist
plans and policies in these regions violent regimechanges took place, invasion and occupation of
territories, while civil wars and clashes are daily
phenomena. The hypocrisy of the imperialists ofUSA, EU and NATO is scandalous. On the one
hand they trigger and orchestrate the instability
and the wars, on the other hand they neglect andignore the many thousands of refugees who aretrying to reach the European coasts, running fortheir lives. Several thousands of them are dyingin the sea, many more are victims firstly of the“smugglers of human souls” who earn millionsof dollars and secondly of the inhuman detention
centers in Italy, Greece, Spain, Malta, due to thereactionary Dublin agreements. This is the brutal
face of imperialism which is spreading death andterror directly with its troops and bombs orindirectly through the armed religious
fundamentalist groups and sends warships to face
the poor refugees with the pretext of fighting the“smugglers of migrants”.
Dear friends, it is by the history of theimperialist crimes and by the resistance of thepeoples how we have reached the recent years to
new aggressions and to the imperialist plans in
the Middle East, Eastern Europe and in Asia &Pacific.
We emphasize here on the US “Pivot to Asia”
where the USA is shifting 60% of its military
power to the Asia & Pacific region and thebilateral and multilateral military agreementswith many of the counties which are creating
new threats to peace and stability in the area. We
express our concern about the tensions in thearea of the “South China Sea” and reaffirm ourposition that whatever disputed should be
resolved by peaceful talks amongst all involved
parties based on the UN Convention of the Law
of Seas (1982). At the same time we denounce
the US presence in the region, which is offering
its “good services” to various sides. The WPC
expresses its discontent with dangerous
nationalist tendencies in the region, which are
not helpful for the peaceful and comprehensive
solution.
We emphasize as well on the dangerous
developments in the crisis in the Ukraine. Afterthe imperialist intervention by USA and EU in
November 2013 and the orchestrated Coup d’étatin Kiev a reactionary regime was installed in the

Ukraine. Political and physical persecution ofpolitical opponents, demolition of symbols of the
USSR and restoration of Neo-fascist (even in thegovernment) are prevailing. The Russian
speaking minority in the country and especiallyin its eastern part, is being harassed, thousands ofcivilians have lost their lives under heavy
bombing of the Donbass region by the Kiev
regime while the Communists and their party in
the Ukraine have been illegalized, offices burned
down and leaders physically attacked. NATO isincreasing its troops in Poland and the Baltic
States, along with the plans to affiliate Ukraine
into NATO. The ground for all the above is thegeostrategic importance of the Ukraine, inparticular the energy resources in gas and its
pipelines and the competition with the RussianFederation in the area.
We emphasize also on the necessity to keepon the efforts and the struggle against NATO,
armed wing of imperialism and murderous toolof the imperialists. We do not forget themurderous bombing of Yugoslavia by NATO
which led to the creation of the NATO/EU
protectorate in the Serbian province of Kosovo.
The imperialist aggression of NATO in 1999
became the precedent case for all later
aggressions of NATO in Central Asia, Middle
East and Eastern Europe today. The recent
announcement of EU officials for a permanent
EU army shows the growing militarization of theEU, the cooperation with NATO but also theambitions of the European imperialists to play agreater role in their competition with otherimperialist forces.
But the biggest suffering still takes place in
the Middle East, where people are suffering fromthe consequences of imperialist domination andforeign interference. In the recent Regional
Meeting of the WPC the situation was described“as the most dangerous and bloody period with
the imperialist forces to intervene in many
countries directly with catastrophic results,
killings, destructions, redrawing borders anddivision of the countries, aiming at the control
and exploitation of the richest oil and gas
reserves in the world without caring about thelife and peoples”.
The WPC took clear positions, from the very
first moment, in regards to the imperialist plan
for a ‘new Middle East’, which is endorsed by
the USA, the EU, and its allies in the region byvarious means. The massive uprisings of peoples
in 2011 against previously friendly to theimperialists and reactionary regimes in Egypt,
Tunisia etc, were likewise used under the ‘Arab
Spring’ for the purpose of their plans. The

77

Islamic fundamentalist forces, for so many years
tolerated and nurtured by the imperialists
themselves, assumed new role with armed “holywarriors” in various countries, particularly in
Iraq and Syria. The project of “ISIS” is the otherside of the same coin of the imperialist agenda in
the region. It is aiming in the control of spheresof influence and energy resources; it requires
willing regimes and ignores any consequences
for the peoples of the region. The hypocrisy anddouble moral is paramount.
The crisis and instability created by theimperialists directly and indirectly through armed
jihadist groups, is being used now for new
military operations and invasions. The “model”
of Libya which was bombed and cut in pieces isthe danger for Iraq and Syria. The WPC did
never accept NATO’s or any other imperialist
intervention under any pretext. There cannot be
any “humanitarian military intervention” by theones who have slaughtered the same people.
Special responsibility in all this is bearing theTurkish government, without which the plans in
Syria would have not been able to be applied.
The millions of refugees in Turkey and otherneighbour countries is the tragic result of a plan
to overthrow the regime in Damascus bymultinational armed gangs entering mainly fromTurkey, co-sponsored by the Gulf monarchies.
A core issue remains in the region the
struggle of the Palestinian people for the end of
the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an
independent State of Palestine within the bordersof June 4th, 1967 and with East Jerusalem as its
capital. The WPC supports the efforts at the UN
for the recognition of a full member status forPalestine. The Israeli government, fully backed
by the USA and EU, is increasing its aggressions,harassments and apartheid policies in Palestine
like with the recent killing of a Palestinian baby
which was burned alive by Israeli settlers, nearNablus.
The recently concluded negotiations between
Iran and the West about Iran’s nuclear program
have reached an accord. Although we are still
studying the matter we want to state that thisdoes not mean that the threat and danger of wider
conflict does not exist anymore. The antagonismsof imperialist forces in the region and the conflictin Syria and Iraq are increasing the possibility of
the conflict, especially with the position of Israel
against any agreement with Iran. In this context,
the role that the Islamic Republic of Iran has
been playing in recent years to ensure andpromote its regional position must be noted. We
will judge this agreement from the point of viewof the interests of the Iranian people and thepeoples of the region. We hope that thisagreement will not be at the expense of thepeoples and the countries of the region,
especially if we consider the call by the US on
the regime in Iran to play a “constructive” role inthe success of the US planned “New Middle
East”, in particular in relation to the future of
Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, to ensure US vitalinterests. We are afraid to say that this accord is
not reflecting the rights and interests of thepeople of Iran along with the peoples of theregion.
Allow us to express two more thoughts about
Japan.
Firstly we support the demand of theJapanese peace movement and of the JCP in
particular, for the closure of all nuclear plants inJapan, an important conclusion after the tragic
Fukushima accident.
Secondly and in regards to the efforts of theJapanese government to change by legislation“de facto” the article 9 of the Constitution, we
join our voices with the Japanese Peace
Movement and the peace loving people of Japanagainst this reactionary and dangerous line. We
would like to remind that Japan is closest ally of
the USA, along with South Korea, in the region
and Japan is “hosting” more than 100 US
military Bases on its soil. The fact that the USA
is seeking for more and stronger involvement of
its allies in various military missions andaggressions is not new, such effort took place
under different pretext also when Japan was
asked to send troops to Iraq supposedly forhumanitarian aid.
The best way to honour the victims of theatrocities of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki is to continue fighting against thecrimes of imperialism today. And to this we arestrongly committed in the World Peace Council.

Reference Papers:
Balkrishna Kurvey
Indian Institute for Pace, Disarmament& Environmental Protection/ No More
Hiroshima: No More Nagasaki: Peace
Museum, India
ENVIRONMNTAL IMPACT OF NUCLERWEAPONS & NUCLEAR TESTING
As per the groundbreaking report submitted byInternational Physicians for prevention of Nuclear
War (IPPNW) and Physicians for Social
78

Responsibility (PSR) in December 2013, “Nuclear
Famine: Two Billion People at Risk” and imputs
from other like mined organization like Gensuikyo,
World Conference Against A & H Bombs,
Hibakushas Association of Japan and others, thispaper is submitted for consideration.
Not in My Backyard: Countries which do
not possess nuclear weapons and their cities are
not target, think that nuclear war is a remoteproblem for them but “limited nuclear conflict”,
involving as few as 100 Hiroshima-sized bombs,
would have global implications with significant
cooling of the earth's surface and decreased
precipitation in many parts of the world.
Regional Nuclear War in South Asia: Overthe last several years, a number of studies haveshown that a limited, regional nuclear war
between India and Pakistan would causesignificant climate disruption worldwide.
Even a modest, sudden decline in agricultural
production could trigger significant increases in
the prices for basic foods and hoarding on a
global scale, both of which would make foodinaccessible to poor people in much of the world.
Global famine that would follow a regional
nuclear war, it seems reasonable to postulate a
total global death toll in the range of one billion
from starvation alone.
Famine on this scale would also lead to major
epidemics of infectious diseases, and would
create immense potential for war and civil
conflict.
A regional nuclear war would result in vast,
worldwide climate disruption.
Consider a war between India and Pakistan
involving 100 Hiroshima-sized bombs, less than
0.5% of the world’s nuclear arsenal.
Studies by climate experts show clearly thateven this limited nuclear conflict would affectweather patterns throughout the world. Soot anddebris injected into the atmosphere from the
explosions and resulting fires would block
sunlight from reaching the Earth, producing an
average surface cooling of -1.25ºC that would
last for several years
Limited nuclear war will follow 1) Nuclear
Winter: smoke and dust produced by a nuclear
war would result in a prolonged period of cold on
the earth. Climatic effects 2) Ozone depletion:
Increase of cancer globally. Regional nuclear
war could spark "unprecedented" global coolingand reduce rainfall for years, a period ofabnormal cold and darkness predicted to follow a
nuclear war, caused by a layer of smoke and dustin the atmosphere blocking the sun's rays, deathof life on planet Earth, 74% of the Sun’s lightwould be blocked.

As a result of this cooling, there would bedecreases in the growing season (frost free days),of 10 to 20 days in many of the most important
grain-producing areas throughout the world.
This decrease might completely eliminate cropsthat have insufficient time to reach maturity.
Every crop has a maturity time. There would bedecreases in the growing season.
There would also be major alterations inpatterns of precipitation, with a 10% reduction in
global rainfall, and large reductions in the Asiansummer monsoon.
The most important direct effect of thesechanges in temperature and precipitation would
be a decrease in global food production. If thesoot injected into the atmosphere in a nuclear
war caused significant ozone depletion that could
cause a further major decline in actual foodproduction.
Disruption of petroleum production would
also cause a serious decline in food production,
which is dependent on petroleum-based
fertilizers and pesticides and on petroleum-fueled
tractors, water pumps, and trucks.
Crops that were grown might be diverted tooffset the loss of available gasoline. Today
ethanol production is already using significant
quantities of grain that would otherwise beavailable as food or livestock feed.
Regional nuclear war resulted in significant
radioactive contamination of one or more major
food producing countries, large quantities of foodmight need to be destroyed and significant areasof crop land might need to be taken out of
production. The combination of failed harvests
and a collapsed distribution system would
prevent essential foods from reaching Africancountries and many others around the world.
It will be Global impacts of limited nuclear
war on agriculture, food supplies, and humannutrition. For example, in China during the first 4
years, rice production would decline by anaverage of 21%; over the next 6 years the decline
would average 10%. also decline of Wheat
Production would fall 50% in first year. This
will affect the food inaccessible to Global South.
The decline in available food would be
exacerbated by increases in food prices, which
would make food inaccessible to hundreds ofmillions of the world’s poorest. Even if
agricultural markets continued to function
normally,
215 million people from the Global South
would be added to the rolls of the malnourishedover the course of a decade and it is estimatedthat billion people will die due to starvation.

79

Hording and Panic: However, markets
would not function normally. Significant,sustained agricultural shortfalls over an extended
period would almost certainly lead to panic andhoarding on an international scale
foodexporting nations suspended exports in order toassure adequate food supplies for their own
populations.
Deaths & Epidemic: In the event of a
protracted global cooling, triggered by a limited,regional nuclear war, it seems reasonable to fearthat the total global death toll could exceed one
billion from starvation alone. There is a very
high likelihood that famine on this scale would
lead to major epidemics of infectious diseases.
WHAT WE CAN DO: Role of Civil society.
We will only be truly and permanently safe fromthe horrors described here if we ban nuclear
weapons and eliminate them from the entire
Earth.
We have done this with chemical andbiological weapons, and more recently withlandmines and cluster munitions.
The time is right to add the abolition of
nuclear weapons to the list.

will be more secure if the planet will free of thenuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons are the only
type of weapons in existence that have thecapacity to annihilate the human species andcountless other species. The reactions of thenuclear weapons live alive after many years of
it's used. The best example is Nagasaki andHiroshima in Japan. The nuclear bomb was usedon these cities during World War Ⅱ, but
Nagasaki and Hiroshima are still suffering withthe reaction of nuclear bomb.
Today there are approximately 16,000
nuclear weapons in the world. The majority are
owned by the United States and Russia. The UK,
France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel andpossibly North Korea are also nuclear-armed.
Many of the nuclear weapons held around theworld have hundreds of times more explosive
power than the atomic bomb dropped on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 which
completely destroyed the city and killed around
140,000 people.
Nuclear weapons have no legitimate purpose;nor would their use be legal due to civilian
casualties being unavoidable. They are also
genocidal and utterly immoral. When confronted
with any of today's real security threats, nuclear
weapons are irrelevant. They cannot be used tocombat climate change, poverty, hunger,
overpopulation, terrorists, cyber-attacks or
pandemics, for example.
Not only do nuclear weapons kill
indiscriminately but the radioactive fallout fromtheir detonation means that their effects know nogeographical boundaries. Immediate survivors in
the vicinity of any nuclear exchange facedevastating long-term ill effects or death.
Research by the International Red Cross
estimates that a billion people around the world
could face starvation as a result of nuclear war.
Across the world, the desire for the global
abolition of nuclear weapons is strong. 115
countries are part of nuclear weapons free zones
which cover Southeast Asia, Central Asia, theSouth Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean
and Africa. An intra-governmental initiative toconsider the humanitarian impact of nuclear
weapons could lead to international movement
on establishing a treaty to ban nuclear
weapons. Austria has issued a 'pledge' to work
towards a ban, which has been supported by 85
countries so far.
191 states have signed nuclear nonproliferation treaty. It commits its signatories toeither not develop nuclear weapons if they
haven't already, or to work towards disarmament
if they do possess them. The UK is one of only

Ajoy Barua
Buddhist Brotherhood Assembly
Bangladesh
I extend my heartfelt greetings and warm
felicitations to you all assembled here fromdifferent countries at this historic gathering of
70th Anniversary World Conference against
Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs that was dropped
by United State on the Japanese Cities ofHiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th inHiroshima and on August 9th in Nagasaki in
1945. We are all aware the tragic history ofheart-rending grief and suffering endured by theJapanese people. We pray for those people whodied instantly and thousand more succumbed toburns, malnutrition and illness. It is our duty toremember these events. It is also our duty tocelebrate the spirit of survivors and those whohave dedicated themselves to ensuring that such
events are never repeated and that Nuclear
weapons are never used again.
Nuclear weapons are considered serious
threats to the human race and have made theworld an insecure residence for living organisms.
Nuclear weapons are destructive weapons thatobtain its force from nuclear fission and nuclear
fusion reaction. Both are very harmful for theliving organism. All nuclear weapons must beabolished around the world for making world
secure, and save budget money. The entire world80

eight or possibly nine states that actually has
nuclear weapons - the rest of the world realizes
that their safety does not depend on owning
weapons of mass destruction.
The NPT signatories meet every five years toreview the treaty. The 2010 conference's final
document called on the nuclear weapon states to'undertake further efforts to reduce andultimately eliminate all types of nuclear weapons',
but the 2015 conference failed to reach any
agreement.
We all see in the media these days how
violence is erupting and escalating in many partsof the world, and this violence is related to both
political and religious issues. The duty of any
religion should be to uphold human dignity andguide us towards leading a peaceful life. In
Gandhi’s terms, the essence of religion ismorality: ‘I reject any religious doctrine that does
not appeal to reason and is in conflict withmorality. We are all aware that world situation
has undergone a complex changes due tocompetition of use of weapons of mass
destruction of some of the countries in the worldthat poses threat to peace, stability and securityof the world.
I am confident that this conference will pave
the way and provide opportunity for peace
movement strengthening cooperation among
nations to work towards the abolition of nuclear
weapons international conflicts cannot be
resolved militarily and that solutions can befound only by bringing the parties to theconference table, which is through peace talks.
It is a great opportunity for me to attend themeeting thereby to exchange opinions anddeepen solidarity among broad range ofgenerations including those who bear the present
and the future of the world. Once again I on
behalf of my Organization as well as on behalf ofthe people of Bangladesh extend my utmost
thanks and gratitude to the Organizer,
distinguished guests, religious leaders, peace
activists and wish wellbeing and prosperity of theentire nations- urge upon the Heads of States ofnations to initiate concerted efforts for theabolition of Nuclear Weapons so that we may
live in this world peacefully.

81Closing Session (August 4)

spoke about health care services for Hibakusha.
She complained that the health care program for
Hibakusha was inadequate, as Hibakusha are
excluded from free medical services if they live
outside Japan or if their illnesses are not includedin the list of free treatment. What’s more, those
Hibakusha living outside Japan have difficulty ofapplying for “Hibakusha health book” in the firstplace. The Hibakusha were denied access to thehealth program for 32 years since August 1945. It
was only 51 years later, in 1996, that income
restrictions for the Hibakusha allowances werelisted. Yamada said many Hibakusha are working
hard on lawsuits demanding the government
recognize their illnesses to be caused by A-bombradiation exposure. “No more Hibakusha lawsuits”
are still carried on.
Second- and third-generation Hibakusha
spoke about their efforts to pass the tragic historyof their parents/grandparents down to next
generations.
Mr. Yoneshige is a second
generation Hibakusha whose mother was exposed
to A-bomb radiation by entering Hiroshima City
after the bombing. Yoneshige stressed the need toattach more importance to the activity of thesecond and third generation such as organizing
more gatherings to convey Hibakusha stories.
Another
second-generation
Hibakusha,
Shimehashi, from Hiroshima, said she didn’tknow that she was a second generation Hibakusha
until she got married. Her mother kept the factsecret, worrying that being a Hibakusha would
militate against her daughter’s marriage or job.
She choked up with tears when she talked about
the memory of her mother singing, “Never Again
the A Bomb” many times to little Shimehashi.
On education and the effort to tell about
Hibakusha’s experiences, a report on a panel
discussion hosted by Nagasaki Hisaikyo and agroup of Nagasaki second generation Hibakusha
was presented.
Okoshi from Hiroshima Hidankyo told us that
he had spoken about his A-bomb experience toabout 5000 junior high school students each yearon such occasions as students’ peace monument
tours. Okoshi said that the percentage of people
who know the dates of the atomic bombings ofHiroshima/Nagasaki is only 30 percent, according
to a survey. Even among peace education
conscious schools, only 20-30 percent of them
organize school excursions to Hiroshima Peace
Memorial Park. He also said that he felt
encouraged to see young people in Hiroshima
standing against the war bills. “Hibakusha’s
storytelling effort has not been futile” he said.
A comic series “Barefoot Gen” has been
published in 23 languages. Doctor Osamu Saito

Reports from Workshops:
Workshop I: A-bomb Damage ofHiroshima and Nagasaki; Struggles ofthe Hibakusha
Yamamoto Yoshiko
Japan Federation of Democratic
Medical Institutions (Min-Iren)
Four people served as moderators of thisworkshop: Mr. Kalyanadurgam R Nagaraj of
Nagpur Institute of Human Rights, India, Ms.
Irene De Vera of Pangasinan State University, thePhilippines, Ms. Yamada Hiroko of Democratic
Women’s Club, Japan and myself.
Workshop 1 began with testimony by an 86year-old Hibakusha, who said it took 70 years forher to decide to talk about her A-bomb experience.
“I could not talk about what I experienced without
losing my calm, but realized that little time is left
for me to leave my testimony and that only
Hibakusha can do it,” she said.
A number of other Hibakusha spoke about
their A-bomb experiences. “When I came back to
consciousness, I found myself crushed under thehouse and saw my mother alive. But as flames
were spreading, she told me to run. So, I fled thehouse shouting ‘Sorry, Mom’,” said Sawada Shoji.
Kayashige Junko from the Hiroshima
Federation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers
Organizations (Hiroshima Hidankyo) said that she
has had to live whole her life with burns on her
face, neck, and hands. She also said, “Hibakusha
decided to stand up to never repeat the same
sufferings and the same mistake to happen
anywhere in the world.”
Takato Seiji is a member of a group called theBlack Rain Association in Hiroshima. He spoke
about radioactive fallout or “black rain”. He said,“I saw a black mushroom cloud rising and piecesof burned-paper falling from the sky.” He said “ A
friend of him, his neighbor, and his brother wereamused to pick them up. Then, sticky black rain
fell. After drinking water from an open well andeating vegetables, they felt sick and fatigued.
Years later the friend knew that he was sufferingfrom a chronic fatigue syndrome known as the‘bura bura disease’.” Takato said that thisHibakusha died last year, leaving his last words
that he wanted to donate his body for a study ofinternal exposure to radiation.
Yamada, a member of the local Hidankyo
82

suggested that we should convey Gen’s vigorous
energy to all children of the world so they will joinhands, saying, “Barefoot Gen gives the bestaccount of how children at that time survived after
August 6.”
A participant from Fukushima reported that 12
Fukushima people participated in the New Yorkaction on the occasion of the NPT Review
Conference in May this year. In NYC, they called
for a world free of both nuclear weapons andnuclear power plants. Some of them also attended
the World Conference against A and H Bombs inthe hope that the accident at the Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power plant will not be forgotten
and that a safe environment will be left to thechildren, though there is still a long way to go tocomplete the decommissioning of all nuclear
reactors.
Regarding health problems of those who workfor nuclear power plants, a participant reported
that a government special agency is to study
cause-and-effect relations between workers’
radiation exposure and the rate of their disease
incidence. He emphasized the importance ofprotecting these workers’ fundamental humanrights, taking into account the study results.
A new signature collection campaign is going
to be proposed. The need to broaden the campaign
throughout Japan and the world was emphasized
at the end of workshop 1. We unanimously
confirmed our determination to work even harderto this end.

does not end at that moment but continues to chasethe victims and their succeeding generations.
Who could deny this inhumane consequences?”
A young woman living in Hiroshima said, bylistening to Hibakusha’s stories, she realized theimportance of questioning what human dignity
really is and of keeping to help spread theirexperiences and voices. She added that it isimportant to ask people if they can tolerate
Hibakusha having gone through that as a humanbeing. She said that her generation needs tospread Hibakusha’s testimonies among theyounger generation as she believes what countries
and people clinging to nuclear weapons fear themost is seeing more and more people listening to
Hibakusha’s experiences. “This is what we willdo,” she expressed.
A woman in her 80s living in Hiroshima said,“When I got married and moved to Hiroshima,
every branch (of the New Japan Women’s
Association) had one or more Hibakusha member.
We collected their testimonies and began
publishing a series of booklets entitled, ‘Burnt like
Fallen Leaves.” The title was taken after
Hibakusha Nagoya Misao’s testimony that her
younger sister was burnt like fallen leaves. “We
are at a crucial point regarding whether or not wecan pass their experiences on to the next
generations. I am over 80 years old now, but I willcontinue this activity as long as I live,” she said.
A second heated discussion focused on
signature campaigns. A representative of Niigata
Gensuikyo said, “Use of nuclear weapons is acrime. It is crucial for us to break through thestep-by-step theory and show our demand withsignatures for the immediate elimination of
nuclear weapons.” A proposal was made that a
new international signature petition include text
describing the inhumanity of nuclear weapons. A
delegate from India said he agreed with theimportance of conducting such a signature
campaign around the world. A participant from
Kyoto said, “To gather all people’s efforts, weneed to come up with a simple target, whichshould be a total ban of nuclear weapons.” Healso stressed that the campaign should bepromoted by linking with other growing
movements, such as those about poverty, theenvironment, and nuclear energy.
An overseas delegate representing UNFold
Zero clarified the effectiveness of signatures bysaying that the signatures brought by Japanesedelegates to New York had a tremendous effect.
He proposed another signature campaign targetingthe period between the International Day of Peace(Sept. 21) and the International Day for theComplete Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (Sept.

Workshop II: International Treaty for a
Total Ban on Nuclear Weapons;
A Nuclear Weapon-Free World; Role of
the Peace Movement and Civil Society
Nishikawa Kyoko
New Japan Women’s Association (Shinfujin)
Participants of Workshop II discussed fromvarious points of view how to develop theoutcome of the NPT Review Conference and New
York actions and what kind of steps should betaken next for the total abolition of nuclear
weapons.
Firstly, many of the participants expressed
their impressions and proposals in response to
speeches Hibakusha made at Session I of theInternational Meeting of the 70th anniversary of
the atomic bombing.
A representative of Nagano Gensuikyo said
that he was “moved to tears” by listening to their
testimonies. He said, “Nuclear weapons’ damage8326) as well as actions in October when thediscussions on nuclear disarmament will be heldat the UN.
The third topic was about the roles of thepeace movements and civil society, especially in
how to press nuclear weapons states and how tocorner the Japanese government which depends
on the “nuclear umbrella” and is rushing to turnJapan into a war fighting nation.
Each speaker on this topic mentioned theimportance of appealing to Diet members. One ofthem called on others to begin with what they can
do in their own country, such as a signature drive,
Hiroshima Day and Nagasaki Day actions. A
woman, who has taken to streets even on rainy,
snowy, or intensely hot days to collect signatures,said, “Standing in the street to collect signatures
has become a part of my everyday life. It has now
gained support from local shop owners andresidents.”
Reports on how activities against Japan’s
security bills are expanding were astonishing. A
delegate from Gifu described a local rally theyheld on the day when the House ofRepresentatives Special Committee forcibly
approved the security bills: although it was theday with pouring rain, passers-by came to join therally one after another, and the number ofparticipants of 30 at first became more than 80.
Participants were also impressed by actions
initiated by people of faith. On July 24, more than
300 people got together at a rally in the Dietbuilding regardless of difference of their faiths.
They are planning to hold a “Diet jack” action on
August 24. Changes seen in local areas were alsomentioned. A representative of Mie Gensuikyo
reported that their local peace march this year was
joined by more young people and workers thanever, and their anger over the security bills was
expressed in the peace march. Magiting Fabros of
the Philippines said that Japan has not experienced
war for 70 years and Article 9 of the Constitution
needs to be protected. He pointed out theimportance of learning from different movements
and making links among them.
There was a moment when the hearts of theparticipants of this workshop were united. In thismoment delegates from Finland representing“Artists for Peace” sang “We Shall Overcome”.
They said, “We will arm ourselves with art. Art
creates hope from despair and with art we canovercome fear. If working together we canachieve peace, so let’s work together!”Workshop III: For a World without
Nuclear Weapons: Overcoming Nuclear
Deterrence Doctrine; Peaceful
Resolution of Conflicts, Sustainable Lifeand Environment
Moñeka de Oro
Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice
Guam
In a separate venue from the day's proceedings
a little over 50 conference attendees from all overJapan and the world gathered to further discuss
the themes outlined in Plenary Session III of thisconference.
The Chairpersons decided to organize theworkshop by breaking speech topics into thethree subthemes fortheworkshop.
The
chairpersons that took turns facilitating theworkshops were Caesar Jaramillo, Executive
Director of Project Ploughshares based in Canada.
He provided introductory remarks and moderated
the topic of “Overcoming Nuclear Deterrence
Doctrine". Chisaka Jun, the Secretary General of
the Japan Peace Committee moderated the second
topic on "Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts." Andlastly Nagao Yuri, the Vice President of the
National Confederation of Trade Unions(Zenzoren), facilitated speeches regarding“Sustainable Life and Environment".
Speeches were limited to 5-7 minutes so thateach person that signed up to talk were given theopportunity. All together 24 speeches were givenon this very important theme in the hope that we
can forge a pathway to peace and finally bring an
end to nuclear weapons and war. For the whole 4hours of the workshop participants shared stories
of struggles and successes in movement workin a variety of war and peace related issues.
Subtheme 1: Overcoming Nuclear Deterrence
Doctrine
Chairperson Caesar Jaramillo began thesession providing historical background on
problematic notions of the "nuclear deterrence
doctrine". The doctrine is a false belief that we cankeep peace by possessing weapons of mass
destruction and that the value of nuclear weapons
is in the possession not the use. In this way
nuclear weapons are created and kept for political
purposes not military. He outlined the nuclear
arms race between the USSR and the US during
the cold war. He discussed the impacts of the Sept.
11 attacks on the US, the geopolitical realties andmisguided need for nuclear weapons. Pointing out
the complexity that we don’t just live in a world84

Okinawa and Fukushima. With pride she also
spoke to the 6 million petition signatures that werecollected in Japan and delivered this past April at
the Non Proliferation Treaty in New York City.
Teachers and students across the country were
instrumental in the success of that petition.
Speakers provided numerous examples of howclassrooms are breeding grounds for the peace
movement.
Regional stability (East Asia and Pacific) andnotions of genuine security was another thread in
the tapestry of all the sessions in the entire
workshop. US Military presence and increased
militarization of Japan and the Pacific wastouched on several times. Several speakers werefrom host cities of current and former US Military
installations. Many were critical of the impacts ofthe bases. They questioned the logic that havingbases makes the country more secure. This
thinking must be refuted. Many pointed out thepoor quality of life for residents around bases, themyth of economic dependence for host cities, thefrequency of car accidents and other problems
associated with US military personnel, and noise
pollution from training exercises. There havebeen many successes in mobilizing the anti-baseand anti-war legislation movement in Japan.
Thousands of people have attended recent rallies
and protest.
The Kobe Formula is a local
legislation that bans bringing of nuclear weapons
into its port, now no US warships have visited theport in over 30 years. In Yokota a popular slogan
is “Protect Peace Constitution. Protect Article 9.
Spread Peace around the World”. This is chanted
at protests of bases and the Osprey touch and go
training at Yokota and Mt. Fuji.
A representative from Tinian in the PacificMariana Islands pleaded for support in her
islands’ struggle to prevent the use of 2/3 of theisland from being used by the US military fortraining. The island is undergoing the US NEPA
process which is culturally insensitive in that thelanguage is too scientific and technical and thatmost people speak English only as a second
language. Speakers from Vietnam and Japan alsostressed the threat of China, their growing
military power and their actions in the south
China seas and the TPP (Trans PacificPartnership) as impediments to peace andsecurity in the region.
Before the final subtheme’s session began
Magdalene Hoffman of New Jersey, US spoke tothe fact that the US government is the biggest
obstacle in obtaining peace, ending nuclear
weapons and environmental sustainability. There
are many people within the US that recognize allthat our government is doing. And the Americanof Nuclear States and Nonnuclear states, there isalso the threat of non-state actors obtaining andusing nuclear weapons. Five speakers fromdifferent areas of Japan (Tokyo, Kanagawa,
Hiroshima, Okayama and Osaka) gave addresses
to this subtheme. They and many more speakers
throughout the workshop’s other sub topic
discussions brought to light the Japanese
government’s
dependence on
theUS
Security Umbrella. A general dissatisfaction with
the Abe administration’s policies wasevident. Some even called for the immediate
removal of the Abe government. Issues on thecontroversial war legislation, the negation of
Article 9 in the Japanese Constitution, social andenvironmental problems associated with hostingUS
Bases and theJapan-US
Security
Alliance which further militarizes the Asia Pacificregion were all discussed. The complete abolitionof nuclear weapons and nuclear energy from theviewpoint of the harmful threat of pollution andproblems storing the waste was also advocatedfor. This topic session ended with a high school
teacher’s report on lessons from her Constitution
Class. Her students learn about the significance ofHiroshima and Nagasaki, the importance ofArticle 9 and conducts debates on nuclear
deterrence doctrine. These lessons teach the next
generation about importance of Peace.
Subtheme 2: Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts
Chisaka Jun of the Japan Peace Committee
facilitated this topics round, where he and eight
others spoke on. He was exceptional at connecting
issues together ensuring that the discussions were
fruitful. Of the eight talks 6 were representatives
from different Japanese Prefectures and two wereinternational delegates.
Education as a solution to peace was a threadthroughout the workshop. Speakers stressed theneed to evaluate current textbooks and write newones to ensure they promote peace and teach therealities of war. Several teachers from different
parts of Japan from primary to secondary schools
and even popular education (community teach ins,
workshops) stated the fact that our children andadults too need to learn about history, they need tolearn about Hiroshima, Nagasaki and theexperience of Hibakusha to become critical of war,
the US Military presence, in Japan as well as on
issues of the environment. A senior member of the
All Japan Teachers and Staffs Union began statingthat education is essential in the abolition of
nuclear weapons and in finding peacefulresolution of conflicts. She spoke on herorganization’s success in providing teachers with
opportunities to learn about the struggles in85

people want peace. The country has a culture of
war but there are thousands of people organizing
across the country to create a culture of peace thatsustains the environment and all life.

any specific organization this young girl was able
to get over 1000 people out to Sapporo Park toprotest the war legislation. The bravery andconviction that this little girl has is admirable. The
youth must be educated and their energy captured
in bringing any real hope for peace in the future.
The discussions of this workshop touched on
many key issues to bring about the goals of theme.
Although not much can be accomplished in justfour hours, participants walked away with adeeper understanding of our interconnected
struggles. So many examples of success and thegrowth of strong movements gave us a renewed
sense of purpose. We must not lose hope. Peacemust be won. For the sake of our children and all
future generations the work we do must continue.

Subtheme 3: Sustainable Life and Environment
This theme’s 13 speeches was facilitated by
Nagao Yuri, vice president of the National
Confederation of Trade Unions (ZENROREN).
Many speakers touched on overlapping issues
from the previous sessions. Talks began with arepresentative from the National Federation ofTraders and Producers Organization which has
20,000 member organizations throughout Japan.
700,000 members responded to their recent surveyof small business. Business owners indicate thatthe “consumption tax hike” has made businessmuch more difficult. The TPP will further theirproblems in that large corporations will not share
the tax burden. The association is doing their partin educating its members on history of nuclear
weapons and war.
Higa Mizuki of Okinawa and several others
doing solidarity work throughout Japan reported
on the movement work. Tens of thousands ofpeople have rallied to shut down and remove allbases. It has become a major national issue andmany people from around the world havesupported the efforts. There is still much work to
do to protect Nago and Henoko from the new baseplans based on the Japan-US Security Alliance.
Okinawans worry about the health of theenvironment, their economy development and theoverall well-being of the community.
Specifically in regards to sustainability andthe environment. The health of the ocean and thefarm lands from toxicity and radiation wereparamount in the proceedings. Juanita Mendiolaof Tinian spoke on the role of women in protecting
the environment.
She spoke to modern
conveniences (supermarkets and department
stores) and how it has disconnected us. She urged
everyone to have a respect for life and that wecannot rely on government to protect and manage
our natural resources. Other speakers spoke
towards the danger of nuclear energy andpollution, citing Fukushima as major disaster thathas not been adequately addressed. Nuclear
energy and nuclear weapons are very
interconnected and should be banned, which
represented some of the sentiments.
The youth voice and a hope for a brighter morepeaceful future was another dominant thread in
the workshop. One woman spoke about how
impressed she was with a 9 year old girl who on
her own accord created a nine day campaign toprotest the war legislation, without backing from

Report from the Scientists’ Forum
Yoshimura Takao
Japan Scientists’ Association
The Scientists’ Forum met on Saturday,
August 1, in Yamaguchi City as part of the 2015
World Conference against A and H Bombs
marking the 70th anniversary of the atomic
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The theme
was “From Yamaguchi - Let Us Build a WorldFree of Nuclear Threat or Damage: The Damage
and Aftereffects of the A-bombing; Support for
Hibakusha; and Abolition of Nuclear Weapons”.
102 participants in the meeting heard reports ofseven speakers. The meeting was declared open
at 10:00 am, followed by greetings from Morita
Masafumi, President of Yamaguchi Prefecture Aand H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, and Fukue
Toshiki, Yamaguchi Prefecture Gensuikyo
representative. Messages from the mayors ofHiroshima and Nagasaki were introduced.
Okamoto Ryoji from the Japan Scientists’
Association Fukuoka Chapter was the first toreport. He spoke on the theme of “Differences andCommon Features of Radiation Exposure between
A-bombing and Nuclear Power Plant Disaster -What actually happened and the worst casetheory”. Comparing an atomic bomb, which
generates enormous amount of energy in forms ofheat rays, blast and radiation, to a nuclear reactor,
which accumulates tremendous amounts ofradiation over a long period of time, the nuclear
power plant exceeds in ratio of long-life radiation
by an extremely large degree. Therefore, in caseof a nuclear power plant accident, living inradioactively contaminated areas is more difficult
for a longer period of time than that by a nuclear
explosion. And it was explained that in the86accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power
plant, various coincidental factors worked at eachphase, saving us from experiencing the worst
possible situation.
The second lecturer was Iwamoto Susumu, thedirector of Yuda-En, a Hibakusha support centerin Yamaguchi prefecture, where the share of
Hibakusha in population is the 3rd largest after
Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
His theme was“Support for the Hibakusha in Yamaguchi – over
40-years of History at Yuda-En.” “Yuda-En” wasbuilt in May 1968 in the Yuda Onsen district of
Yamaguchi City, as a “recreational facility with
hot springs” for the benefit of Hibakusha in
Yamaguchi. Regardless of ideology, religious
faith, belief and thought, local people made efforts
to build this facility to help Hibakusha and otherpeople who are working for peace.
Thismovement was known as a “Yamaguchi-style”
project and drew attention from around thecountry. He also underlined that there was a “lostdecade” after the atomic bombing in which the
Hibakusha could not get any aid due to a blackout imposed by the U.S. Occupation Forces, whofeared being accused of dropping the A-bombs.
Therefore, the publication of accurate news by the
media would be necessary to take relief measuresand positive steps for the Hibakusha.
The third speaker was Sugano Hideo, a
representativeof“Northern
Fukushima
Association for Complete Compensation” for thedamages and loss caused by the accident at the
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. He spoke about“radiation contamination in the Tohoku region
and the challenges for the post-disasterreconstruction of the community.” The total
number of dislocated people from Fukushima is
110,000, including voluntary evacuees. However,
the government support for room rent is to beterminated for people on voluntary evacuation andemergence of fascism. There is the danger ofJapan becoming a nuclear power and moving to
introduce a draft system.
Therefore, heemphasized that reconstructing the movement wasneeded to press those in power to comply with the
war-renouncing constitution.
The 6th speaker was Isao Tomio, professor at
Yamaguchi Prefectural University. He spoke on
the theme of “History of Measures on Civilian
Damage from War”. Regarding the war damage
among civilians, the government had a serious
discussion and took measures for the first time at
the time of the Russo-Japanese War. It was in fact
not really a compensation for civilian damages,
but rather a “relief payment” to show sympathy.
During WWI, some payments were made to
Japanese who lived in Germany to make up forthey are now forced to make a difficult decision.
His report covered various topics such as damage
from the nuclear disaster, activity by anassociation seeking for compensation, a lawsuit
demanding restoration of pre-disaster bread-andbutter jobs and livelihoods, and protests against
the termination of national compensation and therestart of nuclear power plants.
In the afternoon, Joseph Gerson from theAmerican Friends Service Committee-New
England, was invited to the podium, as the 4th
speaker to speak on the theme “70 years from
Hiroshima
andNagasaki
A-bombing:Contradiction, Danger and Chance”. The recent
NPT Review Conference failed to adopt the final
document due to resistance from the U.S.
However, it was significant that many people
gathered in New York from all over the world,
enhancing public opinion for the abolition of
nuclear weapons. He stressed that the more
important thing was “the actions to be taken when
we go home”. In addition, he reported about theactivities of Peace & Planet, which was rapidly
growing.
The 5th lecture was given by Koketsu Atsushi,
Vice President of Yamagata University, on thetheme of “True Meaning of the Right to Collective
Self-Defense -- Beyond the Reckless Abe
Government and the Japan-US Nuclear Alliance.”
By allowing Japan to exercise the right tocollective self-defense, which is a clear violationof the Japanese Constitution, the system of joint
military operation with the US will bematerialized, intensifying tensions in East Asia.
He suggested that there was a high possibility thatthe roles of the two countries may be changed
from “Japan as the shield and the US as the pike”
to “US as the shield and Japan as the pike”.
Indifference to politics would allow thetheir losses. In the case of WWII, individual
regulation could no longer meet the needs, so in1942 the Japanese government enacted the“Wartime Disaster Protection Law”. But it later
ceased to exist by the introduction of the postwar“Public Assistance Act”.
Since then, no
additional law was enacted to deal with thecivilian war damage except the Hibakusha Aid
Law for the atomic bomb survivors.
Lastly, Yoshioka Mitsunori from the
Yamaguchi Prefecture Peace Committee spoke on“Issues of the Iwakuni Military Base Expansion
and Realignment of Deployment.” The history of
the Iwakuni base goes back to 1938, when an air
base was built by former the Imperial JapaneseNavy. When Japan lost WWII, it was confiscatedby the Occupation Forces, and has been used to87this day as an air station for US Marines. In 2000,
construction to move the runaway offshore started,which has been used since 2010. It was madeclear that already in the 1950s nuclear-capable
fighters were deployed to Iwakuni base. As the2006 “Quadrennial Defense Review” of the U.S.
Department of Defense, puts forward a policy thatconventional force and nuclear force be operated
as one, it is clear that Iwakuni base today isdesignated as a nuclear capable base where
nuclear weapons could be brought in a militarycontingency.
After the seven presentations, the floor was
opened for discussion. We all confirmed that it
was the scientists who either built or dismantle
nuclear weapons; therefore, it was significant that
we scientists stayed steadfast, never contributing
to war-related research. Before closing at 16:40,
an appeal was adopted for the “61st International
Pugwash Conference” which will be held in
Nagasaki City in November 2015.

88

Opening Plenary
2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs-Hiroshima(August 4)

Conference in May followed by the definitive
agreement reached with Iran on its nuclear program,as well as the normalization of diplomatic relations
between the U.S. and Cuba, have brought us muchcloser to four goals, namely “democracy”, “rule oflaw”, “denial of deterrence doctrine” and “peaceful
diplomatic settlement of conflict”.
Although no final document was produced, theantinuclear public opinion manifested by the 6.3
million signatures we submitted to the Review
Conference was present at the NPT Review
Conference and drove nuclear weapon states into a
corner. This is what we value and call the“evidence of democracy in the disarmament area”.
Pushed by this democratic tide, the international
community is now seeking to achieve a “legal
measure” that is the establishment of “rule of law”
on the nuclear weapons issue. Democracy andrule of law are two features of the irreversible andsteady current now prevailing in the Review
Conference, despite the tenacious resistance of thenuclear weapon states.
The only ground the opponents of thedemocratic tide are clinging to is “deterrence
theory”, according to which a war can be deterredby huge military power. This is nothing but anobsolete idea and a mere illusion. The successesof the efforts made for diplomatic and peacefulsettlement of conflicts such as the Iran Deal havedemonstrated this eloquently.
Needless to say, the attempt of the Abegovernment to make Japan a “war fighting nation”

Keynote Address on Behalf of theOrganizer:
Tomida Koji
Drafting Committee Chair
I would like to make a report on theInternational Meeting which is also the keynote
address on behalf of the organizer.
Seventy years after the atomic bombings andthe end of World War II, this year’s World
Conference is being held in the midst of a popular
struggle for scrapping the unconstitutional “security
legislation bill” or “war bills” and demanding theAbe government to step down. The struggle isfilled with popular outrage and anger towards Abe,
who is desperately trying to turn Japan into a war
waging nation. During this period, innumerable
rallies, demonstrations and street reachout drives
are taking place in front of the Diet building as wellas in many cities, towns and villages all over Japan
with resounding calls of “No War bills” and “Aberesign”.
At the outset, I would like to tell you that “theWorld Conference, which calls for a “world ofpeace and justice without nuclear weapons”, isdefinitely united with that broad-based popular
struggle and shares in the same spirit.
As the “Declaration” of the International
Meeting clearly indicates, the rapid developments
seen in the world, in particular the NPT Review

89

runs counter to each of the 4 goals I have mentioned
and to which the unstoppable international tide isheaded.
In fact, the government has systematicallyundermined “rule of law” and the “Constitution” inthe way it tried to impose the “War Bills” indefiance of the Constitution by giving a perilous
twist to its interpretation. It has been hostile todemocracy by ignoring the voices of the Japanesepeople, who are sovereign of the Japanese nation.
It has an idea of the state of the world so out of datethat it claims that the “War Bills” will increase
deterrence. And it is an anachronism close toabsurdity to believe that international conflicts
should be settled by force not by diplomatic orpeaceful efforts.
Friends, with its ideas and behaviors defying the
global tide advancing towards a “peaceful and justworld without nuclear weapons”, the Abe government
has isolated itself from the rest of the world.
The Abe government does not miss an occasion
when it comes to question its opponents aboutalternatives. If asked, we would say that what isneeded with the unconstitutional war legislation is
not to find an alternative but to scrap it flatly.
However, if they ask us to present an alternative, wewould say: “The alternative to Abe’s aim of making
Japan a war waging nation is the ‘peaceful and justworld without nuclear weapons’ proposed by theWorld Conference against A and H Bombs”. The
alternative to his war bills would then be the“Declaration of the International Meeting” you all
have with you now.
Dear friends, allow me now to execute myassignment to deliver the organizer’s report bycommenting briefly on the “Declaration of theInternational Meeting”.
As the “Declaration” reminds us at the
beginning, this year coincides with the 70th
anniversary of the atomic bombings and World War
II. It offers an appropriate occasion for us toreturn to the point where we started our movement
70 years ago and renew our commitment torenunciation of war stipulated in the United
Nation’s Charter and the Japanese Constitution.
As the “Declaration” indicates, the origin of
postwar world politics was the U.N. Charter with thepledge to “save succeeding generations from thescourge of war (…) which brought untold sorrow tomankind” and the very first resolution adopted by the
U.N. General Assembly calling for “the eliminationfrom national arsenals of atomic weapons”.
For Japan, postwar politics was based on thesevere self-criticism of the war of aggression it
waged and colonial rule it imposed on other nations.
It also embodied the unequivocal pacifism of
Article 9 of the Constitution rooted in the atrocious

experiences the atomic bombs inflicted on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The 2015 World Conference against A and H
Bombs, building on this past and hand in hand with
the Hibakusha, will say the call loud: “No morewars”, “No more Hiroshimas and Nagasakis”.
However, the “Declaration” states that theworld is still loaded with about 16,000 nuclear
warheads. If even a single one of them is used, itwould bring about a “hell on earth” beyond
description.
This is what the tragedies ofHiroshima and Nagasaki eloquently tell us.
In fact, two atomic bombs were enough to
produce a living hell in these two martyr cities
where people could neither live nor die in dignity as
human beings.
The massive energy of the nuclear explosions
took different forms: heat rays equivalent to several
thousand times the sun, shock waves faster thansound, and tremendous radiation. They mercilessly
assaulted the human communities in Hiroshima andNagasaki and transformed instantly these cities intoa hell of roaring flames and radiation.
Streets, houses and people, all were burned,
destroyed and killed. Those people who escaped
immediate death died one after another due to burns
and acute radiation disorders. By the end of 1945,
140,000 people had died in Hiroshima and 70,000
in Nagasaki, killed by the atomic bombs. It was
the worst mass destruction in history, the worst
mass killing.
The damage did not end there. The survivors
who had merely survived the radiation hell fell
victim to delayed radiation disorders, including
leukemia and cancer. Today, 70 years later, cancer,
liver disease and other illnesses are still gnawing attheir bodies and threatening their lives.
Their sufferings are not caused by diseases
alone. They also bear deep scars on their minds
because of the appalling experiences: sense of guilt
towards their families and friends whom they could
not save, cruel social discrimination, etc. At each
event that marked their lives, such as marriage andchildbirth, they were caught by fear and anxiety.
They also suffer poverty and solitude, because of
their illnesses and wounds in their hearts. All theseyears, several hundreds of thousands of survivors
have endured various sufferings and pains in theirlives, bodies, minds and livelihoods.
Friends, as the “Declaration” severely points
out, the realities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki showthat nuclear weapons are devilish weapons andcannot coexist with human beings.
Dear participants,
It is an urgent and compelling task for thesurvival of humanity to eradicate the dangers of thepotential use of nuclear weapons. On the 70th

90anniversary of the atomic bombings, we wish toremind ourselves once again, and to remind thepeoples of the world, their governments, andinternational organizations that it is high time thatthey work together to achieve the prohibition andelimination of nuclear weapons.
The NPT Review Conference held this spring
could not produce a final document, but realized an
extremely important achievement. It reflected thedevelopment of the opinion and the movement of theworld, including the Japanese movement whose
representatives went to New York in large numbers
to stage colorful and creative actions there.
This was nothing but the illustration that in the
Review Conference, a majority of voices called forthe commencement of negotiations for a convention
banning nuclear weapons and other legally binding
measures for achieving a “world without nuclear
weapons”.
Their voices encircled the nuclear
weapon states and drove them into a corner. In
other words, the tide in favor of “rule of law” hasbecome stronger and wider.
At the same time, as the “Declaration” indicates,
the joint declaration denouncing the inhumanity of
nuclear weapons and demanding their elimination
has been supported by 159 countries, obliging
nuclear weapon states to express their“understanding” concerning the joint declaration.
This was also a remarkable and importantachievement.
However, the most important of all is the factthat the opinion and the movements of the peoples
around the world, including the Japanese movement,
have helped this change to happen. This is theproof that democracy is steadily gaining ground andforming a mainstream in the fora of diplomaticnegotiations on nuclear disarmament and nuclear
elimination.
As the “Declaration” insists, if we can build an
overwhelming majority opinion and succeed inencircling those forces that cling to nuclear
weapons and isolating them, the way towards a“world without nuclear weapons” will surely be
opened. Friends, let us firmly believe in this.
Dear participants of the World Conference,
What is relevant for making further advances isto defeat “nuclear deterrence theory”. It goes
without saying that the inhumanity of the use of
nuclear weapons, as evidenced by the realities ofHiroshima and Nagasaki, is the most solid groundfor denying any attempt to justify that theory.
In that sense, the fact that the “Humanitarian
Pledge” that calls for legal measures for theelimination of nuclear weapons on the basis of theirinhumane nature, was initiated by the governmentof Austria and is now supported by as many as 113
countries, must draw our attention. Recalling thatAmbassador Kmentt, who was a central figure inthis initiative, played an important role in last year’sWorld Conference, as well as the NPT Review
Conference, we wish to express our full support andenthusiasm for his effort.
The “Declaration” says that achieving regional
peace and security on the basis of the peace
principles of the U.N. Charter and by non-militarymeans represents the major current of world opinion.
We therefore strongly demand that the North
Korean nuclear issue and all other international
conflicts be resolved peacefully and diplomatically.
Participants of the World Conference,As I said earlier, the Abe Government’s policy
to make Japan a warring nation and its attempt to
get the “War Bills” voted in by the Diet are bothcontrary to the world tide in every aspect. The“Declaration” expresses our overwhelming
solidarity with other movements and struggles, inparticular the Japanese movement for scrapping the“War Bills”, the movement for preserving andensuring the observance of the JapaneseConstitution, the struggle of Okinawa against theconstruction a new base of U.S. troops, and the
movement for a non-nuclear and peaceful Japan.
Friends, let us live up to this solidarity andrenew our resolve to defeat Abe’s dangerous
attempt by building a powerful movement worthyof the only country that experienced atomic
bombing,
Dear participants,
The “Declaration” sets forth two categories ofactions, emphasizing that the fundamental force
that supports and promotes the progress of theworld towards nuclear abolition is to be found in theopinion and movement of the peoples of the world.
It is up to the discussions that you commence
today to give rich contents to the proposed actions.
Allow me to conclude the organizer’s report bywishing you fruitful and enthusiastic discussions in
the days ahead. Thank you very much.

Greetings from Hiroshima Mayor:
Matsui Kazumi
Mayor of Hiroshima City
(Delivered by Mr. Tanimoto Mutsushi, Head of
Citizens Division)
I would like to convey my heartfelt greetings to2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs.
Thank you for coming to Hiroshima. I would liketo extend a warm welcome to all of you on behalfof 1.18 million Hiroshima citizens. I also would
like to express my heartfelt appreciation for yourcontinuous effort for achieving the abolition of
nuclear weapon and permanent peace of the world.

91

On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was burned toashes by a single atomic bomb. Tens of thousandsof innocent citizens including infants and the elderly
were killed, and 140,000 people died by the end of
the year. Nuclear weapons are the “absolute evil”
that not only claim precious lives but also deprive
people of their warm family affection and future
dreams, and destroy their lives.
To eliminate this “absolute evil” from the earth,
it is necessary to build up a world in which friendly
future-oriented relations is established irrespectiveof difference in nationality, race, and religion while
use of force that produces a chain of hatred anddrives us to threat and kill each other is negated.
Experiencing the devastating hell 70 years ago,the Hibakusha have kept calling for the abolition of
nuclear weapons with strong determination not tomake it repeated on anyone on earth, while
struggling to overcome their anger and hatred.
Thanks to their appeal, the trend to seek a ban
on nuclear weapons has been growing. Though
the NPT Review Conference this spring could not
adopt a final document, the necessity for a legallybinding framework for a ban on nuclear weapons
was widely and surely recognized. This wasdemonstrated by the fact that 107 countries
supported “Humanitarian Pledge”, proposed byAustria, which called for filling the legal gap for theprohibition and elimination of nuclear weapons.
It is important to make the trend more prevailingand continue to put pressure on all the governments,
in particular those of nuclear weapon states, to set a
forum for negotiating a legally-binding framework
to prohibit nuclear weapons. For this purpose,
Hiroshima will make further endeavor to inherit,spread the A-bomb damage to the world and pass it
on to the future generations. Also, Mayors for
Peace, for which I serve as the president, has been
making effort to enhance the international opinion
in favor of a start of negotiations on a convention
banning and eliminating nuclear weapons by taking
advantage of the network of more than 6700
member cities in 161 countries and regions andcooperating with like-minded NGOs and citizens.
In order to realize a “peaceful world without
nuclear weapons”, the earnest wish of the
Hibakusha, without delay, your corporation andsupport is essential. In this context, your initiative
to hold 2015 World Conference against A and H
Bombs is truly significant. I commend your effort
to mobilize such a large number of peace-loving
participants to the conference and inherit themessage of the Hibakusha. I wish the conferenceof the 70th year will be successful and renew yourresolution to work harder for peace.
I conclude my greetings, wishing you all good
health and every success in your work.

Greetings from Guests:
Tsuboi Sunao
Co-Chairperson, Japan Confederation of
A-and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations(Nihon Hidankyo)
I am a Hibakusha of the Hiroshima A-bomb. I
was blown away by the A-bomb blast while
walking on a street 1.2 km away from ground zero.
I was a 20-year-old university student at the time,
and was on my way to school. My whole bodywas terribly burned, and to my surprise, myshoulders and waist were bleeding. My white
shirt and shorts were half burned off; my undershirt
was actually on fire. I looked around but couldn’t
see even 100 meters away.
Knowing that some kind of bomb exploded insuch close proximity, I instinctively cursed my illfate. At the same time, being a youth of amilitaristic nation, I was outraged thinking “Bastard
Americans, you attacked us. I will pay you backfor sure.”
People were wandering about but nobody wassteadfast. Tottering people would die 1 or 2 hours
later. I saw a female student who had one eyebulging out. There were people pierced withbroken pieces of glass. There was a woman whose
guts were gushing out from her stomach and wastrying to push them back inside. It was indeed ascene of a fragile death march.
People who got caught underneath debris were
crying in agony, “Help me, water please.” They
were so desperate but I was so helpless that I could
not offer anything to save them.
I saw dead people whose faces were hard torecognize.
There were dead people’s torsos
without legs. There were dead people whose sex
was hard to tell. It was an unimaginable sightproduced on earth. It was nothing but Hell. I
couldn’t find any help from my university or family.
Someone told me that there is a temporary aid
station set up at the west side of Miyukibashi Bridge.
With every last ounce of strength I had, I made it tothe bridge, but I only found some injured people
gathering there. (This was the last step I could
make.)I was alone. My student ID was burnt up andgone; all I could was just wait there half naked.
Many Hibakusha share the kind of experience
to some degree. We lived through a time when welost the sense of being dead or alive. In my case, I
guess I wanted to confirm my being. I scratchedletters in the sidewalk of the end of the bridge witha stone, “Tsuboi died here”. With the remaining
strength in my injured hand, I inscribed it, knowingthat nobody would see it. 5 years later, I visited92the same place, but I found no trace remaining onthat sidewalk.
Some days after the bombing, I came to mysenses briefly at the sound of my mother’s voice. I
don’t remember anything before that though. I
stayed unconscious, so I don’t know when the war
ended. Until September 25th, my memory iscompletely lost and vacant.
One year past, and I finally started walking
again. I’ve lived a long 70 years since then,struggling with various illnesses.
I washospitalized 12 times (including three when I
almost died). I still suffer from two forms ofcancer, angina, and chronic aplastic anemia. Likeother Hibakusha, I received a lot of help from many
people. I would like to use the rest of my life toreturn all the kindness that I have received. I am
thankful for the progress of medicine that Japan
enjoys today. I am grateful for all the medical
institutions, doctors and staff. I humbly pray ingratefulness.
This year marks the 70th commemoration of the
A-bombing. As Hibakusha become older, themore forgotten the A-bombing becomes. But wemust not let the experiences of Hibakusha being
swept away into oblivion and give up fighting.
The effects of radiation otherwise known as modern
evilness is nothing less but an unacceptable Hell.
Hibakusha were killed so effortlessly, and those
who survived were hurt physically and mentally.
Survivors had to endure illnesses for a long time,
yet we resolved never to allow another Hibakusha.
Our appeal will never change. We will employ all
our might to ban nuclear warfare, totally abolishnuclear weapons, and build a world free of war.
In closing, what about the recent social
situation?
The Diet has not reached a final
resolution, yet there have been noisy debates overthe issue of war. However, the fundamental basisof Japanese Constitution is the renouncement ofwar (Article 9).
Since time is limited, I will just list my current
concerns as following.
1. The 1st priority for the nation is Article 9 and
we should conduct a national referendum to protectit.
2. Current national representatives were notelected over the issues regarding the suggested
security bills.
3. The war promoters are never at risk because
they stay in the back; it’s always the youth to fighton the front line.
4. The warmongers should sign an agreementthat they would lead the attack if war is waged.
5. We should never repeat the history ofaccepting war as a necessary evil.
6. Terrorists are trying to acquire nuclear

weapons.
I protest against the current move of thegovernment in promoting war.
Say absolutely NO to wars that kill people.
Never give up in your lifetime. Friends, let us say,
“Never give up!”

Moritaki Haruko
Co-Representative, Hiroshima Alliancefor Nuclear Weapons Abolition (HANWA)/
World Nuclear Victims ForumI extend my greetings of solidarity from
Hiroshima to so many of you who are gathering
here in Hiroshima as we commemorate the 70th
year of the Atomic bombing of Hiroshima andNagasaki.
The Atomic bombing brought the ultimate,inhumane tragedy without parallel in human history
to untold numbers of citizens of Hiroshima.
Hundreds of thousands were mercilessly burnt,
blown away, and exposed to fatal doses of radiation.
Those who survived the bomb have also had toendure suffering of all kinds for these 70 years,
struggling with diseases, poverty, discrimination,
fear of genetic effects to future generations, andbreaking-off of human relations.
Nuclear victims are not only those who suffered
the A-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At allstages of nuclear development, radiation damage
has created countless Global Hibakusha, and thenumber is increasing. I have been to several
affected areas to conduct research and giveassistance.
At the Jadugoda uranium mine in a remotevillage of India, the heart of India’s nuclear
weapons program and nuclear power generation, I
saw many cases of congenital defects, both physicaland intellectual, problems giving birth, anduntimely death from cancer and other diseases.
In Nevada, where one of the world’s nuclear testsites is located, I learned that the US citizens living
downwind of the test site were suffering fromcancers and other problems, which have haddevastating impacts on their livelihood.
In Iraq, where depleted uranium munitions,which are radioactive weapons, were fired all overthe country during the Iraq War following the Gulf
War, I had to witness many children and citizens
struggling with leukemia, cancers or birth defects
and dying one after another.
And in Fukushima, an enormous amount ofhighly contaminated water remains in the basementof the crippled nuclear power plant. The situation
is desperate as the water continues to leak into theocean. People who lost their homeland have been93

forced to endure great hardships. Their lives havebeen destroyed, their health is at risk and they are
increasingly concerned about the future of theirchildren.
Common to all nuclear victims is that they
suffer from radiation damage and that the mostvulnerable to the damage are children, women andthe powerless people who are discriminated against.
Nuclear damage is produced in all the processesof utilization of nuclear power, starting from themining of uranium ore, through nuclear weapons
production, nuclear testing, nuclear war, worker
exposure during the operation of nuclear power
plants, nuclear accidents, production of plutonium
by reprocessing spent nuclear fuels, and finallyfrom the use of depleted uranium munitions madefrom nuclear waste. Nuclear damage will see noend unless we understand this whole picture anderadicate its root.
However, the Japanese government andgigantic capital aim not only to restart and export
nuclear reactors, but also to continue stepping up
the production of plutonium by persisting with its
nuclear fuel cycle policy.
Hiroshima appeals to the world. As long as
human beings make use of nuclear power, humanity
will be denied by nuclear power. I would like tocall on the world once again in this 70th year of theAtomic bombing to absolutely reject nuclear
weapons and to embrace the idea born out of the Abomb experience that humankind and nuclear
weapons cannot coexist
I am resolved to move forward with all mymight in solidarity with all of you who are fighting
all over Japan and the world to abolish nuclear
weapons and depleted uranium munitions through aconvention banning nuclear weapons, and toeliminate nuclear power plants. In November inthis 70th year of the A-bombing, nuclear victims
from different parts of the world will gather in
Hiroshima for three days at the “World Nuclear
Victims Forum,” to join hands together for ending
all forms of utilization of radioactive substances andfor the relief of nuclear victims. I would like to ask
you for your cooperation and participation.
The Abe administration is out of its mind theway it is trying to steamroll the war bills. They
will expose people of this country to the danger of
dependence on war, nuclear power and nuclear
weapons. Let us unite to be one big power to stop
the Abe Administration.

Takarada Akira, Actor(Main character in the 1954 film “Godzilla”)
I am afraid the time allotted to me will be too
limited to talk about all I want to. So, I would be
happy if you understand my concerns about it.
I have been asked by the Japan Council against
A and H Bombs to speak at this event marking the
70 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, and the 60 years since the FirstWorld Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen
Bombs. I managed to come to Hiroshima to joinwith you, who assembled from around the country.
Taking the rostrum is a pleasant and soberingexperience for me.
Seventy years ago, I lived in a cosmopolitan city
called Harbin in former Manchuria, which nolonger exists. My father was a South Manchuria
Railway Company employee. On August 6 thatyear, while listening to the radio in the company
housing, the tragic news came in that a kind ofchemical bomb had fallen on Hiroshima and that
hundreds of thousands of people had been burnt
alive in an instant. I was a fifth grader. My parents
were clenching as they attentively listened to theradio news. As I was a militaristic boy, I also felt I
was gutted both physically and mentally.
Three days later, on August 9, news came in thata similar bomb fell on Nagasaki. On the afternoonof that day, Soviet forces crossed the borders into
Manchuria after the Soviet Union unilaterally brokea friendship treaty with Japan. Most settlers fromJapan, Japanese residents, and garrison personnel
were driven out, and everybody was so miserable
on that day. On August 15, the War ended. A week
later, on August 22, Soviet armored units rolled into
Harbin, central Manchuria. All offices of the public
institutions were quickly shut down and seized by
Soviet troops. All schools and health care facilities
were closed. Amid anarchy, Japanese nationals
were thrown into the streets all at once. For nearly
two years after that, they experienced an
exceptionally hard time. I had a near-deathexperience when a Soviet soldier fired at me. I was
one of the last Japanese repatriates from Harbin to
manage to return to Japan.
I entered film company Toho in 1953. The nextyear, the company produced two big movies. One
was “The Seven Samurai.” It was directed by
Kurosawa Akira. Mifune Toshiro was the leading
actor. The other was “Godzilla” starring Takarada
Akira. It was directed by Honda Ishiro. The
production of “Godzilla” was motivated by a US
hydrogen bomb test explosion in the South Pacific.
The Daigo Fukuryumaru (The Lucky Dragon No.
5), a fishing boat from Yaizu Port, Shizuoka
Prefecture, was showered with radioactive fallout

94

against A and H Bombs. It’s been 60 years sincethen.
Today, as it looks as if a war is imminent. Japanis an A-bombed country. It has the world’s preeminent Article 9 of the Constitution. But we are
passing through a perilous period in which the warrenouncing Constitution could collapse and isburied in the earth without due discussions. Let me
be brief from here, as time is running out. Prime
Minister ABE Shinzo might be the only person in
Japan that cannot sleep at night as he gets depressed.
At dinner table he might discuss with his wife
whether it was appropriate to introduce war bills.
His wife might advise him to give up the legislation
as so many people are opposing it. In response, Abemight admit that he had thought of giving up thelegislation but say, “I am strongly supported by agroup of key young politicians….”
I would dare to tell Prime Minister Abe to raisea white flag, which does not signal a disgracefulretreat but an honorable and glorious withdrawal.
I traveled to Harbin from July 13-18 to make a
documentary film marking the anniversary of the
War’s end. Chinese people would not willingly
express what they have in mind. When I reached out
to a group of young Chinese people and asked them
how they feel about what’s going on today, theyfirst said Abe is wrong. They even said Abe should
die. I also interviewed middle-aged Chinese people.
They refer to Abe as we talked more with them.
They spoke about the Nankin (Nanjing) Massacre.
I had nothing to retort. I turned 81 this year. In
interviews, elderly Chinese people of mygeneration or older would talk a lot about how they
suffered from the war and about how critical they
are of Prime Minister Abe.
You cannot allay the sentiments of people of thecountries that fell victim to Japanese aggression in
the past by distributing banknotes. If Japan is toearn the trust of the people of the rest of the world,
junior high and senior high school textbooks forrequired subjects should include the clear
description of Japan’s past mistakes in waging war.
Students should be taught about it in required
subjects. Such earnest and step-by-step efforts
would help to earn the trust of the rest of the world.
I would be happy to talk more, but my time has
already run out.
In a drama I staged in July, I sang a song entitled“My Wish.” It’s a simple but very heart-warming
song. Allow me to close my speech by singing it.

from the thermonuclear test explosion while fishingat Bikini Atoll. Several hours after the sun set in thewest, a huge fire ball dozens of times larger than thesun rose in the west, as testified vividly by the
crewmembers. The Daigo Fukuryumaru was
exposed to radiation all too soon and returned to its
homeport. Unfortunately Kuboyama Aikichi, theradio operator, and many other crew members died.
Since Japan is an atomic-bombed country andthe Daigo Fukuryumaru was exposed to radiation,
the film company could not help but raise its voice
against such tragedies. It decided that no one but
Toho or Japan could warn the world on the dangerof nuclear war. That’s how the filmmaker came to
produce “Godzilla.” Data shows that about
9,610,000 people, or more than 10 percent of theJapanese population of 88,000,000, watched“Godzilla” when it was shown in 1954. No otherJapanese movies have probably attracted more than
9,000,000 people. It was an unprecedented hit.
Two years later, a US firm bought and screened“Godzilla” across the United States. But the US
distributor was so insensitive that it screened thefilm in the US after cutting out everything that is
unfavorable to the US, the superpower, including
criticism against nuclear weapons, the superpower.
The US version was shown by using Raymond Burr,an actor who played lawyer Perry Mason, and by
making changes in the story. It was a miserable
patchwork of bad modifications. Still, the activityof “Godzilla” was acclaimed in the US. Seventeen
years ago, when the original “Godzilla” wassimultaneously screened in 20 major US cities, it
was critically-acclaimed by The New York Timesand other media, which learned for the first timeabout the true message sent by the original Japanese“Godzilla” on the issue of nuclear war. That was
how the first of the original series of the film got anunearned praise.
Over the 50 years between 1954 and 2004, 28
Japanese Godzilla films were produced. Every oneof them became a big hit. In the US, a remake of thefilm, entitled “GODZILLA” has recently been
screened. Look at this title of the US version andyou can imagine that the first three letters areassociated with God. This title was not made by aJapanese producer. Although Godzilla is an
imaginary underwater creature, the three letters(GOD) could be taken as an expression of a sacred
beast made by God. It entered a hall of fame in the
US as a great hero. “Godzilla” has reigned as a great
hero of the world for 60 years.
Following the 1954 tragedy of the Dai-go
Fukuryumaru, opposition to nuclear weapons arose
throughout Japan, paving the way for a signaturecollection campaign calling for atomic bombs to beprohibited. This led to the First World Conference95During the NPT Review Conference, as manyas 159 countries reaffirmed their support for thehumanitarian impact of nuclear weapons initiative,
which places the humanitarian narrative –where thesustainability of human existence is paramount- as
the key issue in underlining the urgency of
eliminating nuclear weapons, once and for all.
The overwhelming support for this initiative
also serves as a firm declaration on the part of the
majority of the global community in underscoringthat nuclear weapons must never ever be used again,
under any circumstances.
The growing support for the humanitarian
initiative thus places a substantial amount ofpressure on nuclear weapon States to review theirpro-nuclear possessing policies.
Such pressure magnifies exponentially whencivil society also decide to make their voices heard.
It was therefore very encouraging to see thelevel of activism displayed by the Japanese civilsociety delegations during the NPT Review
Conference, who visited the United Nations indroves to cite their support for nuclear disarmament.
I am thrilled to see that such level of enthusiasm
and energy is still alive and well today, here in thisauditorium.
I salute you, ladies and gentleman, for being an
example of what a grass root movement should be,
and I hope that governments and the civil society
can continue to work together in striving for a world
free of nuclear weapons.
Ladies and Gentleman, In the UN, Indonesia
along with the majority of UN Member States areworking hard to expedite the commencement ofnegotiations on a comprehensive nuclear weapons
convention, which will prohibit and ban thepossession, development, production, acquisition,
testing, stockpiling, transfer, use or threat of use of
nuclear weapons.
The entry into force of such an internationallybinding legal framework, is, in our view, the mosteffective way to put an end to the nuclear weapon
era.
Using the same approach, the international
community has been successful in banning otherweapons of mass destruction, namely biologicaland chemical weapons.
It is thus very timely that the world rids itself ofthe most destructive weapon of them all: nuclear
weapons.
Naturally, our effort to bring forward
negotiations on a comprehensive nuclear weapons
convention continues to be challenged by nuclearweapon benefactors, namely nuclear weapon Statesand States who still see merit in the nuclear
deterrence doctrine.
This is why we need your help –the civil society,Statements by Government
Representative:
Muhammad Anshor
Ambassador/ Deputy Permanent
Representative of the Republic ofIndonesia to the U.N.
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Ohayō gozaimasu. (Good morning.)
Watashi no namae wa Muhammad Anshor desu.
(My name is Muhammad Anshor.)
Watashi wa, Kokuren e no Indoneshia no jōchūdaihyōdesu. (I am a permanent representative ofIndonesia at the United Nations.)
Watashiwa Nihongo ga jyouzudewa arimasen.
(I am not good at Japanese.)At the outset, allow me to thank the GENSUIKYO
for inviting me here and for making this visit
possible. I am greatly honored to be here among youin the historic city of Hiroshima.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Seventy years havepassed since the Hiroshima bombings, yet the senseof despair and devastation stemming from that
fateful day has not been able to escape ourcollective thoughts.
We are perpetually reminded of the inhumane,indiscriminate and senseless destruction caused by
nuclear weapons every time we visit Hiroshima,
every time we meet with the Hibakusha, and every
time we look back at World War II history.
We cannot help but feel a sinking sense ofsadness every time we see the horrifying images ofthe bombing victims, many of whom were innocent
women and children. The famous photograph of ayoung boy carrying his deceased younger brother,
killed in the Nagasaki bombings, for example,
continues to haunt me to this very day.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, therefore, continues
to be an extremely painful reminder of the horrificimpact to humanity that the detonation of nuclear
weapons can inflict.
That is why, truth be told, the lessons ofHiroshima and Nagasaki continues to be one of themain driving forces behind Indonesia’s unabashedand unequivocal support for the total ban and thetotal elimination of nuclear weapons.
The total absence of nuclear weapons, after all,is the only way to guarantee that the human raceshall never be harmed by those monstrous weaponsof mass destruction, never again.
Ladies and Gentlemen, The 2015 NPT Review
Conference, held three months ago, despite notbeing able to produce an outcome, was successful
in highlighting that evidently, the majority ofcountries stand on the right side of history.
96

in reaching out to your counterparts here and abroad,to convey the urgency of nuclear disarmament; toconvey that the humanitarian risk of maintaining
nuclear weapons is too high to even be considered;to convey that the risk of a nuclear weapon
detonation today is higher than it has ever been
before, especially due to the rise of terrorist
organizations worldwide; and to convey that theimmense financial costs of continuing to maintainand modernize these weapons are a direct affront tocommon sense and decency.
In a world where more than 1.3 billion people
still live under extreme poverty, how is it still
acceptable for some States to spend 35 billion US
dollars a year to maintain weapons that do virtuallynothing to counter the emerging security threats ofour era?
Do nuclear weapons improve food security?
No they do not.
Do nuclear weapons deter terrorism? No they
do not.
Do nuclear weapons strengthen cyber security?
Do they make global financial transactions safer for
consumers? No they do not.
Do nuclear weapons help in mitigating theadverse effects of climate change? The answer isonce again: no they do not.
The message is clear: not only does themaintenance of nuclear weapons require vast
amounts of public funds, it is also not very useful inprotecting public interests. Reverting back to myprevious point: the safety and security risk ofmaintaining nuclear weapons far outweigh theirbenefits.
It is therefore crucial that all of us participate ingetting those points across globally, as, indemocracies, nothing is more effective inpromoting policy change than issues relating to
public safety and the notion of obsolete public
spending.
Ladies and gentleman, The horrifichumanitarian aftermath following the Hiroshima
and Nagasaki bombings 70 years ago, serves as areminder of the devastating destruction that nuclear
weapons are capable of.
As intelligent beings capable of learning frompast actions, we have the obligation to avoid making
the same error twice. As members of the global
community, we have the duty to prevent
unnecessary, wide-scale and indiscriminate harmfrom occurring to anyone, at any place, under any
circumstances.
The continued existence of nuclear weapons not
only jeopardize our existence, it also jeopardizes
our freedom to live free from fear.
As human beings, therefore, we have theresponsibility to underline that there is no place fornuclear weapons on this earth. Not now, not ever.
No more Hiroshima, no more Nagasaki.
Doomo arigatoo gozaimashita.

Peace Movement Representatives
from Overseas:
Joseph Gerson
American Friends Service Committee
U.S.A.
I am honored to return to the World Conference
on this painful anniversary. I want to thank those
who came to New York for the NPT Review
Conference and our Peace & Planet mobilization.
Yes we were disappointed in the Review
Conference’s outcome, but our accomplishments
were many, and the U.S. and the international
movements owe those who came from Japan anenormous debt of gratitude.
Friends, many of my compatriots have yet torecognize and beg forgiveness for devastating
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a crime wrought so that
the U.S. could avoid sharing influence in Asia with
the Soviet Union, and to intimidate Soviet leaders
at the dawn of the Cold War.
With thoseindiscriminate A-bombings, humankind crossed thethreshold in which all life is held hostage to thosewilling to inflict genocide, possibly omnicide, toprotect their power and privilege.
Friends, this anniversary is full ofcontradictions. We have prevented nuclear war
and laid the foundations for 113 governments tosign the Humanitarian Pledge, committing them “tostigmatize, prohibit and eliminate nuclear weaponsin light of their unacceptable humanitarianconsequences and associated risks.” We widened
the gulf between the majority of the world’s nations
and the nuclear powers, providing openings
opportunities for our continuing struggle for humansurvival.
Yet, the double standard of nuclear apartheid
remains. Washington and Moscow possess morethan 90% of the world’s nearly 16,000 nuclear
weapons. They are again exchanging nuclear
threats, increasing the dangers of intentional or
accidental nuclear war. We face a new era of
U.S./NATO versus Russia Cold War. And here in
the Asia-Pacific we see confusions by increasingly
militarized U.S. / Japanese-competitive interdependencewith China and territorial disputes. The dynamics
are dangerously similar to those that triggered WW
I a century ago. We are also challenged by Abe’s
reckless militarism, and with the U.S. in the lead, all
the nuclear powers are modernizing their nuclear
arsenals and missiles.
97

In Washington, U.S. foreign and military
policies are failing and in disarray as US leadersdebate whether the greatest challenge to US powerand security comes from China, Russia or Jihadists.
But they do agree on doubling down on militarism,
including spending $1 trillion for new nuclear
weapons and their delivery systems.
Abe is also doubling down on militarism as hefollows in the footsteps of his war criminal and CIA
backed grandfather, Kishi.
Friends, is agovernment legitimate when it mangles its
constitution and democracy and threatens peace?
The broad and Arab Spring-like campaigning to
defeat the war laws and defend Article 9 should be
supported by all who are committed to democracy
and peace.
And friends, recall that going into this year’s
NPT Review our expectations were not high. We
were right. The P-5 rejected language pressing
implementation of Article VI. And the Review
Conference collapsed when the U.S., Britain andCanada refused to accept a Middle East Nuclear
Weapons and WMD- Free Zone conference.
The Humanitarian Pledge was the Conference’s
one achievement, opening the way for future nuclear
disarmament initiatives. We should celebrate our
movements’ contribution to this growinginternational pressure for nuclear weapons abolition.
Our Peace & Planet mobilization had two goals:
Press for the implementation of Article VI, andsupport, revitalize, and expand the abolition
movement for the longer-term.
Gensuikyo’s
leading roles were critical to our successes. Angela
Kane and Ambassador Feroukhi were so moved bytheir experiences with us that they instructed the
Review Conference that our events and petition
signatures represented the demands of global civilsociety.
Friends, we must not forget that we are living on
borrowed time, with human survival still hanging in
the balance.
On this anniversary, here in
Hiroshima and in the presence of Hibakusha, let us
deepen our resolve to do all that we can to ensurethat there are No More Hiroshimas. No MoreNagasakis. No More Nuclear Weapons. And No
More War.

Nguyen Thi Hoang Van
Vietnam Peace Committee
Distinguished guests, Dear friends, It is mygreat pleasure to be attending the World Conference
against A&H Bombs 2015, a significant event
which marks the 70th Anniversary of the Atomic
Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thank you
Gensuikyo for the chance you have offered.
Dear friends, On behalf of the Vietnam Peace
Committee, I would like to express our profoundsolidarity with all victims of the 1945 tragedies in
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as victims ofAgent Orange and all other kinds of weapons ofmass destruction. Although 70 years have passed
since the atomic bombing of Japan, hundreds ofthousands of people are still suffering from neverending health problems. The situation is the same in
Vietnam, where, 40 years after the end of Vietnam’s
struggle for national independence, millions ofvictims of Agent Orange are still living in agony,despite the great efforts made to overcome the war
consequences.
We are aware that under various pretexts,
weapons of mass destruction are still being
developed and used, killing innocent people,
including women and children, every day. In
addition, increasing military spending, expanding
military bases and terrorism are threatening peacein our world. We are also aware that growing
tension resulting from sovereignty disputes over sea
and land between nations are threatening peace,security and stability in the region and heavily
impacting people’s life, especially in defiance ofinternational laws and agreements, and from thethreat or use of force by big powers.
In response to Gensuikyo’s signature collection
campaign for a convention banning nuclear
weapons, the Vietnam Peace Committee has
managed to collect over 1.5 million signatures from
Vietnamese across the country. By that, the Vietnam
Peace Committee would like to join hands withpeace-loving forces throughout the globe to call on
governments and all stakeholders to work hardagainst research, production, use and proliferationof nuclear or any other kinds of weapons of mass
destruction. Such tragedies as those in Hiroshima &Nagasaki and Agent Orange should never be
repeated.
I am strongly confident that the World
Conference against A & H Bombs will continue tobe a platform for peace organisations and activists
around the world to unite and struggle for a peacefulworld without nuclear weapons and all weapons ofmass destruction. It will also offer us a chance toraise our common voice to request all parties tosovereignty disputes in Asia-Pacific, as well as in98other parts of the world, to exercise self-restraint
and settle disputes by peaceful means in compliancewith international law and regulations, to avoid war
and armed conflicts.
No more Hiroshima! No more Nagasaki! No
more Agent Orange/dioxin!
Justice for hibakushas! Justice for Vietnamese
Agent Orange/dioxin victims!
Hereafter I would like to also hand oversymbolically some of the signatures to Gensuikyo
on this very special occasion.

developed nuclear weapon and missile. They dohave a point. However, since the Cold War, long
before North Korea developed the nuclear capacity,
South Korea and Japan have been depending on the
nuclear umbrella.
Mongolia, surrounded by the nuclear powers,
independently declared that it is a nuclear-free zone
and won the official recognition by the U.N.
Mongolia chose to maintain peace through apeaceful way.
We have another example, Peace Constitution
in Japan. The Japan's Peace Constitution is also oneof the strongest methods and recourses that canassure peace in the East Asia and the World, if it
remains completely effective. Meanwhile, the Abe
Administration is now claiming that Japan must‘overcome the post-war period’ and become a‘normal’ state that can start a war.
I believe that Japan can truly 'overcome thepost-war period’ only by fully admitting the stain in
her history and completely removing the legacy of
militarism, not simply turning a blind eye to herhistory.
The most meaningful contribution Japan could
make for the peace and prosperity in the East Asia
would be turning into the exemplary peace-loving
nation that does not rely on the nuclear umbrella or
military alliance, instead of turning into the warcapable nation.
Fortunately, many Japanese people decided todisapprove the Abe Administration’s legislating thesecurity-related laws, and to protect the Peace
Constitution. I thank the Japanese people for theirfight and give my full support.
The separated Korean Peninsula is one of theworld’s most dangerous places where the largest
armament can be found, as well as the largest
military exercises are conducted every year.
The peaceful Korean Peninsula, once achieved,
can become one of the strongest elements of peacein the East Asia, together with the Peace
Constitution of Japan. This is why the social
movements aimed at preserving the Peace
Constitution and at signing a peace treaty on the
Korean Peninsula must closely work together.
To dismantle the North Korea's nuclear program,other nations including South Korea also must be
prepared to give up their military strategy ofdepending on nuclear weapon. This is why the issueof denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula must be
linked to the establishment Nuclear Weapon Free
Zone in Northeast Asia.
The recent emergence of territorial conflict andhegemonic race, together with the Korean
Peninsula under armistice system trigger the
nuclear armament race in East Asia.
What is missing in the East Asia region is not the

Lee Taeho
People’s Solidarity for Participatory
Democracy, Republic of Korea
Minasan, Konnichiwa! Annyunghaseyo!
First, I would like to ask all of you to remember
those who lost their lives by the nuclear bombs
dropped here in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70 years
ago. My heart also goes to many hibakushas whoare still in pain.
And I would like to say heartfelt hello on behalfof the Koreans who agree with all of you gathered
here today to create a world without nuclear weapon,
and even further, a world safe from all kinds ofnuclear disaster.
The world clearly witnessed the cruel andinhumane nature of nuclear weapons through thebombs dropped here in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70
years ago. This weapon of mass destruction isagainst the humanity, and the voice of mankind thatclaims for the permanent elimination of this weapon
is growing louder than ever. However, theanachronistic militarism obsessed with the nuclear
deterrence still remains strong.
The non-cooperation and double standards ofnuclear powers and some nuclear umbrella
dependent governments including Japan and South
Korea, my home country, are also the big stumbling
block.
Many South Koreans and Japanese say that theyneed the nuclear umbrella, because North Korea

99

means of war, such as the outposts, artificial islands,
AEGIS battleships, an antiballistic missiles. Those
most dearly wanted are the will of governments all
aimed at peacefully solving the conflicts, cooperative
framework for multilateral solution of disputes andcapacity of civil society organizations that willmaterialize peace beyond borders.
Last week, I was at Gangjeong Village in Jeju
Island, which locates southern part of South Korea.
The people of Gangjeong Village and Jeju Island
have fought for 3,000 days to prevent the island ofworld peace turning into the outpost of war underthe military alliance between South Korea, the U.S.
and Japan. The peace activists from Okinawa,
Saipan(Tinian Island), the Philippines and Taiwan,
who had been fighting to return their homelands
into islands of peace, participated in the one-weeklong grand march and culture festivalcommemorating the 3,000 day of struggle against
the naval base construction in Gangjeong Village.
I have a heartfelt respect for every one of those
who are struggling to achieve true peace in theworld, and I believe the world peace cannot be
achieved by the nuclear umbrella or missile defense
system. I have no doubt that the unrelenting effortsof those activists will create the brighter and morepeaceful East Asia and world.
No more Hiroshima! No more Nagasaki!
No more Nuke! No more Nuclear Umbrella!
No more War! Let's Give Peace a Chance!

Cesar Jaramillo
Project Ploughshares, Canada
Today is a somber day. But it is also a hopefulday.
Somber because we stand here to remember that
dreadful month of August, 70 years ago, when death,
destruction, and incalculable human suffering befell
the men, women, and children of Hiroshima andNagasaki.
Many died instantly; others in the weeks andmonths that followed. Up to a quarter-million
people are estimated to have been killed. Farmers
and teachers, singers and poets, sons and daughters,
old and young.
Yet some survived: the brave Hibakusha, whohave since offered firsthand, living testimony of theutter devastation caused by nuclear weapons and thelong-lasting physical and emotional scars they leavebehind.
So yes, this is a sad anniversary. A grim
reminder that humankind has devised the means todestroy itself—efficiently.
But this is also a day of hope. Because the push
for a ban on nuclear weapons is growing with every
passing day. In intensity, in sophistication, in

100

effectiveness, in numbers. People all over the world
are working tirelessly and diligently to make surethat humanity never again witnesses a tragedy likethe bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
And how can the international community go
about preventing such a tragedy? There must be a
global legal ban on nuclear weapons, with specificprovisions for the elimination of existing arsenals
and a timeline for verified implementation. There isno other way to rid the world of the most destructive
weapons ever made.
Regrettably, this issue has drifted endlessly
without resolution, despite overwhelming evidence
that nuclear weapons lack any legal, political, military,or moral justification. The lopsided logic by which thevery states that have developed, tested, and usednuclear weapons deem themselves fit to chastiseothers on the risks of proliferation is untenable.
More than four decades after the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty came into force, over a quarter
century after the end of the Cold War, and sevendecades after the devastation of Hiroshima andNagasaki, the states that rely on nuclear weapons still
consider serious work toward nuclear abolition“premature” when it is in fact long overdue.
The humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons
should be the key consideration in all nuclear
disarmament efforts. If the consequences of nuclear
weapons use are unacceptable, and there is a clear
and present danger that these weapons may be usedby accident, miscalculation, or design, then theymust be eliminated.
The establishment of a legal ban on nuclear
weapons, with or without the participation of nuclear
weapons states, would constitute a welcome step
forward. It would be rooted in the widespreadrejection of the continued existence of nuclear
weapons and a full recognition of the catastrophic
humanitarian consequences of their use.
As the late author and Nobel Prize laureate
Gabriel Garcia Marquez said nearly thirty years ago:
“Since the appearance of visible life on Earth,
380 million years had to elapse in order for abutterfly to learn how to fly, 180 million years tocreate a rose with no other commitment than to be
beautiful, and four geological eras in order for us
human beings, unlike our primitive ancestors, to beable to sing better than birds, and to be able to diefrom love. It is not honorable for the human talent,in the golden age of science, to have conceived theway for such an ancient and colossal process toreturn to the nothingness from which it camethrough the simple act of pushing a button.”
The use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable andthe goal of their complete elimination is not
negotiable. It is thus imperative that the leaders ofstates with nuclear weapons have the wisdom, thecourage, the foresight, and the audacity to rid theworld of the most devastating instruments of mass
destruction ever conceived.
An engaged international civil society willcontinue to urge progress and scrutinize results.
And decision-makers will be increasingly held
accountable by their constituents for their failure toact—as they should be.

caused by new nuclear explosions. It's on this basis
that, behind Austria, 107 states engaged in a newinternational campaign for a new international
treaty banning Nuclear Weapons.
Three meetings already occurred: in Norway,
Mexico, and in Austria, revealing the will of people
and their states to succeed as soon as possible.
Our objective is simple: do everything we can tohelp this project. European countries, for the
majority, constitute a major obstacle : it is necessary
for us to construct, with all urgency, a strategy forour continent, and, first of all, for our country,
France, making the 70th anniversary of the atomic
bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki a trampoline
for this campaign.
During the time I speak, the pacifist
organizations in France are preparing numerous
events to commemorate the seventieth anniversary:
meetings, walks, ... a call for the abolition of nuclear
weapons in front of the Ministry of Defense in Paris,
our Peace Movement organizes a debate at theMemorial of Caen on the theme “Seventy years
after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, what security for thepeople, with or without Nuclear Deterrence?”
A large part of our struggle is against the
insufficient knowledge of public opinion, in ourcountry and across the world, about the tragic
occurrences experienced by the inhabitants ofHiroshima, leading them to understand the threat
which weighs on humanity. Because of this theywould have reasons to rally and demand that leadersof our states commit on the side of Austria and 107
other countries, which have already mobilized.

Claude Ruelland
French Peace Movement, France
In the name of my delegation from France, I
would first like to greet the Japanese people, inparticular the Hibakushas, who had that tragic
experience, one of the most cruel which humanity
has known in the twentieth century, 70 years ago,
when, this abominable summer morning, a monster
collapsed on your city.
Although immediately following this tragedy andover the next decades, people tried to erase
humanity's memory about the events which took
place, the Hibakushas, admirable with courage anddignity, gradually found the strength to rise andremind the whole world, with the aid of Japanesepacifist organizations, of that which had instantly
caused uncountable deaths and then inexpressible
suffering for these decades, as well as for the next
generations.
Admiring these people, who did not surrender
despite their physical and psychological suffering,our delegation wants to contribute with all modesty
required in the meeting today.
Alas, during the last Review Conference of theParties to the Treaty of Non-Proliferation which
was held in New York in May, the countries armed
with Nuclear Weapons, following the example ofFrance, did not want to disarm, and imposed theirvision of international security on the rest of theworld, which is constructed under permanent threat.
This is unacceptable.
Despite the fact that for the essentials the idea of
Non-Proliferation functions well, the five armed
States have still not realized their commitments todisarmament. In fact, over the years we havewitnessed the permanence of nuclear weapons solely
reserved to the five armed countries, with their
exclusion to all the others. The Review Conferences
have shown that there is no consensus between thearmed states and the numerous other people.
What to do now?
Although the question of Nuclear Weapons wasbroached over the years in light of their destructive
power and the power of domination that they bringto countries which are equipped, a new approach
was seen during the past months to denounce theinimaginable human sufferings that would be

Next Steps after the NPT Review:
Relay Talk of Grass-Roots andYoung Participants
Yoshida Takehiko and young membersof Kushiro Gensuikyo, Hokkaido
Dear friends from across Japan and from allover the world, we are Kushiro Gensuikyo of
Hokkaido. Twenty-three members from the east
Hokkaido region are here, representing 5organizations and 3 towns. And 5 of us are highschool students!
Representatives of other regions of Hokkaido
would participate in Nagasaki part of the World
Conference only, which makes our delegation rather
small, but we are happy and excited to be here to
speak before you. Please listen to some members ofour delegation:(a) In our town of Shibecha-cho, the people ofthe “Action Committee for a Town of Peace” send

101high school students to Hiroshima and Nagasaki
every year. Travel costs of nearly 200,000 yen perperson and the cost of study workshops are coveredby donation from the townspeople. We visit themdoor to door and explain about the World Conference
and its cause. In return, we hold a report-backmeeting in September to share what we experienced
and felt in the Conference. We sincerely hope thatwhat we do would contribute, even a little, topromoting our efforts in schools and local
community to abolish nuclear weapons.
(b) We are from Betsukai Town. Yausubetsu
Training Area, the largest exercise field of Japan’s
Ground Self-Defense Force, is located in our town.
Because the US Marines is scheduled to come to ourtown every year from Okinawa for military exercise,our town mayor was the only one in the eastern
Hokkaido region who had not signed the petition,“Appeal for a Total Ban on Nuclear Weapons.”(c) We explained that 175 municipal mayors of
all 180 regions, including Hokkaido governor, haveso far signed our Appeal. We showed a map of
Hokkaido in which we colored the municipalities
whose heads have signed in the Appeal, and told themayor, “Isn’t it embarrassing to see only Betsukai
still left vacant in the middle of east Hokkaido?” It
came as a surprise that the mayor finally signed in
the Appeal in this year’s Peace March and evengave his signature to a pennant for the march.
(d) Hello, I am from Kushiro Town. My town
is engaged in a peace project to send its citizens toHiroshima and Nagasaki. Every year, the town’s
General Division contacts Kushiro Gensuikyo
asking to choose representatives, and ask them totake part in the World Conference. After the
Conference, our members’ reports and feedback areposted on the town’s website. Currently, thisdelegation is limited to adults only, but it should
cover the participation of high school students. I am
going to write a report myself and submit it to thetown, so the town administration might consider
this idea.
Peace March in east Hokkaido, unfortunately,
cannot be connected through by walking. In a vastarea, there are 12 municipalities and visiting all ofthem even by car would require more than 1000
kilometers of driving. But we do visit all of themevery year and most of the mayors, assembly
chairpersons and heads of boards of education
welcome us.
But we also face a challenge: All the Self
Defense Forces bases and exercise fields in
Hokkaido are jointly used by U.S. forces. If thewar bill is passed, military exercises will become
more intense. Only a few municipal assemblies
are willing to adopt resolutions opposing the current
war legislation.
But the first troops to bedispatched to the frontline would be from Kyushu,
Tohoku and Hokkaido regions. We only have 3
signatures left for completion of all mayors of
Hokkaido to sign our “Appeal for a Total Ban on
Nuclear Weapons”. We would like to link our will
for the elimination of nuclear weapons with larger
solidarity against all wars.
Strongly united with the “All Okinawa”
struggle, we the Hokkaido people will continue towork together with you, upholding the threeslogans: No nuclear weapons! Scrap War Bills!
U.S. army go home! We shall overcome!

Higa Naoto
Okinawa Federation of Democratic
Medical Institutions (Okinawa Min-Iren)
Dear participants in the World Conference, I am
pleased to be here to represent Okinawans’ will andreport about the current situation in Okinawa.
Even at this moment, the Abe Cabinet is goingahead with the preparatory work for the landfill
operation at Henoko. A new base to be built at
Henoko will become a gigantic U.S. base which
integrates all facilities from a military port andammunition stores to a training field. F35 stealthfighter jets will be deployed to this base. New
barracks and houses will also be constructed.
While paying lip service to reduction in
Okinawans’ base burdens and the removal ofhazards, the Abe government has taken highhanded attitude. It is just like the way of doing by
the U.S. forces: 60 years ago they seized land fromresidents by using “bayonets and bulldozers” andby setting fires to their houses.
In protest against the Abe Cabinet trampling on
Okinawan people’s will, an anti-base organization
called the “All Island Council for Realizing
Okinawa’s Petition and Creating a Bright Future”(Shimagurumi-Kaigi) was established last year,
demanding a prompt halt to the construction workat Henoko. The organization has been formed atmunicipal levels, too. Furthermore, last year,
Henoko base opponent Onaga Takeshi was elected
as governor.
The Abe Cabinet seems to assume that Okinawan
people will give up before too long, I think. But it’swrong.
They underestimate us.
The morepressure the government put on us with stronger
force, the stronger Okinawans’ unification will
become, and it will never be defeated. This is what
the foundation of the “Shimagurumi-Kaigi” shows.
With strong support from people across Japan, theongoing sit-in protest at Henoko has been growing
day by day.
The pivot of solidarity among Okinawans is thepetition submitted to the Abe government in

102

January 2013. Calling for (1) the withdrawal of
the Osprey deployment, (2) an immediate closureand removal of the U.S. Futenma air base, and (3)the cancellation of the planned base relocation
within the prefecture, in addition to all prefecturalassemblypersons, all 41 municipal mayors and local
assembly chairpersons signed and sealed thestatement. Those assembly chairs visited Tokyo
to hand it to Prime Minister Abe directly andmarched in demonstration through Tokyo streets.
This petition represents the souls of Okinawans
killed in the Battle of Okinawa and those who were
killed or whose land and properties were taken
away under the U.S. occupation. It speaks for the
spirits and peace aspirations of Okinawans who are
now forced to endure hardships caused by U.S.
bases, and bitter stories, spirits, and desires of
Okinawans wishing to hand down to children
peaceful Okinawa without bases. The consensus
of the people of Okinawa described in this petition
will never be shaken despite some people’s betrayal,
which was proved by the Shimagurumi-Kaigi.
What the Shimagurumi-Kaigi proposes is that
although individual voices of Okinawan people are
weak, they are not powerless and that by uniting
their voices, we can mark a step forward, rock theJapanese government and also Washington acrossthe Pacific Ocean.
In order to create a new history of the “allOkinawan” movement, we are calling each andevery one to stand up, mobilize families, colleagues
at work and people in communities to join forces inthe struggle in unity.
However, the base issue cannot be resolved onlyby the efforts of Okinawa.
The key is themobilization of the people all over Japan. In
conclusion, I would like to ask for your cooperation
to increase public awareness of Okinawa’s reality inyour areas.

Moñeka De Oro
Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice
Guam
Konnichiwa, Hafa Adai.
My name isMoñeka De Oro. I'm from the Guahan Coalition
for Peace and Justice.
The United States Department of Defense has
identified sacred spaces throughout the Mariana
Islands and intends to use them for live-fire testing
and training activities proposed on Guam, Pagan
and Tinian. If the military succeeds in its plans,
this area would be the largest training range in theworld. And our people will see an increasing
testing of bombs, sonar, machine guns, grenades
and various forms of military live-firing in our air,water and land.

103

The bases are part of the plan to move the U.S.
Marines of Okinawa to my homeland. We do notwant any of our islands to be destroyed by militaryactivities. We were once caught in the cross-fires of
war between the United States and Japan that led tothe death and destruction here in Hiroshima andNagasaki. We do not want our islands to be used fora war. We want to unite with all of you for peace.

Fujioka Ayame
Action Committee for “Love & Peace
Wagon Journey”, Gunma Gensuikyo
Hello friends, I’m Fujioka Ayame from Gunma
Prefecture.
I first read “Barefoot Gen” when I was inelementary school. It shocked me a lot. I
couldn’t believe that it really happened in Japan.
Since then, I always wanted to know about war, but
I haven’t had any chance to do so. Then a chancecame to me, and I decided to participate in theWorld Conference. I called on my schoolmateswhom I often talk about war and peace with to join
me in the conference. Seven of my friends decided
to come with me to this event!
In preparation for our visit to Hiroshima, wemade our own travel guide. In the process, eachof us decided on a theme and did prior-learning
activities on that theme. We also went to a photo
exhibition on war held in our community.
I myself walked through from Isesaki to Kiryu
in the Peace March of Gunma on July 11, wearinga sash of the “International Youth Relay March”
across my chest.
Under the blazing sun, I sometimes felt likegiving up but carried through the 20-kilometercourse, which was the longest among all courses in
the prefecture. Seeing old men in their 70s and80s vigorously walking all the way in the prefecture,
I cheered myself up, “You are still 17. The 20kilometer course is nothing. Don’t give up!” Thus,
I was able to complete the walk to the end. Alongthe way, I felt very happy that many people waved
to me from cars. During the march, I learned a lot
from listening to those who have more experiencesin life than me.
Through my participation in the World
Conference, I learned about the hardships
undergone by the Hibakusha and listened toopinions and experiences of many people. I wantto continue to think about what I should do in orderto prevent the tragedy from happening again.

nuclear activist from Boston, Massachusetts in the
United States. I feel so privileged to march this year.
I want you all to know that there are many young
activists just like me in the United States working very
hard to eliminate nuclear weapons. And to tell you
the truth, after the NPT, I think that the youth are a little
bit disappointed and frustrated. A lot of people tellme and I think other young people as well that because
we are young, maybe we cannot make as muchdifference and people say you have no experience of
war or you are not an expert of nuclear weapons…so
why are you doing this?
But you do not need to be an expert on nuclear
weapons to see the humanitarian consequences. I
want you to know that when I go back to Boston
I’m going to bring my experiences to the young
people there and I think that we really need toemphasize action. We’d have lots of discussion
and we’d have a lots of really important dialog and
we need to act.

Reports on the 2015 Nationwide
Peace March:
Japanese Through Peace Marchers:
Takeda Akihiko, Hokkaido-Tokyo Course
Thank you everyone, for all the supports I
received. This year, the International Youth Relay
Sash became very popular, and a total of 109 people
signed on it during the march going from Hokkaido
to Tokyo. The age of the signers varies from 5
years old to younger members of the Pensioner’s
Union. And this banner was made to carry thevoices of youth and students in Niigata, and I havecarried this all the way through to Hiroshima. I’ll
keep up with my work.
Nishida Shigeyoshi, Toyama-Hiroshima course
I am Nishida from Shiga. Throughout thePeace March, I sang the song “Peace Calendar” by
Kasagi Toru for 112 times. I’d sing it for the lasttime, so please listen.
“♪People of unknown names, sing sing sing; We
are all peace-loving singers; It’s been 68 years since
we were born; 68 years without war; We came thisfar putting on years of work for peace ♪” Thankyou.

Magiting Fabros, Nuclear-Free Philippines
Coalition
Hello everyone, I’m Magiting Fabros from thePhilippines. I walked through Aichi to Gifu
prefectures and I am very happy to meet you. I
also send my greeting to Peace Marchers and to
those who have been supporting us. The Peace
March is a movement where we can make ourselves
heard and seen, and deliver our message to thepeople in Japan and the world. The National
Peace March that have started in year 1958 and thegreat movement against nuclear weapons in Japanare strong and meaningful efforts to make sure that
tragic incident should never happen again.
Congratulations to all of us and Gensuikyo forthe successful peace march. And we invite all the
young people to join the March in the coming years.
Let’s struggle together!

Matsunaga Yoko, Tokyo-Hiroshima Course
Hello friends! I’m Matsunaga Yoko from
Shizuoka Chapter of Japan Pensioner’s Union.
Thanks to the support from my Union, I was able tocomplete the Tokyo-Hiroshima Peace March as athrough-marcher! Thank you. I’m so grateful to
all the people I met on the way for their generous
support. It took 91 days from Yumenoshima,
Tokyo, to Hiroshima Peace Park. Do you know
how many steps I have made? Hard to imagine?
Let me tell you -- 2,427,205 steps!

Guerrero M. Saño (A.G. Saño), Teach Peace,
Build Peace Movement, the Philippines
I’m A.G. Sano from the Philippines and I
walked through Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki
prefectures. Thank you Fukuoka, Thank you Saga
and Thank you Nagasaki. Each step that we madefor this march makes us one step closer to our goal,
which is lasting peace. Let the painful past remainin the past but let it’s memory inspire us to makefuture better. Let us continue to walk forward to anuclear and war free world.
No more Hiroshima. No more Nagasaki. No
more war.

Yamaguchi Itsuro, Tokyo- Hiroshima Course
I was introduced as an 83 years old marcher. But
when I marched, I believed I was 38 years old!
Three years ago, people encouraged me, saying that I
had golden feet. This year, I carried the letters of“Peace” formed by paper cranes that Hoshino-san
from Shiga crafted. I am grateful to everyone allover Japan for your support, especially to those of the
12 prefectures I marched through. I did it!

International Youth Relay Marchers:
Mary Popeo, American Friends Service
Committee/ Global ZERO, U.S.A.
Hello everyone, I’m Mary Popeo. I’m an anti-

104

International Forum:“Achieving a Nuclear Weapon-Free World - Dialogue between
Governments and NGOs”(August 5)

world without nuclear weapons. And to that end
we are advocating for a comprehensive nuclear
weapons convention which will aim at theprohibition and banning totally the possession,
production, stockpiling, transfer, development andthe use or even the threat of use of nuclear weapons.
It is not an easy endeavor because we areinteracting with other countries with different views
and different priorities, and within the United
Nations, as you all know, challenges we are facing.
So with regard to my country Indonesia, together
with other partners also and at the same time,
advocating for the convention, legally-binding
measures or instrument for the security assurances
for all non-nuclear weapon states and as well we areworking with partners for the early entry into forceof the CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty).
And now I will refer to the last NPT Review
Conference -- how we see it. We understand thatthe majority of us are not happy, because it failed to
produce an outcome document. But certainly, theReview Conference offered the platform for us, forevery 5 years all the membership of the United
Nations take stock of what happened in the past 5
years since the previous NPT RevCon in 2010, andto see what progress has been achieved or what
setback has happened, the challenges that are facedby the membership or the States parties to the treaty.
While it is disappointing that no document cameout from the conference but in our view it is better
than having a weaker document produced by theconference.
But we really wanted to have astronger document than before which consisted of
two parts: mainly one on the reviewing what has been
happened in the past -- I think it is very important --Panelists Presentations:(Transcribed from oral presentations)Muhammad Anshor
Ambassador/ Deputy Permanent
Representative of the Republic ofIndonesia to the U.N.
It is indeed a great honor for me to be part of thisforum. I am not an expert myself but while we
exchange our views to promote a common platform
on how civil society and governments can advancethe common efforts in striving for a world without
nuclear weapons, certainly I will learn from you,each and every one of you, and other panelists aswell.
I will start with the Indonesian general view
with regard to nuclear disarmament.
For
Indonesia, nuclear disarmament always has thehighest priority among disarmament issues. It’s
not just because the ultimate threat that nuclear
weapons pose to humanity, but certainly theexistence of nuclear weapons indeed is notcompatible with universal norms. So it is in ourconstitution that it is the mandate of the governmentof Indonesia to contribute to the promotion of peace
and take part in the creation of world order based onhumanity and social justice.
So we see theexistence of nuclear weapons as not compatible
with international norms and also not compatible
with our constitution. That explains why we are
together with other countries, including especiallywith Non-Aligned countries advocating the totalelimination of nuclear weapons and achieving a
105

as opposed to identifying the challenges that need tobe confronted in the next five years.
But as you know, many sticking points remained
as stumbling blocks to achieving the consensus of
the States parties to the treaty. But in the middleof the disappointment we see something which ispromising, which may strengthen the NPT Review
Conference, which is the initiatives focusing on thehumanitarian impact of nuclear weapons gaining
momentum and increasingly the support from many
States parties.
This is an important development.
To
Indonesia, my country, it is important because now
we start to look into the issues beyond the issue
strictly of security issues and defense doctrine, but
we put the issue to a larger context related to
relevant context. This is one of the entry points,
the important points to deal with the issues as multidimensional.
We see the issue of nuclear disarmament fromthe perspective of humanitarian law, which isfamiliar with regards to other issues relating toweapons like anti-personal mines and cluster
munition. Then I fear the continued existence of
nuclear weapons by any standard is not compatible
with the humanitarian law principles, like principles
of distinction, principle of humanity and otherprinciples prevailing in the humanitarian law.
So by viewing the issue from that very angle
would strengthen our common effort, having
legally-binding comprehensive convention tototally abolish those weapons, as we see in the treaty
banning the entire anti-personal mines and now thecluster munitions. So I think that’s a very interestingdevelopment.
Now, distinguished participants, as to the
purpose of this forum to have a dialogue between
governments and NGOs, I think that’s very
pertinent, as we need to work hand in hand, todevelop synergy especially with governments infavor of the abolition of nuclear weapons and also
to expand the platform how we can work together
to strengthen our respective positions.
I have several points I want to share with you
with regards to how we can work together tostrengthen our common efforts to that end.
First, I think we need to expand and strengthen theanti-nuclear movement network world-wide. That’s
important, which should engage not only governments
but also relevant stakeholders, which are instrumental
in campaigning against nuclear weapons. I see that
the Japanese civil society at grass-roots level against
nuclear weapons is very strong, and this is an asset toall of us, but what we see here it does not exist and if
it exist, very much lower in intensity in other countries.
Even like in Indonesia where civil society are very
active and have an ample space for their activism, but

mostly, what I witness in European countries and in
the United States are that only few focus on the agenda
promoting peace in general and in particular theabolition of nuclear weapons. But we see so many
dealing with human rights, environmental protection
and consumer protection. I think we need to promotewhat Japan has to everywhere else. You, Japanese
civil society need to reach out your counterpart incountries which have key influence in the global
debate on this issue. Not only in countries possessing
nuclear weapons but also in countries which are very
active in promoting or campaigning against nuclear
weapons. I think like in Indonesia, we need toenhance and spread the spirit of activism against
nuclear weapons, which is part of your collectivemind-set, which is part of your culture. I think it is
an issue of global concern which should be shared bypeople world-wide. I think being visible is necessary,
which should not be seen nonexistent, but to have a
networking certainly will enhance visibility of theissue.
And secondly, we need to promoteinterconnectedness among stakeholders. You havein Japan and also we have as panelists representing
as parliamentarians for nuclear nonproliferation anddisarmament that has manifested the role of otherstakeholders outside the government/parliament,
which play very important role. I think we will hearfrom the panelist how the parliamentarians contribute.
The role is very instrumental, not only in influencing
the government’s policy but in creating legislation
which is friendly to the movement against nuclear
weapons.
For example, what happened inIndonesia in 2010, we were in the process of
preparing the ratification of the CTBT. That’s one
example of a parliamentarians’ role in promoting theentire nuclear weapons abolition in cooperation withcivil society and government and also among theparliaments that need to be strengthened everywhere.
And then as I mentioned, the visibility of theissue is very important. Here in Japan, it is always
visible because of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and you
have annual conferences. But somewhere else,
unfortunately, it is not the case. Even in New York
where the headquarters of the United Nations reside,
the level of activism and visibility only happen
where relevant events such as the NPT Review
Conference, but otherwise, it’s very low. I think it
is very important and it is the issue of importance tohumanity and should be shared globally, then thevisibility of the issue need to be enhanced in many
ways -- to the credit of school curriculums
everywhere, and to carry out public discussions
everywhere, so I think we need the Japanese NGOs
to reach out to your counterpart everywhere like inIndonesia, to enhance the dialogue, debate andenhance the visibility of the issue.

106Other point I need to raise is actually somethingwhich I promoted along the way for a long time is toconnect this campaign with other framework, likehuman rights framework. I think there is a greatchance for that, as you know, as I just mentioned,
now we have a connection between the issue of
nuclear disarmament and the issue of compliancewith military and law. But we haven’t seen theconnection which is very obvious between the
nuclear disarmament and human rights.
I think I said in the opening plenary yesterday
the remark that the continued existence of nuclear
weapons that pauses existential threat to humanity,
but also threatens the freedom to live from fear. I
think that’s one of the pillars of the human rights
and freedom.
And of course other conceptual framework
which already exists in human rights discourses,
and also in human rights treaty like prevention of
genocide and ethnic cleansing and crimes against
humanity. I think that framework can be used aswell to promote the cause of the world free from
nuclear weapons. Because the threat paused by
nuclear weapons is more immense, worse and act of
genocide. It’s ethnic cleansing. The impact iseven larger in scale and magnitude.
Other existing human rights conceptual
framework that can be used, I don’t mention it inexhaustive way, but just mention as an example, isthe right to development. Certainly, the right todevelopment necessitates the State to ensure thebasic rights, economic, social and cultural right ofeverybody who reside in the territory under the statejurisdiction. So we know very well how money thatgovernments spend to develop nuclear weapons.
Amid the condition that extreme poverty that is still
rampant in many countries, even in countries where
nuclear weapons have been developed, I thinkdeveloping nuclear weapons is a violation of the rightto development. I think we can explore it further
and I believe that that can be used as means to further
promote from different front.
And other point which I want to raise here is toconnect the movement with movements in otherfronts like in environmental protection, because I
believe that the potential threat of the use of nuclear
weapons to environmental security is clear, obvious,and manifest. So it will be an ultimate destruction
to our environment if a nuclear weapon is used. So
the connection between the two is very obvious.
So we can make use of existing fora - existing front,
and relate with our campaign for a world without
nuclear weapons. And then of course it is always
very important to campaign against nuclear
weapons as a factor in domestic politics. Well, ofcourse what we witness in Japan is an example forother countries to replicate, especially in countries

possessing nuclear weapons especially, to makethose running for the highest political position tostate, to express, to pronounce themselves views
with regard to nuclear weapons is very important.
And that’s what we expect, and we hope is that
feedback from the public whether those people
running for the highest political positions are
eligible to be their leaders. I think that promoting
this kind of sense is very important to strengthen the
campaigns against nuclear weapons.
And the next is to underline, to magnify theillegality of nuclear weapons. I think you know very
well that the ICJ has issued the advisory opinion in
1996 which pronounced the illegality of nuclear
weapons. I think we can have most part of the
discussion at the universities, especially relating to
the national law.
And then the last thing that I want to raise is tocooperate with religious leaders. As has happenedin the past, and also in my country as well, that people
carrying moral credentials whatever they say has
influence on public at large. We can have themissue fatwa, judgement to make nuclear weapons
forbidden is very important. What we see in Iran in
the process of negotiations with P5+1, the supremeleader pronounced the judgement that nuclear
weapon is illegal according to their religious teaching.
I think that put weight on the side to advocate theelimination of nuclear weapons.
I think that’s some of the points I want to raisewith you. Certainly I look forward to listening
your views as well, as I mentioned in my earlier
remark that I want to learn from you, and I also lookforward to have a fruitful discussion. That’s what
I want to say at this juncture. Thank you.

Shane Reti
Member of Parliament of New Zealand/
Parliamentarians for Nuclear
Nonproliferation and Disarmament New ZealandLessons from Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain stark remindersof the catastrophic humanitarian impact of nuclear
weapons.
When the bombs were dropped on these cities in
1945, there was little understanding of the long-term
health and environmental effects of what was then an
entirely new and untested category of weapon.
Seventy years later, there is a wealth of evidence- from Japanese hibakusha, survivors and witnessesof nuclear testing and decades of scientific analysis- to show that the initial explosion of a nuclear
weapon, terrible as it is, is only the start of the harm.
107humanity that nuclear weapons are never used again,
under any circumstances.”
Three conferences examined the health andenvironmental effects of nuclear weapons. They
recognised that, even seventy years after the atomic
bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, theinternational community could still not provide anadequate response in the event of a nuclear bomb
detonation.
The Humanitarian Initiative reframed the debate
so that governments weren’t just talking about the
security of states.
They remembered that these weapons have
victims – we, the people.
For the people of Hiroshima/Nagasaki, it may
seem inconceivable that the well-being of ordinary
citizens has not always been the focus of nuclear
disarmament debates. But somehow that was the case.
In Māori we have a proverb: He aha te mea nuio te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. Whatis the most important thing in the world? It is people,
it is people, it is people.
The New Zealand government welcomed theway that the Humanitarian Initiative focused on theconsequences for the victims of nuclear weapons.
Their voices need to be heard.
And they would all agree that the elimination of
nuclear weapons is long overdue.
New Zealand has been part of the core group in
the Humanitarian Initiative since it began in 2012.
In those three years, supporters of the Humanitarian
Initiative have grown from 16 to 159, including
Japan.
This is an overwhelming majority in the United
Nations.
We need to use this momentum to push forgenuine action on nuclear disarmament.
New Zealand and nuclear disarmament
New Zealand and New Zealanders care deeply
about nuclear disarmament, which has been a strong
element of our foreign policy for decades.
It goes with our general support for
multilateralism and the rule of law – and for ourvalues-driven quest for global outcomes that can
add meaningfully to the well-being of humankind.
The long-standing, consistent, bipartisancommitment to nuclear disarmament reflects thestrong role it plays in New Zealand’s national
identity, a long, proud partnership withNew Zealand civil society.

Current nuclear weapons situation
Many thousands of nuclear warheads remain inexistence, many on high alert. They pose anunacceptable threat to human survival.
As President Kennedy recognised fifty years
ago, a war fought with nuclear weapons cannot be
won – “Even the fruits of victory would be ashes inour mouths.”
The international community must recognise
the risk that a nuclear bomb might malfunction, orbe fired accidentally, or be used on purpose.
The only way to eliminate the risk is to eliminate
nuclear weapons altogether.
Need for legal measures towards nuclear
disarmament
Governments cannot eliminate all the risks thatthreaten our citizens. I wish we could.
If we could eliminate the threat of natural
disasters, for instance, then the terrible earthquakes
experienced by Japan and New Zealand in 2011
would never have happened.
But there are some risks we can do something
about: man-made risks. And nuclear weapons are aman-made threat to the survival of humankind.
So we must work together and make a real push
to eliminate nuclear weapons. Our next opportunity
to do so will probably be at the First Committee ofthe United Nations General Assembly when it
meets in October.
We must make a stronger effort than we haveseen in recent years, and we must succeed.
Twenty years ago, NZ’s then Prime Minister,
Right Hon Jim Bolger, observed that, “just as wehave international treaties which debar the use ofchemical or biological weapons, we will eventually
move to a similar sort of treaty … regarding nuclear
weapons”. Successive NZ Prime Ministers haverecognised the need for the development of legal
frameworks to abolish these weapons.
Last September, Secretary-General Ban declaredthat “The time has come for those negotiations tobegin… toward the internationally agreed goal of thetotal elimination of nuclear weapons”.
Standing here, where nuclear weapons wereused against civilian populations, we cannot help
but recall the horrific nature of nuclear weapons.
And we must commit ourselves to a real effort
to rid the world of them.
Humanitarian initiative
The most significant development in nuclear
disarmament over the past five years sprang from an
acknowledgement at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty Review Conference in 2010 of the catastrophic
humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons.
A core principle of the Humanitarian Initiativeis that “it is in the interest of the very survival of108Nayarit and Vienna have contributed to greaterinternational understanding of the serious risks andcatastrophic humanitarian consequences associatedwith the existence of nuclear weapons. But wereiterate that it is not enough and cannot be theultimate goal, which starts without any further delay,with negotiations of a legally-binding instrumentbanning nuclear weapons and requiring the complete
elimination of such weapons. The non-aligned
movement has submitted a proposal to set a specifictimetable for the gradual reduction of nuclear weapons
to achieve their total elimination and prohibition at thelatest by 2025, which should be seriously consideredby the international community.
We advocate a comprehensive convention on
the prohibition of nuclear weapons, which will ban
thepossession,development,
production,acquisition, testing, storing, transfer, use or threat ofuse of nuclear weapons should be included. And
that provides a destruction under strict international
control.
We urge governments, parliaments and civilsociety to take a necessary measures every year tocommemorate September 26 as the International
Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
After 5 years of waiting, in the 9th Review
Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the
Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons held in New
York in May 2015, we had an opportunity to mark ahistorical turning point, a real progress toward aworld free of nuclear weapons. This opportunity
was wasted. States parties had a responsibility ofthoroughly evaluating in an honest and peacefulway for the implication for the future credibility andsignificance of the treaty raised by the events of theconference, which ended without result. It isneither fair nor acceptable that the majority of States
parties strictly fulfil all the obligations of the nonproliferation treaty whereas others are not acting inthe same way. We cannot change history. We
can change the future though. Reason is on ourside. We have no right to be discouraged and wewill continue fighting tirelessly for a world free of
nuclear weapons. The future generations need thatand deserve it.
And I want to go back to the issue of Latin
America, because it is the first densely-populatedarea that has been declared by the heads of statesand governments as a peace zone, with thewillingness to solve any conflicts peacefully andthat includes the efforts towards nuclear
disarmament throughout the world. I think it’s aneffort to be applauded. It is an effort to be talked
about and thought about and studied and the effort
to be emulated by other areas in the world, as animportant step towards nuclear disarmament allover the world.

Fernando Gonzalez Llort
Vice President, Cuban Institute ofFriendship with the Peoples, Cuba
I thank the organizers for inviting Cuba to speakin this forum. Thank you colleagues and audiencefor your presence. I think it’s a very important
issue. I would say this is the issue of the utmost
importance.
First of all, I would like to say that our country
calls for the prohibition and total elimination of
nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction as amatter of priority. We believe that the mere
existence of nuclear weapons is a threat against
humanity. The use of only a fraction of themodern 15,000 existing nuclear weapons or aboutclose to 4300 of them are on the operational status
would have catastrophic consequences for a planet.
We believe that the use of nuclear weapons
constitutes a fragrant violation of international
standards relating to the prevention of genocide andenvironmental protection. And we hold that theuse of nuclear weapons is illegal, immoral andcannot be justified under any circumstances or
security doctrine.
The concept of nuclear deterrence is far fromcontributing to nuclear disarmament. We believethat it stimulates the potential possession of such
weapons. We reaffirm that the urgent need toaccomplish a total elimination of nuclear weapons
in a transparent, irreversible and verifiable manner,with the timetable multilaterally agreed.
We
reiterate our full commitment to general andcomplete disarmament and non-proliferation in all
its aspects -- horizontally and vertically -- of nuclear
weapons. Our country will continue working toachieve in shortest possible time, a prohibition andtotal elimination of nuclear weapons as part of its
long-standing commitment to global nuclear
disarmament.
In 2002, Cuba ratified the Treaty for theProhibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America
and the Caribbean, known as the Treaty of
Tlatelolco. The first densely-populated area of theworld that became a nuclear weapon-free zone has
been a political, legal and institutional benchmark
for a creation of a nuclear weapon-free zones indifferent regions.
In what became a historic landmark, on January
29, 2014, during the second Summit of theCommunity of Latin American and Caribbean
States held in Havana, Latin America andCaribbean region was formally proclaimed as a“peace zone.” The proclamation includes the firm
commitment of the States of the region to thepromotion of nuclear disarmament as a priority.
The international conferences held in Oslo,

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Special Event:For a Nuclear Weapon-Free World -- Forum of Hibakusha andCitizens to Mark the 70th Anniversary of the A-bombing(August 5)

activism, unceasingly recounting their experiences
and struggles, and working constantly for a total
ban and the elimination of nuclear weapons,appealing to governments and peoples all over theworld.

Colin Archer
Secretary General
International Peace Bureau
Why IPB recommends the Hibakusha for theNobel Peace Prize:
Freeing the world from the threat ofnuclear annihilation

IPB believes that the award of the Nobel Peace
Prize to these courageous persons, and indeed to acourageous movement, would be a contribution ofunique value and extraordinary importance to theworldwide community of nuclear disarmament
advocates, itself 70 years old this year.

Dear friends, dear fellow-peace workers,
I bring you warm greetings from theInternational Peace Bureau, its officers, staff andmembers.
Allow me to convey my deepest respect for, andappreciation of, the Hibakusha; and especially themembers of Nihon Hidankyo, an organisation that –I am delighted to say - has recently joined theworldwide family of the IPB.
First let me read you an extract from the letterwe sent in January of this year to the NorwegianNobel Committee, recommending the Hibakusha
for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The continued existence of nuclear weapons
threatens the very survival of life on earth. The
Norwegian Nobel Committee has recognised thissupreme threat in several of its previous awards. Weurge the Committee, at this historic moment, toreturn to this theme and to itself make a courageous
choice: to recognise and reward the Hibakusha.“
I should add that this year we chose to put
forward, not only Nihon Hidankyo itself, but also
Mr. Sumiteru TANIGUCHI and Ms. Setsuko
THURLOW, outstanding representatives of the
Hibakusha movement, who have been at theforefront of the efforts of the Hibakusha throughout
their lives, calling for a ban and for the abolition of
nuclear weapons, based on their own painful
experiences. I should add that in IPB’s perspective,
an award of the Nobel to the Japanese Hibakusha
should also be understood as also offering
recognition of the suffering and struggles of thosein other countries who have been affected by the
nuclear menace, be it at testing sites, or near power
plants. Let us hope and pray for a positive outcome
when the Nobel Committee announces its decision
on October 10.
For those who are unaware of the work that IPB
has done on this issue I would simply say that thecause of nuclear abolition has been at the heart ofour programme since at least the last 40 years. Our
members have marched, campaigned, petitioned,
and so much more. IPB itself has organised
innumerable side-meetings at the NPT conferences
and other gatherings. We were among those who“A total ban and the elimination of nuclear
weapons was the task set out by the very first
resolution of the first General Assembly of theUnited Nations (January 1946), a task that remains
unfulfilled. Yet, as seen in the success of theinternational conferences on the humanitarian
impact of nuclear weapons, held in Oslo in 2013
and in Nayarit and Vienna in 2014, momentum isbuilding up once more, and promises to turn this70th anniversary of the tragedies of Hiroshima andNagasaki into a milestone on the path to a world
free of nuclear weapons.
For this reason IPB once again nominates for theNobel Peace Prize the Hibakusha, those who
personally suffered from the atomic bombings of thetwo cities. They are quite simply extraordinary
human beings. Not giving in to despair, they became
convinced, through their struggle to survive theattacks and the subsequent long years of suffering,that their agonies must never be repeated anywhere.
Over these 70 years they have made the choice of110came together in 1995 to found the Abolition 2000
network. Perhaps the most outstanding individual in
our ranks was Sean MacBride, who as President of
the organization urged the development of a
campaign to make nuclear weapons illegal. Thiseffort eventually led to the World Court Project andthe 1996 Advisory Opinion of the International
Court of Justice.
Among IPB’s particular emphases is the link
between conventional weapons and nuclear war. In
the Cold War period, the West feared a massive
Russian conventional attack. Nowadays it is thereverse: US conventional superiority has been thereason for Russian reliance on its nuclear strength.
It is clear that political tensions and military
mobilizations in all of the possible nuclear theaters
need to be reduced if we are to render disarmamentfeasible.
This was one of the reasons why IPB launched
its programme of work on military spending around10 years ago. Since 2011 we have coordinated the
Global Day of Action on Military Spending,which has now become a year-round Campaign.
Nuclear weapons costs are obviously an importantpart of this effort, since they represent the mostobjectionable element in the military budget. Next
Sept-Oct we will organize a major congress inBerlin to highlight the whole issue.
Another dimension that IPB has paid attention
to is nuclear energy and the two most serious

accidents associated with it: Chernobyl and
Fukushima. Besides urging full recognition of, andsupport for, the victims, IPB endorses the view thatclimate change cannot be tackled via an expansionof nuclear power plants. Not only are theyenormously dangerous, but their very construction
gives rise to major CO2 emissions. In our view what
is required is not only a rapid end to the fossil fuelsera, but also a transition from an economy of war toa culture of peace. This is incompatible with nuclear
energy. We urge everyone, young and old, todevelop the visions and the strategies necessary tobring about a wholesale Green Transformation in
our societies, before the military-industrial age
devours its own children.
This is essentially an educational and politicaltask. That is why we insist on the importance of
passing on the message of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
to other populations around the world; and toyounger generations. There are always people whohave never heard of these two cities, which embody
the tragic destiny of humanity; but which also,
through their extraordinary renaissance, deliver a
unique message of universal hope. So let us
continue the work! And I am sure we find new ways
to work together and spread our message across thecontinents.
Domo arigato gozaimas.

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Hiroshima-Nagasaki Declaration Commemorating the 70th Year
Since the Atomic Bombing

Nuclear Weapon-Free World Now!
August 5, 2015
Japan Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations(Nihon Hidankyo)
On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
turning them into cities of death within a second.
The atomic bombs deprived so many people of their lives. A total of 210,000 people were killed by theend of that year. It was an act of indiscriminate massacre regardless of age, sex, and occupation. Somewere killed instantly, without knowing what had happened. Some were burned alive. Many victims still
remain unidentified. We cannot forget the heaps of dead bodies, those who died vomiting blood, and others
who died in agony. Still today, the atomic bombs continue to take lives away from many survivors and totorment them physically and mentally.
Through our own experiences, we Hibakusha have told people what the atomic bombs have done to us.
We have declared that atomic weapons are weapons of the devil whose only purpose is destruction, and thatthey can never coexist with human beings. Our wish is to make sure no more Hibakusha like us will becreated. We say, “Do not start nuclear war; abolish nuclear weapons; achieve State compensation for theloss and damage caused by the atomic bombing.”
Abolition of nuclear weapons and achievement of the State compensation for the Hibakusha are yet to beachieved even 70 years after. There still exist 16,000 nuclear weapons in the world, and the danger ofnuclear explosion still remains very real.
Now Japan is facing a critical situation. Paying no heed to the voices of the people, Prime Minister Abe
rammed through legislation in the Lower House, which would turn Japan into a war-waging nation. He is
throwing away the pacifist idea of the Constitution, taking us into another pre-war era. The wish of the
Hibakusha is shared by the majority of the people who say that war is the last thing they want. Let us work
together to stop this outrage committed by the Abe government.
The world is changing. Official policies and citizens' opinions in favour of the abolition of nuclear
weapons have become a growing trend. Since 2012, the joint declaration on the humanitarian consequencesof nuclear weapons was issued 6 times by various groups of governments calling for the abolition of nuclear
weapons, and the International Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons was held 3times. The joint declarations and the Conferences analyzed the inhumanity of nuclear weapons use fromvarious angles and made clear that “whether by accident, miscalculation or design, the catastrophic effects
of a nuclear weapon detonation would spread beyond national borders and no State or international body
could address the immediate humanitarian emergency”, “It is in the interest of the very survival of humanitythat nuclear weapons are never used again, under any circumstances”, and “The only way to guarantee that
nuclear weapons will never be used again is through their total elimination”. The role of the civil society is
critical in revealing to the world the catastrophic effects of even one single nuclear weapon explosion could
cause, and raising public support for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
The Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster has posed another significant challenge in the nuclear field.
Even after 4 years, no concrete measures have been taken to bring the critical situation under control.
Abolition is the only solution to the uncontrollable nuclear power plants.
The human race already knows the way to remove from this planet all nuclear weapons and power plantsthat are threatening the survival of the human race. All we need now is to summon up our courage to takethe decision and carry it out.
On the 70th year of the atomic bombing, we Hibakusha declare that as long as we live, we are determined
to continue to raise our voices and make efforts together with other members of the civil society to achievea peaceful and safe planet where the human race can survive.

112

70th Anniversary Hiroshima Day Rally
2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs(August 6)

Speeches by Representatives of the
U.N. and National Governments:
Kim Won-soo
Acting High Representative for
Disarmament Affairs, United Nations
Excellencies, Distinguished guests, ladies andgentlemen,
At the outset, I would like to thank Hiroshi Taka,
Co-chair of the Steering Committee, for inviting me
to mark with you this solemn occasion – the 70th
anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, the firstuse of a nuclear weapon.
I bring to you all the greetings of the Secretary
General.
In the words of the Secretary General on his visit
in 2010: I came to Hiroshima for world peace.
I come here today to pay my respects to thevictims of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The hibakusha are living reminders of the humanconsequences of the use of nuclear weapons.
Yet over the course of seven decades, thehibakusha have become so much more. They havebecome ambassadors for peace and emissaries for aworld free of nuclear weapons.

113

Ladies and gentlemen,
When the Secretary General came to Hiroshima
he said we were all on a journey, a journey fromground zero to global zero — a world free of
weapons of mass destruction.
Let me tell you, that commitment has not waned.
Nuclear disarmament is a priority for the Secretary
General and the United Nations.
Nuclear weapons are the most powerful anddestructive weapons ever created. It is our duty as
an international community to energetically work
towards a world free of nuclear weapons.
The world is at a crossroads when it comes tonuclear disarmament. The Review Conference of
the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons, or NPT, was unable to reach a consensus
outcome in May this year. The United Nations’disarmament machinery remains gridlocked.
None of this can be an excuse for not moving
forward. The international community must
demonstrate compromise and dextrous diplomacy
to find innovative solutions.
Entry into force of the Comprehensive NuclearTest Ban Treaty and the commencement ofnegotiations on Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty are
two obvious first steps. I urge all States that have
not yet done so to sign and ratify the CTBT.

Likewise, I call upon on all members of theConference on Disarmament to commence
negotiations on an FMCT without delay.
I congratulate the E3+3 and Iran on reaching ahistoric agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme.
This is proof that we can achieve diplomatic
breakthroughs. We must build on this momentum
to address other pressing nuclear non-proliferation
issues.
Ladies and gentlemen,
When it comes to nuclear disarmament, nucleararmed States must lead the way. But all nations havea role to play.
For decades, Japan – with the hibakusha and thecities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – has played aleading role in educating the world about thebenefits of disarmament. I believe that every
country can emulate Japan in this mission. We all
have a part to play in teaching succeeding
generations to remember the dangers of nuclear
weapons.
As the Secretary-General said five years ago,the enduring lesson of Hiroshima is that a world freeof nuclear weapons is our common responsibility.
70 years after the bombings of Hiroshima andNagasaki, let us embrace this responsibility.
No more Hiroshimas. No more Nagasakis.

15000 existing nuclear weapons would havecatastrophic consequences for our planet, killing
millions of people and endangering both theenvironment and the life of the present and future
generations. We confirm that the use of nuclear
weapons cannot be justified under any security
doctrine.
Some people believe that the existence of nuclear
weapons make the world safer. It is quite theopposite. If we want a safer world, we need a world
free of nuclear weapons. Their total prohibition andtotal elimination is the only way to ensure thatmankind will not suffer anymore the terrible impactof these weapons. Therefore, the concept of"nuclear deterrence" should be abandoned as thebasis of military doctrines, which stimulate theperpetual possession of these weapons.
Cuba defends the exclusive right of all States toengage in research, production and use of nuclear
energy for peaceful purposes and to receive, without
discrimination of any kind, transfers of materials,
equipment and scientific and technologicalinformation for such purposes.
The only purpose of nuclear energy should be its
peaceful use for the welfare of the people. Over theyears, my country has shown an optimal use of theresources allocated to priority programs, achieving
high impacts as a result of its implementation. The
applications cover the fields of public health,agriculture, hydrology, food, as well as protection
and radiological safety. All Cuban nuclear programs
where nuclear energy is used are strictly peaceful.
Cuba fully complies with all its obligations as aState party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
and a member of the International Atomic Energy
Agency.
The huge military expenses that are nowadays
devoted to the maintenance and modernization of
nuclear arsenals, should be used for the benefit ofhumanity, promoting the development of countries
and definitely eradicating poverty.
Nuclear disarmament cannot continue to be aconstantly postponed goal. It is of highest priority,achieving a comprehensive, transparent, verifiable
and irreversible nuclear disarmament. Cuba iscommitted to accomplish the total elimination of
nuclear weapons and will never give up in its
efforts to achieve it.

Fernando Gonzalez Llort
Vice President, Cuban Institute ofFriendship with the Peoples
Cuba
On behalf of the Cuban delegation, we thanks theOrganizing Committee for the excellent
organization of this conference and the welcome wehave been given.
We have listened with great interest thepresentations made before, which showed that there
is a concern about the serious threat to life on ourplanet and for the survival of mankind that theexistence of nuclear weapons represent.
The potential of nuclear energy should have beenused from the same time of its discovery only forthe economic development of all countries. The
military use of nuclear energy can only bring horror
and death as a result.
Today we remember with indignation andsadness the use of nuclear weapons in 1945 and thedevastating effects a single nuclear weapon between
10 and 20 kilotons can cause, like those that
destroyed the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
However, those bombs are small compared with thecurrent ones, which can be up to 30 times bigger andmore destructive, precise and sophisticated.
It is a fact that the use of a fraction of more than114

disarmament.
The increased focus on the humanitarianconsequences of nuclear weapons – developed at 3international conferences in Norway, Mexico andAustria – has developed a very strong set ofarguments that should lead to a profoundreassessment of nuclear weapons.
The humanitarian consequences of nuclear
weapons are even graver and more complex thanpreviously understood – the risks of something
going wrong – accident – human or technical errors,
are also considerably greater and cannot be
eliminated.
There is no capacity – nationally orinternationally to deal with the humanitarian
emergency or the long term consequences should
NWs ever be used again.
These views are gaining ground in theinternational debate.
159 States have signed up to a statement on thehumanitarian consequences that was delivered byAustria’ Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz.
In addition, the “Pledge” that Austria initiated at
the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact
of NWs last December has by now been formallysupported by more than 110 States. This is aremarkable achievement and shows that more andmore States are coming to the conclusion that moredetermined action is necessary.
The pledge – which is now called the
Humanitarian Pledge - is a commitment to theurgent and full implementation of existing
disarmament obligations under the NPT; acommitment to identify and pursue effective
measures to fill the legal gap for the prohibition andelimination of nuclear weapons.
It is a commitment to cooperate with all relevant
stakeholders, States, International Organizations,the International Red Cross Movement,
parliamentarians and civil society, in efforts tostigmatize, prohibit and eliminate nuclear weaponsin light of their unacceptable humanitarianconsequences and associated risks.
The NPT Review Conference may have failed
but the humanitarian focus and initiative has clearlygained a lot of support and momentum. This
perspective will from now on be at the center of allinternational efforts for nuclear disarmament andnonproliferation.
This makes me optimistic that we will be able toachieve progress.
Austria will continue to work with this growing
number of States to implement the Humanitarian
Pledge.
However, it is clear that we need support andcooperation of civil society. We need to raise thisissue at all opportunities.

Video Message:
Alexander Kmentt
Ambassador/ Director for Disarmament,
Arms Control and Nonproliferation
Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration
and Foreign Affairs of Austria
I would like to thank Gensuikyo very much forthe opportunity to send this message to the World
Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs
taking place on the 70th anniversary of the use of
nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Last year, I had the honor to visit Hiroshima andNagasaki and to speak at this conference. I also had
the honor to meet several Hibakusha and to hear
their terrible experiences. Some took me to theplaces they have been 70 years ago when the atomic
bombs exploded. These were very moving
experiences for me.
I was also very impressed by civil society inJapan. I remember that during the conference many
ordinary men, women and children came to thestage with signs that showed the numbers of how
many signatures they had collected for a world
without nuclear weapons.
This was also very moving for me. It reminded
me what the work of diplomats and politicians
should be: to listen to the voices of the peoples intheir countries. A world without nuclear weapons is
an aspiration that is so widely shared among peoples
all around the globe.
Unfortunately, the world of diplomacy has not
yet been able to live up to this global aspiration andthe expectation of a world without nuclear weapons.
Last May, the Review Conference of the
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty failed to make any
progress. This is a collective failure and a loss for
all humankind. Increased geopolitical crisis andgreater tensions between nuclear powers haveresulted in a lack of willingness to commit toconcrete and credible nuclear disarmament steps. At
the same time, we see great sums of money being
spent on the modernization of nuclear weapons.
This seems to indicate a desire to retain nuclear
weapons for a long time rather than giving credible
signs of real willingness to move away from nuclear
weapons. This fundamentally undermines trust in
the disarmament pillar of the NPT and weakens theoverall nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation
regime.
The NPT Review Conference was particularly
disappointing because the overwhelming number of
non-nuclear weapon States and civil society had
invested so much effort in the past years to create
momentum for credible progress on nuclear

115

Austria supported the call from the Foreign
Minister of Japan that world leaders and experts
should visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I hope thatmany will follow this invitation.
Civil society in Japan has a very special role toplay. I would like to close in congratulating you on
your important work and to encourage you tocontinue your efforts for a world without nuclear
weapons. Austria and an ever increasing number ofstates fully share this goal.

Special Program Commemorating the70th Anniversary of A-Bombing -From Hiroshima to the World:
Setsuko Thurlow
Hibakusha of Hiroshima
Toronto, Canada
Dear friends, I am delighted to be here again
joining you in this conference. Shortly before I
left Toronto, Canada, where I live, I received abooklet of the record of the activities of the
Gensuikyo delegation to the NPT Review
Conference in New York. Aboard the plane toJapan, I lost no time in reading through it. By yourpassionate words for peace and against nuclear
weapons and your dedicated efforts, in particular, tocollect as many as 6 million, 330 thousand
signatures and bring them with you in your suitcases
to New York, I was so overwhelmed withadmiration that I was brought to tears.
Recently I attended two conferences. There I
was so deeply moved that I was unable to stop tears
from welling up out of my eyes. At the closing
session of the “Conference on the Humanitarian
Consequences of nuclear weapons” held in Nayarit,
Mexico about one year and a half ago, a Mexican
deputy foreign minister said in his chair’s summarythat our movement for the abolition of nuclear
weapons had reached a “point of no return”. He
further said that the next step to take was to outlaw
nuclear weapons by a legally binding framework,
thus prohibiting and eliminating them, and that “the70th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki
attacks is the appropriate milestone to achieve ourgoal.” All participants responded to this powerfulproposal with a standing ovation.
Listening towhat the Hibakusha wanted to say, or to hear, I
could not stop the tears.
The other occasion was the third Conference on
the Humanitarian Consequences held in December
last year in Vienna, where a deputy foreign minister,following the chair’s summary, made a “Pledge ofAustria”, which to me was an unexpected bonus.
Hearing it, I and Haruko Moritaki, who was seatedclose to me, threw ourselves into each other's arms
and wept, feeling that we were approaching a day
when the desire of the Hibakusha was finally sharedby the whole people of the world.
70 years ago today, I was caught by the
explosion of the atom bomb in Hiroshima. After
graduating from the university, I have been engaged
in giving my testimony of my experience from theatomic-bombing and the sense of mission of the
Hibakusha in north, central and south Americas andEurope. In north America, where many people
still justify the atomic bombings of Hiroshima andMessage of Solidarity:
Onaga Takeshi
Governor of Okinawa Prefecture
It is an honor for me to send my message to allof you who are attending the World Conference
against Atomic & Hydrogen Bombs being held inthe summer of the 70th year anniversary of the
war’s end. Also I would like to express my deep
respect to your commitment to the abolition of
nuclear weapons.
Thinking of the cruel and inhuman nature of theatomic bomb, I realize how meaningless war is andI earnestly wish for the realization of world peace
through the elimination of nuclear weapons.
Like the people of the A-bombed cities, we
Okinawans lost more than 200,000 precious lives in
the Battle of Okinawa, a fierce ground battle foughton our islands involving civilians in the final stagesof the Pacific War. We cannot ever forget the grief
we felt over the loss of our family members, friends
and loved ones.
To hand over to the next generations the tragedy
of war as we clearly remember it, exactly what itwas; what we saw with our own eyes, what we heard
with our own ears and what we know from our
firsthand experiences, is the way for us to express
our strong desire for lasting peace.
I conclude my message wishing that this World
Conference will provide an opportunity for theparticipants and people throughout the world to joinhands so that the effort to achieve a world without
nuclear weapons will bear fruit.

116

Nagasaki, it has been a challenge for me to keep
conveying my message, in spite of actions against
me such as: a bomb scare which was set at the
National Art Gallery in Ottawa; my passport was
confiscated and I was confined at Toronto Airport;a man spat at me in Cleveland, Ohio, saying, “If you
want to talk about peace, do it in Moscow withgodless communists”; and unsigned hate letterswere sent to me at my college in Virginia.
On the morning of that day, Hiroshima wassuddenly exposed to a flash of light, crashed by stormlike blast, burned down by the heat of more than 4,000
degrees Celsius and contaminated by radioactivity. I
was then a thirteen year-old schoolgirl. Miraculously,
I was rescued from under the crushed building at
1.8km from the epicenter. Most of my classmates
who were with me were burned alive. Their voicesof calling mothers or asking for god’s help still remain
in my ears.
Always alive in my memory is an image of Eiji,
my four year-old nephew. With his body burnt tocharcoal and swollen, he cried, “Boo-boo, give meboo-boo (water)”. If he were alive, he would be
74 years old now. In spite of so many years having
passed, in my mind he still appears just as he was asa 4-year-old boy. In my mind he represents all of
the innocent children of the world. His image isthe driving force which compels me to continue mystruggle against the ultimate evil of nuclear
weapons.
Forty years ago, I had the opportunity to meetmany senior activists in this World Conference.
The wisdom and encouragement I gained from themwere of immeasurable value in supporting myactivism around the world. I am deeply thankful
for them. The global objective of the abolition of
nuclear weapons we pursue cannot be attained
without global solidarity.
Although forty years have passed since the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty came into force,
there has hardly been any progress towards theabolition of nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons
states, by ignoring their own legal obligation under
Article 6 of the NPT to work toward nuclear
disarmament, and giving one excuse or another inrefusing to meet the demand of non-nuclear weapon
states, are revealing that they have no politicalintention to abolish nuclear arsenals. Yet many
non-nuclear weapon states pushing for nuclear
disarmament, together with NGOs, having run outof patience, and have launched a “Humanitarian
initiative”. This Humanitarian initiative is givinga breath of fresh air, a ray of hope cast in the dark
and seemingly dead-end street. These nations andNGOs are planning to work out a nuclear weapons
ban treaty whether the nuclear weapon states
participate or not, aimed to ultimately lead to a total

117

ban on nuclear weapons (at present 113 states aresupporting this plan). In my life in the anti-nuclear
weapons movement I have never ever felt so
hopeful as I do now. We Hibakusha, dreaming of
nuclear weapons abolition in our lifetime, feel that
this development is a significant movement to our
final goal.
The Japanese government is not supporting thiscampaign. The Hibakusha feel betrayed and hurt
by the Japanese government's inconsistent,haphazard nuclear policy. The reckless challengethat the Japanese government is now proceedingwith is causing a political crisis. We cannot accept
the subservience in the Japan-US alliance, being
pursued in disregard to the public opinion. Whaton earth did Prime Minister Abe pledge before thecenotaph at the Hiroshima peace memorial
ceremony this morning?
We must not let pass thedesecration of hundreds of thousands of those whodied and the Hibakusha who have lived through thehardship.
Our responsibility to build a nuclear-free,peaceful and just world and to defend thedemocracy of Japan is now much heavier than
before. Yet it is our responsibility to do it. You
and I together, let us intensify our efforts greaterthan ever before.

Kang Hojung
Korean Atomic Bomb Casualty
Association, ROK(Please see page 14 for the text)

Yoshii Toshihiko
Kagawa A-Bomb Survivors Association/
Jazz Pianist
It is my third time this year to play this Abombed piano. I think I have played this over 100
times so far. In fact, I was so surprised when I saw
this piano for the first time.
I had always
wondered why on earth I became a pianist, but until
then, I had found no reason why. My parents wereboth farmers, and we did not have a piano at home.
And my hands are so small and fingers are as shortas those of elementary school children. But on
March 1, 2008, I played this piano for the first time,
when I got the revelation: I became a pianist so that
I would eventually encounter and play this piano!
I was 62 years old. Since then, I have presented
myself as a cicada, who stayed underground for 62
years. After all those long years, I finally came out
on the ground and since then I have been singing
every day as a cicada in summer. I will continue
singing to this piano as long as I live. It will benice to have your encouragement and support.

in 18 different venues and Green Arena.
Here are some feedbacks written by participantsof the workshop: “Realizing that nuclear weapons
are so horrible, I felt so sad that I had goosebumps”“By listening to Hibakusha’s story, I realized
instinctively that nuclear weapons should never beallowed to exist. This is not based on logic but an
instinctive sense of human beings, which cannot bechanged so easily and should be highly respected.
This is the significance of directly listening to theirstories” “Now that I heard Hibakusha’s aspirations,
I want to share them to other people. I have to act.”
In a few years we might not be able to hear
Hibakusha’s stories directly. Therefore I believe it
is our responsibility to spread to other parts of Japan
Hibakusha’s words, lives, and struggles they haveshared with us. We were very much encouragedby the feedbacks from the participants coming fromall over Japan, realizing that they have understood
Hibakusha’s stories in the same way we did.
“I had never wanted to tell my painful story toanyone, but I have to do it now as less and lesspeople can talk about their experiences,” said one
Hibakusha, who is over 90 years old and gave her
testimony for the first time. I would like to takethis opportunity to express our deep appreciation to
the Hibakusha who have told their stories to us
young citizens.
My grandparents are Hibakusha.
Every
August they told me about their hellish A-bombed
experiences. They used to say, “Nuclear weapons
cannot coexist with human beings, so they must be
eliminated.” Their wish has become my own. In
May this year, I went to New York as a member ofthe Hiroshima delegation to the NPT Review
Conference. I was very much impressed by somany people who were gathering from all over theworld and calling, “Let’s get rid of nuclear
weapons!” in their unique ways. I am convincedthat we can surely abolish nuclear weapons if more
and more people hope for their abolition.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of theatomic bombings. In this very year the Abe
Cabinet is trying to forcibly turn Japan into a warfighting nation in complete disregard of citizens’
voices. We should never allow the war legislation.
In order to get the bills scrapped, we raise our voicein Hiroshima. In order to create a society freefrom nuclear weapons together with Hibakusha, we,
as young citizens living in Hiroshima, aredetermined to join forces and work hard withpeoples all over the world. Let us work together!

Sakuma Kunihiko
Hiroshima Federation of A-Bomb
Survivors Associations
This morning we met with Prime Minister Abe
Shinzo from 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. after attending thePeace Memorial Ceremony hosted by Hiroshima
City. Here I have brought a petition with me.
This is what 6 Hibakusha organizations in
Hiroshima Prefecture jointly submitted to the prime
minister.
I asked two questions to the prime minister.
One is about the government intention to expand thearea designated as being affected by the radioactive“black rain,” which was touched upon by Hiroshima
Mayor Matsui Kazumi in his Peace Declaration.
The prime minister’s answer sounded that it was not
the matter for the government to deal with; it wassomeone else’s problem. I doubted if he really
understood the situation of the Hibakusha.
The other question I asked was about aninternational convention to ban and eliminate
nuclear weapons. I asked him to explain theJapanese government’s stance on the nuclear
weapons convention which was taken up at the 2015
NPT Review Conference for the first time. Again,
he did not touch on this question in his remarks.
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Yoshioka
demanded withdrawal of the security bills on behalfof the Liaison Council of Hibakusha Organizationsof Hiroshima. The prime minister said that peace
diplomacy was Japan’s basic policy, but he needed
to batten down the hatches. I could not agree withwhat he was talking about. I realized that we mustjoin hands to change the government’s policy,
which is the only way to scrap the bills.
We need to urge the government to work for theconclusion of a treaty for banning and eliminating
nuclear weapons. When the court struggle overthe “black rain” issue will start soon, I would like to
ask for your kind support to us so that we can win
in this struggle. Thank you.

Miyake Noriko
No Nukes! Hiroshima Youth Organizing
Committee
At a youth workshop in the World Conference,
members of the No Nukes! Hiroshima Youth
Organizing Committee played a role of showing
young participants the way to Hibakusha’s
residential areas. This year, about 250 young
people listened to the testimonies of 52 Hibakusha118

“I challenge anyone who doubts the urgency of
nuclear disarmament to listen to their experiences.
I defy anyone to look into the eyes of thesecourageous and resilient individuals and say you
know better what nuclear weapons bring.” Iemphasize here with the highest respect that it ismany years of efforts of these courageous andresilient Hibakusha that brought about a jointstatement endorsed by 159 nations on “thehumanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons.”
When 6.33 million signatures collected in Japanfor the abolition of nuclear weapons were submitted
to U.N., Ambassador Taous Feroukhi of Algeria,
President of the Conference, said, “[W]hen enoughpeople speak, their leaders will learn to listen and toact in accordance with their will.” This is thepower that ultimately opens the way to achieve a
nuclear-free world by starting negotiations on a
nuclear weapons convention.
We can change Japan if everyone can be
motivated to raise his and her voice and stand up for
what’s right. Let’s work together to create a better
future for all.

Greetings of Solidarity:
Shii Kazuo
Executive Committee Chair, JapaneseCommunist Party/ Member of the Houseof Representatives of Japan
I extend my greetings of passionate solidarity to
all delegates attending the 2015 World Conference
against Atomic & Hydrogen Bombs from inside andoutside Japan.
This conference of the year of the 70th
anniversary of the end of World War II is also being
held as we see a new momentum building toward a
nuclear-free world in the midst of the struggle
against the war bills that will enable Japan to yetagain wage wars abroad.
What I want to emphasize here is that ourcommitment to create a world without nuclear
weapons and our struggle to defend Article 9 ofJapan’s Constitution are closely linked.
Why has Japan been able to maintain aconstitution with its Article 9 which not only
renounces war but also disallows the possession offorces? Of course, it is in part a reflection of ourremorse for causing the huge damages andsufferings of Japanese as well as other Asianpeoples by its war of aggression and colonial rule.
It also reflects our determination to never repeatsuch a war.
At the same time, I believe that Article 9
expresses our desire to never allow to repeat
anywhere in the world the hell brought onto
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which had been beautiful
cities that were destroyed in mere seconds by
nuclear weapons. I believe Japanese citizens’
desire for peace generated Article 9 which we areproud of before the world.
In Article 9 isenshrined the desire of No More Hiroshimas and No
More Nagasakis.
Let’s create a peaceful Japan and a peacefulworld by merging the movement for eliminating
nuclear weapons with the movement against the
proposed war bills!
Let’s have theunconstitutional bills forced to be scraped by our
movement!
It is great to see each concerned citizen raising
his or her voice in Japan and throughout the world
and acting as key players working to create andmaintain world peace.
In regard to our endeavor to achieve theelimination of nuclear weapons, it is the power ofthe growing movement of citizens led by Hibakusha
that moves international politics in the right
direction.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in his
statement to the NPT Review Conference this year:

Grass-Roots Actions for a World
without Nuclear Weapons:
He JunChinese People’s Association for Peaceand Disarmament
People’s Republic of China
I think it is significant for us to gather here in
Hiroshima to review history and discuss ways tomaintain the world’s security and peace. Allow me,
on behalf of the Chinese People’s Association for
Peace and Disarmament, to express our cordial
gratitude to the organizing committee for its
proactive effort in preparation for the World
Conference.
Seventy years ago, the atomic bombings ofHiroshima and Nagasaki caused tremendous humandamage. I would like to take this opportunity to
express my deepest sympathy to all the victims ofthe tragedy. I’d also like to congratulate the peopleof Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the rest of Japan on thesocial development and economic growth they haveachieved through efforts after WWII by pursuing
the path for peaceful development.
With the world being polarized, theglobalization of the economy underway, and society
becoming IT-driven, the international community is
becoming day by day a community sharing
common destiny. Peace, development, cooperation,and the win-win approach constitute an irresistible
world trend.

119

Coordination and cooperation have recently
increased in the international community,
perseveringly promoting global nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear disarmament, and the processof nuclear security. Our goal to achieve a nuclearfree world through a total ban on nuclear weapons
and their elimination has been widely accepted
these days. The international society has the sharedawareness in regard to nuclear nonproliferation.
Nevertheless, there are many pending nuclear issues
that we cannot overlook. The full implementation of
the NPT is thwarted in many ways. Above anythingelse, we must pay attention to the issue of nuclear
security, which is still a sword of Damocles hanging
over our heads. I don’t think we can be optimistic
about the present world situation regarding nuclear
weapons.
As a nuclear state, China has been working hardto promote nuclear disarmament, tenaciously
calling for a total ban on nuclear weapons and theircomplete elimination. Soon after China possessed
nuclear weapons, we cordially declared to the world
our determination to not preemptively use nuclear
weapons at any time and under any circumstances.
China promised it will neither use, nor threat to use,
nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states
or nuclear-free zones. China’s nuclear strategy is
structured on self-defense. It maintains its nuclear
forces at a minimum level to ensure the national
security. It has never deployed nuclear weapons
outside the country. It has never participated andwill never take part in the nuclear arms race in any
ways. In April this year, the Standing Committeeof the National People’s Congress discussed andapproved the Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear
Weapon Free Zone in Central Asia. This isintended to support the international nuclear
nonproliferation regime and ensure the security of
the neighboring areas. Amity, sincerity, mutual
benefit, and tolerance are China’s approaches todiplomacy with neighboring countries.
Here, I would like to take this opportunity to callon all nuclear powers to steadfastly implement theircommitment to nuclear disarmament and not to seek
to possess nuclear weapons permanently. In orderto reduce threats of nuclear weapons, nuclear
powers should abandon their policy of threatening
with nuclear weapons based on the doctrine of thepre-emptive use of nuclear weapons, promise not touse nuclear weapon preemptively, and startnegotiations on a treaty of non-first-use of nuclear
weapons. Nuclear powers should also make clearthat they will not threaten to use or use the weapons
against non-nuclear countries or in nuclear-freezones. In addition, I hope countries should giveup developing a missile defense system thatchanges the strategic stability of the world, promotevigorously multilateral negotiations on the use of
space for peaceful purposes to avoid a space arms
race, and create a good atmosphere for global
strategic environments for nuclear disarmament.
If we make a step forward in the nuclear
disarmament efforts, the world will be a safer place.
The Chinese People’s Association for Peace andDisarmament is the largest civil organization in
China. Its main aim is to promote mutual
understanding, friendship and cooperation between
Chinese people and peoples around the world, work
together to maintain global peace, oppose the arms
race and war, call on the total ban and eliminationof weapons of mass destruction including nuclear
weapons, and facilitate the harmonious
development of the world. Our association will
work to promote mutual understanding andfriendship among peoples as well as peace andsecurity of the world.
Today, as we meet here and witness theprosperity of Hiroshima that resurrected from its
total devastation, we must keep in mind theimportance of realizing that we can maintain social
stability and people’s happiness only if we take thepath of peaceful development. We will join you in
defending peace and justice of the world and oppose
war. Let us walk hand in hand to help people gain
confidence in the prospect of a nuclear-free,peaceful and secure world.

Bruce Gagnon
Global Network Against Weapons &Nuclear Power in SpaceI bring you greetings from the Global Network
Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. We
have just been in Kyoto for our 23rd annual spaceorganizing conference. We were invited to holdour meeting there by local activists who areprotesting the US deployment of a so-called‘missile defense’ radar system aimed at China.
The US missile defense program is a key
element in Pentagon first-strike attack planning.
Today the US is encircling Russia and China withmissile defense systems that would serve as the‘shield’ after a Pentagon first-strike attack. The
missile defense shield would pick off retaliatory
strikes made by Russia or China giving the US atheoretical victory. The missile defense programis dangerous, expensive and highly provocative.
Each year the US Space Command holds acomputer war game where they simulate such afirst-strike attack on Russia and China.
The US is now deploying missile defense
systems on land and on-board Navy destroyers
throughout the Asia-Pacific as part of Obama’s

120

‘pivot’ into the region. Missile defense has been
deployed in Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, South Korea,
Guam, Philippines and Australia.
The US and NATO are also deploying thesesystems near Russia’s border in Poland, Romania
and Turkey as well as onboard Navy warships in the
Mediterranean, Black and Baltic Seas.
Both Russia and China have repeatedly warned
the US and NATO that these aggressive
deployments will halt any further negotiations fornuclear disarmament. Thus we clearly see the link
between missile defense and a new arms race.
At the same time that NATO is expanding like acancer up to the Russian border the US controlled
NATO alliance has formed ‘partnerships’ withJapan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The goal is to turn NATO into a global military war
machine under the control of corporate capitalism.
The word ‘interoperability’ is frequently used
these days to describe the role that NATO allies willplay when they become partners with the US. Thismeans that all allies must use high-tech militaryequipment that can be run through the existing US
military satellite system.
This requires alliedcountries, like Japan, to either buy weapons from
US aerospace corporations or build systems thatwill be ‘interoperable’ with Pentagon military
programs. In the end the US will control all of thisand will have successfully forced NATO partners to
help pay for the construction of the massive military
program called ‘Full Spectrum Dominance’.
As the US ‘pivots’ its military into the AsiaPacific the Pentagon will need more airfields for its
warplanes, more ports-of-call for its warships, andmore barracks for its troops. Thus we see the US
forcing construction of new or expanded bases on
Okinawa, Jeju Island in South Korea, Guam and inother nations across the Pacific.
As the US-NATO globalize their war machine,
the peace movement must globalize our opposition
to these endless war plans. We must work harder
to support resistance movements in places like
Okinawa and Jeju Island where they not only
oppose bases but also fight to protect theenvironment. We must work harder to show the
public how the military is the biggest polluter on theplanet.
We must demand that our nation’s
resources be used to deal with the coming reality ofclimate change – not be wasted on more war.
No missile defense!
No more Hiroshima and Nagasaki!
Save Article 9!

Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm
Evangelical Lutheran Church inGermany/ World Council of Churches
Something New after 70 Years:
A Way Forward Together
All of us here today are united by a great hope:
After 70 years of fear, it is high time to abolishnuclear weapons. And we hope that someday thisgoal will be achieved. I share that hope with you onbehalf of the World Council of Churches which has
member churches on every continent, here in Japan,
and in my own country of Germany.
Thankfully, in this anniversary year, there issomething new. It is a new way forward together
towards a world free of nuclear weapons. It is a
growing worldwide majority rejecting the threatsthat began with the bombing of this city. It is a
growing number of governments, civil society
organizations, and people inspired by humanitarianvalues, by compassion, and by the vision that thisworld is truly one.
Our world urgently needs such new initiative.
The multilateral mechanisms that are tasked withending nuclear dangers have not kept their promise.
Nuclear nations are not joining non-nuclear nations
in really filling the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty and the Conference on Disarmament withlife. Nuclear powers keep denying the evidence
about the catastrophic humanitarian consequencesof nuclear weapons.
They are praising
disarmament as a goal while spending untold
billions to modernize their nuclear arsenals for use
far into the future.
But there is hope. More and more of the nonnuclear majority are working together to no longer
tolerate this situation but take new initiatives toovercome it. I refer to the Humanitarian Pledge,
the fruit of three years of majority action. The
Pledge calls us to “close the legal gap for theprohibition and elimination” of nuclear weapons.
113 states have now endorsed it. More continue tojoin, urged on by civil society including religiousorganizations.
This new majority is alreadyvisible in the 159 countries joining their votes todeclare: “nuclear weapons must never be used again,
under any circumstances”.
What is new is the growing global majority
being empowered to break the deadlock overnuclear disarmament. Surely, a 95-percent majorityof states, backed by global public opinion, has thepower to outlaw nuclear weapons. A ban will notmake nuclear weapons vanish, but law is anecessary step toward their abolition and an
essential instrument towards their elimination.
This new way forward will only succeed if

121governments and civil society move together. The
way forward is difficult. The crisis over Ukraine
is bringing out dangerous old habits. Fear is being
mobilized to increase support for nuclear weapons.
Members of NATO assert that Cold War-style
nuclear confrontation is necessary, and eveninevitable, in the crisis over Ukraine.
The politics of fear and confrontation are sadly
familiar here in Northeast Asia. Nuclear weapons
thrive here under such conditions. 70 years ago,
atomic bombs were used on two cities. Today, all
the cities of the region stand at risk. Every country
in this region either possesses nuclear weapons or
depends on the nuclear arsenal of the United States.
The World Council of Churches held aworldwide Assembly near here, in South Korea, in2013.
Member churches from Asia influenced theAssembly. Living inside the target zones of
opposing nuclear forces, living among nuclear
power plants, they called for eliminating nuclear
weapons as a step toward peace and for replacing
nuclear power as a step toward sustainable
development.
My church in Germany, and churches aroundthe world, are also influenced by the hibakusha ofHiroshima, Nagasaki and also Fukushima. Their
brave witness that no one else must ever suffer theirfate is a source of strength to all people including
Christians.
The hibakusha’s story shows that human beingsare called to a new way of living: We must live inways that protect life instead of putting it at risk.
We must not use the energy of the atom in ways thatthreaten and destroy life. To do so is a sinful
misuse of God’s creation. We must refuse toaccept that the mass destruction of other peoples canbe a legitimate form of protection for ourselves.
For this 70th anniversary, the World Council ofChurches has sent church leaders here from sevencountries that do not agree yet to close the legal gap
around nuclear weapons. We are here from twocountries that have nuclear weapons – the UnitedStates and Pakistan – and from five countries thatprofess support for nuclear disarmament but are still
willing to have nuclear weapons used on theirbehalf. After this historic anniversary our plan isto go home to talk with our governments about what
was done to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to ask why
our governments are still prepared 70 years later todestroy hundreds of cities even more terribly, and tourge our governments to join the new Humanitarian
Pledge.
The 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings is
a promising time for all of us. Let us move
forward together. To ban nuclear weapons issomething new, something necessary andsomething a world majority must finally do.

Matsuo Yuki
Miyazaki Federation of Democratic
Medical Institutions (Miyazaki Min-Iren)First, I would like to say thank you for giving
me an opportunity to attend the World Conference
against A and H Bombs in this historical year, 70
years after the tragedy.
I know my speech won’t be perfect but I’ll try
my best to represent the Japan Federation of
Democratic Medical Institutions (Min-Iren). I am
in my first year of the training program for doctors
at Miyazaki Co-op Hospital.
Through my four-month experience as a trainee
doctor, I have realized the importance of life on
many occasions. The smile of patients leaving the
hospital after their recovery gives me and othermedical experts great joy. Some patients cannot
avoid death despite the treatment they receive. In
any case, patients showed a cheerful look on theirface when their family came to the hospital. As a
trainee doctor, I have seen more life and death, andthis has made me realize life’s brightness andgreatness more deeply.
War and nuclear weapons take these precious
lives in the blink of an eye.
This hospital accepted me as an apprenticewhen I was a student, and at the time I also learned
about activities for peace and started to participate
in them.
During that time, a doctor asked me a question:
If war begins and a wounded soldier is taken to you,doctors will naturally try to save him. The saved
soldier, however, goes to the battlefield again andhe may lose his life. Can we still say we saved thissoldier? Or maybe this soldier shoots and kills
somebody. In this case, who do you say pulled thetrigger?
The soldier?
The doctor?
This
question made me realize that in war medical
treatment to save lives could in turn take somebody
else’s life. I strongly felt we mustn’t let it happen.
At the same time, I vehemently reject nuclear
weapons, which take a huge number of lives in an
instant.
Since World War II, Japan has maintained thepolicy of anti-war and anti-nuclear weapons under
Article 9 of the Constitution, an article we are proudof. Today, unfortunately, step by step Japan is
gradually moving toward war. Min-Iren in its
program states that we oppose all wars in any form
which destroy human life and health, work toabolish nuclear weapons, and protect peace and theenvironment.
To avoid the worst-case scenario, we, as a122

member of Min-Iren, will continue the anti-war andanti-nuclear weapons movement in Miyazaki,
together with other members around the country.
I had my mind made up to do this after meeting
various people and directly listening to Hibakusha
in this conference.
I invite all of you from across the country andaround the world, to continue to work hand in handto achieve a world of peace without war and nuclear
weapons.

from an intractable neurological disease and I havepain in my hands all day. I have been denying theway I am. But now I am different. Ms. Harada
gave me the courage to accept myself, and to live
and act.
In this 70th year of the Atomic-bombing, I am
participating in the World Conference with threecolleagues of Shinfujin’s stretching exercise circle
in my community. We are the ones to carry thestory of Hiroshima over to next generations and to
take action!

Members of Kanagawa Chapter
New Japan Women’s Association

Sakata Ayako
I am Sakata Ayako. Just imagining that mychildren might go to war would make me feeldifficulty in breathing. Sending these children to
the battlefield is absolutely unacceptable. Our
shared desire is: “Don’t let anyone’s child be killed.”
What is needed now is not to “propose alternatives”
to the war bills, but to “scrap them”.
More and more women are organizing red
actions all across Japan.
Unable to sit still,
mothers and their children rallied in Shibuya, Tokyo,
protesting the war bills! No one can stop us
anymore!
Let us join hands together to force Prime
Minister Abe to raise the white flag in surrender!
Let us block the war bills no matter what.
Let us now chant our messages loud with
Shinfujin sisters from all over Japan. Please joinus. “No to war. Protect our children. Moms
decided never to make war. Everyone decided
never to make war. For these 70 years we havecommitted to this decision.
We will not letanyone’s child be killed. Don’t let anyone’s childbe killed.”
We will carry on and hand over the wishes andmessages of Hibakusha to next generations. Let
us be united!

Oishi Mai
Konnichiwa! I’m Oishi Mai. I participated in the
New York actions where I learned many people aresuffering from nuclear damage all over the world,and I felt firsthand many people’s desire and thepower of the movement. Above all, I learned theimportance of the Japanese grassroots movement
and of the effort to have more people join the
movement. I was especially impressed by thewords of the Hibakusha quoted in one of thepresentations during the International Meeting: “I
used to hate the United States. But after I joined
Shinfujin, I have changed. Hatred invites hatred
and there is no end to it. I have learned that the
only way to truly respond to the desire of the
Hibakusha is to be a part of the movement to abolish
war and eliminate nuclear weapons.” I realizedthat each step many people had taken for peace withjoy and sorrow in the course of history have led us
to where we were. This is why I decided to be oneof those who follow the path and join Shinfujin in
New York.
With conviction that my first step, however
small it is, will lead to a peaceful future, I willcontinue working with my colleagues.
Nagashima Minami
My name is Nagashima Minami. Right after I
came back from New York, I went to see Ms.
Harada, a Hibakusha who lives in my neighborhood.
She said that after the A-bomb was dropped, shefled, leaving behind a lady who was buried under
the fallen house and asking for help. All she could
do was to say “I’m sorry.” She told me she had
never stopped regretting that she acted inhumanly.
Then she said, “There is no excuse. I have to face
what I have done. That is why we need to learn sothat what I experienced will never happen again.
Learning will give you the power to live strong.”
Since I was 20 years old, I have been suffering123Resolution of the 70th Anniversary Hiroshima Day Rally
2015 World Conference against A & H Bombs
August 6, 2015

Hiroshima Appeal“For as long as there are human beings; a world of human beings
give back peace; a peace that will not crumble”(From the Prelude of “Poems of the Atomic Bomb” written by Toge Sankichi,
translated by Karen Thornber)
In the 70th summer since the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and since the end of the Asia-Pacificwar, we are holding this year's World Conference against A & H Bombs at a time when the voices of people
from different generations are mounting on a larger scale than ever calling for a “peace that will not crumble”
to be maintained.
The proposed “war bills” are intended to enable Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to use force abroad and to
exercise the “right of collective self-defense”. They will overturn the Constitution of Japan which pledges tonever wage war again. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were brought about by the war, andthat tragedy tells us that war could end up in destruction of civilization and annihilation of humankind.
We have been raising our voices that Hiroshima and Nagasaki should never be repeated. From the Abombed city of Hiroshima, we send our messages together with the Hibakusha: “Don’t wage war.” “Abolishnuclear weapons.”
The 2015 NPT Review Conference has made clear that the world current toward the abolition of nuclear
weapons has become strong enough to allow no roll-back. The joint statement condemning the use of
nuclear weapons as a crime against humanity has been supported by 80 percent of NPT States parties. The
majority of NPT parties called for legal measures such as a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. The power ofpublic voices and movements, as shown by the more than 6.3 million signatures that we submitted to the
NPT Review Conference, supports this solid development. If national governments, internationalorganizations, and grassroots people join forces to create an overwhelming public voice, it is possible toovercome the “nuclear deterrence” theory and open a path toward a “world without nuclear weapons”.
The role Japan’s movement should play has become more critical. The average age of the Hibakusha isover 80. It is an urgent task to pass Hibakusha’s experiences, struggles, aspirations, and their life stories on toyounger generations and to disseminate information about the damage and aftereffects of the atomic bombing.
Let us hold A-bomb exhibitions and gatherings to listen to Hibakusha testimonies in every city, town andvillage. Let us further develop the signature campaign calling for a world without nuclear weapons. Let us
strengthen our activities to extend relief and solidarity with the Hibakusha, achieve State compensation for theirsuffering, and support Hibakusha’s concerted lawsuits on the A-bomb disease recognition system.
The Abe Cabinet’s argument that the “war bills” will enhance “deterrence” runs counter to the world trend
seeking peaceful resolution of conflicts. Continued reliance on the U.S. “nuclear umbrella” under theJapan-U.S. military alliance goes against people’s wish for the abolition of nuclear weapons. We should
not allow the Abe Cabinet to obscure Japan’s remorse and apology over its wartime colonial rule andaggression by issuing a statement on the 70th anniversary of the war’s end. Let us scrap the “war bills”.
Let us protect and make full use of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution.
The “all-Okinawan” struggle against the construction of a new U.S. base in Henoko has now cornered thegovernment and entered a new stage. Let us unite with their struggle in every part of Japan. We oppose thereactivation of nuclear power plants, including the Sendai plant, and join forces with the movements calling forzero nuclear power plants. Let us strengthen support for victims of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
accident. Let us oppose moves to destroy employment and living conditions and to expand poverty and disparity.
Let us bring together people’s wishes for peace, life, and safe living and defeat the Abe Government.
A big change is now emerging form actions of individual citizens who have stood up and raised their voices basedon their own will. Now is the time for us to join together with all people wishing for peace and to speak up.
No more Hiroshimas! No more Nagasakis! No more Hibakusha! No more war!

124

Gathering in Nagasaki
2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs(August 7)

ban them through international law.
I amconvinced that the Hibakusha and others who raised
their voices to abolish nuclear weapons havepromoted this change and that civil society needs towork harder to accelerate the move toward a world
without nuclear weapons.
Unfortunately, the Review Conference of the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty held this year, 70
years after the bombing, failed to adopt a final
document. However, a record number 159 countries,
including Japan supported the Joint Statement on the
Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons led
by the Austrian government. I believe this shows thatpeople around the world today share the hope of
Hibakusha and Nagasaki citizens to eliminate all
nuclear weapons from the world.
To achieve a world without nuclear weapons
needs persistent and a united effort of civil society.
I hope that everybody here today will share thedesire for peace and spread the voice for a nuclear
weapon-free world throughout the country and theworld.
In conclusion, I wish you success in the “2015World Conference against A and H Bombs” and I
pray for your good health and a bright future.

Keynote Address on Behalf of theOrganizer:
Tomida Koji
Drafting Committee Chair(Please see page 89 for the text)

Greetings by Nagasaki Mayor:
Taue Tomihisa
Mayor of Nagasaki City
On the occasion of the 2015 World Conference
against A and H Bombs-Nagasaki, I would like to
speak on behalf of the citizens of Nagasaki City.
I express my deep respect for all of you, whoevery year, are firmly committed to activities forpeace to eliminate nuclear weapons and realize
permanent peace around the world.
At 11:02 AM on August 9, 1945, an atomic bomb
destroyed Nagasaki City. In an instant, the bomb
turned the city into ruins, taking the precious lives of
74,000 people including children and the elderly.
Furthermore, 75,000 people who survived suffered
incurable wounds over their body and in their minds.
Even to this day, 70 years after the bombing, many of
those people are still suffering from the damage causedby the radiation.
Hibakusha and other citizens of Nagasaki City
have been calling for a world without nuclear
weapons to ensure nobody around the world again
will experience the same hardship they endured.
With these efforts as a backdrop, the international
community is increasingly focusing on theinhumane nature of nuclear weapons and moving toStatements by Government
Representatives:
Muhammad Anshor
Ambassador/ Deputy Permanent
Representative of the Republic ofIndonesia to the U.N.
(Please see page 96 for the full text)
125international conference.
We are honored by the four visits to Venezuelain recent years made by Hibakushas, who have been
onboard, the Peace Boat, spreading a message ofpeace around the world, demanding the prohibitionand non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. During
their recent visit to Venezuela, in June, our People
and government had the opportunity to hear theinvaluable testimony of the Hibakushas.
Also, this occasion is to reaffirm our support tothe principles and objectives of the global network
initiative of Mayors for Peace, founded by theauthorities of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,of which Venezuela currently participates with 25
member cities.
As we commemorate the 70th anniversary of theatomic bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
my wife Erika and I would like to express ourappreciation to the organizers and attendees at thisWorld Conference and to reiterate our commitment
to jointly achieve a world of peace, free from thethreat of nuclear weapons.

Seiko Ishikawa
Ambassador to Japan
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
On behalf of the Government and People of the
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, it is an honor toconvey to all participants a message of solidarity at
this World Conference against Atomic andHydrogenBombs,
especially
this
year,
commemorating the 70th Anniversary of theheinous atomic bombing to the cities of Nagasaki
and Hiroshima, in which thousands of people diedcausingdirecatastrophic
humanitarianconsequences.
It's been seven decades since the end of WorldWar II and images of those attacks still haunt theconscience of humanity. Hiroshima and Nagasaki
represent for the world, the permanent sublimationof the value of the human spirit.
Venezuela is a country with a very highhumanitarian and social sensitivity in theconstruction of a new global equilibrium, identified
with the principles of equality, solidarity andinternational cooperation, positioned to strengthen
multilateralism and advocating the peacefulcoexistence of States, in accordance to the Charterof the United Nations.
International action of the Bolivarian Republicof Venezuela regarding disarmament and security
are defined by its foreign policy, and its national
Constitution, which requires it to promote nuclear
disarmament and prohibits the production or use of
nuclear weapons.
Venezuela, as a member of the Treaty of NonProliferation of Nuclear Weapons, reaffirms thenecessity of its universalization to ensure a true
world of peace. In particular, we must strengthen thethree pillars of the NPT in a balanced and nondiscriminatory fashion, and ensure thatcommitments made at the NPT Review Conference
are fulfilled, especially by Nuclear Weapon States.
Their security doctrines and military strategy basedon the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons
against Non-Nuclear Weapon States must come toan end.
Venezuela welcomes the outcome of the Iranand P5+1 agreement. We just hope that the same
political thrust and media attention that has been
given to the agreement can also be applied to theMiddle East region, in particular to the establishmentof the Nuclear Weapons Free Zone which is an
important contribution towards the total eliminationof nuclear weapons. As part of the first densely
populated zone free of nuclear weapons, we urge allmembers for full implementation of the 1995
Resolution for Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the
Middle East and the successful convening of its

Address of the Hibakusha:
Taniguchi Sumiteru
Hibakusha of Nagasaki
Co-Chairperson, Nihon Hidankyo
A Pledge in the 70th Year
Dear friends from around the country as well asfrom abroad, thank you very much for joining thisgathering in Nagasaki. I would like to extend myheartfelt welcome to you all.
We are now at a historic moment: Tomorrow, we
will commemorate the 70th anniversary of theatomic bombing of Nagasaki.
On August 9 seventy years ago, a U.S. atomic
bomb dropped from the sky of Nagasaki City killed
more than 70,000 people in an instant.
I was 16 years old and a postman at that time. I wasdelivering mails by bicycle in Sumiyoshi-machi about
1.8 kilometers from the hypocenter. All of a suddenfrom behind me there came a rainbow of light, and I wasblown off my feet by a powerful blast and landed
against the road.
Some time later, I got up to find the skin fallingin tatters off my left arm, peeling from my shoulder
to my fingers. I also touched my back and realizedthat my shirt was burned and something slimy stuck
to my skin.
After spending two nights in the mountain, I was
rescued on the morning of the third day after thebombing. I was taken to several different aid
stations. In November I was admitted to Omura
126

Navy Hospital. I was confined in the hospital for
43 months. Since I had burns on my back, I laid
down on my stomach for the first 21 months. My
life was hanging in the balance. For this reason,
my chest eroded to the bones due to bedsores.
Even today, my chest looks as if it is hollowed out.
You can see my heart beating between my ribs.
My lung capacity is said to be about half of theaverage person.
Those who narrowly survived had health problems
and had their living conditions jeopardized. Without
government assistance, they were virtually left
unattended for 12 years. We were encouraged by the
movement against A and H bombs, which emerged
and grew in the wake of the U.S. hydrogen bomb test
explosion at Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific in 1954.
We founded the Japan Confederation of A- and HBomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo).
We have made efforts to make the damage andaftereffects of the atomic bombings known to theworld.
An overwhelming majority of world opinion
denounces nuclear weapons as weapons against
humanity and is demanding they are banned andeliminated.
The other day, I met Dr. Matsumoto Sunao, who
was my doctor 69 years ago at the Omura Navy
Hospital. As I had been on my stomach for a longtime in the hospital, I had never seen his face. He
said he remembered my reddened back and said,“Thank you for surviving till today.”I will continue to tell the world as long as I live
about the damage and aftereffects of the atomic
bombings to promote the movement to achieve aworld without nuclear weapons.
Friends, after World War II, Japan established
the Constitution pledging to the world that it will
not wage war or possess war potential. But there
are moves to allow the country to exercise the rightto collective self-defense, promote constitutional
revision, and to take us back to prewar days. I
categorically oppose the bills that pave the way for
war.
Don’t give up. Let us do all we can.

participating but actively involved in organizing the
programmes of Hiroshima Day. So my relation
with movement against Nuclear Weapons is notrecent one. Those days we used to explain only
about inhuman effects of Atom Bomb on the basisof lesson which we have learned in school days.
Thus I must accept that my inspiration to join thismovement for nuclear disarmament and peace is thelesson in my history book about Hiroshima andNagasaki. When for the first time I read about it,
I thought that how can one human being be so cruelagainst another human being? Whenever I think
about nuclear weapons the first thing which comesto my mind is about the pains and sufferings ofvictims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the pathetic
condition of “Hibakushas”. I equally feel angered
against U.S. Imperialism who did this inhuman andbarbaric act and it has to be condemned by every
person on this earth.
Being Indian I have to admit that after preaching
before the International Court of Justice that thenuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction
and it should be abolished. However in 1998,
Indian ruling class took complete “U” turn and went
for Nuclear test and declared the possession of
nuclear weapons and in retaliation Pakistan
reciprocated with similar announcement. Both thegovernments gave same excuse of “Deterrence”.
But within few years, hollowness of said excuse was
exposed before everybody when Kargil war took
place and there were threatening of launching nuclear
attacks.
After the acquisition of Nuclear weapons by
India and Pakistan, my resolve to fight against
nuclear weapons became stronger. After Nuclear
test of 1998, we took out peace March from
‘Pokhran to Sarnath’ and I still remember thewholehearted support provided by Gensuikyo tosaid march and they also brought for us the poster
exhibition of Atomic Bomb victims and I still
remember that for more than 10 years I went withthat in hundreds of schools which immensely
helped us for campaigning against nuclear weapons.
I still remember that on one occasion we also
arranged the programme of Hibakusha who all theway came from Hiroshima to Nagpur and otherplaces in India. The birth of our organisation is
only after the nuclear test to oppose the nuclear
weapons and with umbrella of 300 organisations weare involved in this anti-nuclear movement for the
past 15 years. We also tried to mobilise Pakistanipeople on this issue and I was part of Peace
Conference held at Karachi in 2003 for the samegoal.
India and Pakistan are not part of NPT, but people
fighting against nuclear weapons had lots of hopefrom NPT Review conference 2015 but its outcome

Next Step for a Nuclear Weapon-Free
World:
Prakash Meghe
Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament andPeace, India
Dear Friends, I am here with greetings from myorganisation Coalition for Nuclear Disarmamentand Peace and also from my home town Nagpur.
Since my college days, I am not only127

was no doubt disappointed. At the same time it is
not completely discouraging because we have to also
appreciate that 113 states signed ‘Humanitarian
Pledge’ and it gives me more strength and hope forour struggle and it could be possible because of large
participation of Japanese people in May 2015 in New
York and efforts by other peace loving people. I
also express solidarity on behalf of my organisation
for the struggle started by Japanese people against
U.S. bases, against ‘Security Laws’ and to save theirconstitution. I am very much impressed by the
movement which is taking place at Okinawa. I wish
if we are able to build such movement at every nook
and corner of the world then our dream to save earth
from nuclear weapons is not far.
I must tell you that like atomic bomb victims,
the sufferings of other victims of radiation at
nuclear power stations and uranium mines areequally painful and that is why at number of placesin India where Government is planning to have such
power stations, the people are vehemently opposing
by taking strength from struggle of Hibakushas. I
consider the said struggle is part of our struggle
against nuclear weapons and my organisation is also
committed to it and to achieve the goal of abolitionof nuclear weapons. Let us take pledge to spreadthis message in every street, every nook and corner- every home on this earth. No more Hiroshima,
No more Nagasaki, No more wars.

in addition to its long-term effects on human healthand the environment, wreaked devastation on apreviously unimaginable scale.
That same year, the world saw the creation of a
new tool with the potential to work for world peace:
the United Nations.
Today, the French Communist Party isconcerned to see that violence and war are
spreading throughout the world, especially where
people already live in extreme poverty andhumiliation. And we are appalled to hear theleaders of the world's most powerful nations using
the same disastrous methods.
Indeed, military interventions failed to produce
any positive results, and have made the situation
worse.
The arms trade enables the great powers to holdon to their wealth. The maintenance of nuclear
arsenals is erroneously called the "politics ofdissuasion". This only serves to maintain inequality
among nations and fuel the flames of war, threatening
the very survival of humankind. We need to invent
new political solutions.
The world is dangerous because it is profoundly
unequal. And fanatics take advantage of the vacuum
left by failed and corrupt states, the sufferings ofsocieties that are spilt and divided.
The conviction of French Communists andmillions of progressive women and men in France,in Europe and around the world, is that we must
redouble our efforts to unite our forces and raise our
voices together to stop the insane machinery of war.
The world is dangerous because it is notdemocratic, because international relations are notbased on terms of equality.
"Dialogue of the deaf" was prevalent at the last
NPT conference: whereas the great majority of nonNATO countries are forceful in their demands for atreaty to abolish nuclear weapons, based on the threeconferences in Oslo, Nayarit and Vienna, which
reported on the disastrous, uncontrolled impact of
any use of the atomic bomb. The five most powerfulnations have remain locked into their outdated
concept of the world.
The political and military organisation, NATO,has no legitimacy with regard to international law
and agreements, or to the United Nations Charter.
And its existence lends legitimacy to the possessionof nuclear weapons by other countries.
The UN proposal to advance zone by zone, andto work on the denuclearization of the Middle East,and I would add: the denuclearization of Europe
itself, is a phase that is not to be neglected, but its
success is also dependent on the real power of theinstitution.
The UN must be deeply restructured, so thatinternational relations are better balanced andPierre Laurent
French Communist Party, France
For a world of justice and peace, free of
nuclear weapons
First of all, I would like to thank Gensuikyo fororganising this World Conference for Peace and for
inviting me to take the floor in the name of theFrench Communist Party.
The French Communist Party is present for thecommemoration
ceremonies
markingtheanniversary of the catastrophes of Hiroshima andNagasaki, to express our enduring commitment tothe struggle for peace.
Seventy years after the end of the nightmare of theSecond World War, a war that brutally ripped
through Asia, we are still trying to protect the worldfrom another potential tragedy.
1945 opened a new period for the world: inEurope it was the end of Nazism and the horror ofthe death camps was revealed to all humankind. In
Asia, Americans dropped atomic bombs for the firsttime in history creating a new threat for the futureof humanity.
The immediate destructive power of the bomb,
128

democracy ameliorated. The United Nations
Assembly is an essential component of any peacefulsolution of conflict. It must be granted newlegitimacy by the peoples of the world and build new
relations among nations. At stake is the recognitionof multilateralism and the construction of peacefulrelations based on cooperation among nations thatare free and equal and under law.
This struggle cannot be separated from thestruggle for a treaty abolishing nuclear weapons,
and more generally for seeking solutions that willbring progress to all nations.
In the struggle for peace, key elements aredevelopment, universal resources and the common
good, as well as education, health, food sovereignty,
the right to energy and, of course, disarmament.
As Jean Jaurès said, before he was assassinatedbecause of his objection to the First World War:"The struggle for world peace is the greatest battleof all."This is unfortunately truer than ever and thisstruggle is ours; all of the bridges that we can build
between the peoples of the world will contribute towinning universal peace.

respected. This is my commitment to the peace
movement.

Mouri Yasuyuki
Miyazaki Gensuikyo
I am Mouri from Miyazaki Prefecture. I’d liketo speak about two things. Firstly, when the peacemarch went through Miyazaki, it rained and rained
all days.
Nevertheless, over 550 people
participated in the march this year, compared to some
400 in normal years. It proved the significance ofthe 70th year of the atomic bombing. Second pointis the outcome of the NPT New York actions. We
sent 4 delegates from Miyazaki Prefecture. We
published an 8-page color printed report on our
activities in New York and presented this when we
had meetings with mayors or local assembly
chairpersons. They were impressed to learn thatsuch activities were organized by Gensuikyo, andGensuikyo organizations in Miyazaki. As a resultof our activities here, all local governments ofMiyazaki prefecture have declared themselves
nuclear-free municipalities, and this spring, I was
informed that all of them joined the Mayors for Peace.
We will continue our campaigns in Miyazaki.

Grass-roots Actions for Abolition of
Nuclear Weapons: against War Bills,
for Defense of the Constitution ofJapan:

Ikeda Katsuhisa
Kagoshima Gensuikyo
I am Ikeda, General Secretary of the Organizing
Committee of the Peace March in Kagoshima. We
marched throughout Kagoshima for 16 days,
starting on June 21 from Amami Oshima Island
until July 9, when we handed the march over to thenext prefecture. One of the highlights was that Mr.
Oyama, the president of the association of thesecond generation of the Hibakusha has joined themarch since last year. He contributed an essay
expressing his feeling as the second generation
Hibakusha in Gensuikyo Tsushin (Gensuikyo’s
monthly newsletter), the copy of which have been
distributed to you.
In Kagoshima, our Peace March was held with
the imminent restart of the Sendai Nuclear Power
Plant. Today, 100 people gathered in front of thepower plant’s gate, holding relay talks for more than
two hours. We will hold meetings again tomorrow
afternoon, and also on the 9th. The rallies willcontinue on 10th and 11th as well. We won’t stop.
Even if the control rod is removed on the 11th, wewill never give up and continue to struggle inKagoshima.

Furuya Takahiro
Fukuoka Gensuikyo
Hello everyone. I am from Fukuoka Prefecture.
For the first time I joined the Peace March in
Fukuoka. During the 8-hour March, I walked with
Mr. A. G. Saño, international youth marcher fromthe Philippines. I was so happy when students ofjunior and senior high schools waved to us
cheerfully, seeing our flags and placards saying,“Towards a nuclear-weapon free world” and “Nowar”.
Saño-san said that every step we take would lead us
to peace. I really believe he is right. We had a strong
handshake, with the pledge to bring down Abe regime
and continue our struggle until Abe quits.
Saño-san is going to come back for the Peace
March next year. He said that he would walk from
Hokkaido to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. By thetime he comes next year, I hope that Abe regime will
have been defeated, so that we can be proud ofJapan with our peace constitution alive and fully

129

2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs – Nagasaki
International Forum: “Achieving a Nuclear Weapon-Free
World - Dialogue between Governments and NGOs”(August 8)

Missile Crisis which brought humanity within ahair’s breadth of extinction, and fifty years ofembargo. Now we can celebrate that that common
security diplomacy have prevailed, and we are at thedawn of new, and I hope mutually beneficial U.S.Cuban relations. May it be so.
Friends, when those of us from the U.S.
movement hear searing Hibakusha testimonies, thereports of the devastating impacts of U.S. bases in
Okinawa, across Japan, we experience an additional
layer of emotional pain. This because it is thegovernment and military-industrial complex thatspeaks in our names, members of our society, andour tax dollars which are responsible for thesecrimes. And, the challenges we US Americans
face have become greater in recent years. As
former President Carter observed, the US is nolonger a democracy. He called it an oligarchy, but
we are really ruled by a plutocracy in collaboration
with deep, so-called national security state that
Eisenhower warned us of in 1960. But, every
tyranny passes, and we are doing our best to hasten
restoration of democracy, an end to Empire, and a
Common Security approach to the world.
As in Hiroshima, I want to celebrate the
Hibakusha. As Wilfred Burchett, the first westernjournalist to see and report from Hiroshima, later
reported, Hibakusha who found and exercise
courageous inner strength to warn that humans andPanelists Presentations:
Shane Reti
Member of Parliament of New Zealand/
PNND - New Zealand(Please see page 107 for the text)

Fernando Gonzalez Llort
Vice President, Cuban Institute ofFriendship with the Peoples, Cuba
(Please see page 109 for the text)

Joseph Gerson
American Friends Service Committee
U.S.A
Friends, I is a pleasure to return to this forum
and an honor to be serving on the panel with Mr.
Gonzalez Llort, Dr. Shane Reti Whagarei and myfriend and long-time colleague Tsuchida Yayoi.
Allow me a moment to celebrate the restorationof diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba.
For more than a century the US tormented Cubawith conquest, colonial and neo-colonial rule, CIAprovocations and a failed invasion, the Cuban

130nuclear weapons cannot coexist, have been the mostpowerful force for nuclear weapons abolition. We
all witnessed Taniguchi Sumiteru’s courage
yesterday, and Thurlow Setsuko joined us after
being hospitalized for her heart the night before.
But we need to do more than celebrate them.
They provide us with inspiration and a model, andour challenge is to make their courage our own.
Yes, we have won an important victory with the
Humanitarian Pledge but much is demanded of us if
we are to overcome the military-industrial
complexes and ideological foundations of the nine
nuclear weapons states.
This anniversary is full of contradictions. For
seven decades, we have prevented nuclear annihilation.
We have laid important the foundations with the ICJ’s
Advisory Opinion on the Use and Threatened Use of
Nuclear Weapons and with the Humanitarian Pledge
in which 113 governments have committed “tostigmatize, prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons inlight of their unacceptable humanitarian consequences
and associated risks.” And with the Pledge we havewidened the gap between the majority of the world’s
nations and the nuclear powers, opening newopportunities to achieve a nuclear-weapons free world.
BUT, even as we support the Pledge anddiplomacy that prevailed in the nuclear deal with
Iran and between the US and Cuba, the “good faith”
negotiations for nuclear weapons abolition requiredby the NPT have yet to begin. The Nuclear Nine’s
resistance is deep, and the double standard remains.
Washington and Moscow still having more than
90% of the world’s nuclear weapons. The US andRussia are again exchanging nuclear threats,increasing the dangers of accidents andmiscalculations. Today’s dynamics are reminiscentof those that triggered World War I a century ago.
We face a new era of U.S./NATO-Russian Cold War,increasingly militarized U.S.—Chinese andJapanese-Chinese competitive interdependence,
Abe’s reckless militarism, and the modernization of
the world’s nuclear arsenals.
With the relative decline of US power,
combined with China’s challenges to the post WW
II dis-order imposed and enforced by the US, weface uncertainties and potential dangers. This helps
to explain why the U.S. collaborated withconservative forces here in Japan to oust the
Hatoyama government which sought better
relations with China and challenged U.S. militarycolonization of Okinawa, and thus of Japan as awhole.
Friends, US grand strategy is in “disarray.” The
Obama Administration and most Democrats name
China as the primary threat to U.S. hegemony. The
Pentagon and most Republicans cry that Moscow us
the greatest threat to the US. They are, of course,131

blind to the ways NATO and EU aggressive
expansion sparked the Ukraine War andconfrontation with Russia. And the U.S. is at war
with Jihadist forces generated by decades of U.S.
suppression of Arab nationalism and theAfghanistan and Iraq Wars and the overthrow ofGadhafi’s rule.
But, US political leaders do agree on doubling
down on militarism, including spending $1 trillion
for new nuclear weapons and their delivery systems.
With its war laws pending in the Diet, the Abegovernment is also doubling down on militarism,
despite the opposition of most Japanese. Abe isfollowing in the footsteps of his war criminal andCIA backed grandfather, Kishi, who brutally andundemocratically rammed through AMPO
extension in 1960. We need to ask is a government
legitimate when it mangles its constitution,
democratic process and values and peace? And thisis compounded by the government’s denial of thehistory of the Japanese aggressions and sexual
slavery, its disregard of popular will in Okinawa,
and the campaign to trash Article 9.
Gensuikyo’s resolute protests and Shinfujin’s
red cards, red shirts and other opposition to the war
laws are essential and in the tradition of those who
resisted Japanese militarism in the 1930s and 40s.
They require all of the support that those committed
to democracy and peace can provide.
There are also dangerous denials andcontinuities of history in my country, wherewidespread belief continues that the Hiroshima andNagasaki A-bombings were needed to end the war.
This, despite the consensus among US historians isthat they were unnecessary. U.S. Secretary of War
Stimson advised that Japan’s surrender could be
negotiated on terms acceptable to the US, and senior
military leaders, including General Eisenhower andAdmiral Leahy, thought, “It wasn’t necessary to hit[Japanese] with that awful thing.”
The historical record is clear. The
determinative reasons for the A-bombings were to
bring the war to an immediate end, to avoid having
to share influence with the USSR in Northern China,
Manchuria and Korea and to intimidate Soviet
leaders as the Cold War began.
Since then, during wars and international crises,
the US has prepared and/or threatened to initiate
nuclear war on at least thirty occasions during the
Korean and Vietnam Wars, crises with China, toreinforce US Middle East hegemony and in Europe
and Latin America. Each of the other nuclear
powers have also made such threats at least once.
Turning to our struggle, recall that going into
this year’s NPT Review Conference expectations
were not high, and you know the outcome. The P5 resisted all efforts to draft a document requiring

meaningful progress toward nuclear weaponsabolition convention. And the Review Conference
collapsed when the U.S., Britain and Canada
refused to fulfill the twenty year-old promise for a
conference for a Middle East Nuclear Weapons and
WMD- Free Zone.
The Conference’s majorachievement was widening the gap between the
non-nuclear weapons states and the nuclear powers,
codified in the Humanitarian Pledge, which willserve future nuclear disarmament initiatives,
including UN General Assembly action this fall fora new Open Ended Working Group.
I don’t want to overstate our contributions, but
we should appreciate the decades of organizing andaction by our movements to this growinginternational pressure for nuclear weapons abolition.
Building our history and Ban Ki-moon’s appeal thatwithout popular pressure from below governments
will not eliminate nuclear weapons, we created thePeace & Planet mobilization to demonstrate populardemands for a nuclear-free world.
We had two goals: Press the Review Conference
to take action to fulfill Article VI, and support,
revitalize, and expand the bases of abolition
movements for the longer-term. Gensuikyo’s
leading roles were critical to our successes. Your
presence and spirit in New York inspired thethousands of people we gathered. Angela Kaneand Ambassador Feroukhi were deeply moved bytheir experiences with us, so much so that they
instructed the Review Conference that our eventsand abolition petition signatures represented the
expectations and demands of worldwide civilsociety.
Some here joined activists from 20 nations for
the Peace & Planet International Conference, theInternational Interfaith Convocation and up to
10,000 people who participated in our International
Rally, March and the Festival, where Angela Kaneand Ambassador Feroukhi received Gensuikyo’s
petition signatures. The launch of the Global
Peace Wave by a second-generation Kazakh
Hibakusha was deeply moving, and we will bedoing a similar wave between the International Day
of Peace and the International Day for the Complete
Elimination of Nuclear Weapons in September, andin Hiroshima a number of leaders associated with
Peace & Planet met to discuss how we can take ourinitiatives forward, including ways to join forces
with movements focused on eliminating nuclear
power generation and moving the money from
nuclear and military spending to meet essential
human needs.

132

Tsuchida Yayoi
Assistant General Secretary
Japan Council against A and H Bombs(Gensuikyo)
Let me thank you for your hard work devoted tothe petition drive for a total ban on nuclear weapons
and your positive participation in the actions staged
in New York to press ahead with nuclear
disarmament at the 2015 NPT Review Conferencein April.
As you know, the NPT Review
Conference could not produce any final document.
But we should not be discouraged by this result.
Instead, we should be convinced that we
successfully completed our mission and ourendeavor greatly contributed to progress in the NPT
Review Conference.
We witnessed that at the NPT Review
Conference, the overwhelming majority of
governments called for the commencement ofnegotiations for a nuclear weapons convention and“effective measures” for a legally binding
instrument which would lead to a “world without
nuclear weapons”. Their voice has grown sostrong that it has driven the nuclear-weapon states
into a corner.
Comparing to this fact that
demonstrated the presence of growing current for
nuclear abolition, the failure of agreeing to a final
document does not really matter.
Since the first Preparatory Committee Meeting
held in 2011 for the 2015 NPT Review Conference,a remarkable change has happened.
It iswidespread support for the “Joint Statement on the
Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons”
that calls for the elimination of nuclear weapons
from the viewpoint of catastrophic humanitarian
damage caused by a nuclear explosion. In fact,
the support had increased from 16 countries in 2011
to as many as 159 countries in April 2015 when the
Review Conference was held. This humanitarian
approach has become a powerful driver for
abolition of nuclear weapons. Nuclear-weapon
states, how powerful they might be, cannot resist the
moral cause set forth by the Statement.
What is particularly significant is that thisdevelopment was brought about by the joint effort
of movements of NGOs like ours and likemindednational governments. Gensuikyo delegation of1058 people took part in the New York Action andpresented over 6.33 million petitions for a total ban
on nuclear weapons to the NPT. These massive
petitions we brought had a huge impact on the NPT
Review Conference.
In his message to the
opening of the Review Conference, U.N. Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon expressed his highappreciation to the petitions and the role of the
Hibakusha and requested the Conference to meet

their desire for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
Underlying the failure of the final document
being agreed was that the nuclear-weapon-states,
sticking to nuclear deterrence, did not listen to thevoice of a majority of governments and civil society,and refused to go forward to a convention toprohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons.
In
addition, those relying on the “nuclear umbrella”,
such as Japan and NATO countries, supported them.
At the Review Conference, the Japanese
government did not make any positive effort
towards a
convention to ban and eliminate
nuclear weapons. Rather, it played a role ofblocking the way to make progress towards a total
ban on nuclear weapons, neglecting the desire of the
Hibakusha and a majority of Japanese people. In
addition, I am sure you are outraged by the Abegovernment trying to forcibly enact the war laws,
trampling on Article 9 of the Constitution. This
will drag Japan into the perilous path of war inwhich Japanese people kill and are killed.
Once an international conflict or a war occurs,
the risk of nuclear weapons being used will increase.
This is evident by the fact that Russia was preparing
for the use of nuclear weapons in relation to the
Ukraine issue and the NATO was conducting
massive military exercises to get ready to use its
nuclear weapons.
In addition, on August 5, we had terrible news.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani stated that the war
laws would not exclude the transportation of
nuclear weapons by the Japanese Self-Defense
Forces as a part of logistic support.
Prime
Minister Abe hurried to deny Nakatani’s statementby saying, “It is 120 percent sure that it will not
happen”, but we should know that as the naturalconsequence of legislating the war laws, Japan will
eventually result in collaborating in the use of
nuclear weapons, the worst action for our nation to
take. This must never be allowed to happen.
However, we can prevent this outrage fromhappening by mobilizing people and public opinion
as we have done so far. A wide range of Japanesepeople have stood up to say No to the war bills.
Several tens of thousands of people are gathering infront of the Diet building including five thousandhigh school students. The support rate of the Abegovernment is quickly dropping and has gone under
its non-support rate. During this year’s World
Conference, we have received different news, thistime a good one. You know that the Japanese
government and all-Okinawa front are confronting
each other over the construction of a new base in
Henoko. The steadfast struggle of Okinawans andJapanese people has succeeded in driving thegovernment into a corner. The government has
finally announced that it would halt the land

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reclaiming work at Henoko and have talks with
Okinawa government.
We also need to mention the progress achieved
through negotiations over the longstanding problemof Iranian nuclear program. In an era when theworld is calling for peaceful solution to every
conflict, it is anachronistic for Japan to have madeaggression in its neighbors in WWII,
have
suffered atomic bombing and have eventually madethe pledge to never resort to war, to forge ahead on
the path to war again. It is also contrary to theworld’s mainstream current.
As Mr. Tomita,
chairperson of the Drafting Committee, reported
yesterday that the Declaration of the International
Meeting called for “No to war and No more
Hiroshimas and Nagasakis”. We should connect
antiwar public opinion to the task of nuclear
weapons abolition under that slogan, which will
help defeat the outrage of Abe government.
I am sure you already know what we should donext. It is to build up public opinion and actions
based on the achievement of the 2015 NPT Review
Conference. Especially in nuclear weapon states
and countries under nuclear umbrella like Japan, we
need to double our effort so as to make them change
their policies.
How to do it? One thing we could do is to
widely inform the citizens of humanitarianconsequences of a nuclear explosion and why
nuclear weapons must be eliminated. And weshould spread that information among the
population.
We prepared the program of this year’s World
Conference, including that of the closing plenary
tomorrow, with the idea that we should go backwhere we started, the atomic bombings ofHiroshima and Nagasaki, so that we can send a
renewed and powerful message to Japan and the restof the world that such tragedies must not be repeated.
In this anniversary year, let us start afresh withrenewed resolve the activities we have always
carried on: To listen to the testimonies of the
Hibakusha and to record their stories of sufferingsand struggles to pass them on to next generations.
We have organized A-bomb exhibitions in many
places, but there are still a large number of people
we have not been able to reach so far. Let us
organize another round of A-bomb exhibitions
across Japan at communities, schools andworkplaces and carry on the petition drive to build
up public support for a total ban on nuclear weapons.

Nagasaki Day Rally/ Closing Plenary
2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs(August 9)

General Assembly devoted to Disarmament, which
was held in New York in May 1978 to deliver as
many as 5.32 million signatures. Since then, we
have promoted signature collecting campaigns withthe slogan: “Let us hand over a nuclear weapon-free
future to our children.”
We have adopted
resolutions up to this year’s 63rd Study Conferenceof National Federation of Regional Women’s
Organizations, and have continued our activities toachieve a nuclear weapon-free, peaceful and justsociety.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of theatomic bombing. We have to consolidate thepublic opinion by sending out our message to theworld for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Peaceis essential for women who give birth and raise life.
Without peace, human’s true happiness cannot be
attained.
What I am aware of again is the fact that Japan isthe only A-bombed nation in the world. However,a recent public opinion survey showed that only
30% of the people know the exact days of the Abombings. In school education and at any otheroccasions, we must teach our children this fact, theresulting consequences to human community andthe preciousness of peace.
The role of Japan is to lead the efforts for a total
ban and abolition of nuclear weapons. We cannot
achieve peace by the use of military force.
Let each one of us speak out in the world on theinhumanity of nuclear weapons, and expand theidea of this World Conference to even broader
communities and generations, from children toseniors, for the sake of world peace.

Greetings of Solidarity:
Kakinuma Tomiko
President, National Federation ofRegional Women’s Organizations
Hot summer is back again.
The world
Conference in Hiroshima started with the Opening
Plenary on August 4, followed by workshops and aforum on the 5th, and the Hiroshima Day Rally on
August 6.
Then here in Nagasaki, we had
Gathering of Nagasaki on the 7th, theme-based
meetings and a forum on the 8th before we conclude
the World Conference with today’s Nagasaki Day
Rally.
Meeting venues in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
were filled with the passion of people gathered fromaround the world, under the conference theme: “Fora nuclear weapon-free, peaceful and just world -Let us make the 70th year of the A-bombing adecisive turn to a world without nuclear weapons.”
I would like to join you in our strong desire to“achieve a nuclear weapon-free world,” and send
my greetings of solidarity to you.
It is already 70 years since precious lives of
210,000 people were taken by the A-bombings ofHiroshima and Nagasaki. National Federation ofRegional Women’s Organizations, at its 2nd
National Conference held in June 1954, resolved to“call worldwide for a ban on the production, tests
and use of nuclear weapons and for international
control and peaceful use of nuclear energy.”
Our members and the then president Ms. Otomo
participated in the 1st Special Session of the UN

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Statements by Government
Representatives:
Fernando Gonzalez Llort
Vice President, Cuban Institute ofFriendship with the Peoples(Please see page 114 for the text)

70th Anniversary Special Program:
Okumura Ayako
Hibakusha of Nagasaki
Thank you for coming from around the country
and abroad to the World Conference against Atomic
and Hydrogen Bombs in Nagasaki in the 70th year
since the bombing.
I am grateful that I can share with all of you
about what happened here today, 70 years ago.
It is said that no one could survive the bombing
if you were within 1km from the epicenter. I wascaught by the A-bomb when I was 8 years old and athird grader in Shiroyama-machi, 500m away fromthe epicenter. Shiroyama was a quiet town withhills and lots of rice paddies. There, I was living a
happy life with my parents and 6 brothers and sisters.
The bomb was detonated at 2 minutes past
eleven, on August 9, 1945. Streets, houses andpeople were burnt like charcoal in an instant,leaving not even a moment for the dying people totake a sip of water. My family also disappeared frommy world without a trace and without leaving a lastword.
The morning of August 9th 70 years ago was nodifferent from any other. We finished our cheerfulbreakfast with all of our family members, and mydad and brothers went out to work. As we heard
the air-raid alarm, I took refuge in the shelter withmy mom. Then after the alarm was cleared, myyounger siblings went home with our mom. I went
to my friend’s house and we were playing under a
big persimmon tree. Then we saw a very bright
light through the wooden fence, and I thought I lied
flat on the ground. I got burns on my arms, but I
did not realize them for a while. I walked downstone steps towards my home, crying, but then I
could not see houses or paddies. I was totally at aloss but walked down to the bottom of the steps.
Then I found horses owned by Mr. Moriyama thatwas dead, and found that many people were alsodead. But I needed to pass through there to reachmy house, so I just barely walked through to thestreet to where I should have been able to see myhouse. But our newly-built home was reduced toruins.

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There, I could not find my mother or sister.
When I was about to climb a hill to go to aneighborhood shelter, I found my 4-year old brother,
who was burnt and crying. I talked to him, but hejust kept on crying. So I said to him, “I’ll get ourmom, you should stay here,” and went out to lookfor our mom. Then a lady in our neighborhood
told me where my younger sister was. She looked
completely different, with a swollen face, justtelling me, “Water, water,” and she could not moveeven a bit. I never thought that she would die, so I
did not give her water but told her “I’ll take care of
you later,” and went to look for our mom. I also
ran into my friend Yamaguchi Yoshitsugu. He
could not move, with his eyes popping out. I could
not do anything for him, again I said that I would go
looking for my mom.
Later, I went to the neighborhood shelter withmy younger brother to wait for other members of
our family, but no one came back. In fact, deep inmy heart, I am still waiting for them.
I actually have a clear recollection of the day
until we arrived at the shelter with my brother. Fromthen, I don’t remember what happened for sometime after that.
After my aunt passed away, I was taken to ahouse of an unknown relative in a remote village
along with my younger brother. There I had totake my severely wounded brother to the hospital.
We always walked slowly to the hospital, holding
each other’s hands. He was such a patient boy
who never cried at home, and he cried only while
his bandages were being removed. He eventually
passed away on October 23. Had we our motherwith us, his heart and body would have been
consoled. I can never forget how badly he had
been enduring his pain.
Then, I was left all alone. My hair had fallen
out, and I was sick all over my body, but I was notallowed to go to the hospital. I cried every day,wishing that I had my mother and elder brother withme. The only place I could go was to their grave.
Every month on the 9th day, I walked alone for over
3 hours to visit our family’s grave in Shiroyamamachi. I was hoping to see my brother there, but
he never showed up. The chance to see myfavorite brother there was my only hope. My days
were full of sadness, agony and difficulty until I got
married.
Forty-six years after the bombing, I met Otsuka
Michiko, one of my elder sister’s friends, who told
me about our family and elder sister. My dad,whom I had been waiting for, had been found deadon the mountain side.
Though I was looking for mom amongst
everybody, all the while she had been trapped underour collapsed house holding my 2-year old brotherin her arms and lived for a few days before she died.
My elder sister was badly burnt and died in frontof the shelter, calling out her name and asking forwater from Otsuka-san.
I still don’t know where my 6th grader brotherdied.
My eldest brother did not come back from his
work at the Mitsubishi weapons factory. I heardthat burnt bodies in our neighborhood were piled up
outside, to be cremated altogether, and bones andashes were buried in front of the shelter. Being athird grader, I was too young to pick out bones forour grave. Thus there are no bones in my family’s
grave.
Around 1958, soon after the Nagasaki Atomicbomb Survivors Council opened a store operated by
the Hibakusha, I was able to land a job there througha referral. Since all of us were Hibakusha withshared grief, we worked together while supporting
each other. I was finally able to face the reality ofthe bombing, thanks to this store.
Dear friends, we must never allow the security
bills that would lead us to war. You may say, “We
have to protect our own country against foreign
threats, and we need deterrent force,” but that
discussion will eventually result in “possessing
nuclear weapons.”
I always tell people that peace starts where
people have compassion for other people’s pains.
If everyone in the world understands each other’s
pain, we will be able to eliminate nuclear weapons
from this planet.
My life was changed by the atomic bomb. I
am still committed to telling the real stories ofNagasaki after the bombing to as many people aspossible, hoping that Nagasaki will be the last place
to experience the tragedy.

the land, damaged their health, contaminated theherbal medicines, indigenous food and foreverchanged their lives. Bravo shot was the code namefor it was successful and it made United States a
super power nation in the world. The same bomb
also exposed Daigo Fukuryu Maru (Lucky Dragon)
and crew when it was operating near Bikini andRongelap on March 1, 1954.
On the account of my uncle John Anjain who
was the Mayor in 1954, he said he had never seensuch horrific and cruel event done to him, hisfamilies,
everyone
includingchildren.
Rongelapese were used as guinea pigs under thesecret project called 4.1 to study radiation effects onhuman beings. Women gave birth to deformed
and monster-like babies. Men and women were
suffering from various types of cancers including
breast, liver and lung cancers. Today the Nuclear
Claims Tribunal is closed and all claimants fromother atolls including the Hibakusha have yet tocollect even half of their award for personal injuries
and billion dollars more for land damages.
The people of Rongelap continue to live on atemporary home island called Mejatto where life ishard. Some have moved to other islands and UnitedStates as well seeking better health care and a better
life. Like Fukushima, Rongelap atoll is a ghost
town where brand new houses await for people toreturn, but great fear still remain in a large numberof community people. They don’t trust the UnitedStates even after it declared Rongelap to be safe
from radiation and regardless of ultimatum of
withholding financial resources and other benefits.
Although it is a great disappointment to hear theend result of the NPT this year, we all gave our best
try but we expected it the way it did. For MarshallIslands, it gives us all the more reasons to holdsteady and remain strong with the lawsuit initiatedat the International Court of Justice. However,there is a need for more and more support fromindividuals to sign on, especially from countries tosign on. Please help us lobby. This case is tosave all of us, human kind.
In closing, I’d like to include a message from
Minister Tony deBrum. He says “My heart and soul
are a part of Gensuikyo and I believe with all mybeing in what they are doing and fighting for. I justwish I could be in three places at one time. Japanis also making rather confusing moves in Climate
Change, Nuclear Peace and Sanity, as well as in its
Defense and Military Ambitions in the world. So
this would have been a good time to visit but pleasetell them my not being there cannot be in any way
interpreted to mean I am less committed...I am just
too old and cannot stretch as long as I used to beable to. Please give them my love and respect asalways and you can speak with confidence for all of

Abacca Anjain Maddison
Iju in Ean (Rongelap Women’s Club)
Rongelap Atoll, Marshall Islands
Mina san Konichua and Iakwe,
I am honored to be here at this very important
occasion in this beautiful city of Nagasaki insolidarity with people of peace and fighters ofhuman rights in this 70th Anniversary. On behalfof the women and people of Rongelap I wish toextend heartfelt condolences to those who died andpay honor to the Hibakusha for having endured
sufferings from devastations of nuclear bombs.
Three hundred some miles away from Bikini,
sixty-one years ago, people of Rongelap weredirectly exposed to hydrogen bomb, the destructive
power was 1,000 times greater than Hiroshima andNagasaki bombs. The monstrous bomb destroyed

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us.”
Thank you people of Japan for your leadershiptowards peace and nuclear free.
No moreHiroshima, No More Nagasaki, No more MarshallIslands. Never give up!

were chosen from a record-high of 16 prefectures.
We, the 17th High School Student Peace
Ambassadors visited the United Nations Office at
Geneva in Switzerland last August as one of ourmain activities. There, each of the 20 Peace
Ambassadors strongly expressed our wish for peaceand nuclear abolition by making speeches inEnglish. We also submitted 131,743 signatures forelimination of nuclear weapons which we collected
over the past year to the United Nations Office.
This is what we have done as the 17th HighSchool Student Peace Ambassadors. Our term isofficially over today on August 9, but we are still
committed to continuing our activity of planting
seeds for peace as the 17th Peace Ambassadors.
Believing in our theme: “Our activities may seemsmall but we are not powerless,” we will continue
our activities for peace.
In closing, we would like to present the theme
song of our High School Students Action
Committee. It is called “This voice, our heart”.
The song was written for us by Mr. Terai, who is aconductor of Nagasaki Hibakusha singing group“Himawari”. Please listen to our song.

10,000 High School Students Signature
Campaign, Nagasaki
Okubo Haruka
We are the members of the Action Committee ofthe “The 10,000 High School Students Signature
Campaign”. My name is Okubo Haruka, a senior
student in Kwassui Senior High School, Nagasaki.
Our campaign has its origin in the “High SchoolStudent Peace Ambassadors”. The number ofstudents who are chosen to serve as the ambassadors
is limited, so those who missed the chance but
wanted to do something for peace started thissignature campaign. Every Sunday, we collectsignatures for nuclear abolition on crowded streets.
Along with it, as another act of planting seeds forpeace, we also create occasions to meet other highschool students outside of Nagasaki because we
receive many students from other prefectures
coming to Nagasaki on school trips.
Our activities also includes holding study
meetings to deepen our knowledge about peaceissues, sending letters to embassies and launchingother projects. One activity we put our highpriority on is to send our representatives to South
Korea and the Philippines. Visiting South Korea
gives us an opportunity to learn the victimizer’s sideof the war, so our representatives go there, interact
with people, collect signatures and listen to
testimonies of the South Korean A-bomb survivors.
With the slogan, “Education not arms; Pencils not
missiles”, we collect pencils in Nagasaki and bringthem to the Philippines by sending our
representatives there.
We hold signature
campaign there and make appeals for the abolitionof nuclear weapons.
As you see, our signature campaign has its long
history and many achievements. Commemorating
the 70th year after the atomic bombing, the land we
stand here today is where many lives were lost.
Remembering that we stand on great sacrifices they
made, we the young generation are determined tocontinue our activities and listen to the voices of the
Hibakusha and all the people wishing for peace.

Harsh cold winterDays in green of midsummer
Blown by wind
Drenched in rain
Cried out as hard as we could
Called out as tears streamed down
Having only one wish in our heart
Planet without nukes
World without war
So children’s lives should not be taken
Even with a little power
We kept standing on streets with friends
In this town of Nagasaki where we now live
To all the people who live in the same generation
Wanting to deliver our voice and reach their heart
Day after day we hold this pencil carrying our wish
for peace
The voice for peace and the heart of Nagasaki
The voice for peace and the heart of Nagasaki

Let Us Open a New Horizon to
Achieve Abolition of Nuclear
Weapons:

Yokoyama Kana
My name is Yokoyama Kana and I am one of
the 17th High School Student Peace Ambassadors.
Out of 500 students across Japan, 20 were chosen as
the Ambassadors in June last year. Also, in lastJune, 22 students of the 18th Peace Ambassadors

Madelyn Hoffman
New Jersey Peace Action, U.S.A.
Over the past few days, I have been very
impressed at how residents of Hiroshima and othermembers of the Japanese peace movement are able137

to fuse together sadness over the terrible tragedy
that occurred 70 years ago when atomic bombs were
dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki with a burning
desire to work for a peaceful world without nuclear
weapons or war.
Particularly impressive is thelevel of involvement by mothers, fathers and theirchildren, inspired by the unflinching will of the
Hibakusha, many of whom apologize for not doing
enough to bring about an end to nuclear weapons
and promise to continue to speak out for as long as
they are able – for a peaceful and nuclear-free world.
The voices of the young children today ring out
so clear and so strong. Even if there had been no
English translation of the 5th and 6th graders who
spoke at the Hiroshima City Memorial Ceremonyon August 6th, their voices would still echo in myears calling out for a peaceful world. Added to thevoices of the Hibakusha, I’ve witnessed an
unbreakable force between generations and regionsof Japan that carries with it a desire for Japan toretain its commitment to pacifism and peace anduphold Article 9 of the Japanese constitution,
despite pressure from the U.S. and Prime Minister
Abe to do the opposite.
The stories I’ve heard this week cause me toapologize for not doing more to influence thepolicies the U.S. adopts. U.S. dependence on
militarism to resolve international conflict haspropelled the U.S. into war for 213 years of our 239
year history. Of course, militarism brings with it aneed for military bases and a need to bend a
country’s will so that it will support and assist the
U.S. in carrying out whatever aggressive agenda the
U.S. might have.
As a leader in the U.S. peace movement and asa concerned human being, I am deeply moved by
the efforts of those who are dealing with thenegative consequences of U.S. foreign policy,
whether they live in Hiroshima, Nagasaki or
Okinawa, or whether they were exposed to thedefoliant Agent Orange in Vietnam or depleted
uranium in Iraq or nuclear fallout from dozens of
nuclear tests, either in the Marshall Islands or
Nevada in the U.S.
It is way past time for the U.S. to move awayfrom militarism and reliance on nuclear weapons,
drones and war to resolve conflicts between nations.
As Dr. Martin Luther King said in his powerfuland prophetic speech, “Beyond Vietnam: Why I
Oppose the Vietnam War,” on April 4, 1967, exactly
one year before he was assassinated “the greatest
purveyor of violence in the world today – [is] myown government….for the sake of this government,
for the sake of the hundreds of thousands tremblingunder our violence, I cannot be silent…. I speak as
a citizen of the world, for the world as it stands
aghast at the path we have taken….”

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We need to change the world’s spending
priorities and “Move the Money” taking at least
25% of what the world spends annually on the
military and redirecting that money to programs
addressing human needs. Genuine security should
not be a matter of who has the biggest weapon or
the largest number of weapons or the most powerfulweapon, but instead on whether or not people havea place to live, food to eat, a clean environment, ajob, access to health care and more.
I pledge to continue to do whatever I can to let
people know about the negative impacts of U.S.
militarization, both at home and around the world,
where the U.S. wants to build military bases against
the will of the people, like Okinawa or the Marianas,or places like the Marshall Islands, Hiroshima andNagasaki where Hibakusha are still not adequately
compensated. I will share information about thedangers of nuclear power, starting with the plight ofthe people of Fukushima. And I will work as hard
as I can in support of the Japanese people tomaintain Article 9 of the Constitution – a key tocreating a world at peace - even if the U.S. or Prime
Minister Abe doesn’t appear to understand or
respect that.
Thanks to everyone here this past week for
inspiring me never to give up.
No more Hiroshimas! No more Nagasakis! No
more Hibakusha! No more war!

Florine M. Hofschneider
Tinian Women’s Association
Northern Mariana Islands
Good morning and thank you for theopportunity to be part of this conference but mostimportant is what all these means to us when we gethome. The desire for peace, the drive to stop theatrocities that we as man inflicted upon our own and,the ultimate goal of living in harmony with ourenvironment is the commonality we all share.
The Tinian Women’s Association is no different,
our women want to be equal partners in policy
development affecting our families, our economy,
protecting our environment and education foreveryone but especially for the children so they can
do a better job in protecting our earth. History as
evidenced by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic
bombings is the most cruel example requiring us to
be on constant guard to ensure that we protect this
only planet that has sustained us since the beginningof man.
The U.S. military has released threeenvironmental impact studies planning significant
militarization of the Northern Mariana Islands
particularly Pagan, a pristine island offering a place
to be “one with nature”; to connect and to appreciatethe gift of this earth. These plans leave the islands
wide open for interpretation by the Dept. of Defense
to fit their insatiable appetite to control community
by fear. “Full spectrum weaponry” to us means
the opportunity for the U.S. military to use ourisland as it sees fit whether it be nuclear, biologicalor any technologically advanced weapons today as
well as for the future.
Our experience here at the 70th anniversary of
A & H bombs has taught us that there must be
solidarity, smaller states and nations must alignthemselves to countries that already have theattention of the global community so that incooperation with these states, the message of world
peace is heard and becomes a daily action in all
corners of the world. There are many, many
moving and inspirational stories shared by the
Hibakusha, Tinian Women’s Association will strive
to take the energy from Japan’s gifts of ideas,
experiences and grass-root activities to replicate
them in many formats that our people will findmeaning and a sense of belonging to the movementof “No More Hiroshima, No More Nagasaki”.
We must never again let the super powers use
our own island to bring massive destruction andunspeakable cruelty to human kind as in the casesof the bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki. Thankyou and I wish everyone good luck as we go home
and translate these ideas into our community. I
hope that the conference next year will hearsignificant progress toward our goal of peace and anuclear free world.

disarmament. We have to face the reality, that wehave not succeeded, and time is not on our side.
We need to reach out to broaden our base,geographically; politically and socially shall we
succeed. We are up against some of the mostpowerful forces in society, the military industrial
complex, the world’s most powerful leaders, leaders
who would lose their ultimate toys should we win.
Therefore we must learn from other movementsthat have been able to succeed. How did theywork, what are their common denominators, key
strategies and lessons learned on their often very
long road to victory. I call them culprits of change,some radical, many mainstream, some dedicated,some less inclined to provide all their energies forthe cause. The sum however must achieve change.
Internationally the struggle to ban land mines
and chemical weapons should have some importantparallels. These two struggles were fought facingsome of the same forces we are facing in our fight,
and these process lead to limitations of possibilities
that always is difficult to accept for the powerful.
I also want to mention the success of the effort tosafeguard smoke-free environment and in America
the momentous fight that lead to the abolition ofslavery.
We must remember our fortitudes. We know
we have the support of the overwhelming majorityof the public. We have the possibility to connect
globally through internet and social media. The
incredible achievement of Gensuikyo during the last
week, thanks again for the efforts and resolve of ourhosts, has proven to us all the immense
opportunities that are available to us in our
globalized world. We can make the world cometogether, we can use the world-renowned imageryof the horrific act of indiscriminate killing andmaiming that Hiroshima and Nagasaki symbolizes
for us all. We thus have been able to convene at
the core of the events those truly horrific Augustdays in 1945 here in Nagasaki and in Hiroshima.
Even though the NPT again proved unfruitful,in the year of the anniversary, a powerfulcountermovement is gaining momentum after the
conferences in Oslo, Mexico, South Africa andVienna. This shows how we often gain ground when
we set the agenda, not letting our adversaries decide
the framework of our work.
The brave and forceful work of the hibakushas
inspires us all and makes the abhorrent realities ofnuclear weapons come to life for new generations.
The ever-growing ranks of mayors for peace isanother movement that has realized important
support for our cause.
We need all approaches, but we can always do it
better and certainly multiply effects through global
cooperation and better strategies and by broadening

Vidar Birkeland
No to Nuclear Weapons, Norway
70 years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki we needto redouble our efforts, rethink our strategies
and broaden our base and ways of working
shall we prevail as a movement
My key message to you today from Norway isthat the peace movement now needs to recharge
their efforts and take the issue of nuclear
disarmament out of the systems and the boxes that
seems to have prevented real nuclear disarmament
since 1945. History has taught us over and overagain that change can be achieved if only thepressure and resolve of the party on the vanguard isstrong enough and the strategy and base of the
movement wide enough.
Our task is monumental, but we cannot allow
ourselves to despair, we must prevail. Like thebrave Hibakushas we need to find our way of
prevailing against overwhelming obstacles, as theeight decade post the atomic atrocities in Hiroshima
and Nagasaki is beginning without nuclear

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our base.
We cannot allow ourselves to be negative to ourown opportunities to prevail: When faced with themight of our adversaries our resolve must increase.
Let it be our common pledge in the 70
anniversary year to focus on strategy and new waysof conveying our message, find partners in othersocial battles that has been victorious so we may
through their experiences prevail in our ultimate
decisive struggle to rid the world of all nuclear
weapons.
Thanks to the organizers and let us all reconnect
next year, ready for the last leg of our journey to aworld free of nuclear weapons.

Dave Webb
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament U.K.
Towards a Nuclear Weapon-free, Peaceful andJust World
It is a great honour for me to be here
representing the Campaign for Nuclear
Disarmament and I bring greetings and solidarity
from the UK. This year we are separated from thefirst use of nuclear weapons by 70 years - a lifetime- and we remember all of those lives that were
horribly cut short or severely affected by thosecriminal acts. The resilience and passion of theJapanese peace movement and the commitment of
the Hibakusha to rid the world of nuclear weapons
continues to be an inspiration to us all.
As we continue our struggle to rid Britain andthe world of nuclear weapons we are aware of theincreasing challenges you face here in Japan. The
US has pushed hard on Shinzo Abe to ram a law
through parliament to allow Japanese armed forces
to fight alongside its allies. This forced reversal ofyour country’s renunciation of war and the
preparations for war through Article 9 of yourconstitution is unforgivable and against your wishes.
The ‘peace clause’ is respected internationally andyou have passionately defended it.
We supportand stand with you as you continue to resist thegrowing tide of militarism and aggression.
The outcome of the 2015 NPT Review
Conference made it clear that, despite the pressure
exerted by non-nuclear weapon states, thecourageous legal challenge of the Marshall Islands
and the fervent wishes of the majority of people, thenuclear weapon states are not going to honour theTreaty and pursue negotiations on disarmament.
However, 159 countries did sign the Joint Statementon the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weaponsthat was delivered by Austria and 113 countries
have signed the humanitarian pledge to ban nuclear
weapons. Although support for a ban is growing it

140

may not mean much until a nuclear state signs up
and so far none have. The UK maybe a likely
candidate but is too closely tied to US policy and wewill need to work very hard to make any progress.
In 2016 the UK government is set to vote on a $150
billion replacement for the current Trident
submarine based nuclear weapons system. The
result of the general election a few months ago
means that it might not be a favourable outcome for
us but you can be sure that we will be working hard
to make a breakthrough!
We are living in dangerous times - we are toldthat the global economy is in crisis and we will haveto endure ruthless cuts in public spending on
welfare with severe implications for the poor, theelderly and the infirm. But the crisis does not affecteveryone in the same way and the gulf between richand poor widens. Existing policies are flawed andunsustainable. The failure to address climate change
is beginning to show in crop failures and increased
tensions over the scramble for diminishing
resources. Conflicts arising from poverty andmarginalisation have resulted in severe challenges
and refugee problems. Yet instead of addressing theroot causes of these problems governments aretrying to divert our attention by scare tactics and anemphasis on military action which is only leading tomore problems.
The aggressive expansion of NATO in Europe
and the US push in the Pacific to contain Russia andChina are fueling a new Cold War and associatedarms race. Despite all the additional humanitarian
help that is needed, NATO is telling its members toincrease military spending and the nuclear weapon
states seem unprepared to relinquish the status thatthey think the possession of nuclear weapons givesthem.
The next few years will be difficult but like you
we are committed to work for the total eliminationof nuclear weapons. At a time of increasing world
tension and military escalation around Ukraine, wewill need to build a powerful and united global
movement to rid the world of the nuclear menace
hanging over us all. We must strengthen allianceswith other related campaigns and build stronger
links with international groups. So, let us once morecommit whole heartedly to our goal – and work
together until the last nuclear weapon is gone fromthe Earth.
No more Hiroshimas! No more Nagasakis!
No more Fukushimas! No more Hibakusha!

Corazon Valdez Fabros
Nuclear-Free Philippines Coalition
Peace from the Nuclear Free Philippines!
My heart is full of gratitude for this privilege ofspeaking during this Closing Plenary of the World
Conference here in Nagasaki.
On this 70th anniversary of the bombing ofHiroshima and Nagasaki, I wish to renew mycommitment to be in solidarity with you for ourcontinuing struggle for nuclear abolition; for the
closure of military bases and for our work for justiceto the Hibakusha and all victims of militarism andwar.
I wish to pay my respect to all Hibakushas who
have gone on ahead of us, and to them mycontinuing gratitude for touching our lives with
their wisdom and passion – loving memories that
we shall always keep in our hearts. Who will everforget Senji Yamaguchi’s courageous call for
nuclear abolition; Chieko Watanabe’s wheelchairthat reminds us the Hibakushas loving presence as
we do this every year?
I am deeply moved by the increasing number ofyoung people from all over Japan and from otherparts of the world – indicative that we are moving
on ahead as the youth takes on more responsibilities
in continuing our work. On behalf of my daughter,
Malaya, I wish to convey her greetings and hercommitment to continue supporting youth
participation in the Peace March as she sees that thisis a concrete way for young people to learn fromeach other, to share their art; their music, and theirexperiences.
We are faced with bigger challenges in many
fronts (peace, justice, environment, human rights,etc.) but we are learning to look at and deal withthem comprehensively – a big step in the right
direction. It is our hope that Peace and Planet (awork that many of you supported with your physicalpresence in New York and scores more in many
parts of the world through the Global Wave). Let
us continue to be creative, to be united, to bepassionately courageous of our continuing work forjustice, peace and nuclear abolition.
For us in the Philippines, we share common
struggles with the peoples of Okinawa in Henoko,
Takae, and other parts of Japan as well as with the
our friends in the islands of Jeju, Guahan, Tinianand other parts of the Pacific who continue to resist
the never ending U.S. hegemony. Let us continue
to support local struggles with our presence and oursolidarity.
The struggles in these islands are struggles forsurvival, for life with dignity, for justice, for peacein the world. Never ever have we seen such courageand determination that we see in Okinawa and Jeju
today. This gives us so much hope and inspiration.
Beigun kitchi wa iranai! (No to U.S. bases!)
At the Opening Plenary of this conference last
Friday, I am deeply moved by Taniguchi-san andother Hibakusha’s continuing presence with theirprecious words, music and poetry. Let us bringthese precious memories back to our communities
where lies the heart and core of our struggle. Thatno matter how small or insignificant our efforts may
be, they are precious in our collective effort in
responding to every Hibakusha’s call “Never Again
Hiroshima! Never Again Nagasaki! No moreWar!”
Friends and comrades, let us continue to work
hard with commitment and love in our hearts.
Thank you and may our solidarity continue to bear
fruit today and all the days of our lives.

Morikawa Aya
Kumamoto Chapter, New Japan Women’s
Association
I participated in the NPT New York Action. It
was the Hibakusha that led this Action in front. I
was moved by their testimonies and appeals forpeace at the U.N. and local schools. There wasone Hibakusha who turned 86 this year, who madeit a rule to walk 10,000 steps every day so that hewould be able to walk through in the peace paradeof the New York Action.
My experience in New York convinced me that
universal wish for “No Nukes!” and grass-roots
campaigns and signatures that we collected had an
impact on the U.N. and state governments, puttingpressure on the nuclear powers and Japanese
government helped the world to move forward.
While we were in New York, Prime Minister
Abe promised the U.S. Congress to achieve thelegislation of security-related bills by this summer.
Facing this outrage, a hot storm of struggle todefend peace is now raging in Kumamoto, the place
known as a conservative kingdom. Our placard
with the sign saying, “No to war bills” is a red card
against Abe’s reckless politics.
Big placards are now popular in branches of
New Japan Women’s Association. When we makeappeals on busy streets holding these placards,
many drivers and people wave back to us as a signof support.
Furthermore, we launched “Kumamoto
Women’s Association to Stop the War Bills” toinform many more people from a wide variety offields about Abe’s attempt. As 5 women membersof municipal assemblies from all parties took therole as promotors and held a joint press conference,
we received a flood of inquiries from people who
were inspired and driven to do something. Every
day our circle gets bigger and the number of
supporters has exceeded 1000 as of today.
On every Wednesday, we appeal to people indowntown areas. After the bill was railroaded
through the House of Representatives, we clearly141get more and more reactions and responses fromstudents and young people.
On July 20, 600 young people held a gathering
to support the Constitution in the middle ofKumamoto city, and will do it again on August 16.
On the same day, Kumamoto Women’s Association
to stop the War Bills is also planning to hold awomen’s parade against war. We will make ourKumamoto voice of “No to war bills” big enough sothat it would reach the Diet in Tokyo.
Finally, I would like to say few words of myfuture commitment.
My homeroom teacher from elementary schooltaught us about war. When we expressed our fear
about possible outbreak of another war, he said,“Don’t worry. Japan now has Article 9 in its
Constitution that pledged to never engage in a war.”
But today, Article 9 of the Constitution is at risk.
If my child asks me in the future, “What did you
do then, Mom?” I don’t want my answer to be “I did
nothing”. I want to say, “I did whatever I could”
and “I worked hard together with many people andprotected peace.”
Friends, let us work together so that we canleave our children a peaceful future!

together in Fukushima.
It is not clear how low-dose radiation exposure
would affect our health. We monitored the radiationlevel for 4 years with a glass budge and checked ourinternal radiation exposure level by the whole bodycounter. We also took the thyroid examination.
After seeing these results, we judged that we would
be able to live there. In order to keep staying there,
we believe it is important to measure by ourselvesand confirm the real situation. At the same time,
during the last 4 years, people of Fukushima weredivided: people who continue to live there, evacuees
from “difficult-to-return zone”, people who
voluntarily left Fukushima because of the fear ofradiation, evacuees who registered as new residents
of other prefectures, and cleanup workers fromaround the country.
The difference of theirpositions have resulted in conflicts among thepeople.
Under the multilayer subcontracting structurewith the major general construction companies
reigning in the top, the working conditions of
nuclear plant workers and decontamination workers
have not been improved and there are many illegal
cases such as work without contract, unpaid salaries
or danger allowances, sloppy radiation management
and the involvement of gang groups.
Abe administration in haste has decided on anumber of important measures affecting our future,including the “Long-term Energy Supply Demand
Outlook” and “For Acceleration of theReconstruction of Fukushima from the Nuclear
Disaster”. These measures serve to restart nuclear
power plants’ operation. They turn the back to thehope of the majority of Fukushima people for the“total decommissioning of reactors in Fukushima”
and “complete compensation for the damage”. In
other words, this is a policy to abandon Fukushima.
Finding nuclear waste disposal sites is one of theserious problems in Fukushima. A large numberof flexible container bags filled with radiationcontaminated soil produced from cleanup work are
piled up in heaps everywhere, waiting for a final
disposal. Our technology cannot control either
nuclear energy or nuclear weapons and they cannot
coexist with human beings.
Fukushima nuclear power plant is about 50km
far from my Nihonmatsu City. Though I have
lived in Fukushima many years, I was notparticularly interested in the issue of nuclear power
plants and have made no attempt to know about it.
As Nagasaki is more than 1,000km farther awayfrom my place, and already 70 years have passed
since the atomic bomb was dropped there, it has
become a problem of someone else for me.
Realizing that the time and distance would sweep
this issue away into oblivion, I decided to come toSato Koichi
Nihonmatsu Gensuikyo, Fukushima
Hello everyone. I’d like to speak on behalf ofFukushima Prefecture. I’m Koichi Sato from
Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture. I joined
this Conference with my wife and child this year.
Fukushima Prefecture is large in area
(approximately 14000 km2, while the area ofNagasaki Prefecture is 4100 km2) and is divided
into 3 regions. The eastern part is called Hamadori, the middle part is Naka-dori and the westernpart is Aizu region. Though they are all in thesame prefecture, climate is quite different and eachregion has its own distinctive culture. Nihonmatsu
City where we now live is in Naka-dori region.
The wrecked Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant is in
Hama-dori area.
Though 4 years have passed since the nuclear
accident, the accident has not at all been concluded,
given the situation where still many people live inevacuation away from home.
In the immediately aftermath of the nuclear
accident 4 years ago, Nihonmatsu City acceptedrefugees from affected areas such as Namie Town
and Minami Soma City. At the same time, seeing
many families among my friends and co-workers
voluntarily leaving their homes in Nihonmatsu toelsewhere, I was having conflicted feelings.
However, considering the possible stress fromliving separately, our family decided to stay142

Nagasaki with my family for the first time in thiscommemorative year.
We are willing to learn what happened in
Nagasaki. I also want you to learn what ishappening in Fukushima. Knowing and learning thefact and connecting each other will be the way for
us to fill the time and distance. Let’s work
together in order to pass a peaceful world to ourchildren who will bear our future.

Determination and Proposal for
Actions:
Yasui Masakazu
Secretary General
Japan Council against A and H Bombs(Gensuikyo)
Thank you very much for your active
participation in the discussions of the World
Conference in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during thelast 6 days.
And I extend my deep gratitude to therepresentatives of the U.N., national governments,
international agencies, nuclear victims groups andanti-nuclear peace organizations from around theworld for coming all the way to Japan to join the2015 World Conference.
Also, on behalf all of us, I thank Mayor Taue
Tomihisa of Nagasaki City for sparing his time tospeak in our program, Mayor Matsui Kazumi of
Hiroshima for sending a message and the many
Hibakusha representatives who have joined with us
in this commemorative World Conference. Thankyou so much indeed.
This year’s World Conference made it clear thatin order to make this 70th year a decisive turning
point for a “nuclear weapon-free world”, it is critical
for the human community to share the lessons ofHiroshima and Nagasaki, and to join our efforts inmaking known the damage and aftereffects of theatomic bombing both at the grass-roots levelglobally and in the international political arena, inorder to make sure such a tragedy should not be
repeated again.
Here I want to share with you an account of oneof the conference delegates who heard thetestimony of the Hibakusha at the conference.
“The Hibakusha described the hellish situation
immediately after the atomic bombing, where
people were not allowed to die as humans. Even
those who barely survived the bombing had to go
through a living hell, afflicted with poverty,
discrimination, health problems and other hardships.
But they found the meaning and joy to live by

143

joining the movement to abolish nuclear weapons.
This testimony moved me to tears. Now I want tojoin the efforts especially to spread the experiencesand voices of the Hibakusha among people. I
renewed my determination to achieve the abolitionof nuclear weapons in the lifetime of the Hibakusha.”
Friends, from this World Conference on, let us
work to make known to all citizens the experiences,struggles, aspirations of the Hibakusha, and how
they have lived over the years. Let alone listening
to the accounts of the Hibakusha, we must make useof a variety of forms of culture, including films,
theaters, audio recordings, books, etc. Now we
can use social media and other new communication
tools popular among younger generations todisseminate what happened then and also what will
happen as the result of the use of nuclear weapons.
Ambassador Anshor of Indonesia said in his
speech, “The growing support for the humanitarian
initiative thus places a substantial amount ofpressure on nuclear weapon States to review theirpro-nuclear possessing policies. Such pressure
magnifies exponentially when civil society alsodecide to make their voices heard.”
Let usmagnify the effect of the signature campaign, which
was proven in the NPT Review Conference, andinvolve local communities and local governments inthis effort.
Another critical effort we need to make is tochange Japan, the only country in the world to haveexperienced the atomic bombing, into a country thatwill play its due role to achieve nuclear weaponsabolition and peace. All around the country, highschool students and young people are taking thelead in the struggle against the war bills. One of
their slogans is “We need peace, not war.” “Anuclear weapon-free, peaceful and just world” that
our conference aims to achieve is the hope for abright future. Let us bring all the energy we havebuilt in this conference to join the struggle to scrap
the war bills and deal a big blow to the Abe
Government.
Finally, I call on you to hold numerous local
meetings to report on the outcome of this World
Conference in your communities, workplaces orschool campuses, which will also give us
opportunities to further promote our activities. Let
us deliver the “Declaration of the International
Meeting” adopted in this World Conference to all
the mayors of the local municipalities who havegiven support to our peace marches and the World
Conference, and invite them to join our activities toachieve a total ban on nuclear weapons and to scrap
the war bills. Friends, let us continue our workwith more power after this conference.

Nagasaki Day Rally, 2015 World Conference against A & H Bombs, August 9, 2015

Call from Nagasaki“We do not want any more victims of atom bombs other than us. Friends from around the world, working
together, please put an end to atomic and hydrogen bombs. I appeal to you, so that a day will come without
further delay when we can heartily say, ‘We are glad we have survived.”-- From the appeal of Watanabe Chieko at the 2nd World Conference against A and H Bombs
We are having the 70th year memorial of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in the midst of an unprecedented
surge of public opinion and movement demanding the war bills, which would undermine the Constitution of Japan,
to be scrapped.
The Hibakusha, who know the atrocities of nuclear war through their own experiences, have kept calling that
Nagasaki should be the last city to be a victim of an A-bomb. It is also their urgent desire to ensure that there
should be no more war and for Japan to remain in peace for the next generation. Our deep remorse and apology
over Japan's colonial rule and war of aggression should never be rendered oblivious as well.
With the Hibakusha, we say from this A-bombed city of Nagasaki, “No War”, “Abolish Nuclear Weapons”.
The effort to make clear the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and to achieve a “world without nuclear weapons”
by means of legally binding measures, such as a treaty for a prohibition of nuclear weapons, represents a major
stream which no one can hold back. The last Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty threw
this into sharp relief. The force that keeps this development going is movements of the peoples around the world
and the support of public opinion, including the more than 6 million and 3 hundred thousand signatures wecollected.
Continuing to make known the damage and suffering of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by A-bombings to an evenwider range of people and building campaigns and public opinion demanding the commencement of negotiations
for a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons without delay, we can open a road to a “world without nuclear weapons”,
in defeating the “nuclear deterrence” doctrine.
Promoting the current of democracy, where every citizen stands up to take action and come together to change
Japan and the world, we will achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons without fail.
Let us make our signature campaign for a world without nuclear weapons into such one that involves entire
regional communities or municipalities, and thus build a groundswell demanding the start of negotiations for atreaty prohibiting all nuclear weapons. Taking the opportunity of the United Nation's International Day for the
Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on September 26, or the U.N. Disarmament Week on October 24 through30, let us unfold grassroots actions as part of international joint campaigns.
Let us hold an “A-bomb exhibition” or an event to listen to Hibakusha in every city, town and village to makeknown the damage and sufferings from the A-bombings. Using images, music, theater, and many other cultural
means, as well as SNS and social media, we will carry forward the experiences, desires, struggles and attitudes oflife of the Hibakusha to the next generations. We must increase our activities for the relief and solidarity with the
Hibakusha, in their demand for a drastic improvement of the A-bomb disease recognition system and for therecognition of the principle for State compensation.
Let us press the government to strictly abide by the three non-nuclear principles and institutionalize them into
law, to move out of the “nuclear umbrella” and stand in the van of the effort for the conclusion of a treaty toprohibit nuclear weapons.
By the force of cooperation from a broad range of people, let us drive the “war bills” into the wastebasket. In strong
solidarity with the people of “All-Okinawa” in firm opposition to the building of a new base at Henoko, we will strengthen
our movement for the reduction and withdrawal of the US bases. Opposing the consolidation of the Japan-US military
alliance, let us make a nuclear-free and peaceful Japan that will make the best of Article 9 of the Constitution.
We oppose the restart of the Sendai or any other nuclear power plant. On the basis of our common desire for“no more nuclear victims to be created”, we will reinforce our solidarity with the movements for a break with
nuclear power plants and the switch to sustainable energy sources.
Let us oppose the disruption of employment and livelihood, poverty and the further widening social disparity. We
will strengthen our campaign to cut military expenditures to protect life, livelihood and employment.
Many people of the young generations, including senior high school and university students, are leading the
movement. This gives us great hope for the future. More and more women are joining in the action, too.
Combining our desires to defend and protect peace, life and livelihood into one struggle, let us drive the Abe
Government against the wall.
No More Nagasakis! No More Hiroshimas! No More Hibakusha! No More War!
Let Nagasaki be the last victim city of nuclear calamity.

144

Appendices:
Overseas Delegates and Guests in the 2015 World Conference
against A and H Bombs
Representatives of National
Governments/ Inter-Governmental
Organizations

Ms. Deborah Fleming, Ditto

Mr. Kim Won-soo, Acting High Representative for
Disarmament Affairs, United Nations

Ms. Juanita Mendiola, Ditto

Mr. Fernando Gonzalez Llort, Vice President,
Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples,
Republic of Cuba

Marshall Islands
Ms. Abacca Anjain Maddison, Ex-Senator/
Iju in Ean of Rongelap

Mr. Marcos Rodriguez, Ambassador of the
Republic of Cuba to Japan

Guam
Ms. Moñeka De Oro, Guahan Coalition for Peace
and Justice

Ms. Zania Fleming, Ditto

Ms. Elizabeth Valdés-Miranda Fernández,
Counselor, Embassy of Cuba in JapanThe Philippines
Ms. Corazon Valdez Fabros, Secretary General,
Nuclear-Free Philippines Coalition

Mr. Muhammad Anshor, Deputy Permanent
Representative of the Republic of Indonesia to
the U.N.

Mr. Magiting Fabros, Volunteer Information
Technology Trainer, Ditto

Mr. Seiko Kobayashi, Ambassador to Japan,
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Mr. Guerrero M. Saño (AG Saño), Teach Peace,
Build Peace Movement

Mr. Shane Reti, Member of Parliament of New
Zealand/ Deputy Chair, Parliamentarians for
Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament(PNND) - New Zealand

Ms. Abeline Socorro Salacata, Secretariat
Coordinator, STOP the War Coalition
Philippines
Ms. Irene De Vera, Pangasinan State University,
Head of International Relations

Peace Movement Representatives &Individuals

Ms. Madge Kho

Asia-PacificRepublic of Korea
Mr. Sung Sungju, Adviser (Former President),
Korean Atomic Bomb Casualty Association

New Zealand
Mr. Douglas Plimer
Australia
Ms. Kisten McCandless, Committee Member,Campaign for International Co-operation andDisarmament (CICD)

Mr. Kang Hojung, Steering Committee Member,
Kyongbuk Branch, Ditto

Ms. Fiona MacCandless, Ditto

Mr. Lee Taeho, Secretary General, People’s
Solidarity for Participatory Democracy

Mr. Gong Kee Yun, Ditto

Northern Mariana Islands
Ms. Florine M. Hofschneider, Tinian Women’s
Association

Mr. Park Seong pyo, Co-Chair, Dentists for
Healthy Society/ Dentist
145

Ms. An Eun sun, Journalist for Dentists for
Healthy Society

Ms. Sita Dhakal Adhikari, National Council
Member, Ditto

Ms. Yoon Mi hyun, Assistant Secretary General,
Pharmacists for Healthy Society

Mr. Netra Lal Gyawali, National Council Member,
Ditto

Mr. Suk Dong hyun, Ditto

Mr. Baburam Pandey, National Council Member,
Ditto

Mr. Jeong Hyung jun, Head of Policy Department,
Associations of Physicians for Humanism

Mr. Hari Prasad Pyakurel, National Council
Member, Ditto

People’s Republic of China
Mr. He Jun, Vice President, Chinese People’s
Association for Peace and Disarmament

Mr. Madhav Prasad Pyakurel, National Council
Member, Ditto

Ms. Lin Li, Council Member, Ditto

Mr. Dipendra Raj Shahi, National Council
Member, Ditto

Ms. Li Li, Council Member, Deputy Director of
the Institute for South Asian and Southeast
Asian Studies, China Institutes ofContemporary International Relations (CICIR)

Mr. Satya Narayan Shah, Executive Director,
Social Development Path (SODEP)Mr. Zhao Qiang, Research Fellow, Ditto

India
Ms. Jammu Saraswati, Secretary, Progressive
Railway Women’s Organization

Ms. Song Yiming, Deputy Director of the
Asia-Pacific Division, Ditto

Mr. Kalyanadurgam R Nagaraj, Executive
Member, Institute of Human Rights, Nagpur

Mr. Shen Fang, Assistant Research Fellow of
Asia-Pacific Division, Ditto

Dr. Rao Ramesh Ramachandra, Life Member,
Indian Society of International Law

Mr. Li Bo, Japanese Interpreter, Ditto
Mr. Jalluri Venkata Prabhakar, President, Society
for Socio Economic Awareness and Rural
Community Harmony

Vietnam
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Van, Vice President cum
General Secretary, Vietnam Peace Committee

Ms. Arundhoti Roy Choudhury, President,
Thakurpukur Centre for Peace andDevelopment Initiative

Ms. Nguyen Thi My Tien, Ditto
Mr. Le Van Hau, Ditto

Ms. Sadhana Das, Freelancer
Nepal
Mr. Bimal Khada, Central Committee Member,Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity, Organization(AAPSO) - Nepal

Mr. Jnan Sankar Majumdar, National Vice
President, Centre of Indian Trade Unions(CITU)

Mr. Ramesh Kumar Acharya, Ditto

Mr. Niranjan Chatterjee, Secretary, West Bengal
State Committee, CITU

Ms. Unnati KC, Ditto
Mr. Prakash Meghe, National Committee Member,
Coalition For Nuclear Disarmament and Peace(CNDP)

Mr. Rabindra Adhikari, Coordinator (chief), Nepal
Peace & Solidarity Council (NPSD)
Mr. Ram Chandra Aryal, Executive Committee
Member, Ditto

EuropeMr. Ghanendra Bahadur Shrestha, Secretary, Ditto

RussiaMr. Anatoly Koshkin, Doctor of Historical
Science, International Association of Peace146

Foundations

Germany
Mr. Guido Grünewald, International Speaker,
German Peace Society – United War Resisters(DFG-VK)

Mr. Alexander Prokhanov, Ditto
Mr. Alexander Nagorny, Ditto

Mr. Wolfgang Schupp-Hauck, Chairman,
Friedenswerkstatt Mutlangen e. V.

Mr. Vladimir Griniuk, Ditto
Mr. Yury Tavrovskiy, Ditto

Mr. Tobias Orthen, Federation of German
Scientists

Mr. Pavel Svyatenkov, Ditto
FranceMr. Claude Ruelland, French Peace Movement (LeMouvement de la Paix)

Mr. Larion Lebedev, Ditto
Mr. Sergey Belkin, Ditto

Ms. Annick Azema, Ditto
Ms. Elena Larina, Ditto
Mr. Patrick Godon, Ditto
Mr. Anatolii Anisimov, Ditto
Ms. Colette Letournel, Ditto
Ms. Iryna Koval-Lieskova, Ditto
Ms. Hélène Petitjean, Ditto
FinlandMs. Eeva-Helena Inomaa, President, Artists for
Peace

Ms. Laureline Clairet, Ditto
Mr. Pierre Emmanuel Clairet, Ditto

Ms. Merikukka Kiviharju, Vice President, ditto
Mr. Matéo Clairet, Ditto
Mr. Antti Seppänen, Ditto
Ms. Paloma Sophie Labbé, Ditto
Mr. Jukka-Pekka Vuorikoski, Ditto
NorwayMs. Anne Thelle, No to Nuclear Weapons

Mr. Pierre Laurent, National Secretary, French
Communist Party (PCF)/ Member of the
Senate House

Ms. Sophia Adampour, Ditto

Ms. Claudie Herbau-Laurent, PCF

Ms. Solveig Haland Hansen, Ditto

Ms. Lydia Samarbakhsh, Member of the National
Secretariat, Head of International Department,
Ditto

Mr. Reidar Johannessen, Ditto
Mr. Vidar Birkeland, Leader of Local Group, Ditto

Ms. Mélanie Tsagouris, Member of the National
Council, Member of the International
Relations, Commission in charge of Peace andDisarmament, Ditto

Ms. Hedda Bryn Langemyr, Manager, Norwegian
Peace Council
Mr. Lars Raaum, Ditto

Mr. Raphael Debu, Departmental Secretary of
Rhone, Ditto

SwedenMs. Agneta Norberg, Swedish Peace Council/
Board of Directors, Global Network Against
Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space

Mr. Anne Richard, Member of Department
Moselle, Ditto
Ms. Nathalie Simonnet, Departmental Secretary ofSeine Saint-Denis, Ditto

Ms. Gun-Britt Makitalo, Board Member, Womenfor Peace

Mr. Ludovic Tomas, Member of department
Bouches de Rhone, Ditto

147

Mr. Thibaut Bize, Departmental Secretary of
Doubs, Ditto

Ms. Crystal Uchino

Ms. Lina Sankari, Journalist at l’Humanite

International & Regional Organizations

Ms. Miho Cibot, Institut Hiroshima-Nagasaki

Mr. Colin Archer, Secretary General, International
Peace Bureau (IPB)

Mr. Michel Cibot, French Mayors for Peace(AFCDRP)

Mr. Alyn Ware, UNfold Zero/ Global Wave 2015

Ms. Mariannick Le Bris, International Department
in charge of Asia-Pacific, General
Confederation of Labor (CGT)Mr. Iraklis Tsavdaridis, Executive Secretary, World
Peace Council (WPC)Mr. Bruce Gagnon, Coordinator, Global Network
Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space

Mr. Emmanuel Wietzel, International Department,
General Union of Engineers, Technicians,
Professionals and Manager (UGICT– CGT)

Ms. Mary Beth Sullivan, Ditto

Ms. Jessica Montiel-Ramirez

Mr. Leann Moran, Ditto

United Kingdom
Mr. Dave Webb, Chair, Campaign for Nuclear
Disarmament (CND)

Mr. Alexander Walker, Ditto

North & South America

Mr. Jammu Narayana Rao, Director, Ditto

CanadaMs. Setsuko Thurlow, Hibakusha of Hiroshima,
TorontoMr. Jonathan Frerichs, Program Executive, WorldCouncil of Churches (WCC)

Ms. Cathleen Deppe, Ditto

Bishop Mary-Ann Swenson (Ms.), Bishop, United
Methodist Church/ Vice-Moderator, WCC
Head of Church Leaders Delegation

Mr. Cesar Jaramillo, Executive Director, Project
Ploughshares
Ms. Paula Jaramillo, Ditto

Dr. Sang Chang (Ms.), University President,
Presbyterian Church in ROK, WCC Asia
President

U.S.A.
Mr. Joseph Gerson, Director of Programs,
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)-New England

Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm (Mr.), Presiding
Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church inGermany, WCC

Ms. Mary Popeo, Global Zero/ American Friends
Service Committee (AFSC)

Bishop Tor B. Jorgensen (Mr.), Bishop, Lutheran
Church of Norway /WCC

Mr. Subrata Ghoshroy, International Network ofEngineers and Scientists for Global
Responsibility (INES) / Massachusetts Peace
Action / American Friends Service Committee

Bishop Samuel Azariah (Mr.), Bishop, Church of
Pakistan/WCC

Ms. Madelyn Hoffman, Executive Director, New
Jersey Peace Action

Rev. Karen van den Broeke (Ms.), President,
Reverend, Protestant Church in the
Netherlands, WCC
Rev. Johannes Minks (Mr.), Reverend,
Spokesperson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Bavaria, Germany

Mr. Darrell Miho, Project Director, American
Society of Hiroshima-Nagasaki A-Bomb
Survivors

Rev. Dr. Steven Sidorak (Mr.), Ecumenical Staff
Officer, Conference of Bishops ,United
Methodist Church/ Commissioner,

Ms. Meher Hans, Hiroshima/Nagasaki Peace
Committee of the National Capital Area

148

Commission of the Churches on International
Affairs, WCC

Mr. Peter Prove, Director, Commission of the
Churches on International Affairs, WCC

Mr. Paul Jeffrey, Communicator, United Methodist
Church /WCC
Rev. Paul Tolhurst (Mr.), Reverend, Partners-inMission, Anglican Church in Japan/ WCC

Ms. Shibata Masako, Executive Committee
member, Women’s International Democratic
Federation (WIDF)/ President, Japan
Federation of Women’s Organizations

Massages of Solidarity from Overseas to the2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs
International Institutions/National
Governments:

Anti-nuclear and Peace Movements(Please see page 7 for the full texts)

Paul Ahpoy, President, Fiji Nuclear Tests Veterans
Association, Fiji
Dear Friends, On the 7oth Anniversary of theatomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we thesurviving members , families and friends of the Fiji
Nuclear Tests Veterans Association convey ourgreetings and support for our campaign for the totalelimination of all nuclear weapons from our planet
today, for our children's future.

AustriaDr. Heinz Fischer, Federal President
Ambassador Alexander Kmentt, Director for
Disarmament, Arms Control and NonProliferation, Federal Ministry for Europe,
Integration and Foreign Affairs (page 115)

Nihal Dias, Sri Lanka
I herewith enclose the original copy ofsignatures for appeal for a total ban of nuclear
weapons. I wish you this year 2015 conference;completion of 70 years anti-nuclear weapons
conference will be successful. Please accept ourwarm regards. We all pray for success for coming
conference in Hiroshima, and Nagasaki.
Now I am living in Australia as a permanent job
and due to this year’s busy agenda, I could not join
this year’s conference. Hope next year I may join.
Thanking for all of you organizing anti-nuclear
movement timely needed in world people.
We wish your conference will play a vital role
and will bring peace stability in Asia as well as in
the world. I herewith condemn US led policy ofImperial hegemony wishing to dominate again ourworld after 70 years.
Due to the Hiroshima and Nagasaki victims of
nuclear bombs, this human crime must be addressedsooner or later one day in this world.
Nuclear free world is urgent and essential forhuman kind in the world. Continuously last 70 years
your organization undoubtedly hold this highbanner the vested interest of seven million people ofthis world. I am convinced you have undertaken
huge task, which I appreciated.
Accept my greeting for successful of conference.
Thanking you.

BrazilMs. Dilma Rousseff, President
Ireland
Mr. Michael D. Higgins, President
Lao PDR
Mr. Choummaly Sayasone, President
Marshall Islands
Mr. Tony deBrum, Minister of Foreign Affairs
MexicoMr. Enrique Peña Nieto, President
Switzerland
Mr. Didier Burkhalter, Head of the Federal
Department of Foreign Affairs
Viet Nam
Mr. Truong Tan Sang, PresidentInternational Committee of the Red Cross
Mr. Peter Maurer, President

149

Tomas Magnusson, “Fredsam” Gothenburg(Cooperating Peace Organizations in Gothenburg)
SwedenOn the memorial days of Hiroshima andNagasaki, please receive all best greetings on thememory days of the bombing of Hiroshima andNagasaki 70 years ago. While our thoughts are withyou in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on those days weare conducting our traditional ceremony in the“Peace grove” in central part of Gothenburg, where
we have commemorated those days for 30 years,
with speeches and music. This is an arrangement of
the gather peace movement in Gothenburg, among
which are organizations like the Physicians against
nuclear weapons, Swedish Peace and Arbitration
Society, the Women’s League for Peace andFreedoms, and many other organizations.
We are also planning for receiving a group of
Hibakushas from Hiroshima, Nagasaki and
Fukushima in October, and which the World
Conference against A and H bombs to know how
important it is for us in Sweden to know and be
inspired by the Japanese Peace movement and thelead you have taken in the common work to get ridof Nuclear Weapons once and for all.

John Itty, Christians Peace Conference, India
Many thanks for the communication urging us
to plan for the 70th anniversary of Bombing in
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We shall make someplans of action here and let you know it.
In fact I wish very much to attend the 70th
anniversary. But, as my wife is sick, this time, I am
unable to attend. I hope to attend the near future.
Hope, yourself and all the colleagues are doing
fine. Wishing you all the best.
Zoya Simbirtzeva, Coordinator, International
Antinuclear Movement “Nevada-Semipalatinsk,
Kazakhstan
Dear friends in the leadership of Gensuikyo andparticipants and delegates in the International
Meeting of the World Conference against A and H
Bombs, I send you my greetings and wish you all
the successes in our fight for a nuclear weapon-freeworld. We express our condolences to the victims
in the nuclear tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Nuclear weapons sacrificed innocent people andsurrounding environment, not enemies supposedly
targeted.
We in Semipalatinsk experienced
similar sufferings as the result of the 40-year
nuclear tests conducted at Semipalatinsk Nuclear
Test Site. People’s life in the environment ofhigh-level radiation is intolerable. Many people
are tired of living with muscle and nerve pain,
headache, nausea or digestive organ disorder.
Young population outflow continues, while many
people become handicapped.
We have worked for the closure of all nuclear
test sites in the world, but many leaders with ironfists enjoy immunity from responsibility for thesetragedies, believing that they can hide themselvesfrom prosecution. But they themselves cannot
escape from radiation, which should be prevented
from proliferating in the world.
We sincerely hope you will successfully achieve
the goal of abolishing all nuclear weapons on thisplanet. Please accept our deep respect to you andour friends across the world.

Tony Simpson, Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation
The Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation will
publish a special issue of The Spokesman journal tomark the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing ofHiroshima and Nagasaki.
It is called
SUBSTANDARD: EYEWITNESS REPORTS
TRIDENT, and focuses on the grave danger ofaccidents and mistakes onboard the UK's fourageing nuclear powered and nuclear armed Trident
submarines.
Next year, the UK government is scheduled tomake a final decision to replace these four Trident
submarines with new ones, at a lifetime cost ofsome £100 billion over 40 years. Of course, we
oppose this proposed extension of the UK's nuclear
armoury until 2055 and beyond. Recent reports
indicate that the Royal Navy is already 'out of its
depth' in trying to deploy such complex systems forextended periods at sea, as it struggles withinsufficient trained personnel and a chronic
shortage of spare parts. This increases the risk of adreadful accident.
With best wishes for a successful conference on
this landmark anniversary.
In solidarity! Warm greetings to all comradesat the World Conference.

Milia N. Kabirova, Chelyabinsk, Russia
Dear friends! This year I was not able to takepart in the conference, but I have these days with all
my heart with you, with all the guests of theconference. I wish you successful work andimportant peace in the world. Tomorrow, August 6,
the Russian television will broadcast a new film
about the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I
am with you always.

Mayada Abbassi, Vice President, WIDF/ Palestine
On this Day 70 Years ago we never forget , theentire world do not never forget and all the
thousands of generations will all remember theGediminas Rimdeika, Vice President of the
Lithuanian Chernobyl fund “Our Shore”, Lithuania(Please see page 27 for the text)

150

nuclear bomb that the USA dropped against the tensof thousands of the Japanese civilian inhabitants ofHiroshima and Nagasaki. This attack was erasing
the Humanity.
Dear friends we stay in Solidarity with you; westruggle beside you for Peace and Justice andCooperation.
National Union of Sahrawi Women, Western Sahara
August 6 is and will be remembered for themassacre caused by the nuclear attack against
Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70 years ago. Every year,
tens of thousands of people gather in Nagasaki City
to honor more than 70,000 victims who were killedin that city.
The Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima,
where 140,000 people died, is the symbol ofhumanity’s rejection of the first nuclear bomb
dropped on Japan by the US military.
Aging bomb survivors, public officials, social
sector leaders and overseas delegates observe a
moment of silence at 8:15, the local time of the
explosion that devastated the city.
The National Union of Sahrawi Women(UNMS) fights against violence, for human rights
and for a just and peaceful world. We strongly
condemn the use of the atomic bomb and weaponsof war, especially against civilian population.
We condemn the military occupation of ourcountry, the Western Sahara, by Morocco and we
denounce the use of violence against the Sahrawi
civilian population in the occupied territories.
We reaffirm our commitment to the struggle forliberty and peace.
Phyllis Creighton, Science for Peace, Canada
Dear Taka-san,I send you a message of good wishes for the
Gensuikyo conference that will soon take place inHiroshima and Nagasaki. I wish I were going to beparticipating in it, but I am with you in spirit.
In this conference 70 years after the atomic
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I wish theparticipants every success in addressing the urgent
issue of outlawing nuclear weapons, the mostbarbaric, immoral weapon of mass destruction.
Knowing the horror and pain inflicted on the
Hibakusha, we must demand this threat to all of ourlives be ended. Nuclear weapons must be prohibitedand eliminated. Speak out loud and clear: the time
for a ban is NOW.
Theresa Wolfwood, Co-ordinator, Victoria Womenin Black/ Director, Barnard-Boecker Centre
Foundation, Victoria, Canada
Dear Ms. Tsuchida and friends of peace in
Gensuikyo,

151

I send you greetings from Women in Black,
Victoria, BC, Canada; we remember the bombing ofHiroshima and Nagasaki every August.
British pilot Leonard Cheshire, on board theplane with that bomb dropped on Nagasaki,
described the bombing as, “Obscene in its greedy
clawing at the earth, swelling as if with its
regurgitation of all the life that it had consumed.”
From a deposit in northern Canada, uranium
was mined and shipped to the USA: the local 1stnations Dene people worked at the uranium mine.
Many died and their descendants continue to diefrom radiation-caused cancers to this date. Canada
provided most of the uranium for the bombs thatwere dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945
The Dene gave the white southerners caribou,
moose and fish. "They were strangers living among
us on our land so we took care of them." In return,the locals helped extract and transport the deadly
ore with no knowledge of its dangers. The southernminers left the people with toxic waste dumps intheir community and radiation ticking in theirbodies. New mines in Saskatchewan now export
uranium to our friends around the world. Canadais the 2nd largest producer & exporter of uranium inthe world.
USA, Russia, China, Britain, Israel, France,
India, Pakistan (& maybe others) have more than
19,000 nuclear bombs, many made with Canadiantechnology & materials. They are moving aroundthe globe everyday on land, in the seas & the air,including in BC.
Canada continues to becomplicit in nuclear development by sellinguranium and technology for nuclear energy (which
also contaminates the world with harmful radiation)
producing bomb fuel s as well as electricity and forbombs themselves.. Canada provides so- called &highly radioactive ‘depleted uranium’, to22nations for weapons – bomb casings, guns, tanks
and other steel-hardening military uses. Depleted
Uranium weapons were tested in Panama & used in
Iraq, Afghanistan and former Yugoslavia.
The Canada Pension Plan, mandatory for all
working Canadians, invests our contributions in thefive largest arm makers in the world which makenuclear as well as non-nuclear weapons that are soldto and used in many countries again civilian
populations.
Nuclear weapons and radioactivity continue tothreaten the health of all life systems and undermine
the security of human society. Wealth and resources
wasted on war-making are needed to create apeaceful and sustainable life for all humanity. It istime to call for nuclear disarmament and a
moratorium on uranium mining; to call for cuts in
our military spending and an increase in social,health and education budgets. Our precious

resources and energy should be directed to thecreation of a peaceful, just and healthy world.
Nuclear nations & a handful of men can destroy alllife on earth & that unspoken threat is behind wars
waged by nuclear powers today in Iraq, Syria,
Ukraine and Palestine.
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows,
U.S.A.
We remember you today in our hearts, ourthoughts and our prayers. Seventy years ago, ourcountry committed horrible, unthinkable acts by
dropping nuclear bombs on Hiroshima andNagasaki.
It still brings suffering to many
generations later. Your goal and our goal are thesame - to end nuclear proliferation, and for there tobe peace and love throughout the world.
We are thankful for your courage and bravery as
you continue to bring this message around the globe,
inspiring others to carry it as well. Your loss is also
our loss, your pain is our pain.
In friendship and peace.
Edith Ballantyne, member of WILPF (Women’s
International League for Peace and Freedom)
Dear Friends,
You will be gathering once again, this 6th and9th of August, in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
respectively, to remember the victims of thecriminal US atomic bombing of the two cities onthese dates in 1945. Most of the world’s people
will, with you, recommit to continue the struggle forachieving a nuclear weapons free world. It is moreurgent than ever that this nuclear and all militarymadness is stopped.
Working together we will succeed. All power
to the peace builders. In solidarity,
Márcia Campos, President, Women’s International
Democratic Federation
WIDF - nuclear attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
70 years ago
Worldwide, that date of August 6, crowds
remind slaughter caused by nuclear attack on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70 years ago Every year,
tens of thousands of people participate in the city ofNagasaki, the tribute to the more than 70 000
fatalities in that city, the nuclear attack carried out
by the US for 70 years - the last days of World War
II. The plutonium bomb called "Fat Man" by
American pilots, destroyed Nagasaki on August 9,
1945.
The Peace Memorial in Hiroshima, in which
140,000 people died, is symbol of the repudiation ofhumanity the first nuclear bomb dropped on Japanby the US military.

152

Elderly survivors of the bombing, government
officials, social leaders from all segments andforeign representatives systematically do a minuteof silence at 8:15 am local time of the explosion thatswept the city.
WIDF defends a united world with justice for all
people, with just Paz. Energetically reject thisatrocity committed against the people of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki.
On August 6, 1945, the US dropped on
Hiroshima a barbarian nuclear attack. Three days
later they repeated the crime on Nagasaki, making
it the only country to use the atomic bomb. And notagainst targets of war, but on civilian populations.
The US had no military justification. Germany
had already surrendered on May 7 and the Japanesearmy was defeated, the navy and the air force of thecountry had practically ceased to exist as military
operational forces.
The attacks were ordered at the end of the 2nd
War by President Harry Truman. On July 1, 1945,
in the midst of the Potsdam Conference, the UnitedStates began nuclear threats with the completion of
the first test.
The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
destroyed about 60% of the total area of the city,
and within seconds killed 140 000 people, civilians
in total, men, children, women and the elderly. It isestimated that the death toll doubled during thefollowing months, with the survivors succumbing toinjuries, burns, mutilations and diseases caused byradiation.
Homes, hospitals, schools andvegetation disappeared the instant the bomb
exploded.
Even today, the consequences of radioactive
contamination are thousands of victims. Memorial
in Hiroshima, enroll new names of deceased eachyear and the total number is already approaching
one million. The attack on the city of Nagasaki
killed over 70,000 people at first.
At this barbarism against humanity, wasfollowed within the US a fascist twist: the infamous
McCarthyism, institutionalized persecution ofactivists, thinkers, artists and progressive youth.
First, the main collaborators of President Roosevelt
were being away from the positions they held in thegovernment, then it began a process of persecution
against the trade union movement and thedemocratic intelligentsia.
The US is the country with more nuclear
weapons in the world operating conditions, withthousands of warheads in their own territory andthousands more scattered its overseas bases in theiraircraft carriers and nuclear submarines. In addition,
they continue with the ongoing construction of
more sophisticated and dangerous weapons, inorder to make the other countries, independent
people, to submit by terror.
It is the country that nuclear tests conducted
throughout the world. This country is also the only
one to have nuclear weapons deployed in othercountries such as Belgium, Germany, Italy, theNetherlands and Turkey.
According to the Federation of American
Scientists, in December 2012 it was estimated that
the United States had about 2,150 operational
warheads, i.e. weapons that are deployed or may be
deployed on short notice.
Companions of Fudanren, WIDF will always beby your side, united in solidarity, fighting for aworld of peace and cooperation.
Rene Wadlow, President, Association of World
Citizens
Dear Friend, Thank you for your message. We
were active around the NPT Review as you were. I
will send a message of good wishes for the August
meetings.
Socorro Gomes, President, World Peace Council
A dreadful anniversary and the call forstrengthening our struggle against nuclear
weapons
Dear friends of Gensuikyo:
At this 70th anniversary of the criminal US
bombings against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, we write to you reinforcing oursolidarity to the Japanese people, victim of thisappalling inauguration of the use of nuclear
weapons in our world. We pay our respects tothousands of victims of this war crime and crime
against humanity perpetrated by the US imperialism,
still to be held accountable.
The victims are not numbers: they are people
whose lives were ripped-off by the greatest
expression of warmongering and brutality, but who
should be remembered by us in our struggle against
weapons of mass destruction and for peace.
At the time we stress our solidarity to theJapanese people, offering our support, we also join
the call for strengthening the peoples’ common
struggle for the complete abolition of nuclear
weapons. We regret that, 45 years after it was
adopted, the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a
superficial and insufficient document, has notgranted humanity freedom from the threat of a
nuclear war.
We pay homage to 300 thousand of Japanese
victims and the victims of the US nuclear tests inplaces such as Marshall Islands – who still face the153

consequences of tests conducted by the US between
1946 and 1958 – reiterating our call to the world forthe complete abolition of arsenals putting
humankind in danger.
In 1950, the World Peace Council launched theStockholm Appeal, signed by over 350 million
people, demanding “the outlawing of atomic
weapons as instruments of intimidation and massmurder of peoples”. The document, which we
reinforce 65 years later, calls on “all men andwomen of good will throughout the world to sign
this appeal”. Although millions of people havedemanded the abolition of nuclear weapons, theworld leadership is still debating a much lessambitious goal: the mere reduction of the existingarsenal.
The failure of the NPT Review Conferences,
last held in April 2015, is the responsibility of themost hostile regimes, with their imperialist policies
of massacre, threats and oppression: Israel and theUnited States. The goal of turning the Middle East,
one of the most unstable regions due to theimperialist actions, into a zone free of nuclear
weapons, was enough to prompt Israel’s response,
derailing the process through the US.
The US, on its turn, is playing a theatrical act
with the reduction of its arsenal, hiding the“modernization” trend: keeping their nuclear power,
they raise the lethality and broaden their arsenal’s
reach, even though it is reduced in number. Theirpolicies – allied and promoted through the greatest
war machine known to humanity, NATO – arebased on threats and on aggressions against thepeoples in the whole planet.
Therefore, in this dreadful anniversary, wedeclare vehemently, once more, our condemnationof the Japanese people’s massacre and the threat ofrepetition of such a horrid event.
We strengthen our determined struggle for theabolition of nuclear weapons and other weapons ofmass destruction. In our anti-imperialist endeavor,
we are certain that unity among us will defeat
warmongering and militarist policies, since thepeoples’ will is a just peace.
Dear Friends,
We remember you today in our hearts, ourthoughts and our prayers. Seventy years ago, ourcountry committed horrible, unthinkable acts by
dropping nuclear bombs on Hiroshima andNagasaki. It still brings suffering to many
generations later. Your goal and our goal are thesame - to end nuclear proliferation, and for there tobe peace and love throughout the world.

70th Anniversary Hiroshima/Nagasaki Day Actions
Planned/Carried out around the World
published in the Journal of Global Change, Peaceand Security. On the 5th of August we held thelaunch of the exhibition. Speakers included
Jessie Boylan, Dr Margaret Beavis (Medical
Association for Prevention of War), Michael
Hamel-Green (Emeritus Professor, College ofArts) and Jacob Grech (Veteran peace activist andRenegade Action).
We hope your conference was successful andthat the participants when they return to theircountry they will campaign against the spread anduse of nuclear weapons and for their elimination.
CICD has a radio program on a community
radio station (3CR), on Sunday mornings from9.00 to 9.15 am. The last two weeks we havecovered news on the 70th Anniversary ofHiroshima and Nagasaki. Here are the links to
the Radio Station for our Alternative News.
http://www.3cr.org.au/alternativenews

New ZealandBarney Richards, Peace Council of AotearoaNew ZealandAt the Botanic Garden Peace Flame Garden
there will be a Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70th
Anniversary Commemoration with invited
speakers from the City Council, embassies,
colleges and political parties.
It's from 10:30am to 11:30am on Sunday 2
August 2015 to enable a strong interest in thefollowing week's 6th and 9th August special days.
Messages from the Mayors of Hiroshima andNagasaki, for the event, will be read by college
students and peace cranes given to the attenders.
There will be a full size representation of thecurrently deployed, illegal W87 nuclear weapon,
on display to alert to the smallness of thesecondary stage H bomb that's smaller than afootball yet is twenty times more powerful than
the 6 August 1945 Hiroshima atomic bomb. The
website is www.hdwn.webs.com
In the Wellington City Library, at 12 pm on
Sunday 2 August, 2015 Mayor Celia Wade-Brown
will open a "Hiroshima 70" children's Peace Art
Display.
The
websiteis:https://sites.google.com/site/hiroshimahope70/

India
Dr. Balkrishna Kurvey, Indian Institute for
Peace, Disarmament & Environmental
Protection/ No More Hiroshima: No MoreNagasaki: Peace Museum
On the eve of Hiroshima & Nagasaki Atomic
bombing, Hiroshima Day was observed in Raman
Science Center, Nagpur on 6th August
2015. This is renowned Science Center ofGovernmentofIndia,
Ministryof
Culture. Theme was "Environmental Impact
of Atomic Bomb Explosion".
Selected High school Students from Nagpur
were invited. To catch them young, we aretargeting youngsters who will be future citizens of
the country to inculcate the idea of Nuclear
Weapon Free World. Photographic exhibition ofHiroshima & Nagasaki bombing was also
displaced for public from 6th to 9th August 2015
in Raman Science Center.
Hiroshima Day was also arranged in
Department of Environmental Science, Sardar
Patel Mahavidyalaya (College), Chandrapur,
India. This prestigious teaching Institute ofCentral India having more than 7200 students.
Students of graduate, post-graduate, Ph.D. andsome medical students attended the seminar. The
theme was "Nuclear Weapons Disarmament andEnvironmental Protection and Peace"
I based my address on the study carried out byInternational Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear
war & Physicians of Social responsibility "TwoKate Dewes and Robert Green, Christchurch
We will have a commemoration ceremony on
Nagasaki Day at 5pm at the World Peace Bell in
our Botanic Garden, near the camphor tree giftedto our city from Mayor Itoh about 10 years ago.
Our Mayor will speak, and a Japanese choir willsing.
This is the 40th consecutive year that we havedone the lantern ceremony, even though the many
devastating earthquakes in our city.

Australia
Romina Beitseen,
Campaign forInternational Cooperation
and Disarmament (CICD)The
Campaign
forInternational Cooperation
and Disarmament (CICD)
organised an exhibition forthe 70th anniversary ofHiroshima and Nagasaki at Trades Hall, from the5th-7th August. Atomic photographer, Jessie
Boylan (Australia), had her essay ‘Atomic
Amnesia: photographs and nuclear memory’154Billion People at Risk", December 2013.
In a limited regional nuclear war between
India and Pakistan, if 150 Hiroshima type Bombs
were used, what will be environmental
consequences in Asia, in particular and world in
General was the theme of the talk…. Public
education and awareness is only key as there is no
medicine and prevention is the only way tosafeguard the human race. Participants andteachers asked many question, which were aptly
answered.

Member of Parliament and Jaana Hallamaa
Professor of Social Ethics, and also music by
Koiton Laulu.
We end the event with lighting floating
lanterns on the Töölönlahti Bay 10 pm, due to oldJapanese Tradition. People can bring their own
candles or buy candles for 2 €. The event will beco-organized with Svenska Fredsvänner i
Helsingfors, Ev.Luth. Congregations in Helsinki.

SwedenTomas Magnusson, “Fredsam” Gothenburg(Cooperating
Peace
Organizations
in
Gothenburg)
While our thoughts are with you in Hiroshima
and Nagasaki on those days we are conducting our
traditional ceremony in the “Peace grove” incentral part of Gothenburg, where we havecommemorated those days for 30 years, withspeeches and music. This is an arrangement of thegather peace movement in Gothenburg, among
which are organizations like the Physicians
against nuclear weapons, Swedish Peace andArbitration Society, the Women’s League for
Peace and Freedoms, and many otherorganizations.

Pakistan
Rana Ehtisham Rabbani, President, Peace andHumanity Foundation, Lahore
My organization Peace and Humanity
Organization is holding two-day exhibition ofHiroshima-Nagasaki Atom Bomb blast effects
posters on 5 and 6 August at Alhamra Arts
Council, Lahore.
A seminar will also beorganized on 6 August in Hall No. 3. Prominent
writers, thinkers, educationists, journalists will
speak on the occasion.
Open invitation.
Welcome all.

Sylvia Rönn, Women for Peace, Stockholm
Women for peace in Stockholm will have amanifestation in a park in central Stockholm withspeeches and music. After that we will set paper
lanterns in the water. Swedish Women for peacein several other cities will have a similar action.

Austria
Andreas Pecha, Sonja Jamkojian-Huber, Alois
Reisenbichler and Manfred Sauer, Hiroshima
Group Vienna
As it has become tradition, the peace
movement commemorates the victims of thenuclear attacks at Stephansplatz in Vienna. This
year the Hiroshima Commemoration starts on
Thursday, August 6th 2015 at 6 PM and ends atapp. 20:30 PM with a lantern parade to the pondin front of Karlskirche, where, in accordance withJapanese custom, the lanterns will float on thewater.
Each year we collect messages of support
from people with diverse backgrounds – hundredsof voices supporting the struggle against nuclear
weapons. Please support this action with your own
statement which will be exhibited at
Stephansplatz
andpublishedonwww.hiroshima.at
Please send the statements of support toFinlandAri Sardar, Peace Union of Finland
In Helsinki in Finland main event for Hiroshima
Day will be in city centre and we are excepting
around two or three hundred people to come.
Around Finland will be at least in ten different
cities Hiroshima Day events: LOVIISA, KOTKA,
NÄRPES, PORI, RAUMA, TURKU, VANTAA,VÄÄKSY, KEMI and HELSINKI (could be evenmore places events.)
Program for Helsinki is entitled “70 years
since bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Do
not forget!” It will be held at 9 pm, August 6 at
Amphitheatre behind the Opera House in memoryof the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and all
victims of war and conflict, and to remind theworld of importance of Nuclear Disarmament. It
will include speeches by Erkki Tuomioja,

155

Wiener Friedensbüro, Reinprechtsdorfer Straße
6/2,
1050
Wien,
Austria
E-Mail:pax.vienna@chello.at
We, the Hiroshima Group Vienna, the Viennese
Peace Movement and a number of other groups
organizing this year’s event, e.g. ICAN Austria,
IFOR Austria, the Austrian Red Cross,
OMEGA/IPPNW Austria and Pax Christi Vienna,
want to thank you for supporting our common
pursuit of a world free of nuclear weapons,
nuclear power plants and war. We wish you all
the best for your activities.
In peace andsolidarity.

In the days before the activitists will demand
nuclear abolition at public squares, in embassies
and from governments. The fasting for nuclear
abolition will be supported by activities in about
70 cities and towns.
Other activties include exhibitions on the
nuclear chain (from uranium mining to nuclear
weapons and nuclear waste) demanding „No more
Hibakusha anywhere“ in Stutttgart and Frankfurt
and the two bicycle tours „Peacemakers Tour to
Berlin“ from 2-4 July (covering 630 km) and the10th „Peacemakers Marathon“ (covering 340 km)
on 1 August. The central slogan for both events is:„Outlaw and Ab olish all nuclear weapons all over
the world!“
Peacemakers Tour to Berlin – a stop at
Würzburg
My own organisation – German Peace
Society-United War Resisters (DFG-VK) is
involved in the nationwide activities andorganizes in addition two regional bicycle tours:a) 1-9 August from Münster (NorthrhineWestfalia) to the air base Büchel b) 1-9 Augustfrom Grafenwöhr (Bavaria) to the air base Büchel.

Gage Ledbetter, Student, Peace Cooperative
Network

Germany

List of Hiroshima Day Events 2015, Germany
Saturday, August 1st, 2015 through Sunday,
August 9th – Amberg/Büchel:

Guido Grünewald, International speaker,
German Peace Society-United War Resisters(DFG-VK)In many towns and cities there will be a wide
range of activities remembering the dropping of
nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki andthe subsequent catastrophic humanitarianconsequences as well as demanding nuclear
abolition. Nationwide three specific forms ofactivism will be in the center stage:
1) Large-scale placards with a clear message
In about 20 cities large-scale placards will be
displayed for 10 days. The message is: “70 years
Hiroshima and Nagasaki: remembrance is not
sufficient – nuclear abolition now!“
2) Night of 70.000 candles
Remembering the many people seeking relief andshelter in Ota-gawa candles will be lit in theevening of 5 August during 10:00 p.m. and 0:15
a.m. (moment of the dropping of the atomic bombon Hiroshima in national German time). The
activities will take place at different locations likemunicipal squares, military installations, city halls,
churches, rivers or lakes.
3) Public fasting for nuclear abolition from 31
July to 9 August: The fasting will end in front of
the air force base Büchel where 20 nuclear bombs
are stored which are scheduled to be modernized.

DFG-VK (German Peace Society-United
Opponents of Military Service) Peace Bike Rally
2015, “On the move for peace and disarmament,”
Start: 2:30pm, from the Truppenübungsplatz near
Vilseck to the nuclear weapons stockpile in
Büchel (Eifel). Stages: August 4th, Rally andperformance in Würzburg; August 8th, Action in
Koblenz, together with the Peace Bike Tour from
North Rhineland Westphalia (NRW); August 9th,
Nuclear weapons stockpile in Büchel,circumnativation of the site, among other actions;
Organizer: DFG-VK Bayern.

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Contact: DFG-VK-Group München,
Schwanstalerstrasse 133, 80339 München
Email: muenchen@dfg-vk.de
Website: http://www.dfg-vk-bayern.de/FFTallg_info_mehr-01.html

Email: mwengelke@t-online.de
Tuesday, August 4th to Friday, August 14th,
2015 – Belzig:
Exhibit “Hiroshima- / Nagasaki-Memorial”,
Linke-Kreisgeschäftstelle, Straße der Einheit 53,
Organizers: Die Linke Bad Belzig, Piratenpartei
Bad Belzig
Contact: Die Linke Belzig, Straße der Einheit 53,
14806 Bad Belzig
Email: utahohlfeld@t-online.de
Website: www.dielinke-belzig.de

Saturday, August 1st, 2015 – Bretten/Bretten
11th Peacemakers Bike Marathon – Peacemakers
for a peaceful and just world without atomic
weapons – Rout: (around 335km) Bretten,
Heilbronn, Mannheim, Kaiserlautern, Neustadt
nach Bretten, Organizers: DFG/VK BaWü, Pax
An, GAAA, Fl Westpalz
Contact:
Peacemakers,
RolandBlach,
Haußmanstrasse 6, 70188 Stuttgart, Tel:
0711/2155112; Fax: 0711/2155214
Email: info@pace-makers.de
Website: www.pace-makers.de

Tuesday, August 4th, to Saturday, August 15th
– Hannover:
Exhibition “70 Jahre Hiroxhima – 6.8.1945,”
Hours: 10am-7pm, at the Neues Rathaus,
Bürgersaal, Tramplatz, Organizers: Deutsch
Japanisher
Freundschaftskreis
HannoverHiroshima-Yukokai e.V. in cooperation with the
Hannover City Council - Office of International
Affairs - Cultural Office [as part of the Hiroshimacommemorations in Hannover]Contact: Landeshaupstadt Hannover (Mayor for
Peace Deutschland), Büro OB Evelyn Kamissek,
Trammplatz 2, 30159 hannover, Tel: 0511/16841446, Fax: 0511/168-44025
Email: mayorsforpeace@hannover-stadt.de
Website: mayorsforpeace.deSaturday, August 1st, 2015 through Sunday,
August 9th – Münster/Büchel:
Peace Bike Tour NRW “On the move for peaceand disarmament” with the motto “70 Years since
Hiroshima and Ngasaki: For peace, atomic
disarmament, and a civilian Europe,” Start:
Münster (the site of the new NATO response
force) to Büchel (atomic weapons facility),
Stages: August 1st, Start in Münster, NATO
Response Force Base; August 3rd, Oberhausen –Kalkar , NATO Command Center; August 5th,
Krefeld – Köln – Memorial Action; August 6th,
Bonn – Hiroshima Commemoration – Remagen;August 8th, Action in Koblenz, together with thePeace Bike Tour from Bayer, Organizer: DFGVK NRW
Kontakt: Landesverband NRW der DFG-VK,
Braunschweigerstrasse 22, 44145 Dortmund, Tel:
0231/818032; Fax: 0231/818032
Email: dfg-vk.nrw@t-online.de
Website: nrw.dfg-vk.de/themen/Fahrradtour.html

Tuesday, August 4th, 2015 – Suhl:
Light ceremony on Dianabrunnen for the 70th
anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki.
Contact: Suhler Friedensinitiative, Holger
Auerswald,
Tel:03681/308158,
Fax:
03681/308158
Email: fozzy-suhl@gmx.de
Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Aalen:
Event “Night of 70,000 Lights” at 9pm at
Markbrunnen, Organizer: Ev. Kirchengemeinde
Aalen
Contact: Ev. Kirchengemeinde Aalen, Pfarrer
Rainer Schmid, Ziegelstr. 25, 73431 Aalen, Tel.:
07361/6339797
Email: rainer.schmid@elkw.de

Saturday, August 1st, 2015 – Wetzlar:
Vigil against armaments and war, 10-11am, at the
Alten Lahnbrücke, Organizer: Wetzlarer
Friedenstreff
Contact: DFG-VK Lahn-Dill Martin Otto,
Frenkenstrasse 77, 35578 Wetzlar, Tel:
06441/25462
Email: mo-wz@gaaa.org

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Altenburg:
Event “Night of 70,000 Candles” 9pm, at the
Großen pond, the bridge to Inselzoo will beequipped with lights. afterwards: briefcommemorative address and prayer for peace,
Organizer: Friedenskreis Altenburg
Contact: Friedenskreis Altenburg, Barbara Ebert,
Tel.: 034343/52356
Email: ebertbabs@freenet.deSunday, August 2nd, 2015 – Büchel
Churchservice
on
the
theme
of
Hiroshima/Nagasaki mit Pastor Matthias Engelke,
10am, St. Martinskirche.
Contact: Initiativkreis gegen Atomwaffen,
Pfarrer Dr. Matthias Engelke, Steegerstrasse 34,41334 Nettetal-Lobberich, Tel.: 02153/121989

157

Event “Night of 70,000 Candles” 10pm, at
Burgplatz in fron of the Maritime Museum,
Organizer: IPPNW-Gruppe Düsseldorf
Contact: IPPNW Gruppe Düsseldorf, Wenia Tel.:
0157/58339988
Email: duesseldorf@ippnw.de
Website: www.ippnw.de

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Bad Tölz:
Event “Night of 70,000 Candles,” from lateafternoon vigil in the Bad Tölzer pedestrian zone,
at 10pm, setting the candles on the Isar,
Organizer:
Friedensintiative
Bad
TölzWolfratshausen
Contact:
Friedensintiative
Bad
TölzWolfratshausen, Helmut Groß, Tel.: 08041/72477
Email: gross1955@gmx.de

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Esslingen:
Service, Rally and Action “Night of 70,000
Candles,” Speakers: Wilfried Wallbrecht (1stmayor of the city of Esslingen), Dr. Markus
Schwer (Deacon from the local Catholic Church),
Poem recitation: Sigrid Altherr-König, Music:
Fabian Grosch, Moderation: Tom Bittner; Candal
service on the Neckar canal (there will also be
folded paper cranes, the Japanese symbol for theoutlawing of nuclear weapons, hung on trees in
the Maille), See the flyer here, Organizer:
Friedensbündnis Esslingen
Contact: Friedensbündnis Esslingen, Sigrid
Altherr-König
Email: Sigrid.Altherr@t-online.de
Website: www.friedensbuendnis-esslingen.de

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Bensheim
Memorial service “Night of 70,000 Candles,”
10pm, in front of city hall, Kirchbergstrasse 28,
Organizers: Nord-Süd-Forum Bensheim, PaxChristi-Gruppe
Bergstraße,
Amnesty
International
Bergstraße,
Forum
gegen
Rüstungsexporte
Contact: Forum gegen Rüstungsexporte
Bensheim, Karls Kerschegns, 64625 Bensheim,
Tel.: 06251/103856
Email: karl.kerschgens@gmx.de
Website:forumgegenruestungsexporte.wordpress.com
Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Berlin
Action “Night of Candles” – Vigil for Life, 6pm,
Planting of the “Tree of Life” (Ginko Biloba);
7pm, Lamp and lantern procession; 9pm-12am,
Candles – set an example for life; Peace Bell
Berlin, Big Pond, Volkspark Friedrichshain, Flyer
here, Organizer: Friedensglockengesellschaft
BerlinContact: Friedensglockengesellschaft Berlin,
Anja Mewes, Franz-Mehring-Platz 1, 10243
Berlin, Tel.: 01522/9996370
Email: anja.mewes@email.de
Website: www.berlin-friedensglocke.de

Wednesday,
August5th,
2015–
Frankfurt/Oder:
Event/Memorial “Night of 70,000 Candles” – 70th
Year after Hiroshima and Nagasaki – for a world
without
atomicweapons,
Start:
8pm,
Marienkirche, Reading by Carmen winter,musically accompanied by Thomas Bush; 9pm,
Candle even on the Order - Peace Bell, withmusicalaccompaniment
by
the
choir
"Lebensfreude", Haus der Begegnung, Organizer:
Friedensnetz Frankfurt (Oder)Contact: Friedensnetz Frankfurt (Oder),Reinhard Schülzke, Kirchring 1, 15236 FrankfurtGüldendorf, Tel.: 0335/526971
Email: r.c.schuelzke@t-online.de

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Dannenberg:
Event: “Night of 70,000 Candles,” 10pm, on the
Merketplatz, Organizer: Mahnwache gegen
GorlebenContact: Mahnwache gegen Gorleben, Gertie
Brammer, Tel.: 05861/985742
Email: g.bram@freenet.de

Wednesday,
August5th,2015
Fürstenfeldbruck:
Commemoration, "Seventy Years is Enough!" For an atomic weapon-free Germany - for the 70th
aniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima,
Start: 7:30pm at the old Rathaus, followed by amarch to Kneipp island, Organizers: Sozialforum
Amper, OB Klaus Peil (Mayors for Peace)
Contact:
MonikaGlemnitz-Markus,
Lüarchenweg 2, 82216 Maiasch, Tel.:
0176/55440938
Email: sozialforumamper@gmx.de
Website: www.sozialforumamper.deWednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Duisburg:Night of 70,000 Candles, 7-7:30pm, KarmelKirche at Innhafen, Kermelplazt 9, Organizer:
Karmel-Kirche am Innenhafen [as part of"Midweek – Prayer for Peace"]
Contact: Karmel-Kirche am Innenhafen, Marga
Salfeld, Tel. 0203/667175
Website: karmel-duisburg.eu

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 - Gera
Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Düsseldorf:

158

Action "Night of 70,000 Candles," 10pm, peace
prayer, St. Trinitatis, afterward: memorial march
to the Heinrichs Bridge to put floading candles on
the Elster river. Organizer: Aktionsbündnis "Geragegen Rechts"
Contact Aktionsbündnis Gera gegen Rechts, Dr.
Reinhard Hausigk
Email: rchausigk@web.de

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 - Kastellaun:
Vigil "Night of 70,000 Candles" in memory of thevictims in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 10pm 12:15am, Marktplatz, Organizers: FI RheinHunsrück
Contact: FI Rhein-Hunsrück, Heidrun Kisters,
Schulstr. 20, 55481 Kirchberg, Tel.: 06763/4614
Email: heidrun.kisters@t-online.de
Website: www.fi-hunsrueck.de

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 - Hamburg:Night of 70,000 Candles in Hamburg, 10 pm, at
Jungferstieg (at Alster terrace between the Alster
pavilion and the tourist information center).
Contact: ICAN Hamburg, Erik Buhmann, mobile
number: 0162/6860708
Email: rchausigk@web.de
Website:www.facebook.com/events/1627552734197023/

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 - Kiel
Lecture "The Atomic Bomb and the Future ofWar" with Professor Dr. Götz Neuneck (IFSH
Hamburg), 7pm, Town hall Kiel, Ratsaal,
Organizer: Arbeitskreis Städtsolidarität
Contact: Friedensforum Kiel, Benno Stahn, An
den Birken 18, 24111 Kiel
Email:
Website: www.kieler-friedensforum.de

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 - Hannover:
Hiroshima - Memorial Grove in Bult, 8pm,
"Never another Hiroshima - Conversations by
Candlelight," Organizer: Hiroshimabündnis
HannoverContact: Hiroshima-Bündnis c/o Günter Mundil,
Erichstr. 2, 30449 Hannover, Tel.: 0511/455608
Email: guemu.sawi@t-online.de

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 - Cologne:
Rally and memorial for the 70th anniversary of theatomic bombings "Our Future: Free of Atomic
Weapons!" with Blue Flower and Barbara
Conrady-Takenaka,
8pm,
Memorial
in
Hiroshima-Nagasaki-Park on the Hügel,Organizer: Hiroshima-Nagasaki AK im KölnerFriedensforum
Contact: Friedensforum Kiel, Benno Stahn, An
den Birken 18, 24111 Kiel
Email: b.stahn@kieler-friedensforum.de
Website: koelnerfriedensforum.org

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 - Heidenheim:"Night of 70,000 Candles," 9:30pm, Prayer in
Michaelskirche, at 10pm meet at the Wedelbüble- Brunnen, Lighting of candles, short speachfrom Mayor Domberg (in stead of OB Ilg, amember of Mayors for Peace), Musicalaccompaniment by deacon and songwriter
Karlheinz Oesterle Steinheim, End: around
12:15am,
Organizer:
Heidenheimer
Friendensgruppe
Contact: Friedensgruppe Heidenheim c/o Gisela
Paschen, Ostplatz 6, 89522 Heidenheim, Tel.:
07321/23909, Fax: 07321-946384
Email: gisela.paschen@t-online.de
Website:www.jestrabek.homepage.tonline.de/frieden.htm

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 - Cologne
Light demonstration "Night of 70,000 Candles" inmemorial for the 70th anniversary the Atomic
bombings, 10pm, Aachener Weiher, see flyer here,
Organizer: Hiroshima-Nagasaki AK im KölnerFriedensforum
Contact: muellerkoeln@oline.de
Website: koelnerfriedensforum.org
Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Lahnstein:
Event “Night of 70,000 Candles,” at 8pm at the
Johanniskirche (Niederlahnstein), afterwards: at
the Lahnmündung, Candles on the Lahn.
Organizers:
Pax-Christi-Gruppe
Lahnstein,
Kosovo-Partnerschaftsgruppe
der
kath.
Kirchengemeinde St. Martin
Contact: Pax Christi Lahnstein, Pater Wolfgang
Jungheim, Jesuitenplatz 4, 56068 Koblenz
Email: wolfgang.jungheim@sscc.de

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Heppenheim:
Memorial event “Night of 70,000 Candles,” 10pm,
at the Martin-Buber Memorial (Corner ofGraben/Kellereigasse),
See
flyer
here,
Organizers: VA: Weltladen Heppenheim, Pax
Christi Bergstr., Kirchengemeinden und DGBOrtsverband Heppenheim
Contact: Weltladen Heppenheim, Lothar Bräunig,
64646 Heppenheim, Tel.: 06252/76642 od.
0176/54881385
Email: braeunigx4@t-online.de

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 - Leipzig
Event for Hiroshima Remembrance Day, 10pm,
Elsterflutbecken near the Sachsenbrücke in ClaraZetkin-Park to float lights on the river ("Night of159

70,000 Candles"), Organizer: Friedenszentrum
Leipzig
Contact: Friedenszentrum Leipzig e.V., Tosten
Schleip, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 30/32, 04107
Leipzig, Tel.: 01520/6699079
Embail: webmaster@leipzig-gegen-krieg.de
Website: www.leipzig-gegen-krieg.de

Website:friedensbuendnis.de/node/463

www.rostocker-

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Roßdorf:
Event “Night of 70,000 Candles,” Beginning at
10pm, Peace devotions in the Protestant Church.
Meeting: Town Hall Square, music (end about
11:15pm) Organizers: Friedensgebetsgruppe der
ev. Kirchengemeinde und katholische GemeindeContact: Ev. Kirchengemeinde Rossdorf, Axel
Erdmann, Tel.: 06154/8587
Email: info@rossdorf-evangelisch.deWebsite: www.rossdorf-evangelisch.deWednesday, August 5th, 2015 - Mainz
Event "Night of 70,000" Candles at Reinufer in
Mainz, 8:30pm, Fischertorplatz together with thePeace Bike Tour from Gräfenwöhr to Büchel
Contact: DFG-VK Mainz, Bürogemeinschaft,
Waldpodenstr. 10, 55116 Mainz
Email: dfgvkmz@web.de
Website: www.dfg-vk-mainz.de

Wednesday,
August5th,
2015
Stuttgart/Esslingen:
Peace Bike Tour "70 Years since Hiroshima andNagasaki: Memorials are not enough - atomic
weapon abolition now!" from Stuttgart to
Esslingen, beginning 5:30-6:15pm, vigil Patch
Barracks/EUCOM,
Katzenbachstr./Hauptstr.
(Stuttgart-Vaihingen), Bike Tour part 1: 6:15pm
to 7pm, EUCOM - Stuttgart Town Hall, Candle
event: 7-7:30pm, Marktplazt/Stuttgart Town Hall;
Bike Tour part 2: 7:30pm-8:45pm Stuttgart Town
Hall - Esslingen, Ending: from 9pm, Esslingen,
Maille in the Nikolauskappelle (inner bridge),
Organizers DFG-VK BaWü, ORL
Contact: DFG/VK BaWü, Roland Blach, Werastr.
10, 70182 Stuttgart, Tel.: 0711/51885601
Email: ba-wue@dfg-vk.de
Website:www.facebook.com/events/920629677998239/

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Marburg:“Night of 70,000 Candles” in memorial for thevictims from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with acandle event, readings, and music, 10pm-12:15am,
an the Lutherischen Kirchhof, Organizer:
Lutherische Pfarrkirche St.Marien
Contact: Lutherische Pfarrkirche St. Marien,
Pfarrer Ulrich Biskamp, Lutherischer Kirchhof 1,
35037 Marburg, Tel.: 06421/34 00 695, Fax:
06421/16 51 888
Email: u.biskamp@ekmr.de
Website: arrkirche.ekmr.deWednesday, August 5th, 2015 - Nürnberg:
Night of 70,000 Lights, 9pm-12:30am,
Museumsbrücke Nürnberg, Action with Text and70/700 or more tealights in glasses, memorial andwarning, Organizers: FINO (Friedensinitiative
Nordost), NEFF (Nürnberger evangelisches
Forum für den Frieden), Friedensmuseum
Nürnberg e.V., Pazifikgruppe Nürnberg, Mission
EineWelt
Contact: Friedensmuseum Nürnberg e.V.
Kaulbachstr. 2, 90408 Nürnberg,
Tel.:0911/3609577 Tel.:0911/3609577
Email: friedensmuseum@fen-net.deInternet: www.friedensmuseum.odn.de

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 - Widen:(planned) Action "Night of 70,000 Candles," vigil
with candles, texts, poems, 10pm, Oberer Markt
am Brunnen, Organizers: IPPNW Regionalgruppe,
BI gegen atomare AnlagenContact: IPPNW Weiden, Dr. Heidi Nickl, Tel.:
0961/62455, Dr. Maria Macht, Tel.: 0961/33650
Email: nicklweiden@gmx.de
Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 - Wetzlar:"Night of 70,000 Candles," 8-11pm, on and by the
Old Lahn Bridge, see flyer here, Organizer:
Wetzlarer Friedenstreff
Contact: DFG-VK Lahn-Dill Martin Orro,Frankenstr. 77, 35578 Wetzlar, Tel.: 06441/25462
Email: mo-wz@gaaa.org

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Rostock:
Memorial event “For Hiroshima and Nagasaki,”Candles on the Schwannenteich, 8-10pm, Zen
Garden on the bank of the Schawnenteich,
Organizers: IPPNW Rostock, Rostocker
Friedensbündnis, Regionalgruppe Mittleres
Mecklenburg DFG-VK
Contact: IPPNW Ernst-Ludwig Iskenius,
Kämmereistr. 5, 18057 Rostock, Tel.:
0160/1176819
Email: iskenius@ippnw.de

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Wiehl:
Event “Night of 70,000 Candles” in memory of
the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings ofHiroshima and Nagasaki, 10pm, south bank of the
Weihl river in Wiehl park between the pedestrian
bridge (Brucher Str.) and the Spielplatz on the160Grillhütte, Organizer: BürgerInnen-Initiative
Oberberg Süd für den Atomausstieg und die
Energiewende
Contact: BürgerInnen-Initiative Oberberg Süd
für den Atomausstieg und die Energiewende
Wiehl, Claudia v. Wachtendonck
Email: wachtendonck@posteo.de
Website: www.bi-oberberg.de

Martin Germer, 5:70-6pm, Gedächtniskirche,
Breitscheidplatz, Organizer: Ev. Kaiser-WilhelmGedächtnis-Kirche
Contact:
Gemeindebüro
Kaiser-WilhelmGedächtnis, Antje Leuthold, Stefan Klaschik,Lietzenburger Straße 39 (1. OG), 10789 Berlin
Email: info@gedaechtniskirche-berlin.de
Website: www.gedaechtniskirche-berlin.de

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 – Weisbaden:
Discussion evening “Hiroshima – 70 years after”
lighting 70 candles at the end, 9pm,
Reformatorenhalle, Kaiser-Friedrich-Ring 7,
Organizer: Ev. Ringkirchengemeinde Wiesbaden
Contact: Ev. Ringkirchengemeinde Wiesbaden,
Kaiser-Friedrich-Ring 7, 65185 Wiesbaden, Tel.:
0611/440281
Email: ringkirche@ringkirche.de
Website: www.ringkirche.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 – Bochum:
Event “Scrap Atomic Weapons” on the 70th
Anniversarz of the atomic destruction ofHiroshima, with banners and leaflets 6pm, in theCitypoint/Drehscheibe
area,
Organizer:
Bochumer Friedensplenum
Contact: Bochumer Friedensplenum c/o Ludwig
Quidde Forum, Brückstr. 46, 44787 Bochum oder
Elke Koling, Tel.: 02302/888254
Email: friedensplenum@bo-alternativ.net
Website: www.bo-alternativ.de/friedensplenum

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 - Bad Hersfeld:
Memorial event for the victims from Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, 7:30pm, in front of the newnewspaper building at Schildepark, Speaker:
Rainer Braun (IALANA), Organizer: FI HersfeldRosenburg
Contact: Friedensinitiative Hersfeld-Rotenburg
c/o Michael Held, Simon-Haune-Str. 15, 36251
Bad Hersfeld, Tel.: 06621/620186
Email: A-P-S@gmx.de

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 - Bonn:
Service in memorial and appeal "Flowers for theVictims from Hiroshima and Nagasaki," meeting
point: 5pm, Marktplazt in front of the old Town
Hall; afterwards, memorial walk to different
points in Bonn-Beuel, there: 6pm, rally at Beuel
Rheinufer, near the Brückeforum, Greetings:
Oberbürgermeister Bonn (Mayors for Peace),
Speakers: N.N. (Internationale Ärzte für die
Verhütung des Atomkrieges) Robert Nicoll (FIBonn Beuel), See flyer here, Oraganizers: FI
Bonn-Beuel in cooperation with InternationaleÄrzte zur Verhütung des Atomkriegs (IPPNW),
GruppeBonn-Rhein-Sieg;
DeutscheFriedensgesellschaft
Vereinigte
KriegsdienstgegnerInnen (DFG/VK), Gruppe
Rhein-Sieg
Contact: Friedensinitiative Bonn-Beuel, Robert
Nicoll, Rudolf-Hahn-Str. 152, 53227 Bonn, Tel.:0228/483209
Email: robert.nicoll@gmx.net
Website: friedensinitiative.blogspot.de

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 - Berlin:"Day of Remembrance and Warning," 8:15am,
Bell ringing; 2pm Reading and Music for Peace;
Place:Big
Pond,
Volkspark
Fridrichshain/Gaststätte "Schoenbrunn"; 5:30pm,
opening of the Hiroshima-Ngasaki-Exhibit, as
above; 6pm, Memorial Service for the 70th
anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki; Berlin Peace Bell Big Pond,
Volkspark Fridrichshain, Speakers: Greetings:
Bezirksbürgermeisterin Monika Herrrmann(B90/Die Grüne), Memorial Address: Alex Rosen(IPPNW), Appeal for Peace: Anja Mewes(Friedensglockengesellschaft), Music: IG Peng,
See
flyer
here,
Organizers:
Friedensglockengesellschaft Berlin e.V., IPPNW,
Bezirksamt Friedrichshain-KreuzberContact: Friedensglockengesellschaft Berlin,
Anja Mewes, Franz-Mehring-Platz 1, 10243
Berlin, Tel.: 01522/9996370
Email: anja.mewes@email.de
Website: www.berlin-friedensglocke.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 - Bremen
Vigil for the 70th anniversary of the atomic
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Speaker:
Rainer Braun (IALANA, Berlin), Fritzt Storim(Maus), Dirk Rademacher (texts and poems), 121pm, Marktplatz, see flyer here, Organizers:
Bremer Friedensforum, ... (Die Teilnehmerinnen
und Teilnehmer der Mahnwache werden gebeten,
Blumen mitzubringen, um das Friedenszeichen
auszulegen.)Contact: Bremer Friedensforum c/o Villa Ichon,
Goetheplatz
4,28203
Bremen,Tel.:0421/3961892

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 - Berlin:
Evensong in memorial for the atomic bombings ofHiroshima on August 6th, 1945 with Pastor

161

Email: info@bremerfriedensforum.de
Website: www.bremerfriedensforum.de

Vigil/informational for Hiroshima Day 2015,
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Gottstein (IPPNW),
5pm, Römerberg, (afterwards, participation in thelecture at the Haus am Dom), See flyer here,
Organizers: Friedens- und Zukunftswerkstatt,Frankfurter Frieensintiativen
Contact: Frankfurter Friedenstreff c/o DGB-Haus,
Wilhelm-Leuschner-Str. 69-77, 60329 Frankfurt,
Tel.: 069/24249950, Fax: 069/24249951
Email: Frieden-und-Zukunft@t-online.de
Website: www.frieden-und-zukunft.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 - Dortmund:
Memorial event 70th Anniversary the atomic
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; 5pm,
traditional memorial walk through the inner city;
7pm, Friedensplatz, in attendance, Ullrich Sierau(Oberbürgermeister Dortmund), see flyer here,
Organizers: The City of Dortmund (Mayors for
Peace), Frauen-Friedensinitiative, IPPNW Regional Group, Dortmund, German-JapaneseSociety, attac-Dortmund, Pax Christi
Contact: Frauen-Friedensinitiative, Margret
Ullrich, Am Knappenberg 42, 44139 Dortmund,Tel.: 0231/551401, Fax: 0231/551401
Email: ute.guckes@gmx.de

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 – Frankfurt:
Memorial walk for Hiroshima Day 2015 through(Ffm-)Rödelheim. At nightfall Lights will be seton the Nidda river. Meeting point: 7pm, BaruchBaschwitz-Platz (Train station Rödelheim),
before: at 6pm, there is the opportunity to visit theexhibition of Japanese artists in the
Cyriakuskirche, Organizer: Friedensinitiative
Frankfurt-Rödelheim
Contact: Friedensinitiative Frankfurt-Rödelheim,
Peter Gärtner, Fuchstanzstr. 97, 60489 Frankfurt,
Tel.: 069/7893661
Email: gaertner.peter.ffm@t-online.de
Website: www.friedensini-roedelheim.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 to Sunday, August
9th, 2015 – Dresden:
Vigil and fast in memorz of the atomic bombingsof Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70 years ago, 10am9pm, at the Kreuzkirche Dresden, near the
Memorial “Swords to Plowshares,” Organizer:
AG Frieden Dresden
Contact: Ökum. Informationszentrum (ÖIZ),Kreuzstr. 7, 01067 Dresden, Tel.: 0351/4923369,
Fax: 0351/4923360
Email: frieden.oeiz@infozentrum-dresden.de
Website: www.infozentrum-dresden.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 – Fürth:Memorial service for atomic bombing ofHiroshima (70 years since World War II and the30th year of the alliance of the town of Fürth with
Hiroshima and Nagasaki), Opening: Mayor Dr.
Thomas Jung; Minute of silence; Greeting: N.N.
(Japanese Consul General in Munich - requested-),Jörg Sichelstiel (Evang. deanery.), 6pm, at the
memorial in the city park next to the Church of the
Resurrection (Entrance at Nuremberg Str.), Seeflyer here, Organizer: Stadt Fürth
Contact: Stadt Fürth, OB Dr. Thomas Jung,
Direktorium, 90744 Fürth, Tel.: 0911/974-1000,
Fax: 0911/974-1005
Email: bmpa@fuerth.deWebsite: www.fuerth.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 – Flensburg:
Memorial “Lotus flowers for Hiroshima – andagainst atomic weapons!” for the victims of the
US atomic bombings of Japan – 7pm,
Nordertorplatz, Organizer: Die Linke KV
Flensburg (please bring memorial candles withyou)
Contact: Die Linke KV Flensburg, Postfach 0131,
24925 Flensburg, Tel.: 0461/5749542
Email: kontakt@die-linke-flensburg.de
Website: www.die-linke-flensburg.de
Thursday, August 6th, 2015 - Frankfurt:
Lecture and Discussion "On the Way to an Atomic
Weapon-Free world or into the Abyss" withProfessor Götz Neuneck (Uni Hamburg), 6:30pm,
Haus am Dom, Giebelsaal, Domplatz 3, see flyer
here, VA: IPPNW Regional Group Frankfurt, theCity of Frankfurt [the program of the exhibition"Hibakusha Worldwide" - The nuclear chain]Contact: IPPNW, Körtestr. 10, 10967 Berlin,
Tel.: 030/698074-0, Fax: 030/6938166
Email: kontakt@ippnw.de
Website: www.ippnw.de

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 - Gilching:
Hiroshima Commemoration at Gilchinger
Friedenspfahl, 9pm, Friedenspfahl at the
Argelsreider Train Station, Organizers: Pax
Christi Gilching
Contact: Bistumsstelle München Pax Christi,
Marsstr.
5/IV,
80335
München,Tel.:089/5438515, Fax: 089/5438515
Email: bs-muenchen@paxchristi.de
Website:www.erzbistummuenchen.de/paxchristi

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 – Frankfurt:

162

"Night of 70,000 Lights," 9-10pm, Marktplatz,
Organizers: Gruppe "Ohne Rüstung leben"
Herrenberg (please bring candles / lights in a
glass)
Contact:"Ohne Rüstung leben" Gruppe
Herrenberg, Erika Schwab, Tel.: 07032/32364
Email: Erika-Schwab@web.deThursday,August6th,
2015
Gundremmingen:
Vigil with "Die in" at 8:16 am, in front of the maingate of the Gundremmingen nuclear power plant,
Organizer: Mahnwache Gundremmingen
Contact: Mahnwache Gundremmingen, Thomas
Wolf, Hauptstr. 204, 89343
Email: info@mahnwache-gundremmingen.de
Website: www.mahnwache-gundremmingen.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 – Kaiserslautern
Lecture and discussion, “70 Years since
Hiroshima – Where are we today?” for Hiroshima
Day 2015 with Regina Hagen (TU-Darmstadt),
6:30pm, TU Kaiserslautern, Building 57, Rotunde,See flyer here, Organizers: AStA Uni
Kaiserslautern, Referat Politische Arbeit
Contact: Uni KaiserslauternAStA, ErwinSchrödinger-Str., 67663 Kaiserslautern, Tel.:
0631/205-3918, Fax: 0631/205-3523
Email: rahmani@asta.uni-kl.de
Website: www.asta.uni-kl.de/index.php

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 - Hamburg:(planned) Rally for Hiroshima day, 5-7pm,
Kriegsklotz
amDammtor(U/S-Bahn
Dammtor/Stephansplatz), Organizer: Hamburger
Forum
Contact: Hamburger Forum, Markus Gunkel, Tel.
04151/8374893
Email: Hamburger-forum@hamburg.de
Website: www.hamburgerforum.org
Thursday, August 6th, 2015 - Hannover:
Hiroshima Remembrance Day 2015, Hiroshima
Film "A Mother's Prayer," 8pm, Hodlersaal, New
Town Hall, 9pm: In memory of the victims of theatomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, paper
lanterns will be set on the Masch pond. (paper
lanterns can be acquired there starting at 8:30pm),
Maschpark, Organizers The City of Hannover,Freundschaftskreis Hannover-Hiroshima e.V.,
Hiroshima-Bündnis, ...
Contact:
Landeshauptstadt
Hannover,Trammplatz 2, 30159 Hannover, Tel.: 0511/16845589, Fax: 0511/168-45073
Email: mayorsforpeace@hannover-stadt.de
Website: www.hannover.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 – KarlsdorfNeuthard:(planned) Memorial service for the 70th
anniversary of Hiroshima, Organizer: Pax ChristGruppe Neuthard
Contact: Pax-Christi-Gruppe K.-N. Christel
Henseler, Kreuzstr. 25, 76689 KarlsdorfNeuthard, Tel.: 07251/42450
Email: allendorf.henseler@gmx.de
Internet: www.paxchristi.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 - Hannover:Peace Meditation in memory of Hiroshima, 9am5:30pm ,(silence, prayer and meditation with thehourly striking of the peace bell), and Action"Herzklang" (= stonemasons will tool a stonepillar of a Japanese sculptor in heartbeat rhythm
to the meditations), afterwards (6pm), multireligion peace devotions with Pastor Lutz
Krügener (peace Pastor of the Church of Hanover),Ägidienkirche, Breite Str, Organizers: AG für den
Hiroshima-Tag(Marktkirchengemeinde,Loccumer
AK
fürMeditation, Vertreter versch. Religionen
Contact: Ev.-Luth. Marktkirchengemeinde,
Hanns-Lilije-Platz 2, 30159 Hannover, Tel.:
0511/36437-0, Fax: 0511/36437-37
Email: marktkirche.hannover@evlka.de
Website: www2.kirche-hannover.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 – Karlsruhe:
Vigil for Hiroshima Day 2015, 5-7pm, Kaiser
Strasse / the corner of Waldstraße with collectionof signatures for the "Open Letter to the Federal
Government" calling for the prohibition anddestruction of all nuclear weapons - worldwide!
(This letter was signed first by Oberbürgermeister
Dr. Frank Mentrup at the hoisting of the flag
"Mayors for Peace" at the Karlsruhe on the 8th of
July. The signature campaign will run until AntiWar Day.), See flyer here, Organizer: Peace
Alliance Karlsruhe; afterwards: 7pm, movies"Wargame" by Peter Watkins GB, 1965 (47minutes) and "The Lost Generation" by Yuten
Tachibana, Japan 1982 (20 minutes), 3 studio,
Kaiserpassage 6 - Cost: EUR 6, Organizer:
Kinemathek in Zusammenarbeit mit der Gruppe
Karlsruhe der DFG/VK
Contact: Friedensbündnis Karlsruhe, Sonnhild
Thiel, Alberichstr. 9, 76185 Karlsruhe, Tel.:
0721/552270
Email: suthiel@t-online.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 - Herrenberg:

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 – Kassel:

163

Event: “Floating Light Chain,” Motto: “70 Years
after the first atomic bombing – Hiroshima andNagasaki urge” – floating lanterns on the Fulda,
starting at 6:30pm, Fuldaufer (new name:
Hiroshima Ufer), between the Drahtbrücke and“Spitzhacke,” (at 7pm, construction of boats forthe lights, around 9pm, around dusk, thelaunching of the boats) Organizers: Kasseler
Friedensforum, Pax Christi Kassel
Contact: Kasseler Friedensforum, Germaniastr.
14, 34121 Kassel, (Infos: Barbara Römer, Tel.:
0561/2886454)
Email: peter.strutynski@gmx.de
Website:www.agfriedensforschung.de/inis/Kassel/termine.html

Contact: Hiroshima-Nagasaki Arbeitskreis Köln
im Kölner Friedensforum, Klaus Müller, Tel.:
01520/1719977
Email: muellerkoeln@online.de
Website: koelnerfriedensforum.org
Thursday, August 6th, 2015 to Friday, August
7th, 2015 – Magdeburg:(planned) “Night of 70,000 Candles”
Contact: Harald Rohr, Tel.: 039204/82764
Email: h.rohr@gmx.de
Thursday, August 6th, 2015 – Magdeburg:
Peace Prayer “70 Years Since the Atomic
Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” 6pm,
Dom, Barlach-Mahnmal
Contact: Domprediger Giselher Quast, Am Dom
1, 39104 Magdeburg, Tel.: 0391/5433131
Email: quast@magdeburgerdom.de
Website: www.magdeburgerdom.de

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 – Kiel:
Memorial and remembrance event “Lotus flowersfor Hiroshima and Nagasaki” Speakers: HansWerner Tovar (Mayor of Kiel), Dr. Barabar SaulKrause (IPPNW Kiel), Music: Marko Gebbert“Songs and Texts against War and Violence,”
Hiroshima Park, at 7:30pm, at Kleinen Kiel, at
9pm, lotus flowers and candles on the kleinen Kiel.
Organizers: Stadt Kiel (Mayors for Peace)
Contact: Friedensforum Kiel, Benno Stahn, An
den Birken 18, 24111 Kiel
Email: b.stahn@kieler-friedensforum.de
Website: www.kieler-friedensforum.de

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 – Mannheim:(planned) Vigil – “Hiroshima urges: abolishnuclear weapons,” Greetings: Gregory Rabus(Friedensplenum), 5pm, Mannheim Town Hall, E
5, Organizer: Mannheim Friedensplenum
Contact: Friedensbüro Mannheim, Speyerer Str.
14, 68163 Mannheim
Email: friedensplenum.mannheim@gmx.de
Website: www.frieden-mannheim.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 – Krefeld:
Hiroshima Memorial “70 Years since Hiroshima– Remembering is not enough!”, 7:30pm, Alte
Kirche Krefeld (with good weather, in front of thechurch), with “the Night of 70,000 Candles,”Singing: Naomi Wddle, Flute: Max Zelzner andem Krefeld Peace Choir, See flyer here, Oganizer:
Krefelder Friedensbündnis
Contact: Krefelder Friedensbündnis, Ingrid
Vogel, Tel.: 02151/753967
Email: info@krefelder-friedensbuendnis.de
Website: www.krefelder-friedensbuendnis.de

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 – Müllheim:
Memorial service for the victims from Hiroshima,
5pm, in front of the Protestant Stadtkirche,
Werdstr., See flyer here, Organzer: Friedensrat
Markgräflerland
Contact: Friedensrat Markgräflerland
Email: Friedensrat-Muellheim@gmx.de
Website:www.friedensrat.org/pages/aktionen/2015/hirosh
ima-gedenken-2015.php

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 – Cologne:"Our future: nuclear weapons free" rallycommemorating the 70th anniversary of theatomic bombing, Speakers: With Heinz Vogt
(IPPNW - International Physicians against
Nuclear War), Christian Neumann (Darmstädter
Signal): "Bundeswehr and nuclear weapons,"
Ariane Detloff (DFG VK Cologne): "Nuclear
Weapons Block - Experiences from Büchel";
Music: Blue Flower: "peace songs", 5pm, at theDome square, See flyer here, Organizer:
Hiroshima-NagasakiAK
im
KölnerFriedensforum

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 – Munich:
Memorial service for the anniversary of theatomic bombing of Hiroshima; Greetings from
Mayor Reiter (or a representative) to begin. Afterspeeches and music, a peace sign with candles will
shine on Stachus square. In case of rain the event
will take place in a pavilion. Organizers:
Münchner Friedensbündnis, Occupeace, Bündnis
gegen Krieg und Rassismus.
Contact:
Friedensbüro
MünchnerFriedensbündnis, Isabellastr. 6, 80798 München,Tel.: 089/2715917, Fax: 089/2715917
Email:
friedensbuero@muenchnerfriedensbuendnis.de
Website: www.muenchner-friedensbuendnis.de164

Ecumenical. Worship on the occasion of the 70th
anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, 6pm, Marktplatz, Organizer: Local
Catholic Church Prien
Contact: Kath. Pfarrverband Prien, Alte
Rathausstr. 1a, 83209 Prien, Tel.: 08051/1010,
Fax: 08051/3844
Email: Mariae-Himmelfahrt.Prien@erzbistummuenchen.de
Website:www.prien.de/de/familie_bildung/kirchen,5810.h
tm
Thursday, August 6th, 2015 – Regensburg:
Event "Night of 70,000 Candles," Meeting point:
8pm, Kiesbank in the Donau (a little downstreamof the Iron Web)
Contact: Dr. Franz Xaver Schmid
Email: fx.schmid@web.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 – Neustadt on the
Aisch:
Hiroshima Memorial “The Night of 70,000 Lights- Hiroshima commemoration is not enough destroy nuclear weapons worldwide! Starting here
in Germany (Büchel)!” for the 70th anniversary of
the atomic bombings, 9pm, Neptunbrunen,
Markplatz, Organizers: Friedensgebetsgruppe
Neustadt and the two local churches
Contact: Friedensgebetsgruppe Neustadt, HansJörg Schmid, Unter dem Lehenhof 28, 91413
Neustadt a.d.Aisch, Tel.: 09161/307451
Email: b-hj.schmid@web.deThursday, August 6th, 2015 – Nottuln:
Memorial for the 70th Hiroshima Day, (short)
Contrubition: FI Nottuln, Bürgermeister Peter
Amadeus Schneider, musical contribution:
Suitbert Heidbüchel (Guitar), 9:30pm, at thefountain in Nottuln town center, Organizers: FI
Nottuln, Bürgermeister Peter Amadeus Schneider
Contact: FI Nottuln, Robert Hülsbusch, RudolfHarbig-Str.49,
D-48301
Nottuln,
Tel.:02502/9754, Fax: 02502/8589
Email: info@fi-nottuln.de
Website: www.fi-nottuln.de

Friday, August 7th, 2015 – Braunschweig:
Hiroshima-Nagasaki
Demonstration,
9pm,
Western Okerufer north of Jasper Avenue Bridge,
from 21.30 clock, 100 candles on the Oker andreading of eyewitness reports from Hiroshima,
See flyer here, Organizer: Friedenszentrum
Braunschweig
Contact:
Friedenszentrum
Braunschweig,
Goslarsche Str. 93, 38118 Braunschweig, Tel.:
0531/893033, Fax: 0531/8019989
Email: friedenszentrum@arcor.deInternet: www.friedenszentrum.info

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 – Oberhausen:
Hiroshima Day 2015 – Memorial service for
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, along with the event“Night of 70,000 Candles,” Speaker: Pfarrer
Andreas Loos, Musical contribution: Holger
Schie, 9pm, Friedensplatz, on Brunnen,
Organizers: FI Oberhausen, in Kooperation mit
dem Oberhausener Friedensdorf.
Contact: FI Oberhausen, Heidi Scholz
Email: heidischolz@gmx.de

Friday, August 7th, 2015 – Tettnang:
ThirdTettnang Light Hour, at 8pm, Montfortplatz,
prayer in St. Georg Church, 9pm: Light Hour with
Mayor Bruno Walter, Manne Lucha (MdL),Music: JamDoo, Proceeds benefit asylum network
Tettnang
Contact: Stadtrat Hans Schöpf, Schillerstr. 14,88069 Tettnang, Tel.: 07542/952504
Email: stadtrat@hansschoepf.de
Website: www.tettnang.de

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 – Offenbach:Evening lecture "Hiroshima, on August 6, 1945"
with Prof. Dr. Lisette Gebhardt, "Narrations of
Nuclear – A small literary history of extinction"
and Dr. Stefan Soltek, Uwe Loesch, "Little Boy.
A poster for the atomic bomb," 7:30-9pm,
Herrnstr. 80, Klingspor Museum, Organizer:
Klingspor Museum
Contact: Klingspor Museum Offenbach, Herrnstr.
80, 63065 Offenbach, Tel.: 069/8065-2164, Fax:
069/8065-2669
Email: KlingsporMuseum@Offenbach.deWebsite:www.offenbach.de/microsite/klingspor_museum/rubrik-3/artikel9.php

Friday, August 7th, 2015 – Wedel:
Event “Night of 100,000 Candles” at 8pm at
Wühlen pond with music and crafting lotus
flowers, at 8:30pm, poems and informational texts,
Speakers: Marianne Kolter (Anti-AtomkraftBewegung), Prof. Dr. Jürgen Scheffran (peace
researcher, Universitz of Hamburg), Peace
devotional: Pastor i.R. Dr. Dietrich Stein(Dithmarschen),Music:
BläserderKirchengemeinde Schulau, Dirk Wilke (singing
and guitar), at 9:30pm, light procession down
Mühlenstr. to Mühlen pond, See flyer here,
Organzer: Friedensnetzwerk Pinneberg

Thursday, August 6th, 2015 – Prien:

165

Contact: Friedenswerkstatt Wedel, Irmgard
Jasker, Hasenkamp 8, 22880 Wedel, Tel.:
04103/3386, Fax: 04103/1888341
Email: irmgard@jaskers.de

Organizers: Stadt Essen (Mayors for Peace),
IPPNW Essen, Essner Friedensforum
Contact: Essener Friedensforum, Monika Jennis,
Hegerkamp 111, 45329 Essen
Email: monika.jennis@freenet.de
Website: www.essener-friedensforum.de

Friday, August 7th, 2015 – Würselen:
Memorial service “Night of 70,000 Candles” at
9pm, Würselener Market in front of St. Sebastian,
Organizer: FI Würselen
Contact: Würselener Initiative für den Frieden,
Ansgar Klein, Tel.: 02405/72112
Email: haklein1963@t-online.de
Website: www.friedensinitiative-wuerselen.de

Saturday, August 8th, 2015 – Mühlheim/Ruhr:
Ecumenical. Prayer for Peace, Start at 11am,
Synagogenplatz, afterwards, silent march over
Schloss- and Leinenweberstraße to Kirchenhügel,to the church of St. Mary’s Birth:. 11:45am,
devotion with project information on the work of
the "Peace Village International", Oberhausen,
liturgy: Superintendent Helmut Hitzbleck, City
Dean Michael Janssen; See flyer here, Organizers:
Kath. Stadtdekanat Mühlheim, Ev. Kirchenkreis
An der Ruhr
Contact: Ev. Kirchenkreises An der Ruhr,
Althofstr. 9, 45468 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Tel.:0208/3003-0, Fax: 0208/3003-151
Email: info@kirche-muelheim.de
Website: www.kirche-muelheim.de

Saturday, August 8th, 2015 to Sunday, August
9th, 2015 – Duisburg:
Memorial and remembrance event “70 Years
since Hiroshima and Nagasaki” withandexhibition from Saturday the 8th 10am to Sunday
the 9th, 12:15am, with hourly short speech andmusic contributions and the lighting of candles,
Livesaver-Brunnen (DU-Innenstadt), Organizers:
Friedensforum Duisburg mit Unterstützung von
BUND Kreisgruppe Duisburg, AntiAtomBündnis-Niederrhein, SJD-Die Falken KV
Duisburg
Contact: Duisburger Friedensforum, Inge
Holzinger, Gellertstr. 7, 47057 Duisburg, Tel.:
0203/376566, Fax: 0203/422567
Email: xx
Internet: friedensforum-duisburg.de

Saturday, August 8th, 2015 – Münster:
Vigil for peace and solidarity, Münster, on theanniversary of Hirshima, 10am-6pm, in front of
the Lamberti Church, Prinzipalmarkt (Hiroshima
flower cross in front of the church), silent
memorial while laying flowers and looking at theposters about the consequences of the atomic
bombings 70 years ago.
Contact: Mahnwache für Frieden und Solidarität
Münster, Bernhard Korn
Email: kornb@muenster.de
Website: mahnwache-muenster.npage.deSaturday, August 8th, 2015 - Düsseldorf:
Vigil "No second Hiroshima! Away with nuclear
missiles! No to atomic weapons!“, 2pm, in front
oft he Carsch house, (U-Bahn station Heinrich
Heine Allee , D-Innestadt), Organizers:
DüsseldorferFriedensforum,
DFG-VK
Düsseldorf, Menschen für den Frieden,
NaturFreunde Düsseldorf
Contact:
DüsseldorferFriedensforum,
Himmelgeister Str. 107, 40225 Düsseldorf
Email:
FrieFoDdf@gmx.de
Website:friedenstreiberagentur.de/friefo/index.html

Saturday, August 8th, 2015 – Viersen:
Hiroshima memorial “Hiroshima Urges – Abolish
Atomic Weapons Now”, Speakers: Susanne
Grabenhorst (Vors. IPPNW Germany), name notconfirmed (candidates for the coming mayoral
election in September and the incumbent mayor)
11am-1pm, Viersen pedestrian zone, Krefelder
Street at the junction of Vikoria street, Organizer:
Pax-Christi Viersen
Contact: Pax-Christi Viersen, Heinz Liedgens,
Adalbert-Stifter-Str. 9, 41747 Viersen, Tel.:
02162/22950
Email: Heinz.Liedgens@t-online.de

Saturday, August 8th, 2015 – Essen:
Hiroshima commemoration, 11 clock: opening of
the exhibition of Mayors for Peace, City Hall;
about 12pm, short demonstration / memorial walkto Marktkirche / Porschekanzel, there rally "For aworld without nuclear weapons" (In case of rain it
will take place in the City-Centre) with IPPNW
campaign distribution of "disarmed" Flowers forour goal of an action of students / inside folded
cranes, speaker: OB Reinhard Pass (OB city of
Essen, Mayors for Peace), Dr. W. beam (IPPNW),
Bernghard Trautvetter (EFF), See flyer here,

Sunday, August 9th, 2015 – Gilching:
Worship with the ecclesiastical adviser of Pax
Christi Munich & Freising, Charles Borg Manche,on the topic "70 years Hiroshima", 10 clock,parish of St. Sebastian in Gilching, Organizer: Pax
Christi Gilching.

166

Contact: Bistumsstelle München Pax Christi,
Marsstr.
5/IV,
80335
München,Tel.:089/5438515, Fax: 089/5438515
Email: bs-muenchen@paxchristi.de
Website:www.erzbistummuenchen.de/paxchristi

musical accompaniment: Gospel Choir Phoenix
Singers, Mod .: Ute Hinkeldei, 5pm at the Erfurt
Anger, See flyer here, Organiyer: AfK Erfurt
Contact: Aktionskreis für Frieden, Ute
Hinkeldein, Rigaer Str. 6/06, 99091 Erfurt, Tel.:
0361/732481
Email: aktionskreis-frieden-erfurt@gmx.de

Sunday, August 9th, 2015 – Gorleben:
Sunday walk around the Gorleben mine withcommemoration of the victims of the atomic
bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, start: 13
clock, on Salinasgelände, afterwards: (2pm)
Gorleben prayer, Organizer: BI LüchowDannenberg
Contact:
Bürgerinitiative
Umweltschutz
Lüchow-Dannenberg eV, Rosenstr. 20, 29439
Lüchow, Tel.: 05841/4684, Fax: 05841/3197
Email: buero@bi-luechow-dannenberg.de
Website: www.bi-luechow-dannenberg.de

Sunday, August 16th, 2015 –Bochum:
Reading from "Songbirds and Ravens Were No
Longer There" - 70 years since the atomic
bombing of Hiroshima - by Shigemi Ideguchi(1919-2001, Japan) with Rima Ideguchi andFabianLiedtke(Bochum),
4pm,
Ev.
Stadtakademie Bochum, Westring 26c, costs 9
Euro.
Contact: Ev. Haus der Kirche, Westring 26c,
44787 Bochum, Tel.: 0234/962904-661, Fax
0234/962904-666
Email: office@stadtakademie.de
Website:www.stadtakademie.de/seminarinfo.html?id=VkZkd1VrNVZNVzVRVkRBOQ

Sunday, August 9th, 2015 – Gundremmingen:
Vigil at 10:30am, in fronr of the Main Gate ofGundremmingen Atomic Plant, Die in: 11:02am,
the time of the atomic bombing, Organizer:
Mahnwache Gundremmingen
Contact: Mahnwache Gundremmingen, Thomas
Wolf, Hauptstr. 204, 89343 Jettingen-Scheppach
Email: info@mahnwache-gundremmingen.de
Website: www.mahnwache-gundremmingen.deSunday, August 16th, 2015 – Darmstadt:
Worship with commemoration of the atomic
bombings 70 years ago, preaching: Dean Ulrike
Schmidt Hesse, Participating: Darmstadt Peace
Forum, Organizer: Ev. Dekanat Darmstadt
Contact: Ev. Dekanat Darmstadt- Stadt, Rheinstr.
31, 64283 Darmstadt, Tel.: 06151 1362424
Email: dekanat@evangelisches-darmstadt.de
Website: www.evangelisches-darmstadt.deSunday, August 9th, 2015 –Magdeburg:
Peace prayer, 6pm, at Nagasaki Memorial Stoneon the Lukas hill, Organizer: Ev. Domgemeinde
Magdeburg, the city of Magdeburg (Mayors for
Peace)
Contact: Domprediger Giselher Quast, Am Dom
1, 39104 Magdeburg, Tel.: 0391/5433131
Email: quast@magdeburgerdom.de
Website: www.magdeburgerdom.de

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2015 –Hannover
Lecture and discussion "The Non-Proliferation
Treaty in its most severe crisis" with Xanthe Hall
(IPPNW, Berlin, Straight back from negotiations
on the Non-Proliferation Treaty in New York back,the IPPNW-activist reports on the meaning andthe failing of the conference), 7pm,
Kulturzentrum Pavillon, Lister Meile 4; See flyer
here, Organizer: Hiroshima Bündnis
Contact: Hiroshima Bündnis Hannover
Email: hiroshima-buendnis@t-online.deSunday, August 9th, 2015 – Schwerte:
Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Prayer in Schwerte,with church muisician Wakako Yamanaga,
Members of the Ev. Womans Aid and Paster FritzGunter Held, 12:15pm, Marktkirche St. Viktor,
Organizers: FI Schwerte, Stadtverband der Ev.
Frauenhilfen in Schwerte
Contact: FI Schwerter, Pfarrer Fritz-Günter Held
Email: fgheld@gmx.de

Thursday, September 10th, 2015 – Stuttgart:
Movie " Unser Mut wird langen - nicht nur in
Mutlangen " (The documentary spans from theperiod of nonviolent resistance in the Swabian
Mutlangen up to the actions against the last
stationed nuclear weapons in Germany, in the
Eifel at Büchel), afterwards, an eyewitnesses
conversation with Inge Jens (Tübingen). 12pm,
Stuttgart town hall, Marktplatz 1, See flyer here,
Organizers: IPPNW Regionalgruppe Stuttgart,
Pressehütte Mutlangen [to the closing of theexhibit „ Hibakusha Worldwide“]Thursday, August 13th, 2015 – Erfurt:
Demonstration "Memorial and Warning on theoccasion of the 70th anniversary of the atomic
bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki," Greetingsby Mayor Tamara Thierbach, Speakers: Sandro
Witt (Vors. DGB Thüringen), Rüdiger Bender(University of Erfurt / Förderverein Topf & Sons),

167

Contact: Friedenswerkstatt Mutlangen, Forststr.
3, 73577 Mutlangen, Tel.: 07171/75661, Fax:
07171/75661
Email: post@pressehuette.deWebsite: www.nuclear-risks.org/de/hibakushaweltweit.html

Contact: Deutsch-Japanische Gesellschaft Chado
Kai, Ihmeplatz 8 / 309, 30449 Hannover, Tel.:
0511/4581328
Email: chadokai@gmx.de
Website: www.chadokai.de
Monday, October 12th to Friday, October 23rd
– Hamburg:
Exhibition “Hibakusha Worldwide” – The nuclear
chain – doctors and mayors against atomic
weapons, Univeristy of Hamburg, Carl Friedrichvon Weizsäcker-Zentrum, Beim Schlump 83,
Organizers: IPPNW, ZNF
Contact: IPPNW, Körtestr. 10, 10967 Berlin, Tel.:
030/698074-0, Fax: 030/6938166
Email: kontakt@ippnw.de
Website: www.ippnw.de
For events in Austria see: www.hiroshima.at
g.ledbetter@friedenskooperative.de
http://www.friedenskooperative.de

Saturday, September 19th, 2015 – Hannover:Film “Nuclear Lies” (Director Krishnapilla, India,
60 min. The film shows abuses, lies, police
brutality and the plight of the population around
Indian nuclear facilities), Kommunales Kino im
Künstlerhaus (KoKi) Sophienstr. 2; see flyer here,
Organizers: Hiroshima Bündnis in cooperation
with the Kulturbüro of the city of Hannover [aspart of the film series „70 Years since Hiroshima– Memorials and Responsibility today"]Contact: Hirshima Bündnis Hannover
Email: hiroshima-buendnis@t-online.deSunday, September 27th, 2015 – Cologne:
Concert " Die Mauern stehen spurlos und kalt."
with German poetry texts, set to music by
Wolfgang Rihm and the records of survivors,
Juliane Busse, piano; Hiroko Hague, soprano;
Barbara Conrady-Takenaka, spokesperson, 18
clock, Carthusian, Kartäusergasse 7; See flyer
here, Organizer: Hiroshima-Nagasaki AK im
Kölner Friedensforum [in memory of the 70th
anniversary of the atomic bombings "Our Future:
Free of attomic weapons!"]
Contact: Hiroshima-Nagasaki Arbeitskreis Köln
im Kölner Friedensforum, Klaus Müller, Tel.:
01520/1719977
Email: muellerkoeln@online.de
Website: koelnerfriedensforum.org

FranceDominique Lalanne, Abolition 2000
Thank you for the important information you justsent to Abolition 2000. I just notice that you don’t
mention our international fast we organize all over
the world. A recent new information is about sucha fast in Japan. I am in touch with some Japanesepeople to make it but the organisation is not
currently absolutely over.
Call of the international groups of fasters:
70 years after Hiroshima, we demand nuclear
disarmament! We are groups of fasters who
have decided to deny ourselves nourishment for 4days, from August 6th, the anniversary ofHiroshima, till August 9th, the anniversary ofNagasaki, to express our total opposition to
nuclear weapons, and to call for their abolition.
The fast is planned at the following places: Paris,
France; Dijon-Valduc, France, centre for themodernisation of French Nuclear weapons;
Bordeaux-Mégajoule, France, laser research
center for perfecting new nuclear weapons;
Büchel, Germany, Nato base where 20 nuclear
weapons are stationed; London, UK; Livermore
Lab, California, NIF laser for perfecting new
nuclear weapons; Los Alamos, New Mexico,laboratory for the modernisation of US nuclear
weapons; Kansas City, Missouri, USA.

Thursday, October 1st, 2015 to Sunday,
November 15th – Gießen(planned) Exhibition “Hibakusha Worldwide” –The nuclear chain – doctors and mayors against
atomic weapons - Atrium, Giessen Town Hall
Contact: IPPNW, Körtestr. 10, 10967 Berlin,
Tel.: 030/698074-0, Fax: 030/6938166
Email: kontakt@ippnw.de
Website: www.ippnw.de
Sunday, October 11th – Hannover:
Performance “Because Little Boy Fell from theSky” - a literary-musical performance on the 70th
anniversary of the atomic bombing, 3:30pm,
Künstlerhaus,
Sphienstr.
2,
Organizers:
Autorengruppe ,Gruppe Poesie in cooperation
with the Kulturbüro of the city of Hannover and
the German-Japanese society Hannover ChadoKai e.V. [as part of the Hiroshimacommemorations in Hanover]

Jean-Marie Matagne, Action des Citoyens
pour le Désarmement Nucléaire (ACDN)
Dear Friends,
We congratulate you for your 2015 World
Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs
held from August 2 to 9 in Hiroshima and168

Nagasaki. Unfortunately, we could not attend
your Conference, but we organised tworemembrance ceremonies in Saintes, France, forthe 6 and 9 August.
Please find below some excerpts of the articles
reporting these events in French and in English,
and in attachment an English file of this report.
Feel free to use our report and our photographs.
We will appreciate to hear from any use of themby you or anybody in Japan.
We would also be happy to keep in touch with you
for any further event, including our Gathering fora Livable Nuclear-free World (RMVD) which
will take place in Saintes on 23-25 October 2015.

U.K.

Portugal

Carol
Naughton,
Coordinator,
WMD
Awareness
Here in the UK, WMD Awareness are holding
events and a two week exhibition of nuclear
weapons and popular culture throughout the last
70 years. We will launch on August 6th in
Edinburgh and will have events throughout thetwo weeks to commemorate Nagasaki day also.
This will take place in Edinburgh in Scotland thenthe exhibition will move round the UK.
I hope others can use their imagination to findcreative ways to bring public attention to the 70th
Anniversaries and inspire action for a world freeof nuclear weapons. With very best wishes and a
thank you for all your work.

Tony Simpson, Bertrand Russell Peace
Foundation
In addition to publishing a special issue of The
Spokesman journal to mark the 70th anniversary,focusing on the grave danger of accidents andmistakes onboard the UK’s 4 ageing nuclear
powered and nuclear armed Trident submarines,
we shall have a public demonstrationin Nottingham City Centre at midday on 6 August,organised by the local branch of CND, and a booklaunch at FIVE LEAVES BOOKSHOP in theevening.

Filipe Ferreira, Portuguese Council for Peace
and Cooperation (CPPC)
Dear friends, Thank you very much for the
information you sent and for your actions for theabolition of nuclear weapons. We would like toinform you that commemorating the anniversaryof the Stockholm Appeal we are campaigning in
our country for the abolition of nuclear weapons
and have in that framework also contacted the2015 NPT Review Conference.
We are also preparing actions on theanniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. Please see in attachment theposter we produced. Greetings of Peace.

CanadaTheresa Wolfwood, Co-ordinator, Victoria
Women in Black/ Director, Barnard-Boecker
Centre Foundation, Victoria
In Victoria, on August 6, from noon until 1
pm, Victoria Women in Black will gather is silent
vigil on Government St. below the Tourist
Office, across from the Empress Hotel. Withbanners and leaflets the group will call on
Canadians and foreign visitors to work forcomplete nuclear disarmament.

U.S.A.
United for Peace and Justice
August 2015 is featured as the “Nuclear-Free
Future Month” for awareness and action. Here isan exhaustive list of events organized in various
places throughout the U.S.A.
http://www.nuclearfreefuture.org/events/201508-06/?limit
The NYC Chapter of Veterans for Peace, Pax
Christi Metro NY, NYC War Resisters League,
Ribbon International, Granny Peace Brigade,
169

Church. A silent procession and public vigil will
follow, ending at 4:30 PM.

NYC Metro Raging Grannies, CODEPINK NY,
NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace andSecurity, CODEPINK Long Island: Women for
Peace, Peace Boat US, Peace Action NYS,
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, NJ Peace
Action and Manhattan Project (New York)
Peace Gathering to Commemorate 70th
Anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
August 5, 2015, Noon, In front of theConsulate General of Japan in New York, 299
Park Avenue, New York, NY
70 years have passed since the U.S. dropped
atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. It is estimated that the bombs havekilled 210,000 citizens by the end of 1945 and,over the years, have ruined the health of many of
the survivors. The average age of the Hibakusha,
or atomic bomb survivors, is now 79 to 80 years
old, and many of them are still suffering fromterrible health issues. To honor the memory of
those who lost their lives to the atomic bombings,
a coalition of citizens and peace activists will
gather in front of the Japan Consulate General.
The coalition supports the commitment of theJapanese people to protect their peace constitution
by retaining Article 9. It encourages them in theircontinued opposition to Japan’s reliance on the
U.S.-Japan military alliance and the U.S. nuclear
umbrella. It endorses their efforts to enroll theJapanese government as a signatory to the
Humanitarian Pledge, now joined by 113 nonnuclear weapon states. This initiative is designed“to fill the legal gap for the prohibition andelimination of nuclear weapons” just as the world
had done for chemical and biological weapons.
The coalition’s conviction is that nuclear
weapons must never be used again against any
nation under any circumstances. The message ofpeace from Hibakusha to the people of the world
is an appeal for all to realize a world free of
nuclear weapons.

Mark D. Stansbery, Community Organizing
Center, Columbus, Ohio
August 6, 2015, 7:30 p.m.: Peace Vigil@Goodale Park Gazebo
August 8, 2015, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00p.m.: Peace
Activist
Conference@
First
Unitarian
Universalist Church, 93 Weisheimer Rd.,
Columbus, Ohio, discussions about how toorganize for peace and people in the planet
dominated by profit.
August 9, 2015, 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. World
Premier of Taubes VII (Hiroshima Set) by Rocco
di Pietro@ Columbus Mennonite Church
Rick Wayman, Director of Programs &Operations, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation,
Santa Barbara, California
At the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, on
August 6, we will hold our 21st Annual Sadako
Peace Day ceremony in Santa Barbara, California.
The event remembers the innocent victims of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as all innocent
victims of war. There will be music, poetry,reflection, and a keynote address by Paul K.
Chappell, a veteran of the Iraq War who is now thePeace Leadership Director at the Nuclear Age
Peace Foundation. The event’s name, Sadako
Peace Day, is for Sadako Sasaki.
Leonard Elger, Ground Zero Center for
Nonviolent Action, Seattle*Join an event/action near you. If you are in
the Puget Sound Region join Ground Zero
Center from August 7th through the 10th forour annual Hiroshima/Nagasaki weekend ofremembrance and action. Click here for the fullschedule and more. If you are not from theseparts find an event going on near you by clicking
here. You can still join the Pacific Northwest
Interfaith Peace Walk, even for a day. Click here
to find the latest detailed schedule and contact
information for the walk. More actions by otherorganizations further on in this email.
*Pass out leaflets with some very
interesting facts on the bombings of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. The leaflet was prepared by
Ground Zero Leafleteers, and also invites people
to join us for our annual event. Click here to
download the leaflet.
*Write a Letter to the Editor. Click here forsome ideas from Physicians for Social
Responsibility. Click here for submission
guidelines for a host of newspapers around thecountry.

Rosemarie Pace, Director, Pax Christi Metro
New York
Pax Christi Metro New York has plans for ourannual Hiroshima/Nagasaki Memorial on August
9th. We will pass out the leaflet at our public vigil
after the indoor presentation with Archbishop
Auza. Thank you for all you do to make ours anuclear weapons-free world.
Hiroshima/Nagasaki Memorial: This year
we’ll be focusing on “Catholic Morality andNuclear Abolition,” and Archbishop Bernardito
Auza, Nuncio of the Holy See to the United
Nations, will be our esteemed speaker. It will takeplace on Sunday, August 9th, starting at 2:30 PM
in Casserly Hall, St. Joseph’s Greenwich Village

170

Facebook
page
for
the
event.
https://www.facebook.com/events/8133
25002119564/
Hiroshima to Hope lantern ceremony atSeattle's Green Lake, August 6, starting at
6:00PM. Many from Ground Zero and the Peace
Walk will participate. Click here to learn more attheir website.
Bike Around the Bomb on Sunday, August
9th at 2:00 PM at the International Fountain,
Seattle Center, Seattle. Join Global Zero on the70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Japan
as we cycle what would be the edge of a “small”
nuclear blast in Seattle and call on President
Obama to keep his promise to “seek the peace andsecurity of a world without nuclear weapons.” Theevent will be one of many corresponding events
around the world, serving as a powerful reminderthat nuclear weapons were designed to wipe cities
like ours off the map. Click here to RSVP for the
event.
The Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent
Action Facebook page is the place to be to keep
up with everything we're up to and lots more. We
also have a Facebook page dedicated to the NO
To NEW TRIDENT campaign, and thecampaign has its own website as well at
NOTNT.ORG. And for now, until the Ground
Zero website is rebuilt you can get all the details
on events at the Puget Sound Nuclear Free Zone
blog's "Local Events Calendar."*Send a message to President Obama to
keep his promise! It was President Obama who
created the expectation that our country would
lead a global effort to rid the world of nuclear
weapons. In his Prague speech in April, 20009
he committed the U.S. to this goal: “I state clearly
and with conviction America's commitment toseek the peace and security of a world without
nuclear weapons.”
*Join
the
International
Fast
commemorating the atomic bombings. Clickhere for all the details and contacts for more
information.
*Join
in
the
70th
anniversary"Thunderclap!" PSR has partnered with
Nuclear Threat Initiative and other sisterorganizations in a massive social media campaign
to raise awareness about nuclear weapons. Checkit out if you’re a TWITTER user.
OTHER EVENTS AROUND THE SOUND"Little Boy (folded)" at Seattle Asian Art
Museum. On Wednesday, August 5th In honorof the 70th anniversary of the bombings ofHiroshima and Nagasaki, Washington Physiciansfor Social Responsibility is facilitating theexhibition of a powerful sculpture on the front
steps of the Seattle Asian Art Museum. It will beon display all day on Wednesday, August 5th,
9:00AM to 6:00PM, and the artist (whose
grandfather was a Nagasaki survivor) will be on
hand to speak with visitors. Please read the press
release to fully understand this exhibit. There is a171

Program of Events of the 2015 World Conference against
A and H Bombs (August 1 to 10, 2015)
August 1 (Sat.)
Arrival in Hiroshima; Dedication of flowers to Hiroshima A-Bomb Memorial Cenotaph (Peace Park);
Visit to Peace Memorial Museum; Registration (Hotel Sunroute Hiroshima)
Information meeting for overseas delegates (Hotel Sunroute Hiroshima)
August 2 (Sun.)
Visit to A-bomb survivors (Hiroshima Red Cross A-Bomb Hospital and Funairi-Mutsumien Nursing Home)
Opening and Plenary Sessions I & II, International Meeting (Hiroshima Bunka Koryu Kaikan Hall)
August 3(Mon.)
Plenary Session III, International Meeting (Hiroshima Bunka Koryu Kaikan Hall)
Workshops, International Meeting (Hiroshima Bunka Koryu Kaikan Hall and Tsuru Gakuen School)
Drafting Committee Meeting (Hotel Sunroute Hiroshima)
August 4 (Tue.)
Closing Session, International Meeting (Hiroshima Bunka Koryu Kaikan Hall)
Opening Plenary, 2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs - Hiroshima(Green Arena, Hiroshima Prefectural Gymnasium)
Ring! Link! Zero 2015 (Youth program) (Small Arena, Prefectural Gymnasium)
August 5 (Wed.)
Workshops (different venues throughout Hiroshima City)
International Forum: “Achieving a Nuclear Weapon-Free World - Dialogue between Governments
and NGOs” (Tsuru Gakuen School)
Special Event: For a Nuclear Weapon-Free World -- Forum of Hibakusha and Citizens to Mark the70th Anniversary of the A-bombing (organized by the Japan Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers
Organizations, Hiroshima Bunka Koryu Kaikan Hall)
No Nukes! Women’s Forum 2015 (Small Arena, Prefectural Gymnasium)
August 6 (Thurs.)
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony (Peace Park)
70th Anniversary Hiroshima Day Rally, 2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs (Hiroshima
Prefectural Gymnasium)
Lantern floating ceremony (Motomachi River Park, North of Aioi Bridge)
August 7 (Fri.)
Move to Nagasaki by chartered bus
Gathering of Nagasaki: Rally & Cultural Program (Nagasaki Shimin Kaikan Gymnasium)
August 8 (Sat.)
Theme-Based Meetings/Forum (Various places in Nagasaki City)
International Forum: “Achieving a Nuclear Weapon-Free World - Dialogue between Governments
And NGOs” (School of Economics, Nagasaki University)
August 9 (Sun.)
Closing Plenary/ Nagasaki Day Rally, 2015 World Conference against A and H Bombs (Nagasaki Shimin
Kaikan Gymnasium)
Nagasaki Day Street Signature Campaign (Guroganebashi Bridge at Hamanomachi Arcade)
Farewell Party (Washington Hotel)
August 10 (Mon.)
Departure; Visit to local groups

172

List of Organizing Committee Members of theWorld Conference against A and H Bombs(As of August 2015)
Member Organizations (INPO):
National Confederation of Trade Unions (ZENROREN)
All Japan Teachers and Staff Union (ZENKYO)
Japan Federation of Private University Teachers' and Employees’ Unions
All Judicial Workers’ Union
Labor Union of MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, Tourism), JMA (Japan Meteorological
Agency) and Affiliates
All Japan Non-Life Insurance Labor Union
Japan Social Welfare and Child-Nursing Workers Union
National Confederation of Automobile Transportation Workers Unions
Japanese Democratic Writers Association
National Council of Singing Voice of Japan Organizations
Japan Federation of Women's Organizations (FUDANREN)
All Japan Federation of Student Unions (ZENGAKUREN)
League of Public Order Maintenance Law Victims for State Compensation
Japan Peace Committee
Japan-Eurasia Society
Japan-China Friendship Association
Japan Asia Africa Latin America Solidarity Committee
Japan Family Farmers Movement (NOUMINREN)
All Health and Welfare Ministry Workers Union
National General Workers Union - National Confederation of Trade Unions
Congress of Poets
National Federation of Tenants' Associations
Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions (MIN-IREN)
National Council of Visual Disabled in JapanNew Japan Women's Association (SHINFUJIN)
Japan Customs Personnel Labour Union
Japan Federation of National Public Service Employees' Unions
Japan Federation of Publishing Workers' Unions
National Federation of Financial Industry Workers’ Unions
Japanese Red Cross Society Workers’ Union
Film and Allied Workers’ Union
Japan Realist Photographers Association
Japan Scientists’ Association
Association for Workers Education of Japan
Women's Democratic ClubJapan Council of Religionists for Peace
Japan Christians' Association for Peace
Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (GENSUIKYO)
Workers' Union of Health Insurance Hospitals
National Government Employees' Mutual Aid Association Hospital Workers' Union
Postal Industry Workers' Union
All Japan Construction, Transport and General Workers' Union
Japan Federation of Medical Workers' Unions
Japan National Hospital Workers’ Union
Japan-Korea Friendship Association
Japan Center, Asian Buddhists Conference for Peace
Democratic Youth League of Japan
National Federation of Traders and Producers Organizations (ZENSHOREN)
173

All Japan Federation of Medical Students Self-governing Associations
Central Liaison Conference of Youth and Students for a Bright Progressive Japan
Japan-Cambodia Friendship Association
National Confederation of Human Rights Movements in the Community
National Campaign Committee for Abrogation of the Japan-US Security Treaty
National Workers Union of Social Insurance Fee FundJapan-Vietnam Friendship Association
National Federation of Environmental Pollution Patients' Organizations
National Federation of Associations for Safeguarding Living and Health
New Japan Medical Association (Shin-I-Kyo)
All Justice Ministry Employees' Union
Liberty Lawyers Guild
National Forum for Peace, Democracy and Progressive Unity
New Japan Tanka Poets Association
All Japan Congress of Realist Theaters
National Council of Graduate Students
All Labor Ministry Workers' Union
All Japan Confederation of Warehouse and Transport Workers' Unions
National Council of Securities Industry Workers Unions
Water Resources Development Corporation Workers' Union
National Federation of JA Hospital Workers Unions
National Workers' Union of Labor Accident Hospitals
Liaison Conference of Cultural Organizations
Japan Clerks Union
Warabi-za Theater Group
Joint Struggle Conference of Welfare Ministry Workers Unions
Faculty and Staff Union of Japanese Universities
Japan Congress of Recreation Leaders
Workers Union of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Tele-Communication Workers’ Union
All Japan Metal and Information Machinery Workers’ Union (JMIU)
Japan Federation of Prefectural and Municipal Workers' Unions (Jichiroren)
National Federation of Agricultural Co-op Workers Unions
Tokyo Metropolitan and Ward Governments Workers' Union
Legal Assistance and Human Rights Association of Japan
Japanese Federation of Commercial Broadcasting Workers' Unions
National Tax Office Workers' Union
Japan-Cuba Friendship Association
Japanese Medical and Dental Practitioners for the Improvement of Medical Care
Association for a Non-Nuclear Government
Japan Federation of Co-op Labor Unions
Japan Pensioners’ Union
Observer
Federation of National Diet Workers' Unions

Committee of Chairpersons:
AKAMATSU Koichi
ANZAI Ikuro
ANIYA Masaaki
ARAKAWA Yosei
EJIRI Mihoko
OMORI Masanobu
OGATA Yasuo

Representative Director, Japan Council against A and H Bombs
Director, Anzai Science & Peace Office (ASAP)
Professor emeritus, Okinawa International University
Buddhist monk/ Director General, Japan Council of Religionists for
Peace
Former President, Japan YWCA/ Professor emeritus, Tsuda College
Professor emeritus, Hiroshima University
Executive Committee Vice-Chairperson, Japanese Communist Party

174

OGAWA Seiryo
OSANAI Mieko
ODAGAWA Yoshikazu
KASAI Kimiyo
KAWASAKI Yohei
KOKUBUN Minoru
SATO Mitsuo
SAMEJIMA Chiaki
SAWADA Shoji
SHIBATA Masako
SUZUKI Tesshu
TANAKA Yu
TSUBOI Shunji
HATADA Shigeo
HAMABAYASHI Masao
HAYASHI Tatsuya
FUJISUE Mamoru
MIKAMI Mitsuru
MUROU Noboru

Professor emeritus, Japan College of Social WorkScenario writer
President, National Confederation of Trade Unions(ZENROREN)
President, New Japan Women’s Association
President, All Japan Federation of Student Unions
President, National Federation of Traders and Producers
Organizations
Representative Director, Japan Peace Committee
Advisor, Japanese Medical and Dental Practitioners for the
Improvement of Medical Care
Hibakusha / Professor emeritus, Nagoya University
President, Japan Federation of Women’s Organizations
Buddhist monk/ Adviser, Japan Council of Religionists for Peace
President, Democratic Youth League of Japan
Japan-Eurasia Society/ Former Executive member of Japan
Consumers’ Cooperative Union
Researcher of International Politics
Professor emeritus, Hitotsubashi University/ Honorary
Representative Director, Japan Scientists Association
Advisor, Hiroshima YMCA
President, Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions(MIN-IREN)
Co-Chairperson, National Center for Children’s Rights, Education
and Culture
Advisor, Japanese Medical and Dental Practitioners for the
Improvement of Medical Care

Co-Chairpersons of the Steering Committee:
TAKAKUSAKI Hiroshi
NOGUCHI Kunikazu

Japan Council against A and H Bombs
Japan Scientists Association

Soprano singer Erika Colon-Ishikawa singing “A Song in Praise of the Bombed Maria”

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