Nuclear Disarmament Advocacy Revisited in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
As the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki approaches, the mayors of both cities are renewing their call for nuclear disarmament.
Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki will deliver a speech during the annual peace ceremonies in Nagasaki on August 9, expressing his concerns about the threat of nuclear war and urging world leaders to take action towards nuclear weapon abolition.
In his speech, Suzuki will share the experiences of hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) and emphasize the cruelty of nuclear weapons. He will also call for young people to initiate projects that can be carried out during daily life to promote peace.
Suzuki will not only focus on nuclear weapon abolition but also on stopping wars immediately. He will call on countries to recognize the growing threat of nuclear conflict and to chart a concrete path towards disarmament.
Mayor Kazumi Matsui of Hiroshima will deliver a speech at the Hiroshima ceremony on Wednesday. In his speech, Matsui will call on leaders to immediately begin discussing a security framework based on trust through dialogue.
Both mayors will reaffirm their cities’ commitment to peace and convey the enduring human cost of the bombings while urging the world community to act as global citizens beyond racial and national boundaries.
Nagasaki’s mayor showed moral courage by inviting all nations, including those involved in recent conflicts and controversies, to participate in the peace ceremonies. This strong ethical statement for humanity underscores the mayors’ role in passing on the hibakusha’s testimonies to future generations and highlighting Japan’s unique responsibility to advocate for peace and nuclear disarmament across borders and generations.
In addition, Mayor Matsui will warn that more world leaders are thinking that nuclear weapons are essential for national defense. He will emphasize the importance of dialogue and trust in preventing nuclear war and the need for a security framework that prioritizes peace and cooperation.
The mayors’ speeches will serve as a reminder of the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons and the urgent need for nuclear disarmament. They will call on world leaders to follow a tangible, actionable course for nuclear abolition and to honor the suffering caused by nuclear weapons through concrete global cooperation to prevent nuclear war.
[1] Nihon Hidankyo [2] The Asahi Shimbun [3] The Japan Times
- Photos capturing the annual peace ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, along with interviews with the mayors, could provide powerful media content for general news segments, highlighting their appeals for nuclear disarmament and preventing war-and-conflicts.
- With the mayors' renewed calls for nuclear disarmament and their emphasis on peace, global media platforms should prioritize coverage of the discussions around politics and security frameworks, underlining the importance of dialogue and trust in avoiding nuclear war-and-conflicts.
