Nuclear disarmament in August 2022 - 77 years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The first week of August 2022 marks 77 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and also the beginning of the 10th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to be held at the UN Headquarters in New York between 1-26 August 2022. This comes right on the heels of the historic first Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, held in Vienna in June, which concluded with the adoption of an Action Plan outlining 50 actions and a Declaration confirming the aims and objectives of the TPNW. The world is steadily on the way to banning and eliminating the use of nuclear weapons, and discussions at the NPT will focus on whether nuclear-weapon states will reaffirm their commitment to the abolition of nuclear weapons. As representatives, civil society from around the world, including Global Hibakusha. In partnership with the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Peace Boat will hold a range of related activities in August as below, to reiterate to Japan and the world the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and raise public opinion and action for their abolition.

Live streaming from Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the world

On the 77th anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Peace Boat, in cooperation with ICAN and local partners, will broadcast live from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These very special events will allow people around the world to hear the voices of Hibakusha and experience the atmosphere of the a-bombed cities and moment of silence held to commemorate the bombings.

1) Saturday 6 August, 8:05-8:30 JST, live from Hiroshima
2) Tuesday, 9 August, 10:50-11:15 JST, live from Nagasaki

These will be broadcast in English from ICAN and Peace Boat's various social networking accounts. If you would like to watch, please follow ICAN or Peace Boat's SNS accounts (Facebook @icanw.org or @peaceboat / Twitter @nuclearban or @peace_boat) and watch out for updates!

Hiroshima Study Tour for Fukushima Youth Ambassadors

Since 2011, the year of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and subsequent TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster, Peace Boat has been coordinating a programmme for youth from Fukushima to support their physical and psychological health, and broaden their future options by enabling them to experience international exchange and other activities outside of their everyday context.

This August, in cooperation with partner organisation Minamisoma Kodomo no Tsubasa, Peace Boat will organise a study tour to Hiroshima for junior high school students, where they will learn about the culture and history of Hiroshima, listen to testimonies of the atomic bombings, and think together about peace and sustainability in Japan and the world.

Activities at the NPT Review Conference

On the eve of the NPT Review Conference, Peace Boat US cooperated with partners including the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and Reverse the Trend to hold an international youth orientation. This provided over 100 young people and supporters the opportunity to explore tangible ways to create a more sustainable future for all. Speakers covered intersectional issues related to nuclear disarmament, including the climate crisis, racism, colonialism, and the important role of gender politics within the discourse of nuclear weapons. This was a unique opportunity for youth leaders to connect with one another, find common cause, and make one unified call in advance of NPT Review Conference.

Peace Boat's Kawasaki Akira will be in New York for the first week of the NPT, where as well as monitoring discussions and conducting advocacy he will share daily online report sessions with viewers in Japan, speak at several side events including related to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and more. Please follow Peace Boat on social media for more updates.