July 14, 2012
As the 2012 World Conference against A & H Bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki approaches next month, Akahata had an interview with Yasui Masakazu, secretary general of the Japan Council against A & H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo). The following is an excerpt from his interview:
The annual World Conference has been described as a “historic event” on many occasions, and this is particularly true this year.
This is because, first of all, we now have a great opportunity to realize the total abolition of nuclear weapons. Since the NPT Review Conference in 2010 agreed to “achieve the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,” the international community has strengthened its determination to make this happen. More than 70% of U.N. member states representing more than 80% of the world population support a call for a swift start of negotiations for an international convention to ban nuclear weapons. Mayors for Peace, involving more than 5,000 cities in the world, and NGOs all over the world are actively campaigning to get this common goal realized.
In April and May, the 1st preparatory committee meeting in Vienna for the 2015 NPT Review Conference presented a new approach pointing to the “humanitarian dimension” of nuclear disarmament. Jointly proposed by 16 countries, including Switzerland and Austria, it proposes breaking away from the conventional security-based argument promoting nuclear weapons and calls for their abolition based on the most basic demand calling for the survival of the human race. The Japanese anti-nuclear movement, led by A-bomb survivors (Hibakusha), has always insisted that nuclear weapons and human beings cannot coexist.
Negotiations for the nuclear weapons convention have not started yet due to the refusal of a handful of nuclear weapons states. The international civil society movement must play a key role in further increasing the international outcry to put pressure on those backward-looking countries.
Secondly, we are now witnessing dramatic changes throughout the world brought about by each individual’s actions and choices. In the Middle East as well as in New York, it was the people who stood up and created a change. The same thing is happening in Japan, where so many people fill the street in front of the prime minister’s office in protest against his decision to restart the Oi nuclear power plant. In Okinawa, public anger over the Japanese and U.S. governments’ decision to deploy the U.S. military aircraft Osprey is spreading the island where residents plan to hold a massive rally against the planned deployment in August. Facing public criticism over an increase in the consumption tax rate, the ruling Democratic Party of Japan cannot sustain itself. The World Conference provides the opportunity for us to develop solidarity with various movements and create a sea change.
Participants in the conference will be able to directly listen to U.N. and government representatives and discuss with them how to develop activities to realize the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. This year, we will be joined by representatives of the governments of Malaysia, Egypt, and Mexico, which lead international efforts for a total ban on nuclear weapons. The Mexican representative is Ambassador Claude Heller, who was a chair of the U.N. Security Council.
Domestic activities are accelerating in preparation for the World Conference. As of July 3, A-bomb photo exhibitions have been held or are planned to be held at 240 locations in 40 prefectures, the largest in scale since the founding of Gensuikyo.
In the past 2 months, about 100,000 people signed the international signature campaign “Appeal for a Total Ban on Nuclear Weapons”. The total number of signatures will soon reach 2 million. In Osaka’s Kishiwada City, the city office held a photo exhibition at a public high school which motivated the school’s student association to hold the signature campaign themselves.
The World Conference will provide the opportunity to exchange and learn from various anti-nuclear activities increasing at the grassroots level.
The annual World Conference has been described as a “historic event” on many occasions, and this is particularly true this year.
This is because, first of all, we now have a great opportunity to realize the total abolition of nuclear weapons. Since the NPT Review Conference in 2010 agreed to “achieve the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,” the international community has strengthened its determination to make this happen. More than 70% of U.N. member states representing more than 80% of the world population support a call for a swift start of negotiations for an international convention to ban nuclear weapons. Mayors for Peace, involving more than 5,000 cities in the world, and NGOs all over the world are actively campaigning to get this common goal realized.
In April and May, the 1st preparatory committee meeting in Vienna for the 2015 NPT Review Conference presented a new approach pointing to the “humanitarian dimension” of nuclear disarmament. Jointly proposed by 16 countries, including Switzerland and Austria, it proposes breaking away from the conventional security-based argument promoting nuclear weapons and calls for their abolition based on the most basic demand calling for the survival of the human race. The Japanese anti-nuclear movement, led by A-bomb survivors (Hibakusha), has always insisted that nuclear weapons and human beings cannot coexist.
Negotiations for the nuclear weapons convention have not started yet due to the refusal of a handful of nuclear weapons states. The international civil society movement must play a key role in further increasing the international outcry to put pressure on those backward-looking countries.
Secondly, we are now witnessing dramatic changes throughout the world brought about by each individual’s actions and choices. In the Middle East as well as in New York, it was the people who stood up and created a change. The same thing is happening in Japan, where so many people fill the street in front of the prime minister’s office in protest against his decision to restart the Oi nuclear power plant. In Okinawa, public anger over the Japanese and U.S. governments’ decision to deploy the U.S. military aircraft Osprey is spreading the island where residents plan to hold a massive rally against the planned deployment in August. Facing public criticism over an increase in the consumption tax rate, the ruling Democratic Party of Japan cannot sustain itself. The World Conference provides the opportunity for us to develop solidarity with various movements and create a sea change.
Participants in the conference will be able to directly listen to U.N. and government representatives and discuss with them how to develop activities to realize the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. This year, we will be joined by representatives of the governments of Malaysia, Egypt, and Mexico, which lead international efforts for a total ban on nuclear weapons. The Mexican representative is Ambassador Claude Heller, who was a chair of the U.N. Security Council.
Domestic activities are accelerating in preparation for the World Conference. As of July 3, A-bomb photo exhibitions have been held or are planned to be held at 240 locations in 40 prefectures, the largest in scale since the founding of Gensuikyo.
In the past 2 months, about 100,000 people signed the international signature campaign “Appeal for a Total Ban on Nuclear Weapons”. The total number of signatures will soon reach 2 million. In Osaka’s Kishiwada City, the city office held a photo exhibition at a public high school which motivated the school’s student association to hold the signature campaign themselves.
The World Conference will provide the opportunity to exchange and learn from various anti-nuclear activities increasing at the grassroots level.
