Nagasaki Declaration calls for nuclear abolition: Forum on disarmament education comes to a close
Aug. 21, 2012
by Aya Kano, Staff Writer
The two-day Global Forum on Disarmament & Non-Proliferation Education, which was held at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, came to a close on August 11 after the adoption of a “Nagasaki Declaration.” In the declaration the participants pledged to develop the next generation of leaders and promote disarmament and non-proliferation education aimed at the abolition of nuclear weapons.
On the second day of the forum, four researchers discussed the topic of “Views and Experiences from Educators.” Kazumi Mizumoto, vice president of the Hiroshima Peace Institute at Hiroshima City University, said, “It is necessary to examine how other countries regard the atomic bombings and provide education through which a shared understanding that transcends national borders can be obtained.”
Nobumasa Akiyama, a professor at Hitotsubashi University, said, “Even in Japan, outside of Hiroshima and Nagasaki students are not familiar with the issue of disarmament. The problem is how to get them interested.” There was also a presentation on the dispatch of “high school peace ambassadors” to the European headquarters of the United Nations by a peace organization in Nagasaki and others.
Four representatives of non-governmental organizations in Japan and abroad also exchanged opinions. One suggested that the government should create a system for education on disarmament and non-proliferation, while another stressed the importance of an understanding of these issues at the grass-roots level.
The declaration stated, “The accounts of the atomic bomb survivors clearly demonstrate the human calamity wrought by nuclear weapons, and these accounts must continue to be told across borders for generations.” The declaration includes nine measures to be promoted including calling on nations and organizations to demonstrate their resolve to provide disarmament and non-proliferation education to young people, who will be the leaders of the future, and making the accounts of the victims of war available in multiple languages and in digital form.
(Originally published on August 12, 2012)
The two-day Global Forum on Disarmament & Non-Proliferation Education, which was held at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, came to a close on August 11 after the adoption of a “Nagasaki Declaration.” In the declaration the participants pledged to develop the next generation of leaders and promote disarmament and non-proliferation education aimed at the abolition of nuclear weapons.
On the second day of the forum, four researchers discussed the topic of “Views and Experiences from Educators.” Kazumi Mizumoto, vice president of the Hiroshima Peace Institute at Hiroshima City University, said, “It is necessary to examine how other countries regard the atomic bombings and provide education through which a shared understanding that transcends national borders can be obtained.”
Nobumasa Akiyama, a professor at Hitotsubashi University, said, “Even in Japan, outside of Hiroshima and Nagasaki students are not familiar with the issue of disarmament. The problem is how to get them interested.” There was also a presentation on the dispatch of “high school peace ambassadors” to the European headquarters of the United Nations by a peace organization in Nagasaki and others.
Four representatives of non-governmental organizations in Japan and abroad also exchanged opinions. One suggested that the government should create a system for education on disarmament and non-proliferation, while another stressed the importance of an understanding of these issues at the grass-roots level.
The declaration stated, “The accounts of the atomic bomb survivors clearly demonstrate the human calamity wrought by nuclear weapons, and these accounts must continue to be told across borders for generations.” The declaration includes nine measures to be promoted including calling on nations and organizations to demonstrate their resolve to provide disarmament and non-proliferation education to young people, who will be the leaders of the future, and making the accounts of the victims of war available in multiple languages and in digital form.
(Originally published on August 12, 2012)
