ICAN holds international conference on nuclear abolition in Hiroshima
Aug. 23, 2012
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
On August 21, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), an NGO headquartered in Australia which seeks a nuclear weapons convention to abolish all nuclear arms, held an international conference in downtown Hiroshima. The conference was the first held by the organization in Asia. About 100 people from 25 nations, including countries in Europe and the Middle East, discussed concrete steps to realize “a world without nuclear weapons.”
The conference included presentations on the anti-nuclear developments taking place in nations seeking nuclear disarmament. With moves to argue the unlawful nature of nuclear weapons becoming more conspicuous in non-nuclear weapon states, the participants reaffirmed the organization’s policy of supporting the grassroots activities of citizens. The Norwegian government announced that it will support an international conference in Oslo in March 2013 which will address the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons, adding that an ICAN conference will be held in Oslo in tandem with the Oslo conference.
The gathering in Hiroshima also included presentations on the activities being pursued by delegations from the participating countries. Seven high school students from Hiroshima shared their project which involves appealing for the abolition of nuclear weapons by sending chains of 1000 paper cranes to the leaders of the nuclear weapon states.
Established in 2007, ICAN is a network comprised of peace organizations in 60 countries. The ICAN international conference was timed to coincide with the World Congress of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), which will open on August 24 in Hiroshima.
(Originally published on August 22, 2012)
On August 21, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), an NGO headquartered in Australia which seeks a nuclear weapons convention to abolish all nuclear arms, held an international conference in downtown Hiroshima. The conference was the first held by the organization in Asia. About 100 people from 25 nations, including countries in Europe and the Middle East, discussed concrete steps to realize “a world without nuclear weapons.”
The conference included presentations on the anti-nuclear developments taking place in nations seeking nuclear disarmament. With moves to argue the unlawful nature of nuclear weapons becoming more conspicuous in non-nuclear weapon states, the participants reaffirmed the organization’s policy of supporting the grassroots activities of citizens. The Norwegian government announced that it will support an international conference in Oslo in March 2013 which will address the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons, adding that an ICAN conference will be held in Oslo in tandem with the Oslo conference.
The gathering in Hiroshima also included presentations on the activities being pursued by delegations from the participating countries. Seven high school students from Hiroshima shared their project which involves appealing for the abolition of nuclear weapons by sending chains of 1000 paper cranes to the leaders of the nuclear weapon states.
Established in 2007, ICAN is a network comprised of peace organizations in 60 countries. The ICAN international conference was timed to coincide with the World Congress of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), which will open on August 24 in Hiroshima.
(Originally published on August 22, 2012)
