Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs to start sending delegations to Europe to promote nuclear abolition
Sep. 24, 2015
by Jumpei Fujimura, Staff Writer
The Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (Gensuikyo) is planning to dispatch delegations, which will include four A-bomb survivors, to seven European nations starting from September 17 as part of its activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings. These delegations are being jointly organized by the International Peace Bureau (IPB), an antinuclear peace organization. In sharing their accounts of the atomic bombings and holding A-bomb exhibitions, the delegates will stress the inhumanity of nuclear weapons in an effort to strengthen global opinion for the abolition of nuclear arms.
There will be three delegations, with the first group visiting Belgium and the Netherlands from September 17 to 24; the second group visiting Spain, France, and the U.K. from October 4 to 14; and the third group visiting Finland and Sweden from October 4 to 13. While visiting these countries, they will take part in local peace assemblies. They will also meet with parliament members and local government leaders to call for their support in working together toward a nuclear-free world.
The third group includes Osamu Saito, a resident of Fukushima City. Mr. Saito is a doctor who provided medical care to A-bomb survivors in Hiroshima for many years. In response to requests from local residents who are highly conscious of nuclear issues, Dr. Saito will talk about the current conditions and problems involving the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi (No. 1) nuclear power plant.
Masashi Ieshima, 73, a resident of Tokyo and a member of the second group, will convey his account of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which he experienced at the age of three. He said that although his account is based mainly on his parents’ experiences, he plans to devote himself to sharing his story in order to help advance the movement seeking for the nuclear powers to abolish their nuclear weapons.
(Originally published on September 17, 2015)
The Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (Gensuikyo) is planning to dispatch delegations, which will include four A-bomb survivors, to seven European nations starting from September 17 as part of its activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings. These delegations are being jointly organized by the International Peace Bureau (IPB), an antinuclear peace organization. In sharing their accounts of the atomic bombings and holding A-bomb exhibitions, the delegates will stress the inhumanity of nuclear weapons in an effort to strengthen global opinion for the abolition of nuclear arms.
There will be three delegations, with the first group visiting Belgium and the Netherlands from September 17 to 24; the second group visiting Spain, France, and the U.K. from October 4 to 14; and the third group visiting Finland and Sweden from October 4 to 13. While visiting these countries, they will take part in local peace assemblies. They will also meet with parliament members and local government leaders to call for their support in working together toward a nuclear-free world.
The third group includes Osamu Saito, a resident of Fukushima City. Mr. Saito is a doctor who provided medical care to A-bomb survivors in Hiroshima for many years. In response to requests from local residents who are highly conscious of nuclear issues, Dr. Saito will talk about the current conditions and problems involving the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi (No. 1) nuclear power plant.
Masashi Ieshima, 73, a resident of Tokyo and a member of the second group, will convey his account of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which he experienced at the age of three. He said that although his account is based mainly on his parents’ experiences, he plans to devote himself to sharing his story in order to help advance the movement seeking for the nuclear powers to abolish their nuclear weapons.
(Originally published on September 17, 2015)
