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World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates holds final three sessions

Participants at “The 2010 World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates” continued their discussions on November 13 in three final sessions on new themes. This article contains excerpts of these sessions.

Fourth session

by Uzaemonnaotsuka Tokai, Staff Writer

“In the pursuit of nuclear abolition, it is important that the voices of citizens are strongly reflected in international politics.”

Opinions to this effect were prominent at the fourth session, entitled “Progress towards a world without nuclear weapons: the result of the ongoing international negotiations and the role of Cities and of Civil Society.”

Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba pointed out that the tragedies of human history, including those of Hiroshima, Auschwitz, and Guernica, tend to become known by the names of the cities themselves. He stressed that if such cities can share the grief of the past and join forces in the present, they could help resolve global issues. The mayor also mentioned that the number of member cities of Mayors for Peace, for which Mr. Akiba serves as president, has exceeded 4,300, and that the organization is seeking the abolition of nuclear weapons by the year 2020.

Alyn Ware, international coordinator for the Parliamentary Network for Nuclear Disarmament, expressed his support for the activities of Mayors for Peace. He stated that the elimination of nuclear weapons by 2020 was an ambitious but feasible goal, and that the appeals from the A-bombed city of Hiroshima carried weight in the world.

Tibor Toth, executive secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), reported on the current situation in which the CTBT had not yet taken effect, though the treaty was adopted at the U.N. General Assembly in 1996. Given the growing danger of nuclear terrorism, he continued firmly, he wishes to spread the awareness that the abolition of nuclear weapons would benefit the nuclear weapon states as well.

Shan Cretin, general secretary of the American Friends Service Committee, remarked that it was important to convey the voice of the A-bomb survivors, while Jody Williams, an American anti-landmine activist, called on the audience to raise their voices and tell the world that we do not need war. She added that the world could surely be changed if people stood up and took action.

Fifth session:

by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer

The fifth session focused on the theme “Consequences of the use of nuclear weapons.” The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki revealed the inhumanity of the use of nuclear weapons and the terrible social, medical, and environmental destruction they wreak.

Hidehiko Yuzaki, governor of Hiroshima Prefecture, spoke of how the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima had claimed 140,000 victims by the end of 1945. He reminded the participants at the summit that every one of those victims was an individual life lost, accentuating his message that nuclear weapons are a direct threat to the very existence of humanity.

Alexandre Liebesking, personal advisor to the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), read from telegrams written by ICRC workers who had entered Hiroshima in the aftermath of the bombing, telling of the carnage they witnessed there. He said that the indiscriminate destruction caused by nuclear weapons is an unjustifiable affront to international humanitarian law. He went on to stress the need for a legally binding treaty that would ban all nuclear arms.

Bjorn Hilt, board chairman of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), spoke as a physician about his concerns involving the long-term health risks posed by exposure to radiation, such as acute disorders and cancer, as well as the effects nuclear weapons have on the environment. He warned of the great danger that clinging to nuclear stockpiles presents, saying it was vital to press the nuclear weapon states to disarm by creating a treaty designed to ban nuclear arms.

Dr. Nobuko Kurosaki, president of Medecins Sans Frontieres Japon (Doctors without Borders-Japan), referred to her experiences of participating in humanitarian aid missions. She emphasized that if people remain silent on this issue, it will only lead to more loss of life, and she called for people to initiate change in the world by starting at the local level.

The 14th Dalai Lama recounted his first visit to Hiroshima, saying that it is important for the people of the world to strengthen their resolve to abolish nuclear weapons by learning about the suffering experienced by the people of Hiroshima. He stressed that human beings must take the lessons learned from such tragedies and turn them into a force for good in the world.

Sixth session

by Toshiko Bajo, Staff Writer

In the sixth session, entitled “Legal, ethical, and economic implications of nuclear weapons,” the laureates proposed the creation of legal and other international systems aimed at banning nuclear weapons. They also criticized economic hardships caused by military spending.

Fredrik Willem De Klerk, former president of South Africa, pointed out the current situation in which the United States, Russia, and other nuclear powers holding seats as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, are able to block a ban on the possession of nuclear weapons by exercising a veto and via other means. He then proposed that, as interdependence is increasing in the framework of nations, it is vital to create relations that are peaceful and economically viable for all.

Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian human rights activist, cited the example of her own nation in criticizing the fact that national budgets are being poured into military buildups, rather than directing those resources toward the needs of citizens. She called for an international agreement, as one example, to suspend humanitarian financial aid to nations which devote significant sums for military purposes.

The 14th Dalai Lama maintained that the dismantling of nuclear weapons would clearly bring about economic benefits. A great amount of money is needed to acquire such weapons, he said, adding that the money spent on developing nuclear arms must be used for more constructive purposes.

Johan Cels, representative of the Japan Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), shared with the audience his observation that atomic bomb survivors, who have overcome tragedy, and refugees in various parts of the world hold close similarities.

Morten Hovda, representing the International Labour Organization, reported on efforts to strengthen a peaceful society through the protection of workers’ rights.

One question from the audience asked about peaceful alternatives to nuclear arms, which are currently used for diplomatic leverage.

(Originally published on November 14, 2010)

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