U.S. Arms Control Association names Setsuko Thurlow and A-bomb survivors as “2015 Arms Control Person of the Year”
Jan. 18, 2016
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
On January 7, the Arms Control Association, a think tank in the United States, announced that Setsuko Thurlow, 84, an A-bomb survivor of Hiroshima and now a resident of Toronto, Canada, along with the A-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have been named the 2015 Arms Control Person of the Year. This prize is given to commend individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to disarmament efforts.
Nine candidates for the prize were first nominated by the staff of the Arms Control Association, then an online poll was conducted from December 8, 2015 for about a month. Ms. Thurlow and the A-bomb survivors received the highest number of votes in the poll. The association cited their achievements by emphasizing their “unyielding dedication to sharing first-hand accounts of the catastrophic and inhumane effects of nuclear weapons, which serves to reinforce the taboo against the further use of nuclear weapons and to maintain pressure for effective action to eliminate and outlaw nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons testing.”
Ms. Thurlow was 13 when she experienced the atomic bombing in Hiroshima while working as a mobilized student. After she went to the United States to study abroad, she became involved in peace activities there. She then moved to Canada, but has continued to actively share her account of the atomic bombing in Canada and in other countries. Responding to a question from the Chugoku Shimbun, she said, “I think this award recognizes the efforts made by all A-bomb survivors. But our work to highlight the inhumanity of nuclear weapons is not yet finished. So this award gives us encouragement for our activities in the future.”
Referring to the honor given to the A-bomb survivors, Sunao Tsuboi, 90, the chair of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Hidankyo), said, “We have held the conviction that our mission involves appealing for nuclear abolition to protect human lives. We feel grateful that others understand our mission.”
The runner-up in the poll was U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif, who were involved in negotiations for the final agreement involving nuclear issues in Iran. The winner of the 2014 Arms Control Person of the Year was Alexander Kmentt, Austria’s Director for Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Ambassador, a proponent of “effective measures” for a world free of nuclear weapons, including a nuclear weapons convention.
(Originally published on January 9, 2016)
On January 7, the Arms Control Association, a think tank in the United States, announced that Setsuko Thurlow, 84, an A-bomb survivor of Hiroshima and now a resident of Toronto, Canada, along with the A-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have been named the 2015 Arms Control Person of the Year. This prize is given to commend individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to disarmament efforts.
Nine candidates for the prize were first nominated by the staff of the Arms Control Association, then an online poll was conducted from December 8, 2015 for about a month. Ms. Thurlow and the A-bomb survivors received the highest number of votes in the poll. The association cited their achievements by emphasizing their “unyielding dedication to sharing first-hand accounts of the catastrophic and inhumane effects of nuclear weapons, which serves to reinforce the taboo against the further use of nuclear weapons and to maintain pressure for effective action to eliminate and outlaw nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons testing.”
Ms. Thurlow was 13 when she experienced the atomic bombing in Hiroshima while working as a mobilized student. After she went to the United States to study abroad, she became involved in peace activities there. She then moved to Canada, but has continued to actively share her account of the atomic bombing in Canada and in other countries. Responding to a question from the Chugoku Shimbun, she said, “I think this award recognizes the efforts made by all A-bomb survivors. But our work to highlight the inhumanity of nuclear weapons is not yet finished. So this award gives us encouragement for our activities in the future.”
Referring to the honor given to the A-bomb survivors, Sunao Tsuboi, 90, the chair of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Hidankyo), said, “We have held the conviction that our mission involves appealing for nuclear abolition to protect human lives. We feel grateful that others understand our mission.”
The runner-up in the poll was U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif, who were involved in negotiations for the final agreement involving nuclear issues in Iran. The winner of the 2014 Arms Control Person of the Year was Alexander Kmentt, Austria’s Director for Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Ambassador, a proponent of “effective measures” for a world free of nuclear weapons, including a nuclear weapons convention.
(Originally published on January 9, 2016)
