A-bomb survivors launch global signature drive for nuclear abolition
Apr. 28, 2016
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
On April 27, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) launched a global signature drive to call for a nuclear weapons convention that would ban and eliminate all nuclear weapons. About 60 A-bomb survivors and supporters took part in the event held on the street in front of JR Shibuya Station in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, appealing for the realization of a “world without nuclear weapons” as early as possible.
The global signature drive was proposed by Hidankyo, which will mark the 6oth year of its establishment this August. Nine A-bomb survivors, leaders of antinuclear campaigns in and out of Japan, are spearheading the signature drive. One of them, Terumi Tanaka, the secretary general of Hidankyo, said through a loudspeaker, “I don’t want anyone else to experience the same kind of suffering. Please lend your support so we can impact politics for this global cause.”
In addition to A-bomb survivors living in Tokyo, other survivors joined the event from various parts of Japan, including Chiba, Saitama, Kanagawa, and Gifu prefectures. Asking shoppers and tourists for their signatures, they had collected 277 signatures from 11 countries in around one hour.
Hidankyo is pursuing this campaign with the goal of realizing a nuclear weapons convention by August 2020. The organization has been calling for antinuclear and peace groups in and out of Japan to join this effort so that the campaign can grow into a global movement. The collected signatures will be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly each year.
(Originally published on April 28, 2016)
On April 27, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) launched a global signature drive to call for a nuclear weapons convention that would ban and eliminate all nuclear weapons. About 60 A-bomb survivors and supporters took part in the event held on the street in front of JR Shibuya Station in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, appealing for the realization of a “world without nuclear weapons” as early as possible.
The global signature drive was proposed by Hidankyo, which will mark the 6oth year of its establishment this August. Nine A-bomb survivors, leaders of antinuclear campaigns in and out of Japan, are spearheading the signature drive. One of them, Terumi Tanaka, the secretary general of Hidankyo, said through a loudspeaker, “I don’t want anyone else to experience the same kind of suffering. Please lend your support so we can impact politics for this global cause.”
In addition to A-bomb survivors living in Tokyo, other survivors joined the event from various parts of Japan, including Chiba, Saitama, Kanagawa, and Gifu prefectures. Asking shoppers and tourists for their signatures, they had collected 277 signatures from 11 countries in around one hour.
Hidankyo is pursuing this campaign with the goal of realizing a nuclear weapons convention by August 2020. The organization has been calling for antinuclear and peace groups in and out of Japan to join this effort so that the campaign can grow into a global movement. The collected signatures will be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly each year.
(Originally published on April 28, 2016)
