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Religious leaders and others gather in Tokyo to discuss nuclear abolition

by Kunihiko Sakurai, Staff Writer

On August 2, a gathering known as the International Special Session for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons opened at the United Nations University in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo. The participants include religious leaders of many faiths, peace activists, and other figures. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which declared that the threat or use of nuclear weapons would generally be contrary to the rules of international law. With this in mind, the participants will engage in discussions until August 3 on actions that can advance the abolition of nuclear arms.

The gathering has been organized by the World Conference of Religions for Peace and includes about 80 participants from 11 nations. Ela Gandhi, 76, the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, called for severing chains of hatred and retaliation by pursuing nonviolence, the legacy of her grandfather. Jonathan Frerichs, 66, a senior member of the World Council of Churches, a federation of Protestants, stressed that sustaining the existence of the human race requires a nuclear weapons convention.

Tadatoshi Akiba, the former mayor of Hiroshima, also appeared at the meeting and discussed the significance of U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Hiroshima in May. On August 3, the participants will adopt a statement and close the meeting.

(Originally published on August 3, 2016)

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