73 years ago the city of Hiroshima was attacked with an US atomic bomb. About 150.000 people were killed or injured that day. Three days later, on August 9, 1945, another nuclear bomb was detonated on the city of Nagasaki killing or injuring thousands more.
73 later and the atomic bombings still affect the daily life of the first, second and third next generation of hibakusha, the survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings. Today is a day to remember all the victims of the atomic bombings and nuclear tests.
Nuclear weapons are the most destructive, inhumane and indiscriminate weapons ever created. Since the adoption last year of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, there is now a way to end nuclear weapons before they end us. Today is a day to remember that we have a choice- and we must choose to abolish and eliminate nuclear weapons.
Susi in Nagasaki
On 29 July the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun organised a symposium on the Road to Nuclear Abolition. Susi Snyder spoke at the symposium about ways to use the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as a path towards verifiable and irreversible nuclear disarmament. She also elaborated on the numerous ways the treaty is already having an impact by delegitimizing nuclear weapons- particularly across the financial sector. The trip also included a visit to the Nagasaki A-Bomb museum as well as an opportunity to pay respects to the victims of the atomic bombing by laying a wreath at the cenotaph.
More countries sign and ratify the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty
Great news: the number of states who are signing and ratifying the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is growing! Right now, 59 states have signed and 14 states have ratified the Treaty.
In the last few months, countries including Austria, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Nicaragua and Uruguay have officially ratified the Treaty. We expect that this number will rise rapidly in the upcoming months!
Majority of Europeans reject hosting US nuclear weapons
A new poll commissioned by PAX, ICAN and other European partners found that people in Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands overwhelmingly want their governments to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The poll was conducted in four EU countries that host US nuclear weapons: Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Italy. In each country, an overwhelming majority of people surveyed were in favour of removing the weapons from their soil, and for their countries to sign the Treaty that bans them outright.
The survey found that in each country:
1. At least twice as many people are in favour of removing the weapons than keeping them.
2. At least four times as many people are in favour of their country signing the TPNW than not signing the TPNW.
3. At least four times as many people are against companies in their country investing in nuclear weapons activities than in favour of it.
4. A strong majority of people are against NATO buying new fighter jets that are able to carry both nuclear weapons and conventional weapons.
KBC excludes nuclear weapon producers
In June KBC, a major Belgian Bank, announced that it will no longer invest in nuclear weapon producers. In a press release the Bank explicitly referred to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as the basis for its decision: “From now on, the Policy on Arms-Related Activities will also regard nuclear weapons as controversial weapons. Companies involved in the production or development of nuclear weapons will therefore be excluded from all KBC group activities. KBC is thereby following the line of the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was endorsed by 122 countries on 7 June last year.”
Join the Nae Nukes Anywhere action in Scotland!
On Saturday 22 September 2018, Scottish activists and campaigners from all over the world will gather for a rally at Faslane nuclear submarine in Scotland. The aim of the rally is to to highlight global support for a nuclear free Scotland, currently hosting nuclear weapons against its wishes. Scotland is unique as a significant and relatively autonomous part of a nuclear-armed state which opposes its possession of weapons of mass destruction.
The PAX No Nukes team will join the action, will you join too?