Peace Boat, Soka Gakkai International (SGI), IPPNW, and ICAN’s Event to Commemorate the 4th Anniversary of the Adoption of the TPNW

By Brandon Wingfield and Jack Moses

As youth activists with NAPF/RTT, some of the most rewarding experiences include hearing the voices of people and communities who have historically borne the immense weight of the U.S.’s nuclear legacy.

On July 7, Soka Gakkai International of Costa Rica (SGICR), Peaceboat, ICAN, and IPPNW convened a special event entitled “ “Conversitario Armas Nucleares,” which also commermorated on the 4th Anniversary of the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Speakers included: Margarita Novo, SGICR President; Carlos Umaña, President of IPPNW Costa Rica and member of ICAN; H.E. Dr. Elayne White, former Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United Nations in Geneva and Chair of the negotiations on the TPNW; Matsumi Matsumura of Peace Boat; and Michiko Hattori, a hibakusha, or survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima

The event began with a discussion led by Dr. Carlos Umaña of IPPNW and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Dr. Umaña highlighted the destructive capabilities of nuclear weapons with the kind of simplicity and urgency necessary to mobilize people in favor of nuclear  abolition. In Spanish, he addressed the two existential threats that humanity faces– climate change and nuclear weapons. Of course, these two threats are inseparable, given that just one percent of the nuclear weapons in the world could devastate our climate and bring about starvation in a nuclear famine. According to Dr. Umaña, the fact that these terrifying prospects have not become reality can be explained by luck, as incendiary rhetoric from world politicians becomes more common, as climate change develops in ways that may lead to conflict over resources, and as new and existing technologies increase the chances of accidental detonation. 

The next speaker, H.E. Ambassador Elayne Whyte, directed the audience’s attention to the historical, humanitarian, and political significance of the TPNW. The Ambassador spoke about the opportunities she has had to hear the voices of those who survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. According to her, these experiences could only lead to one course of action– a commitment to fighting to make the illegal and illegitimate nature of nuclear weapons clear. Of course, an important piece in this fight is the TPNW, which has the growing potential to shape international norms around nuclear weapons as more nations become signatories. 
While H.E. Ambassador Whyte noted the important role of Latin America in nuclear disarmament discourse, she also observed that there are too few opportunities to speak of nuclear weapons in Latin America. While North America, Western Europe, and East Asia are constantly involved in the nuclear weapons discussions, Latin American states, communities, and individuals have largely been forgotten, despite a strong connection with disarmament. Argentina, Bolivia, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela are parties to the Treaty of Tlatelolco - the name in Latin America for the TPNW. 

Moreover, Latin American nations have already been victims of extreme weather patterns of climate change. Various areas in Mexico and Brazil have suffered mightily from increased droughts; droughts will eventually destroy much of the Amazon Rainforest. 

Sea level expansion will cause a significant number of Latin American citizens to become climate refugees - facing removal from their coastal homes. While climate change is often spoken of in the future, shorelines are currently eroding, and people are being displaced at this very moment. Individuals in Latin American will suffer directly and greatly from nuclear proliferation and the destruction of the environment.

The event reached its climax when Michiko Hattori - a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima - spoke of the day when the bomb was dropped. While Hattori recounted the events of August 6, 1945 and their aftermath with the use of multimedia visual aids including photographs and drawings, it was the power and emotion of her voice that conveyed the importance of ensuring that such a course of events is never repeated.

After an emotional speech that detailed among other things the impossibility of a humanitarian response to a nuclear detonation, she emphasized that it is up to all of us to say no to war as nuclear weapons continue to threaten all of humanity. She also noted that humanitarian considerations necessitate diverting funds from nuclear weapons programs towards finding a sustainable way of life and investigating ways to protect our planet.

Hattori’s remarks reminded us that it is absolutely necessary to hear from those directly affected by nuclear weapons. The sufferings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must not be confined to the past - they are a painful reality for individuals living today.

In all, the event encouraged those in attendance to reach back and truly understand the significance of our nuclear legacy, while at the same time looking forward to creative, people-centered solutions to the twin existential threats of nuclear weapons and climate change.