Youth Perspectives from Vienna
RTT Vienna Youth Activism Program Blog Post
Written by Audrey Kelly
I had the privilege of attending Nuclear Ban Week, a week-long series of conferences pertaining to nuclear disarmament in Vienna, Austria, alongside fellow Reverse The Trend participants. It was inspiring and electrifying to witness such historic milestones in the international peace and nuclear abolition movements firsthand, and the progress these conferences herald for the future of nuclear disarmament was profoundly moving.
The week began with the ICAN Nuclear Ban Forum, a series of workshops and events convened by a myriad of organizations and activists committed to the goal of achieving nuclear abolition. Many of the events focused on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons and stressed that the nuclear threat cannot be eradicated, unless nuclear weapons are definitively abolished. These events were incredibly informative, expanding my understanding of the intergenerational and intersectional impacts of nuclear weapons use and testing. They also highlighted the urgency of advocating for nuclear disarmament in light of the current geopolitical state of the world. I was particularly struck by the discussions about the ways in which nuclear weapons intersect with broader axes of oppression, including colonialism, racism, heteropatriarchy, capitalism, and militarism.
I was also able to attend two workshops co-hosted by RTT Advisor and MEI Assistant Director Benetick Kabua Maddison, including “My story is more than my picture,” a workshop in which he and two fellow survivors of nuclear weapons survivors discussed how campaigners can engage more meaningfully and respectfully with those impacted by nuclear weapons production, testing, and use. I was awed by Benetick’s eloquence and searing insights into the nuclear weapons and climate crises, and I hope to be given another opportunity to hear him speak in the near future.
While I found the ICAN Nuclear Ban Forum to be successful overall, I was disappointed by the lack of space dedicated to queer and non-binary voices at the forum and the inadequate number of workshops focused on the intersections between nuclear disarmament and queer liberation. This shortcoming particularly stuck out to me given ICAN’s emphasis on applying an intersectional framework in its advocacy.
The Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, which took place on Monday, June 20th, proved equal parts informative and moving. It was an honor to hear the first hand testimonies of Hibakusha and other survivors of nuclear weapons use and testing who were brave enough to share their stories to illuminate the devastating humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons. I also learned a lot about the physiological, cultural, psychological, and intergenerational effects of nuclear weapons that I did not previously know: for instance, the side event on the gendered impacts of nuclear weapons proved especially enlightening. The panelists discussed the ways in which women and girls face more adverse physical impacts from nuclear weapons use and testing (i.e. miscarriages, cancers, etc.) than men and boys. They also underscored the ways in which racism, the patriarchy, the military-industrial complex, and nuclear weapons production, testing, and use are inextricably entangled. The various workshops and events repeatedly highlighted the importance of the implementation of the positive obligations stipulated by Articles 6 and 7 in the TPNW, which set forth requirements for victim assistance, environmental remediation, and international cooperation.
While both of these conferences were fascinating and exciting in more ways than one, the highlight of the week was undoubtedly the 1st Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW. Given the TPNW’S recency and resounding historic importance, it was thrilling to witness and partake in the First Meeting of States Parties and hear so many perspectives on the TPNW’s composition and implementation. The adoption of the First Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW’s Action Plan was especially uplifting. As the 1MSP officially came to a close, diplomats and civil society members alike stood up from their seats, and the meeting hall erupted with applause, it was impossible not to be flooded with hope about the future of the nuclear abolition movement.
Overall, Nuclear Ban Week was an extraordinary and unforgettable experience as well as a perfect initiation to the complex world of nuclear disarmament. I am looking forward to attending the Tenth NPT Review Conference in New York City come August!