Hiroshima
-- a city, a symbol, and a call to end the atomic age:
On
the morning of August 6th, 1945, an unusual new kind of weapon was
dropped on the city of Hiroshima. Three days later a second atomic
bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.
Photo: Hiroshima
Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) |
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In
Japanese culture, the 60th birthday holds a particular cultural
significance in celebrating long life. In this 60th year since the
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the greatest gift to
the hibakusha (survivors of the atomic bombings) and to the world
would be to reaffirm life by immediately initiating negotiations
for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
Women's
Action for New Directions Education Fund
http://www.wand.org/issuesact/actions/action_augevents05.htm
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Peace
action in Belgium, 2005
The start of the last stretch of the Peace Walk to Kleine Brogel...
Today, at the 60th anniversary of the A-bomb attack on Hiroshima,
the Peace Walk reached Kleine Brogel, where probably 10-20 US
nuclear bombs are stored. They have started to walk almost two
weeks ago in Ieper and also held a protest action before NATO
headquarters in Evere along the way.
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2004
59th Anniversary
reports:
Hiroshima Mayor condemns U.S. on 59th A-bomb anniversary
HIROSHIMA, (Friday, 6 August 2004)--
"Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba lashed out at U.S. nuclear policies
and called on Japan to uphold its pacifist Constitution as the city
marked the 59th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima
on Friday.
About 45,000 people turned up at Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park for
the ceremony, in which Akiba presented the city's annual peace declaration.
After highlighting the sense of danger regarding nuclear arms, including
the United States' research into miniature nuclear warheads, Akiba declared
the year leading up to the 60th anniversary of the bombing as the "Year
of Remembrance and Action for a Nuclear-Free World." He set 2020 --
the 75th anniversary of the bombing -- as the time by which all nuclear
weapons should be eliminated from the world..."
Also in Hiroshima
on this day, the repaired statue of a world-famous victim of the bomb
will be unveiled. A local report from The Japan Times:
Vandalized statue of A-bomb victim repaired
HIROSHIMA (Kyodo)
"The repaired statue of atomic bomb victim Sadako Sasaki in Seattle
Peace Park in Washington state will be unveiled Friday, the 59th anniversary
of the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima, after it was vandalized last year.
The statue of atomic bomb victim Sadako Sasaki in Seattle Peace Park
that was vandalized in December has been repaired through donations.
People around the world made donations for its repair..."
Anniversary
actions 2004:
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In the USA, members of the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance
and others will demonstrate at the Oak Ridge nuclear facility in
Tennessee. See an excellent website on Hiroshima Day 2004 actions
and the Stop the Bomb project, full of information and links on
the current nuclear situation in the US and internationally:
http://www.stopthebombs.org/
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On Sunday, the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki, California
activists will hold a "Rally and March 'Books not Bombs' to the
Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab!"
For Japanese-led international action for abolition of nuclear weapons
see:
http://www10.plala.or.jp/antiatom/html/e/e-index.htm
Background information:
H I R O S H I
M A : WAS IT NECESSARY?
This site has many links and a detailed bibliography at:
http://www.doug-long.com/bibliog.htm
to
Japan report
back
to women and peace
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