On Friday 25 September, from 15:30, Pax Christi International, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) organised a space for reflection and discussion on the narratives and logics that continue to underpin the role of nuclear weapons in public and political debate.

Led by Florian Eblenkamp, ICAN’s Advocacy Coordinator, the event provided an opportunity to reflect together on how nuclear weapons are presented and perceived, and on the arguments used to justify their continued existence. It was also an opportunity to explore how we can build broader support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and strengthen civil society action ahead of its Review Conference, which will take place in December.

During the discussion, participants read out several statements made throughout history about the atomic bombs, choosing some of them to reflect on and discuss together. Afterwards, our Advocacy Officer Giulia Bordin read the testimony of a hibakusha, a survivor of the 1945 atomic bombings.

The discussion was followed by a lantern ceremony featuring lanterns from Hiroshima, which were lit in remembrance of the victims of the atomic bombings.

 

Joint Appeal for Nuclear Abolition Day

The event was organised to coincide with the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, established by the United Nations and observed every year on 26 September. The occasion aims to raise public awareness and understanding of the threat that nuclear weapons pose to humanity and the need for their total elimination.

Pax Christi International has endorsed the Nuclear Abolition Day Appeal, encouraging partner organisations to continue their efforts to raise awareness, so that the lights lit today may increasingly reflect the hope of a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons.

Read the Joint Appeal here