2 The role of hibakusha as a global crossroads
Hibakusha – survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki – have long played a vital role in raising awareness of the horrors of nuclear weapons. By sharing their first-hand experiences, hibakushas’ voices provide a unique first-hand account, as you heard in Session 1. Hibakusha have also had an invaluable impact on anti-nuclear activism far beyond Japan. In 1975, for example, a group of hibakusha including Setsuko Thurlow organised an exhibition on the atomic bombings at the Toronto Public Library, which helped trigger the development of a significant anti-nuclear movement in Canada. In 1984, Takashi Morita co-founded a hibakusha organisation based in Sao Paulo to share the stories of hibakusha in Brazil and to raise awareness of the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons. Growing awareness of hibakushas’ experiences also inspired Europeans protesting against Euromissiles to devise the campaign slogan ‘no Euroshima!’.
While survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki have played an important part in shaping anti-nuclear activism around the world, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have also become important sites of dialogue and education about nuclear issues. In recent years, representatives of communities harmed by nuclear weapons – particularly of indigenous communities disproportionately affected by nuclear tests – have travelled to Hiroshima to participate in the annual Peace Memorial Day ceremony marking the anniversary of the 6 August 1945 bombing. This has become an important site for victims of nuclear testing to share their stories, highlighting how communities around the world have been adversely affected by nuclear weapons. Anti-nuclear activists from around the world also attend this annual ceremony, which has become a central meeting place for those working for a nuclear weapons-free world.