One Million Voices for Abolition of Nuclear Weapons
The Second president of the Soka Gakkai Josei Toda, a Buddhist philosopher issued his declaration calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons on 08thSepember 1957.
Seeking to confront and overcome the underlying thinking that justifies the possession of nuclear weapons, he stated that his goal was to expose and rip out the claws that lie hidden in the very depths of such weapons.
He went beyond, declaring the use of nuclear weapons unacceptable
under any circumstances. He wished to emphasize that without exposing the true nature of absolute evil lurking within nuclear weapons possession, it would be impossible to protect the right of the world’s people to live.
Long-term effects
It takes around 10 seconds for the fireball from a nuclear explosion to reach its maximum size, but the effects last for decades and span across generations. Five to six years after the bombings, the incidence of leukaemia increased noticeably among survivors. After about a decade, survivors began suffering from thyroid, breast, lung and other cancers at higher than normal rates.
Pregnant women exposed to the bombings experienced higher rates of miscarriage and deaths among their infants; their children were more likely to have intellectual disabilities, impaired growth and an increased risk of developing cancer.
And for all survivors, cancers related to radiation exposure still continue to increase throughout their lifespan, even to this day, seven decades later.
The Hibakusha
The Hibakusha (survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) are integral to the history of the atomic bombings of these cities - not only because they are among the few true nuclear weapons experts to have experienced the actual impact of these weapons - but also because of the tireless efforts of many Hibakusha to eliminate nuclear weapons.
Their stories are stories of hope and determination that must not be lost. Survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are living witnesses to the horror of nuclear war and when we talk about nuclear weapons, we must talk about the real unacceptable effects they have on human beings.
After decades of campaigning for a world free of nuclear-weapons, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons adopted in 2017 holds great significance for the Hibakusha.
The Hibakusha Appeal calls on all governments to join the TPNW. World leaders must heed the calls of Hibakusha, and of concerned citizens around the world, for a nuclear-weapon-free future.
The 1957 Abolition of Nuclear weapons group.
This petition will be presented to the U.K. Government and the United Nations.
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