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FULL TEXT OF HIROSHIMA PEACE DECLARATION ON 79TH ANNIVERSARY OF
ATOMIC BOMBING  
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Kazumi Matsui
August 6, 2024
Mainichi (Japan)
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_ Citizens of the world, what do you think? Are more powerful nuclear
forces necessary for national security? What about arms races,
competing to maintain superiority over other nations? Peace
Declaration marking 79 years since the bombing of Hiroshima _

The wrecked framework of the Museum of Science and Industry as it
appeared shortly after the blast in Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945.
City officials decided to preserve this building as a memorial, though
they had at first planned to rebuild it., UPI Photo // ProgressiveHub

 

The following is the full text of the Peace Declaration read on Aug. 6
by Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui at a ceremony to mark 79 years since
the 1945 atomic bombing of the city.

*****

Citizens of the world, what do you think? Are more powerful nuclear
forces necessary for national security? What about arms races,
competing to maintain superiority over other nations? Russia's
protracted invasion of Ukraine and the worsening situation between
Israel and Palestine are claiming the lives of countless innocent
people, shattering normal life. It seems to me that these global
tragedies are deepening distrust and fear among nations, reinforcing
the public assumption that, to solve international problems, we have
to rely on military force, which we should be rejecting. Given such
circumstances, how can nations offer safety and security to their
people? Is that not impossible?

Through the pillars under the Peace Memorial Museum, we can see the
Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims. Anyone praying at the Cenotaph can
look straight through it to the Atomic Bomb Dome. Peace Memorial Park,
with these structures on its north-south axis, was built in accordance
with the Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law, enacted 75
years ago today. Built by the people of Hiroshima and many other
seekers of peace, it has become a place to memorialize the victims and
to think, talk, and make promises to each other about peace.

If, after the war, Japan had abandoned our Peace Constitution and
focused on rebuilding our military, the city of peace Hiroshima is
today would not exist. Standing here, we can all feel our
predecessors' determination to eliminate the scourge of war, trusting
in the justice and faith of peace-loving people around the world.

Expressing that determination, one hibakusha continually communicated
the spirit of Hiroshima. "Now is the time to turn the tide of history,
to get beyond the hatreds of the past, uniting beyond differences of
race and nationality to turn distrust into trust, hatred into
reconciliation, and conflict into harmony." This uplifting sentiment
was written by a man who, as a 14-year-old boy, saw scenes from a
living hell -- a baby with skin peeled down to red flesh next to its
mother burned from head to toe, and a corpse with its guts strewn out
on the dirt.

In 1989, a massive people's movement for democracy brought down the
Berlin Wall, the predominant symbol of the Cold War. President
Gorbachev expressed humanity's collective need for peace and his
determination to stop the arms race, end nuclear terror, eradicate
nuclear weapons, and relentlessly pursue political solutions to
regional conflicts. He and U.S. President Reagan worked together
through dialogue to bring the Cold War to an end, which led to the
United States and the Soviet Union concluding the Strategic Arms
Reduction Treaty. They demonstrated that policymakers can overcome
even critical situations through resolute commitment to dialogue.

Let us not be resigned to pessimism about the chaotic world situation.
Instead, let us be as determined as our forebears, and, united as one,
with hope in our hearts, take collective action. Our unity will move
leaders now relying on nuclear deterrence to shift their policies. We
could make that happen.

To extinguish the suspicion and doubt that create conflicts, civil
society must foster a circle of trust through exchange and dialogue
with consideration for others. We must spread beyond national borders
the sense of safety we feel in our daily lives. The crucial step here
is to share and empathize with the experiences and values of others
through music, art, sports, and other interactions. Through such
exchange, let us create a world in which we all share the Culture of
Peace. In particular, I call on our youth, who will lead future
generations, to visit Hiroshima and, taking to heart what they
experience here, create a circle of friendship with people of all
ages. I hope they will ponder what they can do now, and act together
to expand their circle of hope. The city of Hiroshima, working with
Mayors for Peace, which now has more than 8,400 member cities in 166
countries and regions, will actively support community endeavors to
raise peace consciousness.

Last fiscal year, approximately 1.98 million people from around the
world visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. This record number
is evidence of unprecedented interest in the atomic-bombed city and a
rise in peace consciousness. My hope is that all world leaders will
visit Hiroshima, experience the will of civil society, gain a deeper
understanding of the atomic bombing, and hold in their hearts the
hibakusha plea, "No one should ever suffer as we have." Then, while
they are here, I hope they will, with iron resolve, issue a compelling
call for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Twice in a row the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review
Conference has failed to adopt a final document. These failures have
revealed a harsh reality, namely, the enormous differences among
countries with respect to nuclear weapons. I hope the Japanese
government, which has declared repeatedly that the NPT is the
cornerstone of the international nuclear disarmament and
non-proliferation regime, will exercise strong leadership, calling all
countries to transcend their positions and engage in constructive
dialogue toward a relationship of trust. Furthermore, I request that
Japan, as a practical effort toward a nuclear-weapon-free world,
participate as an observer at the Third Meeting of States Parties to
the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to be held in March
next year. Subsequently and as soon as possible, Japan must become a
party to the treaty. In addition, I demand that the Japanese
government strengthen measures of support for the hibakusha, including
those living outside Japan. Now that their average age has exceeded
85, the government must accept that they are still suffering the many
adverse emotional and physical effects of radiation.

Today, at this Peace Memorial Ceremony marking 79 years since the
bombing, we offer our deepest condolences to the souls of the atomic
bomb victims. Together with Nagasaki and likeminded people around the
world, remembering once again the hibakusha struggle, we pledge to
make every effort to abolish nuclear weapons and light the way toward
lasting world peace. Citizens of the world, let us all, with hope in
our hearts, walk with Hiroshima toward tomorrow's peace.

* nuclear weapons
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* Atomic Bomb
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* Hiroshima
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* Nagasaki
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* Hiroshima and Nagasaki
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* nuclear proliferation
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* arms race
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* nuclear non-proliferation treaty
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* Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
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* UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons;
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