Dear Friend,

Today we remember the people who lost their lives and those who suffered when the US chose to attack Hiroshima with nuclear weapons.

I was fortunate to be one of many at the crowded ceremony this morning at the Hiroshima Peace Park. It was an overwhelming and chilling moment to recall that hot, humid morning eighty years ago when a flash of light, an immense fireball, and searing heat burned the shadows of people into stone and a tragic legacy into our common humanity.

We’re sharing those memories, and those stories through our Cranes of Memory campaign- will you join us?

We are also here to honour those who survived. Many of those attending the events here in Japan received a copy of Gambare Hiroshima- Don’t Give Up!, the diary of 13 year old Larry Miwa who recalls seeing the planes flying over Hiroshima the day the bombs were dropped and the struggles to find his family in the aftermath.

This is a particularly poignant year, as we also honour Nihon Hidankyo and the decades of determination to eliminate nuclear weapons forever that brought them the Nobel Peace Prize and that helped to bring about the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The average age of the hibakusha is now 86. They deserve to have their decades of campaigning vindicated and to witness the elimination of nuclear weapons in their lifetimes.

Across the globe there are thousands of events taking place over the next few days to commemorate these infamous anniversaries, and demand a world where no one ever suffers from nuclear weapons use again. Like young Larry, we will not give up as we take inspiration from the connections across communities to stand up against nuclear weapons.

Thank you for all you do,
Melissa Parke,
Executive Director, ICAN

PS: Our partners at Peace Boat live-streamed part of this morning’s ceremony, you can watch here. And they will also stream from Nagasaki on 9 August at 11:30am Japan time, here.