Envisioning Our Peace

Nuclear weapons and the climate crisis are the twin existential threats facing humanity.  Many youth groups are actively raising awareness about these issues, but the international community has yet to listen to them fully. However, due to the entry-into-force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, there is an opening for young people to highlight the intersectionality of these two issues. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons contains robust humanitarian provisions on victim assistance and environmental remediation and recognizes the unique role of young people and nuclear disarmament education.

Within the Asia-Pacific region, young people have called on their governments to support both nuclear and environmental justice. For instance, in Japan, youth organizations convened the international youth festival, which brought together 66,000 people and a youth awareness survey that garnered more than 110,00 responses. The festival and survey were used as tools to raise awareness amongst the public and influence the Japanese government to support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. In addition, in the Pacific, youth from the Solomon Islands launched campaigns on nuclear justice and environmental justice and prepared internal papers to highlight how the TPNW advances both nuclear and environmental justice. 

In solidarity with the governments of Kiribati and Kazakhstan, international youth supported a campaign on a historic resolution on advancing the legacy of nuclear weapons to convince states to support both the TPNW and the resolution. 173 states voted in favor of the resolution.

Building upon the success of the resolution, youth began to raise awareness about the gender impact of nuclear weapons. Young women from Kiribati discussed the disproportionate impact of ionizing radiation on women and girls. Moreover, strong female activists organized a workshop on the gender perspectives of nuclear weapons.

Chair: Christian N. Ciobanu, Director of Policy and Advocacy of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and TPNW Advisor of Kiribati

Introductory Remarks:

H.E. Ambassador Kairat Umarov of Kazakhstan

H.E. Ambassador Teburoro Tito of Kiribati

Panel:

Dr. Ivana Hughes, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and Member of the Scientific Advisory Group of the TPNW

Alei Rizvi, Deputy Director of Reverse The Trend, the youth Initiative of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Miyuki Horiguchi, Program Coordinator for disarmament of Soka Gakkai International and Partnership Coordinator of Youth for the TPNW

Yuta Takashashi, Co-Chair of Association Katawara

Yuki Tokuda , Co-founder of GeNuine

Seth Shelden, United Nations Liaison and General Counsel,

International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)

Yoshioka Tatsuya, Co-Founder and Director of Peace Boat

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Special Video Messages by Youth activists and Experts

from Kiribati and the Solomon Islands

Sponsors

The Permament Mission of Kiribati, Future Action Festival Organizing Committee, Soka Gakkai International, Youth for the TPNW, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, its youth initiative Reverse The Trend, ICAN, Association Katawara, GeNuine, and Peace Boat US.

A valid UN pass is required. You can watch the event live on UN Web TV

Host or Publisher Reverse The Trend