Some 20 people attended this annual evening event associated with the Hiroshima Day Coalition — about 15 local Quakers and 5 guests. Two main speakers presented reports from the peace movement.
Monique Cuillerier, Membership and Communications Director of the World Federalist Movement spoke on the ‘David vs Goliath’ lawsuit filed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands in 2 courts (International Court of Justice, Hague; and U.S. Federal Court, San Francisco) against 9 nations for violation of Article VI of the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The little islands are challenging the U.S., U.K., Russia, China, France, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea. I urge you all to support the Marshall Islands in their courageous effort. Learn more at NuclearZero.org.
Bill Bhaneja read 'Message on the 69th Anniversaries of the Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,' by David Krieger, President and founder of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.
Dr. Krieger wrote about Sadako Sasaki, a girl who survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb but died 10 years later from leukemia at age 12. Her story about making 1000 origami paper cranes for a good luck wish has become a peace legend spread by her classmates, and memorialized around the world with monuments, books, articles, and videos (movie, documentary, cartoon).
Though Sadako Sasaki is lesser known and promoted than Anne Frank, her story is simpler and relates directly to nuclear war. Do not forget her or the hope symbolized by her paper cranes.
Our annual ritual of walking to the Rideau River and floating candle-lit lanterns was aborted due to rain and wind. We returned home with renewed resolve to stop nuclear madness.
More
- Hiroshima Day Coalition : Across Canada Events, Ottawa ON
- Amy Goodman. Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 69 Years Later. TruthDig. Aug. 7, 2014.
- Noam Chomsky. ‘How many minutes to midnight? Hiroshima Day 2014,’ in TomGram: Why National Security Has Nothing to Do With Security, TomDispatch.com, Aug. 5, 2014.
- 2013 August 10 — May the Third Atomic Bomb Never Come
- 2012 August 17 — Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- 2011 August 8 — Memorial of 1945 Nuclear Bombing of Japan (Photo album)
- 2009 August 6 — Photo Album by Physicians for Global Survival, Ottawa.
- 2009 August 3 — Hiroshima and Nagasaki Remembrance August 2009
(Message to the Hiroshima Day in Castlegar, BC, August 6, 2009)
Странная это штука – История. Американцы в августе 1945 года единомоментно убили более 150.000 мирных граждан Японии и более 70.000 граждан Нагасаки. Убили массово, цинично, как убивают вредных насекомых на полях и в огородах. За каких-то 70 лет, Япония является другом и стратегическим партнером Америки, поддерживает санкции против России. Что это? Короткая историческая память или деградация нации?
ReplyDeleteРоссия, которая не калечила судьбы мирных японцев, не разрушала их города, до сих пор не может подписать мирного договора со страной восходящего солнца, из-за нескольких необитаемых островов в Курильской гряде.
Вот и думай после этого….. сколько надо сбросить атомных бомб на потенциального противника, чтобы через 70 лет почувствовать себя счастливым в его дружеских объятиях?
History is weird. In one moment in August 1945, Americans killed more than 150,000 citizens in Japan and more than 70,000 citizens of Nagasaki. They were killed en masse, cynically, as insect pests in fields and gardens are killed.
DeleteFor 70 years, Japan has been a friend and strategic partner of America, supporting sanctions against Russia. What's this? A short historical memory, or degradation of the nation?
Russia, which did not damage any of the peaceful Japanese, and did not destroy their cities, still can not sign a peace treaty with the land of the rising sun [Japan], due to a disagreement about a few uninhabited Kuril Islands.
So think about it. How many atomic bombs do you have to drop on your potential enemy, such that after 70 years you feel happy in his friendly embrace?
Kudos on this beautifully put together report on Hiroshima Day. Photos, online links, and reports on recent previous Ottawa commemorations make it an excellent record. Interesting comparative mention of Sudoko and Anne Frank would inspire poets and playwrights of futures to write about these courageous children victims of horrific human acts. Only yesterday Andrei brought this unique insight to attention. I am copying like-minded colleagues who would appreciate your report. I will also include it in next month's NKARC letter.
ReplyDeleteThe relative popularity of Anne Frank and Sadako Sasaki can be approximately quantified by comparing Internet searches for their names plus "war."
DeleteThe ratio of returns for Frank/Sasaki using Google is 260/1, and 104/1 for Bing and Yahoo — a difference of 2 orders of magnitude (100+).
Clearly the West has invested much more in promoting the Frank story probably because she is Jewish and European.
Searches for both names together finds fewer, more balance reports. One begins: "In the East, the name of Sadako Sasaki is as synonymous with war as Anne Frank’s is in the West." A book introduced her as: "... The Anne Frank of Hiroshima ... "
Thanks for your work on this, Koozma! I signed and posted the petition on FaceBook!
ReplyDeleteI ,as a Japanese, appreciate those actions in Canada even though it's far from here.
ReplyDeleteI went to Hiroshima and the Hiroshima peace memorial museum early this year.
The most important thing is that we have to hand this tragedy down to posterity and never forget.