Eight decades after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, anti-nuclear activists remain committed to abolishing these devastating weapons. Despite a notable treaty signed in 2017, efforts to eliminate nuclear arms have not yet succeeded.
Mary T. Yelenick, main representative of Pax Christi International at the United Nations, notes that nuclear weapons pose an existential threat, and their continued use is morally reprehensible. Yelenick emphasizes the need for a national peace movement focused on nuclear disarmament, which she believes has become fragmented in recent years.
Fr. John Pawlikowski, a Catholic priest, agrees, stating that humanity’s responsibility to care for its common home is paramount. He advocates for new international treaties restricting and removing global nuclear weaponry.
The situation remains dire, with climate change and the nuclear arsenal posing significant threats to humanity today. Activists like Sr. Carol Gilbert and Loretto Sr. Pat McCormick stress the importance of education, advocacy, and peaceful protest in bringing about change.
Despite concerns that nuclear-related accidents may be necessary to galvanize people into action, activists remain committed to a world without nuclear weapons. They believe that young people hold hope for a future free from these devastating arms.
As the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings approaches, anti-nuclear activists continue their work, undeterred by the challenges ahead.
Source: https://www.globalsistersreport.org/social-justice/80-years-after-hiroshima-anti-nuclear-activists-are-still-fighting-progress