About Hidankyo
Monthly paper Hidankyo (April 2001)
Hibakusha appealed at The World Court of Women Against War, for Peace
More than 3,000 women from different countries participated The World Court of Women Against War, for Peace in Cape Town, South Africa, from March 6 to 8. Ms. Teruko Yokoyama, Hibakusha, and Ms. Rieko Asato, interpreter, both from Message of Hiroshima and Nagasaki network, joined the Court in response to the request from the international coordinating committee of the Court.
The Court, held on March 8, was blessed by the Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The Court had five sessions with topics of Wars as Genocide, Wars without Borders, Wars against Civilizations, Wars against Women and Gathering of Spirit. Ms Yokoyama testified in the first session. She spoke her experience of the atomic bombing and appealed, "South Africa once developed and produced nuclear weapons, but decided to dismantle and abandon them. Now, South Africa works for the abolition of nuclear weapons at an international level as a member of the New Agenda Group. The abolition of nuclear weapons is possible if there is a political will to do so".
Besides Ms. Yokoyama, a comfort women survivor from the Philippines, a victim to the violence of land mines from Cambodia, a mother from Vietnam whose husband, son and daughter are still suffering from the effects of Agent Orange used by the US and a witness of the suffering by depleted uranium in Iraq testified in the first session. Participants listened to 36 testifiers from 21 countries in all from 9:50 until 11:00 p.m. All the participants were deeply touched by
these testimonies.
The opening events preceded at the Parliament of South Africa, March 6. Leading members of Parliament participated the events.
In the afternoon on 7, both Ms. Yokoyama and Ms. Asato joined the black demonstration with other participants, carrying a board with "No more Nagasaki!".
During the period, photos entitled the A-Bomb and Humanity were on display in the conference hall.
All the participants shared the desire of creating a peaceful and non-violent 21st century.
