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Let Us Make "No More Hiroshimas and Nagasakis" Philosophy of Humanity
Again We Send Our Message to the World

The 60th summer since Hiroshima and Nagasaki has come.

Blue sky, rising clouds and singing of cicadas showering all over -- all of these lead the Hibakusha to their memories of "that day", reminding them of their nightmares.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki are not just old stories. Delayed radiation effects continue to kill the Hibakusha. Despite our desire for peace and a "world set free of nuclear weapons", the world abounds in hatred and chains of retaliation, where some countries openly claim nuclear preemptive attacks. If such retaliation is repeated while over 30,000 nuclear warheads still exist on earth, the only fate waiting for human community is annihilation. The task of abolishing nuclear weapons has never been as urgent as now.

Looking back, in August 1956, when the Hibakusha for the first time assembled in Nihon Hidankyo, their own organization, declared the start of their struggle in "Message to the World" which said, "Here, we appeal to the world uniting our voices. Humanity must never again inflict nor suffer the sacrifice and torture we have experienced."

In this 60th year since the atomic bombing, we successfully held the Atomic Bomb Exhibition at the U.N. Headquarters in May, while carrying out the struggle of the Hibakusha?fs collective lawsuits at 12 district courts across Japan. We are now doing our utmost to organize the "International Citizens' Conference for No More Hiroshimas and Nagasakis" in summer and "Rally to Achieve a World Without War and Nuclear Weapons" in autumn. In the midst of these efforts, we are sending out this "Message to the World" again to you.

The International Citizens' Conference upholds the theme: "No More Hiroshimas and Nagasakis". This appeal, which we have continued to send out for the last 60 years, should now become a philosophy to be shared by all humanity: This is the earnest wish of ours.

There are three important meanings in this.

First, the voice "No More" represents the thought of the Hibakusha, who have strongly rejected the idea of Hiroshima or Nagasaki being repeated. This is the cry of denial to retaliation, which should be heard by the people of the world now.

Secondly, it symbolizes the pledge of the survivors to remember the dead. When the humans have lost the memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear war would break out. The hope for the future of humankind will rest upon how the dead will be engraved in the memories of the people.

Thirdly, it embodies an ardent feeling of cross-border friendship and solidarity of the Hibakusha for preventing a second or third Hiroshima or Nagasaki from happening again anywhere in the world.

"No More Hiroshimas, No More Nagasakis": We send this message to our friends all over the world, along with a fresh determination of the Hibakusha to continue to tell about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, aiming at a "planet set free of wars or nuclear weapons."

July 2005
Japan Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers?f Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo)