Reflections from the World Conference Against A & H Bombs
By Margaret Engel
At the beginning of this month, I had the honor of attending Gensuikyo’s World Conference Against A & H Bombs as a representative of Peace Action New York State. As a member of a cohort of international delegates, I also represented the United States at the event alongside Joseph Gerson of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament, and Security. The conference occurred on the days surrounding the commemoration of the 78th anniversary of the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; to be in both of those cities on the day of their anniversaries was impactful and thought-provoking. It was a privilege to listen to the stories of the hibakusha, Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors. Days after the conference, I am still in awe of the things I witnessed and also feel a sense of renewal of my passion for peace advocacy.
In my interactions with Japanese participants, including students, activists, survivors of the bombings, and people who have dedicated their entire lives to the peace movement, I thought of my own education on the bombings. There was and is still a very effective narrative surrounding this tragic event in the United States. I was told in school from the moment I had learned about the bombings that what happened to Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a “necessary evil”— the only means of bringing an end to a war that had already brought so much suffering and devastation. There were brief moments of learning about the effects of an atomic bomb that were touched on without distracting the very clear messaging: the U.S., and President Truman, made the best decision given the circumstances of war. In contrast, my teacher spent several class periods going over the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, also a tragic event. We watched a film on the event and even did a virtual tour of the site. I visited Pearl Harbor in 2021 with family, and although it was heartbreaking to read about the personal stories of survival and struggle of many U.S. soldiers and their family members, I was also struck by the exhibits showing off the military prowess of the modern U.S. Navy in the same building. So much of that museum seemed like an advertisement for the military, including a section where kids were encouraged to draw diagrams of a modern battleship that would be able to sustain the same damage of the attack on Pearl Harbor. I am not writing about that experience to disregard the suffering that those at Pearl Harbor faced, but rather to shed light on the juxtaposition of how a historic tragedy is dealt with in these two countries.
In Hiroshima, I walked through the Peace Museum and bore witness to the horrifying accounts of the bombing. I saw the tattered and blackened school uniforms of young students, upon which traces of radiation still linger. I saw several illustrations of the physical damage to buildings and bodies that were easier for museum guests to emotionally digest than photos. I read graphic excerpts from survivors’ experiences, who wrote about seeing people’s flesh coming off in strings and sheets due to the radiation, and the Black Rain that fell after the bombing, which led to the cancer of thousands of people. Towards the end of the museum was an exhibit on the resilience of the hibakusha and the successes of the peace movement in Japan and abroad. I left that museum heartbroken and inspired at the same time. But my experience in Japan at this conference was only beginning.
It was amazing to meet and speak with the other international delegates, who had traveled far and wide to attend the conference. I was able to hear the accounts of Abacca Anjain Madison of the Marshall Islands, Oleg Bodorov, a powerful figure in the Russian peace movement, Corazon Fabros of the Nuclear-Free Philippines Coalition, Khanh Chi Phan of Vietnam, Ulla Klotzer of Global Women for Peace United Against NATO, and several other members of the International Peace Bureau. Each delegate spoke of the actions they and their colleagues were taking across the world. They warned against the contemporary struggles the anti-nuclear movement is facing, such as NATO expansion and the pouring of funds into nuclear energy across the world which creates military targets as seen by the attack of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. They emphasized the importance of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the struggle for more signatories. They spread their message of solidarity when they proudly proclaimed at the end of each speech Gensuikyo’s motto: “No more Hiroshima! No more Nagasaki! No more Fukushima! No more hibakusha!”
Something that I feel ashamed to have not considered prior to this conference was the struggle of the Korean hibakusha. Because the bombings occurred during the Japanese occupation of Korea, many Koreans were brought to Japan as forced laborers at the time; thousands were stationed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and were not spared from the bombs. Although they suffered the same physical and emotional trauma as the Japanese hibakusha, Korean survivors received no government recognition in the form of aid and medical support, or even public acknowledgement of their tragedy. Korean hibakusha and peace activists continue to advocate for justice today, including organizations like SPARK, who have spent years helping to organize a tribunal against the United States to call for reparations for Korean survivors.
I experienced so many different feelings at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony and Hiroshima Day Rally on the 6th of August. It was incredible to see so many people come to the ceremony from around the world; a large portion of the audience members seated around us were students. Year after year, the citizens of Hiroshima invite people to their city to commemorate this tragedy, and emphasize the importance of keeping these stories fresh in our memories so that we do not make the same mistake. I was able to lay flowers at the Peace Monument, and walk along the river looking at the Atomic Dome that was left in place to show a glimpse of the decimation of the city. At the rally, I again heard stories from hibakusha and about the actions of international delegates to achieve a nuclear-free world. There was music and art celebrating the peace movement, and at night we gathered to light lanterns and send them down the river; this is an annual tradition that I felt honored to be a part of this year. I was also able to participate in the New Japan Women’s forum as a panelist alongside Ulla Klotzer. Meeting women of all ages who were so dedicated to achieving peace and proud feminists was amazing as a young activist. I was shown such kindness and warmth by these women and it reminded me of the importance of women in the peace movement, whose efforts have brought about social and political change with or without public recognition.
The events in Nagasaki were just as inspiring and moving to witness. There was something electrifying about gathering in such a large hall and seeing hundreds of participants— it can sometimes feel like we are few in numbers when New York City peace groups come together time and time again for actions. But my eyes were opened to the reality of this international, intergenerational movement that is strong and unwavering. I was able to meet and speak with many university students in Nagasaki, and I hope to be able to take international joint action with our network of student organizers in New York State at some point in the near future. Unfortunately, our time in Nagasaki was cut short due to an impending typhoon which left six people dead and 26 injured across five prefectures. Many local Japanese attendees told us that this typhoon season was particularly aggressive due to climate change. As we all left Nagasaki early without completing some of the events that had been planned including another women’s forum with Shinfujin, I saw how easy it is to become a climate refugee, and the evident link between global militarization and the climate crisis.
The Gensuikyo chapter of Kobe welcomed me with open arms and an eagerness to show me their beloved city towards the end of my time in Japan. Along with having important discussions about the TPNW, effective organizing, healing the intergenerational gap within the movement, and U.S./Japan solidarity going forward, I was able to experience a great sense of joy and community with the organizers at Kobe. I ate amazing food and even took a tour on the water to see the city. I was excited to learn about Kobe’s historical significance as the only port city in the world to have banned the import and export of nuclear weapons, coining the “Kobe formula” in the 1970s. Although not as many attendees were present at our event due to the incoming typhoon, I was still able to connect with many people and hear about the actions they were taking in Kobe to continue the struggle for denuclearization. I left for the United States feeling energized, informed, and inspired.
The conversation surrounding nuclear weapons has suddenly seen a spark in popularity due to the premier of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Although this film has served as a vehicle for spurring dialogue about the peace movement, Nolan left out an important perspective that was likely a deliberate choice as a director but is worth noting as a peace advocate. The people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki suffered devastating losses that have brought trauma to the generations following the U.S. bombing. Whether or not Robert J. Oppenheimer felt personal remorse for his development of the atomic bomb is irrelevant to the greater significance of his launching of the nuclear age. We are no closer to the peace that was promised by the U.S. government in their decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Oppenheimer has not premiered in Japan and there is no date marked for its Japanese release. Therefore, we must work together to keep this social dialogue going about denuclearization without leaving behind the very real consequences of the bombs that were dropped in Japan. I was so inspired by the people I met and worked with during the World Conference Against A & H Bombs, and I feel ready to do my part in keeping the peace movement alive in the face of a militarized global stage.
