Latest news with #abolition
Japan Times
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Mayors for Peace adopt the 'Nagasaki Appeal'
Mayors from across the world concluded a general conference in Nagasaki on Sunday by adopting a declaration expressing their resolve to abolish nuclear weapons. The "Nagasaki Appeal" declaration, adopted at the 11th General Conference of Mayors for Peace, strongly urged all signatories to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to take concrete steps to fulfill their obligations under the treaty. It also included requests for each country to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki said at the conference, "I'm grateful for your sharing the earnest desire of atomic bomb survivors to make Nagasaki the last place to suffer an atomic bombing." The United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and another on Nagasaki three days later, in the closing days of World War II. At the conference, joined by representatives from 138 cities in 16 countries, discussions were held on activities to be carried out until the next general meeting, which will be held in Hiroshima in 2029. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, chair of Mayors for Peace, told a news conference on Sunday: "It is becoming increasingly important for cities, which are closest to their citizens, to appeal for peace and take action together with their citizens. We want to spread the values of peace and take strong steps toward realizing a world without nuclear weapons."
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Mayors for Peace start general conference in Nagasaki
Mayors for Peace, a worldwide organization of city leaders, started a three-day general conference in Nagasaki on Friday, the day before the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the southwestern Japan city. "We would like to learn from each city's efforts for peace and find possibilities for new collaborations," Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki said at the 11th general conference. The organization, which promotes efforts to abolish nuclear weapons, had a total of 8,509 member cities in 166 countries and regions as of the beginning of this month. Its quadrennial general conference is alternately hosted by Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the other atomic-bombed city, located in western Japan. At the opening ceremony on Friday, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said, "We would like to appeal to expand global solidarity and chains of actions toward a peaceful world." U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a video message to the conference, saying: "Nuclear weapons have no place in our world. They offer no security, only the illusion of safety and the certainty of devastation." The conference will discuss actions to be taken by 2029 and adopt a resolution on the abolition of nuclear weapons on the closing day.
NHK
4 days ago
- Politics
- NHK
Oslo welcomes Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nihon Hindankyo on "Hiroshima Day"
An event was held in the Norwegian capital of Oslo to honor last year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Nihon Hidankyo. The organization represents atomic bomb survivors and advocates for the abolition of nuclear weapons. The event took place at the Nobel Peace Center on Wednesday, August 6, coinciding with the day the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima 80 years ago. At the event, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, praised the achievements of Nihon Hidankyo. He said the Nobel Peace Prize is "more than just a recognition, it's also a warning and a call, a warning that the nuclear threat is not behind us, it is ahead of us, and a call to remember what too many seems to have forgotten, what nuclear weapons truly are." The assistant secretary general of Nihon Hidankyo, Wada Masako, was just 1 year old when the nuclear bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. She shared with the audience stories of the devastation she heard from her mother. Wada appealed for the abolition of nuclear arms, saying, "nuclear weapons cannot coexist with human beings." She emphasized that it is "up to us humans to abolish them by our wisdom, public conscience and responsibility." An Oslo resident in her 20s who attended the event said that if they don't hear directly from the survivors, people will forget. She stressed the importance of hearing their stories while they are still alive.
CTV News
02-08-2025
- General
- CTV News
Emancipation Day marked in Manitoba
Winnipeg Watch The anniversary of the British Empire abolishing slavery was celebrated by several Manitoba groups.
Malay Mail
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
A more just Malaysia begins with ending the death penalty — Suresraj Therambarajoo
JULY 23 — Minister Azalina Othman Said's recent announcement on the formation of a task force to review Malaysia's death penalty policy signals a moment of real possibility — a chance for our nation to reflect, to listen, and to lead. For too long, the death penalty has been seen as a necessary instrument of justice — a symbol of deterrence, of moral reckoning. But we know now, through the wisdom of experience and the clarity of data, that capital punishment does not bring back the lives lost. It does not heal broken families. And it does not make us safer. What it does do is place a permanent, irrevocable judgment in the hands of a justice system that, however well-intentioned, is not immune to error. We've seen this around the world — and we are not immune. No system designed by humans is infallible. And when the stakes are life and death, even one mistake is one too many. The shift away from mandatory death sentencing in 2023 was a courageous first step. Now, with this task force, we have the opportunity to complete the journey. Abolishing the death penalty in its entirety would not be an act of weakness — it would be a show of strength. It would signal to the world that Malaysia believes in redemption. T hat we are committed to justice that is restorative, not merely retributive. There are alternatives that protect society while affirming human dignity: life imprisonment with the possibility of rehabilitation, sentencing reforms that prioritise proportionality and deterrence, and expanded support systems for victims and their families. These approaches allow for accountability without surrendering our moral compass. President Obama once said, 'The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.' But it does not bend on its own. It bends because people choose to pull it in the right direction. Minister Azalina has opened the door to that choice. Let us walk through it with courage and compassion. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
