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Activities by Mayors for Peace in the United States for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons
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The nuclear policy of one of the nuclear power, the United States, is still unclear, and under these circumstances it has become even more important to pursue activities that heighten public opinion in the United States for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
In this issue, we provide information on Mayors for Peace activities in the United States aiming for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
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Visit to United States by Mayors for Peace Secretary-General
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In June last year, Mr. Yasuyoshi Komizo, the Secretary-General of Mayors for Peace (and Chairperson of this Foundation), visited the United States with the aim of strengthening connections with member cities in the US.
His main activities are described below.
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Request to Des Moines Mayor to become a Lead City
Mr. Komizo met with the Mayor of Des Moines, Iowa, Mr. T. M. Franklin Cownie.
Mr. Komizo communicated his view that as the momentum towards nuclear disarmament is building with US President Obama's visit to Hiroshima, now more than ever close cooperation is needed.
He said now is the right time for member cities, especially in the US, to build a strong foundation for their further independent activities to promote peace and nuclear disarmament, and requested that the city of Des Moines become a Lead City for Mayors for Peace in the US. Mr. Komizo also presented Mayor Cownie with paper cranes that had been dedicated to the Children's Peace Monument in the Peace Memorial Park, and explained the 'desire for peace' that was incorporated in the paper cranes.
Mayor Cownie immediately signed the document to accept the position as a Lead City and said that he would start straight away on examining future regional activities.
Attendance at the Annual Meeting of the US Conference of Mayors
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Mr. Komizo presenting paper cranes to
the Mayor of Des Moines
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Mr. Komizo attended the 84th Annual Meeting of the US Conference of Mayors held in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, and made a speech at the Standing Committee on International Affairs.
The US Conference of Mayors is a non-partisan organization whose members are cities in the US with populations of over 30,000 people.
For eleven consecutive years, the Conference has adopted a resolution agreeing with the activities of Mayors for Peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons.
In his speech, Mr. Komizo spoke about how the nonpartisan Mayors for Peace has implemented activities that respect the independence of each nation and region, while at the same time maintaining the common objective of creating a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons.
He also thanked the US Conference of Mayors for adopting resolutions that support Mayors for Peace for so many years, and said that he would like to further develop the connection between the two organizations in the future.
In addition to this, Mr. Komizo also met with the Mayor of New York Mr. Bill De Blasio, the Executive Director of the US Conference of Mayors Mr. Tom Cochran, and US Conference of Mayors President Ms. Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (Mayor of Baltimore).
Meeting with think tank members
Mr. Komizo met with Dr. Barry Blechman, Co-founder of the Stimson Center, and Mr. Brian Finlay, the President and CEO of the institution.
Dr. Blechman stated that due to heightened activity in civic society the initiatives by politicians toward nuclear weapons will change, and therefore the Mayors for Peace activities are very meaningful.
Dr. Blechman also spoke about original photographs that he has of Hiroshima and Nagasaki immediately before and immediately after the atomic bombing, which he will send to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
Meeting with members of the US government
Mr. Komizo met with Ms. Rose Gottemoeller, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security for the US State Department.
Mr. Komizo said that with President Obama's visit to Hiroshima, there is growing momentum for the abolition of nuclear weapons, and therefore now is the time he decided to make a visit to the US to enhance initiatives using the Mayors for Peace framework.
He also explained that the US Conference of Mayors had adopted a resolution of support for Mayors for Peace.
There were three major accomplishments achieved through this trip.
The first was that the Mayor of Des Moines accepted the position of Lead City of Mayors for Peace in the US. We hope that Des Moines will effectively work as a Lead City, creating a structure facilitating US member cities to implement independent activities and lobby political centers in the US government.
The second accomplishment was participating in the US Conference of Mayors as representative of Mayors for Peace.
We will continue to monitor this conference, participate and strengthen connections.
The third accomplishment was the presentation of a thousand paper cranes from Hiroshima to the President of the US Conference of Mayors.
When President Obama visited Hiroshima in May 2016, he handed paper cranes he folded himself wishing for peace to an elementary school student and a junior high school student who were there to welcome him, one apiece.
The two students' schools then folded one thousand paper cranes in return with their wish for Japan and the US to work together for a world without nuclear weapons.
The presentation of the one thousand paper cranes was meaningful as the President of the US Conference of Mayors for Peace was very pleased to receive cranes with the students' sincere wish for peace.
During the trip this time, two executive advisers from this Foundation living in the US were involved through the preparation stages, and accompanied Mr. Komizo on his visit to each city.
Executive advisers were very effective in their daily activities, and as a result the trip proceeded smoothly and was extremely productive.
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Acceptance of interns from Des Moines
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Mayors for Peace invites young staff members from member cities to come to Hiroshima as interns.
The aim of this initiative is to give the interns a deeper understanding of the reality of the damage from the atomic bombing and to share the desire for peace, so that when the interns return to their own countries they can work on furthering activities in the respective cities for the abolition of nuclear weapons, and we can strengthen the network between member cities.
As part of this initiative, Hiroshima City accepted a staff member from Des Moines, Iowa, as an intern for around two weeks in January of this year.
The intern was involved in the work of the Mayors for Peace secretariat, such as conducting surveys of US cities that are not yet members of Mayors for Peace.
The intern visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Peace Memorial Park, the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims and the Hiroshima Laboratory of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, listened to an A-bomb survivor's testimony and a presentation by an A-bomb Legacy Successor, participated in presentations of A-bomb testimonies, and also made a presentation to students at Hiroshima Jogakuin Junior and Senior High School about Des Moines' peace activities.
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Des Moines Mayor participates in US Conference of Mayors Winter Annual Meeting
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In January of this year, the 85th Winter Annual Meeting of the US Conference of Mayors was held in Washington DC, and Mayor Cownie of Des Moines, Iowa, which is a Mayors for Peace Lead City in the US, attended.
Mayor Cownie made a speech at the Standing Committee on International Affairs, where he spoke about Mayors for Peace activities and also called for new membership and cooperation.
His call for new members was positively received, and the mayors of two cities signed up for membership to Mayors for Peace on the spot.
As a follow-up to the meeting, Des Moines City has sent a membership request letter to the cities that are members of the US Conference of Mayors.
Working closely with Des Moines and about 200 member cities in the US, the Mayors for Peace secretariat intends to revitalize activities in the US to build momentum for nuclear disarmament in the country.
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| (Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division) |
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