PRESS RELEASE:
Commemorating Setsuko Thurlow and Strong Women
Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace will commemorate the 76th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Friday, August 6, in Halifax/Kjipuktuk, Nova Scotia, from 11:00 to 12:00 in Grand Parade Square. We gratefully acknowledge the leadership by HRM Council and the honourable Mayor Mike Savage declaring August 6 as a Day of Peace.
We also wish to acknowledge the significance of HRM’s one-year anniversary of adopting the resolution to endorse the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and to call on the Government of Canada to support and sign this multilateral agreement – an agreement that “may prove instrumental in determining the fate of the planet” by establishing “a clear and comprehensive prohibition against the most dangerous and destructive weapons on Earth.” Both of these actions, declaring a Day of Peace and supporting the Nuclear Ban Treaty speak to a council willing to work for justice and conflict resolution without violence and threat. HRM has earned a seat at the table of Mayors for Peace internationally (a coalition of over 7,000 municipalities from over 160 countries working to build a nuclear-weapons-free world). Halifax is a beacon for cities across Turtle Island.
On behalf of Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace we extend this invitation. Please join us at Grand Parade Square from 11 to 12 on August 6, 2021 to commemorate the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We ask any participants to adhere to Covid protocols and ensure social distancing. Our commemoration specifically will be dedicated to Setsuko Thurlow and ‘Strong Women’ who strive for peace.
Setsuko Thurlow, now a Canadian citizen who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima as a 13-year-old. She has devoted her life to nuclear abolition, is a recipient of the Order of Canada and was honoured, along with Ms. Beatrice Fihn, to co-accept the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. (Although she will not be able to travel to Halifax at this time, we will share our recording of the event on-line.)
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons entered into force on January 22, 2021 The TPNW also known as the Nuclear Ban treaty, is the first legally binding international agreement that seeks to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons. Canada has yet to affirm its own official policy on non-proliferation and disarmament by signing and ratifying the TPNW.
NSVOW extends this invitation to all women in politics to speak about how to create a safe and secure future for us all with non-violence. We hope all levels of governance – band, municipal, federal and provincial will be represented. We hope all parties and independent candidates will join us. We offer a brief open mic opportunity after speeches and musical interludes, including participation by the Halifax Raging Grannies.
In Peace and Friendship
Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace
Email: peace@nsvow.org
