Hiroshima mayor Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba spoke yesterday afternoon on the efforts of the Mayors for Peace organization to promote the elimination of nuclear weapons.
During a speech organized by sociology professor Paul Joseph, Akiba talked about the importance of the role that hibakusha play in educating the world about the consequences of using nuclear weapons.
"Hibakusha" is the Japanese term for those who survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States in August 1945.
Akiba's presentation at Tufts was part of a broader disarmament campaign. He also met yesterday with Boston mayor Thomas Menino to encourage Menino to join the Mayors for Peace organization.
As of March 2004, Mayors for Peace had a membership of 579 cities in 108 countries and regions. Cambridge, Worcester and Amesbury are the only cities in Massachusetts currently in the organization.
Akiba relayed a growing concern within the hibakusha community that the 1945 international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is "on the verge of collapse."
According to Akiba, the U.S. has set an alarming example for other countries by reserving the right to use nuclear weapons in pre-emptive strikes. "Somehow, it has become acceptable to claim that war is necessary for peace. We have entered the realm of George Orwell: politicians claim that war is peace and people believe them," Akiba said.
Akiba said nuclear weapons are evils which need to be eliminated. "I have no illusions about the task that is before us," Akiba said. "[But] it took one hundred years and a bloody war to free slaves in America."
"Bottom up change requires time and sacrifice," he added.
The contribution that the hibakusha have made in promoting disarmament often goes unrecognized, Akiba said. He praised the hibakusha's rejection of revenge and their pursuit of reconciliation with all -- even those whom they had previously regarded as enemies.
One student asked Akiba for his views on the difference between American response to the events of Sept. 11, 2001 and Japanese response to the atomic bombs. "I don't want to compare one tragedy against another," Akiba said. But "in the case of Hiroshima, the tragedy and suffering was so great that [the hibakusha] must have perceived the magnitude of the problem ... and recognized that in order to solve this problem, the entire human race must cooperate."
Akiba recognizes that there are hibakusha who hold different sentiments, particularly towards Americans. He, however, takes an optimistic stance on the matter. "Those angry sentiments are there, but all in all, they have tried very hard to come to terms with that," said Akiba.
Currently, Akiba and Mayors for Peace are campaigning to raise public awareness of the consequences of the events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They have found testimonies from hibakusha to be extremely effective and powerful in educating the public. They are a resource that Akiba laments is quickly fading as survivors age.
"We should not take the existence and voice of hibakusha for granted, "Akiba said.
Akiba said although the bombings are often discussed in classrooms, "it is extremely rare for universities to take the subject up as a formal course," Akiba said. According to Akiba, Tufts University, American University and Wellesley College are some of the few schools that have entire courses devoted to the topic.
Akiba taught math at Tufts University from 1972 to 1976. He was elected to Japan's National Diet in 1990 and became mayor of Hiroshima in 1999.
Mayors for Peace is a U.N.-recognized, non-governmental organization comprised of cities around the world which have formally expressed support for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
The United States dropped nuclear bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 to bring a faster end to the war with Japan. In total, an estimated 200,000 died from the blasts. Survivors and their children have had to live with complications arising from nuclear fallout and radiation.
