Fifty-eight years to the day, Hiroshima was turned into the first nuclear battle field in the history of humanity. A single atomic bomb dropped by the U.S. instantly stripped people of their human dignity and it continues till now to make those who narrowly escaped death endure hardships in their "bodies", "minds" and "livelihoods". Nuclear weapons are the most harmful weapons that must not coexist with humans. Their existence cannot be justified for any reason whatsoever.
The aging Hibakusha, while struggling with unbearable sufferings, have called up all their courage to speak out and relate the inhumane experiences they went through. Hiroshima, together with Nagasaki, is the symbol of the denunciation of the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and its outcry the source feeding the grand movement for the nuclear weapons abolition. Making ours the cry of the Hibakusha, we call on you to join your efforts to get rid of all nuclear weapons as soon as possible.
Anti-war movements opposing the lawless U.S. war against Iraq have emerged and developed across the world on an unprecedented scale in history. United Nations member countries in a large number have also expressed their opposition to the war. The U.S., planning to use nuclear weapons on the pretext of countering the "proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism", is now more and more isolated in the international community, surrounded by the growing public opinion demanding the "adherence to the U.N. Charter's rules for peace". These manifestations of the opposition to war and longing for peace need to be brought together in the movement for the elimination of nuclear weapons to open the road to a peaceful world without nuclear weapons and without war.
As the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing approaches, we are determined to seize this opportunity for further developing cooperation and solidarity to build an overwhelming people's anti-nuclear and peace opinion and to make the year 2005 a major turning point toward the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Let us demand the nuclear weapons states to faithfully implement their "unequivocal undertaking" for the elimination of nuclear weapons! Let us encircle and insolate the forces that cling to nuclear weapons by unfolding in and out of the country the signature campaign "Abolish Nuclear Weapons Now! Let there be no more Hiroshimas and no more Nagasakis" proposed by the Declaration of the International Meeting!
The Koizumi Cabinet, increasingly subservient to the U.S. demands, did not only support the unlawful war against Iraq, but also forced the passage through the Diet of the contingency law and the special law on the support for Iraq, and is going all out to send the Self Defense troops to abroad. Let us not allow the dispatch of SDF soldiers to Iraq and smash the tentative to institute a permanent law permitting SDF overseas expedition! Let us prevent the contingency laws to be concretized and put into effect and voice more strongly the call "Hold to Article 9 of the Constitution". Let us get more municipalities declare themselves nuclear-free and demand the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" to be strictly applied and to be made into a law! Let us stop the extension and strengthening of U.S. bases in Japan, advocate for their reduction and removal and strengthen the public opinion demanding the dissolution of the Japan-U.S. military alliance!
To disseminate the knowledge about the realities of atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the call of the Hibakusha across the world and through generations constitutes the driving force for expanding the resolve and actions for the elimination of nuclear weapons. Let us unfold a myriad of initiatives such as A-bomb exhibitions, Hibakusha speaking meetings and tours and campaigns for the conservation of A-bomb memorials. Let us support the collective lawsuits campaign of the Hibakusha for their recognition as "A-bomb disease sufferers"! Let us further develop solidarity with nuclear victims around the world!
For the sake of the dignity of humans who live the present and those who will live the future, we say
No more Hiroshimas! No more Nagasakis! No more Hibakusha! No more wars!
August 6, 2003
2003 World Conference against A and H Bombs