U.S. Attends Hiroshima Ceremony - NYTimes.com

HIROSHIMA, Japan — The United States ambassador participated for the first time on Friday in an annual ceremony to mark the anniversary of the atomic bombing here in World War II, raising hopes that President Obama may soon follow.

With the mournful gonging of a Buddhist temple bell and the release of doves, a crowd of 55,000 solemnly marked the moment 65 years ago when the world’s first atomic attack incinerated this city under a towering mushroom cloud.

During the ceremony, Hiroshima’s mayor welcomed the ambassador, John Roos, and praised President Obama as one of the world leaders who “wielded their powerful influence” to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

During the solemn ceremony at the city’s peace park within sight of the iconic Atomic Bomb Dome, other speakers also praised Mr. Obama’s call last year in Prague for a denuclearized world.

“We greet this August 6 with re-energized determination that no one else should ever have to suffer such horror,” said the mayor, Tadatoshi Akiba. “Clearly, the urgency of nuclear weapons abolition is permeating our global conscience.”

via nytimes.com

"It is time to move from “ground zero to global zero,” Mr. Ban said in a speech, referring to the elimination of nuclear weapons. “For many of you, that day endures as vivid as the white light that seared the sky, as dark as the black rain that followed.”"

Posted via email from Joshua Oakley - Dreams Poetry Visions Imagination Beauty

Global Zero: Stop The Nuclear Threat

Global Zero: Stop the Nuclear Threat



With 23,000 nuclear weapons worldwide, experts are clear: we either eliminate all nuclear weapons or accept living in a world where virtually any country or terrorist group can get one.

Last year, over 115,000 of us helped secure a historic commitment by Russia and the US to reduce their nuclear arsenals by a third--a commitment affirmed in the new US-Russia treaty.

But only a massive surge of people power can persuade world leaders to take bolder steps to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons. We cannot miss this historic opportunity! Sign the declaration below, then spread the word:

"WE believe that to protect our children, our grandchildren and our civilization from the threat of nuclear catastrophe, we must eliminate all nuclear weapons globally. We therefore commit to working for a legally binding, verifiable agreement, including all nations, to eliminate nuclear weapons by a date certain."

Sign The Declaration

Avaaz Petition Digg