Projects │ Mayors for Peace

2020 Vision

(An Emergency Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons)

Projects

Aiming toward the target year of 2020, Mayors for Peace adopted the “Mayors for Peace Action Plan (2017-2020)” (Overview) at the 9th General Conference held in Nagasaki in August 2017, which set two main objectives that would lead us to our ultimate goal, that of lasting world peace: “Realization of a world without nuclear weapons” and “Realization of safe and resilient cities”. Based on this Action Plan, Mayors for Peace is promoting various projects.

[Main Projects]

Calling on the UN and national governments to act
Expanding membership
Promoting regional activities spearheaded by Lead Cities
Sharing seeds from A-bombed trees
The Youth Exchange for Peace Support Programs
The petition drive calling for all states to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as soon as possible
Holding the Mayors for Peace A-bomb Poster Exhibition
Promotion of peace education

Animation DVD Rental for Screenings in Mayors for Peace Member Cities

Calling on the UN and national governments to act

Seizing every possible opportunity, including international conferences, Mayors for Peace has called on the UN and governments around the world to support efforts towards the early realization of a legal prohibition on nuclear weapons. These activities and the heartfelt appeal of the hibakusha and many other like-minded people who wish for the abolition of nuclear weapons bore fruit in July 2017, when the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted at the UN.

Mayors for Peace will continue to urge all states, including the nuclear-armed states and their allies, to participate in this Treaty as soon as possible. We will also encourage policymakers to work on creating a security framework that moves away from nuclear deterrence and to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki to share in the hibakusha’s earnest wishes for nuclear abolition.

Activity History

Expanding membership

We call on non-member cities to join Mayors for Peace, not only through invitations from the President of Mayors for Peace and its Secretariat, but also from other associations of local governments, Lead Cities’ partners and other channels.

Promoting regional activities spearheaded by Lead Cities

Mayors for Peace selects an appropriate number of Lead Cities that take the lead in their regional chapters in order to encourage proactive and independent activities appropriate to each region.

Lead Cities

Sharing seeds from A-bombed trees

Mayors for Peace is distributing seeds from A-bomb survivor trees in Hiroshima in response to member cities requests. Please join us in this program by nurturing the trees distributed to your city as symbols of peace, and use them to raise peace consciousness among citizens.

● Requests to Those Receiving the Seeds

Mayors for Peace asks each recipient city to accommodate the following requests:

1.To raise seeds/seedlings under the care of experts, such as in botanical gardens, until they become tall and sturdy enough to plant.
2.Provide the Secretariat with updates on development of the trees at least once a year. These updates should include some information on their height, number of seedlings, growing place and a plan/report of peace activities based around them as well as their photos.

● Notes

1.Delivery of seeds to member cities overseas is done by post. As a seedling is not suitable for international postal delivery, the Secretariat can offer a seedling only when it is to be transported in the luggage of someone who is traveling from Hiroshima to the recipient city.
2.When trees from the seeds become tall and sturdy enough to be planted in the ground, the Secretariat can donate an explanatory plaque. Please inform the Secretariat of plans of events involving the tree, such as a planting ceremony. Please be advised that a recipient city can receive one explanatory plaque for each species.

UN Secretary-General Planting the tree at United Nations Office at Geneva Photo Credit:UN photos/PM Virot

● Procedure to Distribute Seeds

1. [Recipient City] Contact the Secretariat
　If a member city wants to receive seeds from A-bomb trees and agrees to accommodate the requests above, please contact the Secretariat by email.
2. [Mayors for Peace Secretariat] Conduct preparatory research
- a. The Secretariat researches the species of A-bomb trees appropriate for the recipient city’s climate
- b. The Secretariat confirms whether or not procedures for quarantine, export and import licenses are required by the sending country and the receiving country.
3. [Mayors for Peace Secretariat] Send a questionnaire to the recipient city
　Based on the preparatory research in 2 - a, the Secretariat enters relevant information into the questionnaire and sends it to the recipient city. If quarantine or an import license is required by the receiving country, the Secretariat informs the recipient city of this information at this point.
4. [Recipient City] Return the questionnaire
- a. The recipient city answers the questionnaire by filling in required information, such as tree species they want to receive, intended care facility (e.g. a botanical garden), and contact information, and returns the questionnaire to the Secretariat.
- b. In the case that some procedure is required by the receiving country, the recipient city should contact a domestic quarantine office for their advice on the procedure, then share this information with the Secretariat.
5. [Mayors for Peace Secretariat] Send out seeds
　Upon confirmation of the returned questionnaire and the completion of required procedure for quarantine and an import license, the Secretariat sends out seeds to the recipient city. Shipping costs are covered by the Secretariat.

Questionnaire (Sample)

● List of Recipients of Seeds/Seedlings of A-bombed Trees

As of December 1, 2019

1. Distribution of Seeds (35 municipalities and 1 organization in 14 countries)

No	Country	Municipality	Species	Date
1	Belgium	Ypres	Ginkgo Camphor tree	2012/5/5
2	Spain	Granollers	Ginkgo Persimmon Camphor tree	2012/5/5 2017/3/6 2018/1/23
3	Germany	Schwäbisch Gmünd	Ginkgo	2014/2/25
4	Belgium	Brussels	Ginkgo Japanese hackberry	2014/6/24 2016/2/2
5	Norway	Frogn	Ginkgo	2014/6/24
6	Australia	Fremantle	Ginkgo	2014/7/11
7	Russia	Volgograd	Ginkgo	2014/8/4
8	Canada	Montreal	Ginkgo	2014/8/5
9	UK	Manchester	Ginkgo	2014/8/26 2015/10/8
10	Germany	Hannover	Ginkgo	2014/12/11
11	Switzerland	Luzern	Ginkgo	2015/1/21
12	UK	Shetland	Ginkgo	2015/2/3
13	UK	Edinburgh	Ginkgo	2015/2/3
14	Slovenia	Radlje ob Dravi	Ginkgo	2015/4/14
15	UK	Aberdeen	Ginkgo	2015/6/30
16	Switzerland	Renens	Ginkgo	2015/7/14
17	Norway	Fredrikstad	Ginkgo Jujube	2015/8/3
18	Canada	Oak Bay	Ginkgo	2016/5/11
19	France	Malakoff	Ginkgo Camphor tree Japanese hackberry	2016/5/11
20	Italy	Thiene	Ginkgo Jujube Japanese hackberry	2016/5/11
21	UK	Kingston upon Hull	Ginkgo	2016/5/11
22	Germany	Bonn	Kurogane holly Japanese hackberry Muku tree	2016/10/21 2017/1/19 2017/6/15
23	Germany	Erfurt	Ginkgo	2017/1/19 2018/1/23
24	UK	Oldham	Ginkgo Jujube Japanese hackberry	2017/3/6
25	US	Des Moines	Ginkgo	2017/4/26
26	Italy	Mirano	Ginkgo	2017/4/26
27	Italy	Spinea	Ginkgo	2017/5/17
28	Germany	Langen	Ginkgo	2017/7/11
29	France	Lasseran	Ginkgo Kurogane holly Japanese Hackberry	2018/3/29 2019/3/5
30	US	Disruptor Foundation	Ginkgo Jujube Japanese Hackberry	2018/4/3
31	UK	South Ayrshire	Ginkgo	2018/5/14
32	Portugal	Évora	Kurogane holly Camphor tree	2018/5/29 2019/9/13
33	Germany	Coesfeld	Ginkgo	2019/6/4
34	France	Grigny	Ginkgo	2019/8/9
35	Australia	Hobart	Ginkgo	2019/9/13
36	Germany	Bad Kreuznach	Ginkgo	2019/11/19

2. Distribution of Seedlings (30 municipalities and 3 organizations in 11 countries)

No	Country	Municipality / Organization	Species	Date	Note
1	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Sarajevo	Ginkgo	2014/6/28
2	Kazakhstan	Semey	Ginkgo	2014/8/29
3	Korea	No Gun Ri International Peace Foundation	Ginkgo	2014/9/19
4	Italy	Cervia	Ginkgo	2015/9/13
5	Switzerland	United Nations Office at Geneva	Ginkgo	2016/5/2	2016/10
6	Germany	Stuttgart	Ginkgo	2016/7/8
7	Germany	Krefeld	Ginkgo	2016/8/6
8	Germany	Braunschweig	Ginkgo	2016/9/21
9	Spain	Sant Feliu de Llobregat	Ginkgo	2016/11/30
10	Germany	Rothenburg o.d.T.	Ginkgo	2017/7/8
11	Norway	Halden	Ginkgo	2017/8/26
12	Norway	Kvinesdal	Ginkgo	2017/8/29
13	Spain	Gava	Ginkgo	2017/9/21
14	Italy	Italian Parliament	Ginkgo	2017/11/14
15	France	Paris	Ginkgo	2018/4/28
16	Spain	Gernika-Lumo	Ginkgo	2018/4/29
17	Norway	Larvik	Ginkgo	2018/5/23
18	Norway	Skedsmo	Ginkgo	2018/6/17
19	Norway	Sande	Ginkgo	2018/6/28
20	Spain	Canovelles	Camphor tree	2018/9/22
21	France	Regional Council of Occitanie	Ginkgo Japanese Hackberry Camphor Tree	2018/12/5
22	Poland	Oswiecim(Auschwitz)	Ginkgo	2019/8/2
23	Norway	Ringsaker	Ginkgo	2019/8/29
24	Belgium	Veurne	Ginkgo	2019/10/29
25	Belgium	Ichtegem	Ginkgo	2019/10/30
26	Belgium	Lichtervelde	Ginkgo	2019/10/30
27	Belgium	Oudenburg	Ginkgo	2019/10/30
28	Belgium	Ghent	Ginkgo	2019/11/5
29	Belgium	Erpe-Mere	Ginkgo	2019/11/7
30	Belgium	Moorslede	Ginkgo	2019/11/7
31	Belgium	Tessenderlo	Ginkgo	2019/11/7
32	Belgium	Deinze	Ginkgo	2019/11/14
33	Belgium	Wortegem-Petegem	Ginkgo	2019/11/14

Distribution of Seeds/Seedlings in total:
65 municipalities and 4 organizations in 18 countries outside of Japan

● Downloadable pamphlet

A pamphlet introducing this project is available as an easily downloadable, full-color PDF. For anyone thinking of applying for seeds, we invite you to take a look. Please feel free to distribute it to any interested parties (12 page full color booklet).

Download PDF to create an A5 size booklet

*Print out on 6 double-sided A4 size sheets, fold in half and staple the binding to create an A5 size booklet.

Download PDF to print on A4 sized sheets

*Print out on 12 single-sided A4 sized sheets

The Youth Exchange for Peace Support Program

In order to realize a “world free of nuclear weapons,” it is essential to foster and increase international public opinion for it. To this end, Mayors for Peace has implemented programs to encourage and inspire younger generations to get involved in peace activities in the future. These programs provide financial and other support to selected youth from member cities who would like to participate in programs offered by Hiroshima City, Hiroshima City University and so on, to learn about the experiences of A-bomb survivors and their desire for peace.

In each program, in addition to the existing content produced by each host organization, Mayors for Peace conducts its own programs such as a briefing on Mayors for Peace and testimonies from A-bomb survivors.

After completing the program, we ask the participants to propose Mayors for Peace activities for nuclear weapons abolition to their communities and the secretariat of Mayors for Peace. Based on the proposal, each city considers implementing projects. Through our program, we aim at developing human resources and strengthening our member city network.

● FY2019 programs (Applications Closed)

● The results of the completed programs

[HIROSHIMA and PEACE]
　FY2018 　FY2017 　FY2016
[International Youth Conference for Peace in the Future, Hiroshima]
　FY2017

The petition drive calling for all states to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as soon as possible

2,952,418 signatures (As of December 1, 2019)

(The above number includes signatures collected through the petition drive calling for negotiations of a nuclear weapons convention Mayors for Peace promoted since December 2010.)

In July 2017, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted at the UN. This was made possible by the heartfelt appeal of the hibakusha and many other like-minded people for the abolition of nuclear weapons. In order for the Treaty to become a fully effective legal instrument for nuclear abolition, we believe it essential for all states, including the nuclear-armed states and their allies, to join this Treaty.

Through this petition drive, let us spread our appeal for peace, which is this path toward a world free of nuclear weapons, and create a powerful movement to urge all states to participate in the Treaty as soon as possible!

Sign the petition

Please sign the petition and show your support for this cause.

Download a poster to encourage people to join the petition

Download and use this poster to promote the petition on various occasions.

(PDF)

Holding the Mayors for Peace A-bomb Poster Exhibition

In order to give as many people as possible a much deeper understanding of the reality of the atomic bombings and to raise global awareness for the abolition of nuclear weapons, we are asking member cities to hold an exhibition using Hiroshima-Nagasaki A-bomb Posters and other related materials.

Posters available in: English, German, French, Russian, Dutch, Spanish and Catalan

● Download Posters

[Member Cities]

Please click the button below then enter your password and user ID which will automatically take you to the download page.

[Other than Member Cities]

If your municipality is not a member of Mayors for Peace or you are from an other kind of organization and want to use the posters, please submit the Application Form and materials, such as a plan document explaining your events to the Secretariat.

Application Form（Word）

● Submission of the report

After holding the poster exhibition, please report the result of the exhibition to the Secretariat.

Report Form (Word)

● Contact

[Mayors for Peace Secretariat]
c/o Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation
1-5 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730-0811 JAPAN
E-mail： mayorcon@pcf.city.hiroshima.jp

Promotion of peace education

● Children's Art Competition “Peaceful Towns”

Invitation for applicants to the Children's Art Competition "Peaceful Town" 2019

[Selection Result]
　2018

● Examples of initiatives to foster peace-seeking spirit

[Call for Input]

Among the high priority action items in the Mayors for Peace Action Plan (2017-2020) adopted at the 9th General Conference is our efforts to conduct peace education to raise awareness among future generations.

In accordance with this, we are writing to ask for your kind cooperation in our efforts to compile good examples of initiatives to foster peace-seeking spirit conducted by our member cities around the world. Through sharing them in our monthly newsletters and on our website, we are hoping that more cities will follow suit and become inspired to launch their own peace education program.

In this regard, the Secretariat cordially asks you to provide information about peace education initiatives conducted in your city following the submission instructions below.

1 Requested content:

▶This Call for Input will be of interest to peace education initiatives conducted by any organization (city hall/school/NGO, etc.) in Mayors for Peace member cities that are conducive to raising peace-seeking spirit among future generations, on themes such as: the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; the history of war in each member city; terrorism; refugees; the destruction of the environment; poverty; famine; discrimination; violence, etc.

▶Kindly only send information on initiatives that have been completed as of the time of submission of the report.

2 Required materials:
Please email the following two items.

A. Report Form
　In order to maintain consistency between the compiled reports, please use the designated form and write as specifically as possible.
B. Any photos relevant to the initiative
　Please paste the photo(s) into a Microsoft Word document and attach captions to each photo.

3 Submission email address
　 mayorcon@pcf.city.hiroshima.jp

4 Note

▶There is no submission deadline. The Mayors for Peace accepts reports on a rolling-basis, so please send your report whenever your project is completed.

▶Please note that not all submissions may be published. The Secretariat will select and publish initiatives that can be applied to other cities and if we receive more than one similar initiatives, we will choose one which best represents them.

[Contact]：
[Mayors for Peace Secretariat]
c/o Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation
1-5 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730-0811 JAPAN
E-mail： mayorcon@pcf.city.hiroshima.jp