Report by Ms. Evelyn Kamissek, the City of Hannover, Germany
80 years ago, the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki experienced the indescribable horrors of the atomic bombings. Since then, the survivors of this catastrophe are warning about the dangers of nuclear weaponry. This year on July 8, more than 600 cities in Germany will once again send a clear signal against wars and for a peaceful world without nuclear weapons by hoisting the Mayors for Peace flag in front of their town halls.
According to the latest annual report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the global stockpile of nuclear warheads has risen to an estimated 12,241. Almost all nine nuclear-armed states continue to modernise their nuclear arsenal. Additionally, the New START treaty, last renewed 2021 for five years, between the USA and Russia is ending in the beginning of the following year without any effort to renew or replace this treaty in sight. The risk of a new nuclear arms race is increasing more now than ever before.
Mayor Onay says:
“80 years after the atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the message from Mayors for Peace is clear and comprehensible: There must not be a new nuclear arms race. In a world with rising conflicts, arming nuclear weapons do not bring more safety, but more insecurity. The lead city for Mayors for Peace in Germany, Hannover, along countless member cities put in efforts for nuclear disarmament, diplomacy and a world where humanity is prioritized above power.”
Photos: courtesy of the City of Hannover