From Memory to Action: Youth Leaders Promise in Hiroshima to Act for a Future Without Nuclear Weapons

The youth conference focused on storytelling and citizen journalism to preserve the legacy of hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors), amplify diverse voices and inspire future generations to support nuclear disarmament. The 50 Youth Leader Fund participants were joined by a multinational group of 50 young persons based in Japan (the “Youth Leader Fund Japan cohort”), UNITAR Hiroshima Youth Ambassadors, Hiroshima Peace Volunteers (volunteer guides at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park), and international experts from the field of nuclear disarmament.

The Youth Leader Fund participants began preparing the conference well before the Japan study visit. In teams, they managed the event and designed and moderated the panel discussion, which explored how past experiences and stories can shape present actions and influence the global approach to nuclear issues. They invited distinguished guests as panellists, including:

• Ambassador Juan Carlos Ojeda Viglione, Secretary-General of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean
• Professor Kazuko Hikawa, Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, Nagasaki University
• Ms. Koko Kondo, hibakusha and peace activist

Other teams made a handbook advocating for youth engagement, created an exhibition of artwork, videos, haiku, animation and comics about nuclear disarmament, designed a mascot for the event and created goods, coordinated a hibakujumoku (trees that survived the atomic bombing) planting event, and developed a podcast and shared posts on social media to raise the visibility of the programme. 

During the programme, Ms. Asaka Shirai delivered a short concert with the hibaku violin, and Ms. Mayu Seto sang a song that she created inspired by hibakusha testimonies.

The youth conference began with a video message by former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who had announced the creation of this Youth Leader Fund initiative in 2022. He emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki, especially as global security and the situation regarding nuclear weapons are becoming increasingly difficult and complex.

The event served as a platform for intergenerational dialogue, youth-led engagement, and creative expression, grounded in collective memory and diverse regional perspectives on nuclear risks and disarmament.