Testimony and Reflections on Nuclear Disarmament Public Event, Dublin,
15 October 2025
– A report by Caroline Hurley
Background
Afri (Action from Ireland: supportively linking Irish colonisation experience to ongoing justice struggles elsewhere) and Irish CND (the Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) jointly held two public events Wednesday, October 15th, hosted by the Irish Quakers at Friends Meeting House, Eustace Street, Dublin. Both centred on the powerful testimony of Kyoko Gibson, a second-generation Hiroshima survivor, who has dedicated her life to ending nuclear horrors, and on this trip, was scheduled to make five appearances. This is a record of the Wednesday afternoon session, when Kyoko’s talk was followed by reflections from Dr. Iain Atack, and Dr. David Hutchinson-Edgar, CND. Martin Leavy of the Irish Quakers, and Katie Martin of Afri, co-chaired proceedings, which included audience Q&As, music, videographer, and refreshments.
80 years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, when more than 200,000 people were killed, the intention was to create spaces to reflect on the legacy of Hiroshima, the power of testimony, and Ireland’s role in promoting peace, disarmament and global solidarity. Martin Leavy stressed abhorrence of violence as a core Quaker value, before Katie Martin outlined the agenda, and introduced Kyoko Gibson as a beacon of peace honouring survivors and alerting the world.
Personal Testimony – Kyoko Gibson
“Kyoko’s story offers a profoundly moving reminder of the human cost of nuclear war and the urgent need for peace and disarmament. Through her words and witness, she carries forward the memory of Hiroshima so that such devastation is never repeated.”
Born in 1948, three years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Kyoko Gibson is a second-generation Hibakusha — a Japanese term for survivors of the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Growing up in a community marked by devastation, she witnessed first-hand the ongoing struggles of families living with loss, illness, and stigma. These experiences have profoundly shaped her lifelong commitment to peace. Only in 2002 did she feel ready to visit the Hiroshima Museum and confront more evidence. Hiroshima is now a beautiful city of peace. Despite ongoing emotional pain, Kyoko carries forward her past memories through her testimony and activism, in the hope that such devastation is never repeated.
Kyoko worked as an assistant manager with a Japanese electric company before retiring, and now lives in Wales with her husband, three children, and seven grandchildren. She is the Women’s General Leader for Wales and the Marches in Soka Gakkai International (SGI-UK), a global lay Buddhist movement promoting peace, culture, and education with more than 12 million members in 192 countries. In 1957, then SGI President Toda made a key declaration condemning nuclear weapons as an absolute evil which threaten humanity’s right to live, and calling for their prohibition. This message was subsequently promoted internationally by Daisaku Ikeda who in 2003, proposed, “developing a life-sized paradigm by which to understand our world and where we stand in it. By “life-sized” here [he said] I am referring to a way of thinking that never deviates from the human scale.” This idea remains peripheral but potent. How weapons decision-makers display no compassion or obligation to those wounded and killed by their contributions is a key challenge. Accountability would assuage anger.
Kyoko referred to the calculated cruelty of the bombers who that day chose Hiroshima, with its 350,000 residents, partly because of the clear sky to enable observation of after-effects. Dropping the bomb took only ten seconds. 70,000 people died instantly in this man made hell. Survivors were left without information on risks for years. Kyoko was later diagnosed with a weakened immune system, and required treatment for cancer and heart conditions. People are still dying today from radiation-related deaths. Those belatedly ill from contamination were omitted from statistics. Harms went beyond physical to mental health, as suicide rates and PTSD symptoms soared. People feared their own bodies. Some were left with giant burn marks. Talking about the trauma was, and remains, very difficult. Even witnessing the suffering was excruciating. Kyoko recalled her mother (who was cynical about her joining the peace movement as a young woman) crying out for her mummy on her deathbed as she relived the terrors of 6th August, 1945. Now, the Ukraine crisis makes the nuclear threat real again.
Of 12,331 nuclear weapons currently in existence, about 3,000 are active warheads. Their testing and usage have been largely driven by nationalism and irresponsible thirst for knowledge. Scientists warn that fallout cannot be contained but spreads everywhere on earth. Remembrance must lead to action, to stop nuclear disasters from ever happening again.
Two songs, The Little Girl of Hiroshima, and Savage Pride, were performed by Joe Black.
Scholarly Peace Activism – Dr. Iain Atack
Former lecturer in International Peace Studies (now retired) and author Iain Atack then spoke about resisting militarism as a peace activist, and how to deal nonviolently with conflict. The threat of a nuclear arms race, with weapons being located in Europe, was a top motivation for his involvement. Because social and economic conditions structure conflicts, war is part of this institutionalised system which reinforces war events. War capacity is built up with finance, development, the military-industrial complex, the arms trade, conscription, and military bases. Seeing how the war system follows power and politics gives a three-dimensional understanding of the reality. The most dangerous war threat still comes from nuclear weapons. The nine nuclear states continue to make and modernise bombs, influencing other countries.
The sane sustainable alternative is creating human and ecological security, which would mean a complete overhaul of state defence for multi-dimensional security including protecting human and nature rights. Military priorities are antithetical to these values, best exemplified by negative impact on climate change. Carbon emissions from the war system constitute at least 5% of total, equal to the fourth highest culprit country. The solution is to intensify work on human and environmental protection in international relations and global politics. Popular support for these goals indicates potential willingness to socially re-organise accordingly and cooperate for transition.
The Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament – Chair Dr David Hutchinson-Edgar
Katie Martin then introduced Dr. David Hutchinson-Edgar, Chairperson of Irish CND. He emphasised the importance of Irish voices in making a difference, especially in the push for nuclear disarmament. That a key figure, Fianna Fáil politician, Frank Aiken, worked with the UN to limit the spread of nuclear weapons, demonstrates the value of activists entering government. Aiken was motivated by memories of failures and tragedies in the Irish Civil War in which he served, of World War II devastation, and a wish to act as a useful international voice, starting with the League of Nations. The Arms Race began in the 1950s, with nuclear weapons at the forefront. This material reality colliding with memory brought forth a moral stance and desire for a better world of mutual support, however unpopular to some folk.
Ireland was among the countries emerging from colonial control, seeking alternatives to militarism. They were subjected to ongoing pressure, particularly from America and England, to drop resolutions. Aiken & co. stood their ground, granting only trivial compromises, until resolutions were carried, resulting in the Treaty for the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) entering into force in 1970.
But by 1980, a glut of nuclear weapons still existed around the world. At the same time, global communication through radio, press text and photography, TV, and films, ensured populations were increasingly aware and concerned. The resistance of ordinary people, and their rational arguments proved persuasive. Greenham Common protests from the early 80s, mainly attracting women, resulted in 100 cruise missiles being moved from the base only 55 miles from London.
Another hugely disturbing and impactful incident was the 1986 Chernobyl explosion dispersing radioactive dust across Europe. In the 21st century. the penny dropped that the NPT was not delivering. Disarmament seemed as far away as ever. Global civil society called for commitments to be renewed, strengthened and realised, especially after the success of initiatives like the 1997 Land Mine Ban Treaty. Peaceboat NGO ran a consciousness-raising media programme. By 2016, as knowledge of lethal health and environmental impacts became clearer, often thanks to ‘hibakusha’ and their descendants like Kyoko Gibson, Ireland and numerous countries, many South American, called for fresh negotiations.
A new Non-Proliferation Treaty outlawing nuclear weapons was passed in 2017 and ratified in 2020. Now signed by more than 90 states, the treaty explicitly provides for disarmament and remediation. The Irish government continues to take a lead championing the Treaty, fending off implausible counter-arguments from nuclear states. Now, at least half of the countries in the world refuse to own nuclear weapons and disapprove of their possession anywhere. In March this year, the 3rd Meeting of the State Parties held in Spain declared that the abolition of nuclear weapons was imperative for global security and for the survival of humanity. Hopefully, momentum will be sustained.
Discussion and Q&As
The floor was opened. Kyoko reiterated the importance of people going beyond thinking, to acting; by voicing the world’s desire for change, especially regarding the nine errant nuclear states. The US and Russia between them keep almost 90 per cent of the world’s nuclear arsenal.
Iain Atack relayed three steps for effective non-violent peace action: 1. Analysis; 2. Clarification and promotion of ethics and norms; 3. Action. Preserving Irish neutrality as an ideal platform for speaking out, is vital. Not just government but all citizens, alone or as members of groups, can make a difference by getting involved. Joe Murray commented on militarism being a live topic also in the 2025 Irish presidential race.
Eamon Rafter noted that only one country, South Africa, had reversed its nuclear stance; a decision deserving more recognition. The role of Irish politician David Andrews in NPT negotiations, and the crucial achievement by the Irish government of divesting investments in nuclear companies for a reduction of at least 25 per cent, have neither been duly applauded. Reference was made to the public report, since updated, of the 1985 London Nuclear Warfare Tribunal, whose declaration states, among other conclusions: “The evidence presented overwhelmingly convinced the Tribunal that current weapons developments and strategies for their use (such notions as “limited nuclear war”, “first-strike options”, and “winnable nuclear wars”) are creating acute public anxiety and produce a set of tendencies in international affairs that make the outbreak of nuclear war virtually inevitable at some point in the years ahead.” The Tribunal, non-bindingly, outlawed nuclear weapons.
Kyoko urged everyone to keep insisting that nuclear weapons must never again be used, but must be destroyed. Despite political and practical challenges to abolition, the two Treaties, NPT and TPNW (Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons), must continue to be promoted and expanded. Stressing the importance of remembering and telling stories, David cited Annie Jacobson’s 2024 non-fiction book, Nuclear War: A Scenario, detailing how a nuclear conflict would escalate to global thermonuclear war within 72 minutes, leading to nuclear winter and 5 billion deaths. Only action would prevent this scenario becoming manifest —that was the take-away message.
That day’s later event, Testimony, Scholarship and the Case for Disarmament, with some of the same speakers, was at Trinity College.
For more information:
About Afri, go to https://www.afri.ie/about/
About Irish CND and joining, go to https://irishcnd.blogspot.com/p/contact.html