Beyond Hiroshima: Reflection and Action for a Nuclear-Free World

author : Jody Suhrbier topic : Nuclear Free Zone | Olympia City Council

by Jody Suhrbier

A small group of thoughtful citizens have come together and decided that Olympia, Washington and the greater South Sound community should have an opportunity to reflect on nuclear weapons and the post-nuclear age. This summer marks the sixtieth anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, and will be a time of acknowledgment, reflection, and action as the Beyond Hiroshima Coalition presents a series of events for the community to take part in.

The goals of this effort are threefold: to develop a series of events to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to draw attention to the continued existence and proliferation of nuclear weapons, particularly the accelerated pace of weapons development under the current presidential administration, and to empower and motivate local citizens to work towards elimination of nuclear weapons by the year 2020, if not sooner.

Series of Events

August 3 (Wednesday)

Reception at Side Door Gallery with an unveiling of a collection of forty posters from the Japanese A-Bomb Survivors Association. The posters tell the story of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and will remain on display during regular studio hours through the end of August.

"The Continuing Nuclear Danger". Panel discussion at the Olympia Center, featuring Bruce Gagnon, of the Global Network Against Nuclear Weapons in Space and Martin Fleck, of Physicians for Social Responsibility. Other possible speakers include Jackie Cabasso, of Western States Legal Center and Tom Grissom, of The Evergreen State College.

August 4 through 7

Volunteers will be present at the Olympia Farmers Market to provide outreach and offer children (and the young at heart) an opportunity to make paper peace cranes.

August 4 (Thursday)

David Krieger, Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, will deliver a keynote address at the Olympia Center, titled "Confronting Nuclear Weapons: Where Do We Go From Here?". David is the author of ³Today is Not a Good Day for War², and will also read from this book of poetry at Orca Books on the afternoon of the 4th.

August 5 (Friday)

Local bands, The Carlysle Group, Back Porch Swing, and others, will provide an evening of music at

Percival Landing to feed your soul and rekindle your fire to work for a nuclear-free world. Some of the victims of the atomic bombings literally had their likeness burned into walls and sidewalks. Also on the evening of the 5th, these eerie shadows will be recreated throughout downtown Olympia. Chalk will be available for the community to join in.

August 6 (Saturday)

Second annual 24-hour peace meditation will be held at Tivoli Fountain on the Capital Campus. The focus of this year's meditation is on the continuing danger of nuclear weapons, with quotes of peace read on the hour. The opening night of the beloved summer event, Olympia Outdoor Cinema will be co-hosted by the Beyond Hiroshima Coalition. A film short will start the evening featuring the story of Sadako and the peace cranes, a powerful story that children can relate to. Proceeds benefit efforts by the Beyond Hiroshima Coalition.

August 7 (Sunday)

A number of local churches will be devoting their Sunday services to the issues of peace and nuclear weapons proliferation. Social Justice Committee Social Justice Film Series -- OUUC will host a powerful documentary titled "Hiroshima: Why the Bomb was Dropped" that explores why the

United States used nuclear weapons on Japan. A facilitated discussion will follow the film. Olympia Film Society -- 'Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Love the Bomb' is scheduled to show that evening at the Capital Theater.

August 8 (Monday)

Performance of Butoh dance will be presented at Heritage Park at dusk. Butoh is a highly expressionistic dance that initiated itself into Western consciousness as a response to the bombing of Hiroshima. Doranne Crable, faculty at The Evergreen State College, has designed this original work.

August 9 (Tuesday)

Final evening of this series of events, citizens and members of the Olympia City Council will participate in a candlelight vigil to call for the elimination of nuclear weapons by the United States and other nuclear powers by the year 2020. This event will be part of a national effort involving cities throughout the country that have taken steps against nuclear proliferation.

Please visit http://www.beyondhiroshima.org for more information about any of these activities or to get involved.