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On July 23, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) and its youth initiative, Reverse the Trend (RTT), hosted an evening side event at the Geneva Institute, “Youth Perspectives on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons.” Speakers at this event included H.E. Ambassador Akan Rakhmetullin, Chair of the NPT PrepCom; H.E. Ambassador Teburoro Tito of Kiribati; Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes, President of NAPF; Veronique Christory, Senior Advisor of ICRC; Benetick Kabua Maddison, Executive Director of MEI; Aigerim Seitenova, Project Manager, Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy (CFFP); Christian Ciobanu, NAPF Policy and Advocacy Director, RTT Project Coordinator, and TPNW Advisor to the Republic of Kiribati; Brock Walker, NAPF Research Fellow and Outreach Coordinator. The event was moderated by Stella Rose, youth advisor for Reverse the Trend, and Sara Ferrari, from the Human Rights, Conflict, & Peace Student Initiative at the Geneva Institute.
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Stella Rose opened the panel by speaking on her personal involvement with Reverse the Trend, the youth initiative of the NAPF. She emphasized the crucial role of young people in initiating change, as they are key stakeholders in a bright and sustainable future, unburdened by the risk of nuclear weapons and their devastating humanitarian consequences. Rose passionately urged the youth to continue to seek opportunities to effect change and take pride in participating in movements dedicated to nuclear abolition and nuclear justice.
Sara Ferrari also opened the event as a co-sponsor and representative of the Human Rights, Conflict, & Peace Student Initiative. She addressed the focus of the event, nuclear disarmament, emphasizing the importance of fostering dialogue and bridging generational gaps. Ferrari highlighted the potential of collaborative efforts between experts and youth to create a platform that educates and inspires action. She emphasized the pressing issue of nuclear weapons violating human rights and posing a significant threat to global peace. Like Rose, Ferrari stressed the necessity of youth voices and their responsibility as future leaders within this field, advocating for change through commitment to education and advocacy.
H.E. Ambassador Akan Rakhmetullin, Chair of the NPT PrepCom, opened the discussion with hopeful and inspiring remarks about the active youth at the conference. He emphasized the significance of activism, especially for today’s youth facing threats like climate change and nuclear war. Sharing a personal anecdote from his youth in Semipalatinsk, where Soviet nuclear tests were misleadingly presented as protective, Rakhmetullin highlighted Kazakhstan’s suffering from these tests. He concluded by expressing support for the TPNW and all who work to make this treaty a reality.
H.E. Ambassador Teburoro Tito of Kiribati recounted the devastation of nuclear testing on the Pacific islands, questioning if the world has learned from WWII as nations still use weapons to instill fear. He pledged to inspire his colleagues to work harder to make today’s youth proud.
Veronique Christory shared her background in nuclear disarmament, expressing gratitude for living her aspirations. She emphasized the vital role of youth engagement in addressing the complexities of nuclear disarmament and peace. Underscoring the importance of media, she notes the impact of the ICRC’s video on nuclear weapons, which has raised awareness and fear of their use. Christory called for an end to the normalization of nuclear weapons, stressing their existence as the biggest threat. Additionally, she pointed out the gender-specific impact of nuclear radiation on women and girls, resulting in disproportionate cancers and other health effects. Concluding her speech, Christory advocated for more female perspectives in discussions and urged youth involvement to strengthen the implementation of the TPNW, especially as influential activists and survivors of nuclear bombings age.
Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes, President of NAPF, discussed her background from being a student to being a professor of science and her current role at NAPF. She spoke on the crucial role scientists play in the nuclear abolition movement, emphasizing that the TPNW is the best and only hope for a world free of nuclear weapons. Hughes identified two key areas of scientific research vital for advancing the TPNW: developing verification methods to ensure countries honor their commitments to eliminate nuclear weapons and achieving collective nuclear justice for those affected by nuclear testing and use, through victim assistance and environmental remediation.
Benetick Kabua Maddison, raised awareness about the devastating biological and ecological consequences of nuclear testing on the Marshall Islands. He discussed the U.S. testing that led to the displacement and starvation of indigenous communities and how today, Marshallese voices are often excluded from crucial discussions. Maddison, whose grandparents died from diseases linked to radiation exposure, highlighted the personal and emotional toll of nuclear testing, ongoing contamination in the Pacific Ocean, and the climate crisis. He concluded that achieving a nuclear-free world is not just about treaties, but also acknowledging people’s stories.
Aigerim Seitenova, a third-generation survivor of Soviet nuclear testing in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan, dedicated her speech to her family. She shared the severe health impacts her family endured due to the testing, including the deaths of her grandparents and uncle, and a genetic condition that nearly ended her life at agre three. Seitenova emphasized the importance of nuclear frontline community resistance and our responsibility to create a peaceful world, free of nuclear weapons.
Brock Walker shared his perspective on nuclear justice as a native of Las Vegas, Nevada, located 60 miles south of the Nevada Test Site. He emphasized the severe health and humanitarian impacts on communities like the Western Shoshone, including increased sickness and cancer rates worsened by limited healthcare access. Walker highlighted the colonial legacy of nuclear testing and the US government’s refusal to address these health impacts, similar to other nuclear-armed nations. He discussed his role in launching the nuclear justice campaign, urging young people to prevent future nuclear testing, especially as nuclear powers threaten to resume testing and continue to deny their impact on indigenous communities.
Christian Ciobanu concluded the panel by discussing RTT’s recent nuclear justice campaign. He highlighted the active involvement of RTT interns with diplomats and NAPF President Dr. Hughes on this campaign. Ciobanu emphasized the lack of transparency regarding environmental contamination in affected communities and praised Kiribati’s efforts at the NPT PrepCom and the TPNW’s groundbreaking humanitarian provisions. He also mentioned current projects focused on sharing youth perspectives at the next TPNW meeting.
During the Q&A session, the audience engaged with all of the panelists, inquiring about educational initiatives and exploring ways in which non-nuclear weapon states can participate in disarmament efforts despite their support for nuclear weapons.
We are very grateful to all of our panelists and attendees for coming to our event to speak on such an important topic and share their personal experiences and stories.
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