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Thursday, August 7, 2025
News and Views from the Global South
Nuclear Abolition
From Semei to Hiroshima: Astana Times Editor on Bringing Global Solidarity Through Journalism
Eighty years ago, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki left a lasting reminder to humanity of the inhuman nature of nuclear weapons. Kazakhstan, too, is a nation deeply scarred by nuclear tests conducted during the Soviet era. Having covered the activities of Soka Gakkai International (SGI) in Kazakhstan—including its support for exhibitions and documentary productions on nuclear abolition in Astana—, INPS Japan recently interviewed Zhanna Shayakhmetova, editor-in-chief of The Astana Times, a leading English-language newspaper in the country that continues to convey messages of disarmament and peace to the world. In the interview, Shayakhmetova spoke about the role of religious leaders who will gather in Astana from around the world this September, the importance of passing on memories to younger generations, and the responsibility journalism holds in this endeavor.
Moratorium on Nuclear Test Detonations is Hanging by a Slender Thread in these Troubled Times
On 16th July this year I was at the University of Chicago, attending a Nobel Laureate Assembly, and visited the site where at 15:25 PM local time on 2 December 1942, the nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi achieved the first self-sustaining atomic fission chain reaction.
Do Nuclear Tests Still Remain a Future Threat — as World Commemorates the 80th Anniversary of Hiroshima & Nagasaki?
The 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II triggers the question: Is nuclear testing dead or is it still alive--and threatening? The August 6-9 anniversary marks the devastating bombings, which claimed the lives of between 150,000 and 246,000 civilians-- and still remains the only use of nuclear weapons in an armed conflict.
US Signs Strategic Civil Nuclear Agreement with Malaysia– while Planning a Security Alliance in the Asia-Pacific Region
The US is apparently contemplating the possible creation—either a formal or an informal-- security alliance in the Asia-Pacific region on the lines of the longstanding collective defense pact, the 32-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
From Deterrence to Disarmament: Global Advocates Call for Justice and Peace
Marking 80 years since the dawn of the nuclear age, peace advocates, diplomats, educators, and atomic bomb survivors from around the world gathered for the “Choose Hope” symposium on March 12–13, 2025, in Santa Barbara, California. Co-organized by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) and Soka Gakkai International (SGI), the event was held at the Music Academy of the West.
Kazakhstan’s Path From Tragedy to Tolerance: Interfaith Dialogue, Peace, and Disarmament
On the windswept steppe west of Astana, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev led a solemn ceremony this week to mark Kazakhstan’s Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Political Repressions and Famine—an annual reflection on one of the nation’s darkest chapters.
Agenda for Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference Still Unclear
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons must not be allowed to collapse under the weight of geopolitical cynicism, the preparatory committee at the UN heard.
Fostering Dialogue for Disarmament Ahead of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Review Conference
The argument for nuclear disarmament is perhaps more relevant than it has been since the end of World War II, especially in a world where there is a growing gulf between nuclear states and between nuclear states and those who don't have the weapons.
If the US Nuclear Umbrella Collapses, Will it Trigger a Euro-Bomb?
The Trump administration’s hostile attitude towards Western Europe—and the threat to pullout of the 32-member military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – signifies the danger of losing the longstanding protection of the US nuclear umbrella over Europe. Jana Puglierin, director of the German office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, was quoted as saying: “Trump may, or may not, want to leave NATO officially, but he has every means to undermine NATO”.
US Considering Nuclear Power for Saudi Arabia in Grand Bargain
The Trump administration is reportedly pursuing a deal with Saudi Arabia that would be a pathway to developing a commercial nuclear power industry in the desert kingdom and maybe even lead to the enrichment of uranium on Saudi soil.
Nuclear Testing in Kazakhstan Documentary Showcases Urgent Need for Nuclear Abolition
The documentary I Want to Live On: The Untold Stories of the Polygon exposes the lifelong impacts of nuclear testing in Kazakhstan’s Semey region. As a third-generation survivor born in Semey, international relations legal expert based in New York, Togzhan Yessenbayeva said she was aware of the “profound impact” that nuclear testing has had on her community and environment. She remarked that the tests in Semipalatinsk have left a “legacy of challenges” that people must deal with to this day.
How the Arts Play a Role in the Fight for Nuclear Disarmament
This week countries and communities converge in New York for the 3rd Meeting of State Parties on the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), with multiple side events to address the social, political and cultural impact of nuclear abolition across different sectors.
Nobel Peace Prize Forum Breaks Down Nuclear Risks and Solutions
The existential threat that nuclear weapons present remains as pertinent as ever, even when they have not been deployed in war for nearly 80 years. As some countries seek out nuclear weapons or to upgrade and modernize their existing warheads, global voices in nuclear politics and disarmament warn of the potential risk of a new nuclear arms race amid the weakening of nuclear treaties that prohibit the proliferation and use of nuclear arms.
Peace Talks—Delegates Turn To Climate Summit for Insights Into What Really Makes People Safe
At a time when the COP29 summit is primarily focused on climate finance as a tool to cool catastrophically high global temperatures and reverse consequences for all life on earth, delegates—alarmed and concerned by the state of world peace and stability—are seeking ways to enhance safety.
Guterres Congratulates Nihon Hidankyo For Nobel Prize For Efforts To Rid Humanity of Nuclear Weapons
The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres congratulated grassroots Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo on being awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.
Playing Nuclear Games: Tickling the Tail of the Promethean Nuclear Fire Dragon
In recent years, the rhetoric, strategy and practice of nuclear deterrence has grown riskier, more urgent, more dangerous, less stable, and increasingly in the hands of deficient leaders and policymakers.
A Growing New Battle: Nuclear Weapons vs Conventional Arms
The warnings from the United Nations and from anti-nuclear activists are increasingly ominous: the world is closer to a nuclear war—by design or by accident—more than ever before. The current conflicts—and the intense war of words—between nuclear and non-nuclear states—Russia vs. Ukraine, Israel vs. Palestine and North Korea vs. South Korea—are adding fuel to a slow-burning fire.
Activists Call on World to ‘Imagine’ Peace, End Nuclear Arms
In any discussion of world peace and the future of humanity, the issue of nuclear arms must be addressed, and now. That was the message from a range of delegates at the “Imaginer la Paix / Imagine Peace” conference, held in Paris September 22 to 24, and organized by the Sant’Egidio Community, a Christian organization founded in Rome in 1968 and now based in 70 countries.
Summit of the Future: Youth Driven Action Needed to Tackle Nuclear and Climate Crises
Driving the Summit of the Future’s core messages of international solidarity and decisive action are young people who are determined to address the intersecting issues that the world contends with today.
Are the World’s Ongoing Conflicts in Danger of Going Nuclear?
The constant drumbeat of nuclear threats seems never ending—emanating primarily from the Russians, Israeli right-wing politicians and North Koreans. The threats also prompt one lingering question: Can there be a World War III without the use of nuclear weapons?
Kazakhstan Takes Lead in Global Push for Nuclear Disarmament Amid Heightened Tensions
In a world increasingly shadowed by the threat of nuclear conflict, Kazakhstan is stepping up its efforts in the global disarmament movement. On August 27-28, 2024, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), Kazakhstan will host a critical workshop in Astana. This gathering, the first of its kind in five years, is set to reinvigorate the five existing Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZs) and enhance cooperation and consultation among them.Next Page »
百度 香港前立法会议员刘慧卿、非法占中发起人之一的戴耀廷、被取消立法会议员资格的游蕙祯，及香港一些学生组织代表等9人出席。
In order to ensure a world free from nuclear weapons, Soka Gakkai International actively supports the People's Decade of Action for Nuclear Abolition Phase II, which campaigns for their eradication and promotes awareness about their threats.
This mini-site will be a place where those interested and concerned about nuclear proliferation will find in-depth news and analysis by professional journalists who constitute INPS Japan’s global media network partners, including IPS NORAM, and viewpoints of representatives of the United Nations, governments, think-tanks, and other civil society groups well-versed in issues of nuclear non-proliferation will find a useful platform for exchange of views on the issue of nuclear abolition.
Visualizing a World Without Nuclear Weapons
In order to ensure a world free from nuclear weapons, Soka Gakkai International actively supports the People's Decade of Action for Nuclear Abolition Phase II, which campaigns for their eradication and promotes awareness about their threats.
This mini-site will be a place where those interested and concerned about nuclear proliferation will find in-depth news and analysis by professional journalists who constitute INPS Japan’s global media network partners, including IPS NORAM, and viewpoints of representatives of the United Nations, governments, think-tanks, and other civil society groups well-versed in issues of nuclear non-proliferation will find a useful platform for exchange of views on the issue of nuclear abolition.
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