Honoring Hiroshima and Nagasaki: A Call to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

In these days, we mark two solemn anniversaries in human history: the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which claimed over 200,000 civilian lives and marked a profound moral turning point for all humanity.

At Religions for Peace, we remember these tragedies not as distant history, but as urgent reminders of the ethical failure and enduring trauma caused by nuclear weapons. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to their complete elimination.

Faith Communities United for Disarmament

For over five decades, Religions for Peace has championed nuclear disarmament as a moral and spiritual imperative. Our global coalition of religious leaders and communities has consistently called for a world free from weapons of mass destruction—guided not by politics, but by the sanctity of life, the pursuit of justice, and the call to peace.

From our landmark Arms Down! campaign, which mobilized over 20 million signatures delivered to the United Nations, to our ongoing partnership with hibakusha and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), we continue to advocate for a future built on shared security and human dignity.

A Time for Moral Courage

Today, nearly 12,500 nuclear warheads remain in existence. Despite growing global consensus in favor of disarmament, progress is stalled, and investment in nuclear modernization continues. The recent attacks on alleged nuclear facilities in Iran underscore how quickly conventional conflict can escalate into nuclear catastrophe.

We call on all people of faith and goodwill to raise their voices for nuclear de-escalation. On July 16, marking the 80th anniversary of the Trinity Test—the scientific milestone that paved the way for the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—Religions for Peace issued a statement that we reaffirm today. The statement urges all nations to support the universalization of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as a concrete and essential pathway toward the total abolition of nuclear weapons and the achievement of lasting peace. Let us stand together to ensure that peace—not fear—guides our future.