Our Memories of Hiroshima Hiroshima, Japan
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In 2019, we addressed the use of nuclear weapons by the British and Japanese governments. This conference seeks to analyse the causes and effects of governmental use of nuclear power, and debate policies and strategies regarding their use in warfare.
Currently 9 countries hold a total of 14,575 nuclear weapons. The United Kingdom has a comprehensive nuclear defence system and a stockpile of 215 nuclear warheads. A single nuclear weapon can destroy an entire city, kill millions of people, and have long-term adverse effects on the natural environment and future population. In 2017, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was approved by the United Nations General Assembly. Only 70 countries have signed the treaty to date. The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and Japan voted against the adoption of the treaty. Since the invention of nuclear weapons, Japan is the only country in the world where nuclear weapons were actually used, causing mass destruction and killing indiscriminately. Radiation damage has plagued the people of Japan many years after the bombings. This history has had a tremendous impact on Japan and the Japanese people and is an event that will not be weathered by time.
Last year, Britain commemorated the 100th anniversary of WWI, and Japan reached the last year of Heisei (the first era without war). In this milestone year, we will look at the subject of nuclear power from various angles and discuss their use in warfare.