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The Youth Disarmament Movement at The UN
The Youth Disarmament Movement at The UN
The Youth Disarmament Movement at The UN
I heard their goal for Sundays march is around 10,000, but Im not sure if they
have any confirmation of that number. And I think the conference at Cooper
Union is expected to have about 800 attendees.
In terms of disarmament, are you focusing mainly on nuclear weapons?
Yes, its our focus at SGI. Our second president Josei Toda, made a declaration
at the height of the Cold War in 1957 stating that nuclear weapons epitomize the
ultimate disrespect for life. His message aligned with the tenets of Buddhism.
How do you see the role of youth in affecting global nuclear policy at the UN?
One thing that Ive been noticing at many of the disarmament communities that I
attend is they are really excited to see the presence of young people. And that
really gives assurance to the movement that we will carry on. Especially now that
we have lost some of the early leaders of the nuclear disarmament movement, I
see that our role is to be a link to the future. But also, I think because we were
not a part of the beginnings of the movement, we are unburdened by the
experiences of the past we dont feel the past failures or frustrations that some
of our senior activists feel. So I think that frees us up to come up with new paths
to disarmament and to question the way things are done and try to think of new
ways to approach the problem creativelyto really challenge the status quo.
I really feel like, especially regarding the humanitarian consequences of nuclear
weapons, that the discussion has caught the public interest over the past three
years. Looking at ICAN and the young people who are participating, it shows
when youth are really excited and focused they can make something very
tangible happen. It creates a great current, not only in civil society but for the
member states too. I think its a great example of how the enthusiasm and
creativity of youth can expand the impact of our efforts at the United Nations and
beyond.$