Atomic bombing of Hiroshima commemorated in Dublin

The annual commemoration for the victims of the Hiroshima atomic bomb took place at the memorial cherry tree in Merrion Square Park, Dublin, on Sunday, 6th August 2023, the 78th anniversary of the bombing. Despite torrential rain during the ceremony, over 70 people gathered to remember all those affected by nuclear testing and weapons, and to affirm their determination that such an atrocity must never happen again.

Welcoming those in attendance, Irish CND chairperson, Dr David Hutchinson Edgar, paid tribute to the leading roles in working internationally for nuclear disarmament played by Austria, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa, whose ambassadors were present. He noted Ireland's partnership with countries such as these in the New Agenda Coalition, which has recently submitted a strong working paper aimed at breaking what some see as the current stalemate in disarmament negotiations, "Taking Forward Nuclear Disarmament," at the United Nations. He praised Austria's role as host of the first meeting of states parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and acknowledged the vision for a world free of nuclear weapons put forward by Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, in the context of the G7 meeting in Hiroshima earlier this year.

Ambassadors from Austria, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa joined representation from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, together with Irish CND Chairperson David Hutchinson Edgar, Japanese Ambassador Norio Maruyama and Dublin City Councillor Danny Byrne, who spoke at the ceremony.

Cllr Danny Byrne, representing Dublin City, reminded the audience of the horrors that struck Hiroshima on 6th August 1945, when approximately 80,000 people were annihilated instantly, with casualities reaching 140,000 within a year. He highlighted how each casualty represented not a number, but "human lives with the right to dignity, all terminated by ... the immeasurable brutality of the atomic bomb." He noted that Dublin was the first Irish city to join Mayors For Peace, co-founded by the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and re-affirmed Dublin's commitment to the vision of Mayors For Peace: a world free of nuclear weapons, safe and resilient cities, and promoting a culture of peace. Cllr Byrne laid a wreath on behalf of the people of Dublin at the end of the ceremony. 

Cllr Danny Byrne laid a wreath at the memorial tree on behalf of the people of Dublin.

In a recorded message, Irish CND vice-president, Adi Roche, spoke of the threat to life on earth posed both by nuclear weapons and by the weaponisation of civil nuclear facilities in Ukraine, and decried the massive waste of resources represented by nuclear weapons: "Because of the billions spent on weapons development and production, the people of the world have paid the ultimate cost through hunger, poverty, homelessness, unemployment, environmental degradation, while the big powers have endless funding for militarism and nuclear weapons." She praised the positive contributions of Ireland's policy of active neutrality and called for the use of "the power of our intellect, diplomatic abilities and our negotiating talents to bring an end to the current war in Ukraine and beyond."

His Excellency Mr Norio Maruyama, Japanese ambassador to Ireland, reflected on Japan's unique responsibility in relation to nuclear disarmament as the only country which has suffered an atomic bomb attack. He spoke of Prime Minister Kishida's initiative to promote nuclear disarmament among his colleagues in the G7 group of countries, and reiterated Japan's determination to keep working until nuclear weapons have been eliminated. 

Japanese ambassador, His Excellency Mr Norio Maruyama, spoke through heavy rain at the ceremony.

Musicians Máire Ní Bheaglaíoch (accordion) and Philip Horan (Japanese flute) contributed several pieces of reflective traditional music during the ceremony, which for many of those present, expressed a depth of feeling beyond words in response to the horror of nuclear weapons. Misato Omori read the poem, "That's my home", by Ukrainian poet Anastasia Afanasieva, reflecting on the personal impact of the horrors of war. 

Misato Omori read the poem "That's my home," by Anastasia Afanasieva.

Approximately 14,000 nuclear weapons remain in the world today, with just under 2,000 ready to fire within minutes, more than enough to destroy life on earth as we know it many times over. We call on all people to stand in solidarity with the victims of these horrific weapons of mass destruction, and to affirm our determination to work for their elimination, the only way to ensure that the ghastly events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will never be repeated. 

Oppenheimer: Hollywood looks at the origins of nuclear weapons

One of 2023's most anticipated and most heavily advertised movies, Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, recreates the role of its title character in the development of the atomic bomb in the 1940s. 

For some, this is an epic feat of cinematic storytelling; for others, the marriage of mass entertainment with the story of the origin of weapons of mass destruction sits somewhat uncomfortably. 

There seem to be two main sub-categories of war movies today, both of which condense the vast horror of 20th century industrial-scale warfare through the lens of a personal narrative. One type focuses on the exploits of the plucky little guy, the challenges faced by the ordinary soldier (like Saving Private Ryan, 1917 or Nolan's earlier work, Dunkirk), while the other is centred on the troubled famous person whose decisions have far-reaching consequences (like Oppenheimer, Enigma or Darkest Hour). 

With this focus on one person's story, there is much that any movie must leave untold, and that has inevitably provided one of broad areas of criticism of Nolan's Oppenheimer. The views, indeed the work, of other scientists appear as a backdrop to those of the central character. Female characters are little more than a foil to illustrate the personal struggles of the male protagonist in a male-dominated world. Residents of the area around the test site are barely mentioned. The depiction of the impact of the explosion - heat, light, sound, radiation - while dramatic, is tame compared to what it would really have been. The myth that the bombing ended the war (by no means certain) is perpetuated. 

Perhaps most seriously, the shattering real-life humanitarian impact of the use of the atomic bomb is never explicitly shown, though it is briefly alluded to. 80,000 people were annihilated in Hiroshima, and another 60,000 in Nagasaki, with many thousands more suffering horrific injuries leading to their deaths in the subsequent months and years. 

Both through its successes (the complex portrayal of its main character, and his growing deep unease with the bomb project) and its shortcomings, the film provokes reflection on the exploitation of scientific knowledge for purposes of destruction, and in particular, on the threat to life on earth as we know it posed by nuclear weapons. As we approach the anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the urgency of creating a world free of nuclear weapons has never been greater or more apparent. 

Here is a short selection of further resources discussing the significance of Oppenheimer: 

Everyone can help forge a safe ending to what Oppenheimer began by Prof. Tilman Ruff of the University of Melbourne, Past President of IPPNW and co-founding member of ICAN, published by the University of Melbourne 

Architect of Annihilation: Oppenheimer's Deadly Legacy of Nuclear Terror by Klee Benally, Indigenous Action

Facts and Myths about Oppenheimer compiled by ICAN, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

Post-Oppenheimer: What We Should Do To Dismantle Nuclear Weapons by Prof. Ivan Nikolić Hughes of Columbia University, President of Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, published by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists