Organizer: Steven Leeper, Independent Scholar, Japan Discussants: Yuko Ando, Waseda University, Japan; Yuki Miyamoto, DePaul University, USA; David Janes, U. S.-Japan Foundation, USA Hiroshima and Mayors for Peace
A Workshop on Cities, Schools, and Universities as Effective Non-State Actors for Disarmament
Abstract
For decades, effective efforts at nuclear disarmament have largely eluded nation states and international political bodies. Disarmament is of particular concern for the nations of Northeast Asia, given their use in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and current nuclear proliferation issues on the Korean peninsula.
Since launching its 2020 Vision Campaign in 2003, Mayors for Peace has grown rapidly into an international network of mayors of over 4000 cities in 143 countries. From its base in Hiroshima, the organization has become a leading force in the field of nuclear disarmament in Asia and around the world.
As an example of an effective actor for nuclear disarmament, Mayors for Peace is significant in its own right. It is also important as a model of the role that non-state actors can play in a range of policy issues that have traditionally been the realm of national states and diplomats. Cities, schools, and universities play a growing role in building effective connections between people in Asia and the U.S. by addressing global issues of concern.
This workshop will review the origins of Mayors for Peace in Asia, its now global impact, and discuss the role of transnational, non-state networks in addressing global issues, notably reducing/eliminating nuclear weapons in NE Asia and the world. Mayor Hanneman of Honolulu, a member of Mayors for Peace, will talk about how the City of Honolulu is implementing Mayors for Peace programs; educators from DePaul University (Chicago) and Waseda University (Tokyo) will discuss their implementation in schools and other community settings.
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