On August 6, 1945, 10-year-old Hideko Tamura learned more than anyone should ever know about nuclear weapons and the unimaginable destruction, terror, violence and pain they cause. Eighty years later, Hideko, who survived the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, is a beacon and ambassador for peace. She exudes hope and a love for life, nature and humankind, while helping the rest of us learn and better understand what she knows all too well from her own painful experience — that nuclear weapons must be abolished.
All of us – who did not suffer the horror that Hideko and other victims and survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing did – have so much more to learn about nuclear weapons so we can turn that knowledge and concern into agency and action and the change we seek.
We often talk about our need to grow a diverse, politically powerful constituency demanding our leaders and elected officials take seriously the threat of nuclear war and the need to get rid of nuclear weapons. To do that we need to provide many more people the information they need to be informed, so they can truly understand the urgency and severity of the problem we are trying to solve and are motivated to act and feel like they can make a difference.
Back from the Brink, with generous support from the Carnegie Corporation, seeks to meet this need and thus has launched our Beginner’s Guide to Nuclear Weapons. It’s a comprehensive online resource that will help folks new to, or curious about, this issue – as well as seasoned activists – get up to speed and be better informed on a whole host of nuclear weapons and disarmament issues. Importantly, the guide addresses the misconceptions that nuclear weapons keep us safe and that nuclear abolition is impossible. It includes crucial information about risks, impact and consequences, and a useful glossary of commonly-used terms.
What do you know about nuclear weapons? What more do you want to learn? Perhaps you have family members, friends, colleagues, or neighbors who share your concern and could benefit from the guide. Please share it with them via email or social media.
The Beginner’s Guide will be a living resource and we plan to regularly add more information and resources. We welcome your feedback and your suggestions for content and resources. Drop us a line at info@preventnuclearwar.org.
