2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day 2023

August 6, 2023
St. Bartholomew's Episcopalian Church, New York

On August 6, 2023, the 78th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons and the United Religions Initiative observed The 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day. The event was held at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopalian Church in New York City and featured reflections, prayers, and action steps for a nuclear weapons-free world from guests including the Rt. Rev. William E. Swing, Audrey Kitagawa, Jonathan Granoff, and Michael Ramos. The observation included the announcement of the 2023 Gorbachev/Shultz Youth Award winner, a beautiful cello performance by Michael Fitzpatrick, and other remembrances of the sacrifices of the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Videos

The 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day, August 6, 2023 – Full Event

Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons and the United Religions Initiative honored the 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day with prayers, reflections, and action steps for a world free of nuclear weapons.

The 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day – "Blowing in the Wind" with Peter Yarrow

Peter Yarrow of folk group Peter, Paul and Mary led a rendition of “Blowing in the Wind” by the group gathered at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopalian Church for Nuclear Prayer Day on August 6, 2023.

The 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day – The Rt. Rev. William E. Swing

The Rt. Rev. William E. Swing, Founder and President Emeritus of URI, announced the winner of the Gorbachev/Shultz Youth Award, Yogev Von Kundra, and shared his reflections at the 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopalian Church on August 6, 2023.

The 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day – Jonathan Granoff, J.D.

Jonathan Granoff, President of the Global Security Institute, shared his reflections on the horrors of nuclear weapons and offered his prayer for peace at the 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopalian Church on August 6, 2023.

The 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day – Audrey Kitagawa, J.D.

IAMC President and Founder Audrey Kitagawa offered her reflections and blessings on the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima at the 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopalian Church on August 6, 2023.

The 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day – Michael Ramos

Michael Ramos, President/CEO of the United Way of Tompkins County shared his reflections and offered his prayers at the 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopalian Church on August 6, 2023.

The 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day – Michael Fitzpatrick

Michael Fitzpatrick provided a moving solo cello performance honoring the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the 2nd Annual Nuclear Prayer Day at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopalian Church in New York City.

Photos

Japan, March 29, 2023
USA-Canada, March 28, 2023
‍
Soka University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
‍
Sponsored by
Soka University, the G7 Research Group, the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation and Soka Gakkai International

Prospectus

The G7's Hiroshima Summit on May 19-21, 2023, confronts four key potentially existential, interrelated, global threats – the danger of nuclear war in Europe and Asia, irreversible climate change and global health. Japan's G7 presidency identified these threats as priorities from the very start of its year as G7 host, alongside other immediate challenges in the economic, social, ecological and political-security domains.
‍
As Japan and its G7 partners develop their agenda and prospective actions for the Hiroshima Summit, they and their citizens will consider several key questions.

What further advances have come from recent summits influenced by G7 members, notably the G20's Bali Summit in November 2022?
How and where has Japan, especially as a G7 host, effectively shaped summit action on nuclear weapons, climate change and global health in the past and what assets does it have for doing so now?
What are the most urgent and important needs for actions to control nuclear weapons, climate change and global health now, and ones that Japan's Hiroshima Summit can best supply in May?
How well have G7 summits governed nuclear weapons, climate change and global health in the past, through timely, well-tailored, collective commitments and members' faithful compliance with them?

To assist in finding answers to these questions at an early stage, the G7 Research Group, Soka University, Soka Gakkai International and the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation are sponsoring a one-day invitational, international conference at Soka University in Tokyo on March 29, 2023. At this hybrid livestreamed event, experts from the educational, academic, civil society and government communities will gather in person and virtually to share their perspectives and offer their best analysis and advice on what Japan's Hiroshima Summit should do to control nuclear, climate and global health risks. The conference will conclude by assembling specific recommendations that command the most consensus at this event, as the basis for priority recommendations to be sent by the sponsors to the G7 planners themselves.

Program

9:00-9:15 AM JST

5:00-5:15 PM PDT

8:00-8:15 PM EDT

Welcome

Masashi Suzuki, President, Soka University
John Kirton, Director, G7 Research Group
Audrey Kitagawa, President, International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation (IAMC)
Hirotsugu Terasaki, Director General, Peace and Global Issues, Soka Gakkai International (SGI)

9:15-10:15 AM JST

5:15-6:15 PM PDT

8:15-9:15 PM EDT

G7 Contributions to Global Governance

Chair: Minoru Koide, Soka University
John Kirton, University of Toronto: G7 Performance, 1975–2022
Madeline Koch, G7 Research Group: G7 Compliance, 1975–2022
Jonathan Luckhurst, Soka University: G7-G20-UN Synergies

10:15-10:30 AM JST

Break

10:30-11:30 AM JST

6:30-7:30 PM PDT

9:30-10:30 PM EDT

Japan's Contribution to G7 Governance

Chair: Tomoko Utsumi, Soka University
Hugo Dobson, Sheffield University
Stephen Nagy, Senior Associate Professor, International Christian University

11:30 AM-12:15 PM JST

7:30-8:15 PM PDT

10:30-11:15 PM EDT

Keynote Address: Japan's Plans, Priorities and Preparations 2023

Chair: John Kirton, G7 Research Group
Takashi Ariyoshi, Director of Economic Policy Division and Deputy Secretary General of the G7 Hiroshima Summit Secretariat

12:15-1:15 PM JST

Lunch

1:15-3:15 PM JST

9:15-11:15 PM PDT

12:15-2:15 AM EDT

Controlling Nuclear Weapons

Chair: Nikolas Emmanuel, Soka University
Anna Ikeda, SGI Representative to the United Nations [virtual]
Audrey Kitagawa, President, International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation (IAMC)
Jonathan Granoff, President, Global Security Institute
Rorry Daniels, Managing Director, Asia Society Policy Institute
Mitsuru Kurosawa, Professor Emeritus, Osaka University [virtual]
Nobuyasu Abe, Former Ambassador; Former Director, Center for the Promotion of Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, Japan Institute of International Affairs

3:15-3:30 PM JST

Break

3:30-5:00 PM JST

11:30 PM-1:00 AM PDT

2:30-4:00 AM EDT

Strengthening Climate, Energy and Health Security

Chair: Anar Koli, Soka University
Ella Kokotsis, G7 Research Group, Canada: G7 Performance on Climate Change [virtual]
Miranda Schreurs, Technical University of Munich, Germany: Japan’s Contributions – Past, Present, Potential [virtual]
Mark Elder, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Tokyo
Hideaki Shiroyama, Professor, Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Tokyo

5:00-5:30 PM JST

1:00-1:30 AM PDT

4:00-4:30 AM EDT

Recommendations for G7 Hiroshima Summit Action

Chair: Jonathan Luckhurst, Soka University
Presentations by session chairs summarizing the recommendations arising from their sessions

Participation

Register here for virtual participation or
‍Watch livestream on YouTube at https://bit.ly/g7-hiroshima-summit-youtube or on Facebook at https://bit.ly/g7-hiroshima-summit-facebook