Hiroshima Day | Join Professor Dale Stephens to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The atomic bombs that exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945 caused unspeakable suffering and devastation. For the last 75 years, humanity has lived under the dark shadow of these uniquely horrific and terrifying tools of war.

We are not prepared to deal with the humanitarian catastrophe that would occur if nuclear weapons were to be used again. A nuclear explosion would leave everyone helpless.

Yet, the risk that nuclear weapons may be used is frighteningly high—and is increasing. Knowing our inability to respond to the consequences of a nuclear explosion, any risk of use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable.

What we cannot prepare for, we must prevent. It is high time that we take urgent action to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons.

Join us for one of our five webinars to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to honour the memory of the hundreds of thousands of victims of these atomic bombings, and to call on all States to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

On 4 August 2020, join Professor Dale Stephens to learn more about nuclear weapons in light of international humanitarian law and the more commonly breached obligations during times of armed conflict.

Professor Dale Stephens is a Professor of Law at the University of Adelaide Law School.  He obtained his Law degree (LL.B (Hons.)) from Adelaide University in 1988.  In 1989, he was admitted as a legal practitioner to the Supreme Court of South Australia.  That same year he also joined the Royal Australian Navy. His operational deployments include East Timor and Iraq. He has been awarded the Conspicuous Service Medal (CSM), the (US) Bronze Star and the (US) Meritorious Service Medal. He attained the rank of Captain in the Navy before transferring to the Reserve. In 2004 Professor Stephens completed an LL.M from Harvard Law School (HLS) and taught at the U.S. Naval War College during the 2004/5 academic year. In 2014 he was awarded his Doctorate (SJD) from HLS. In 2013, Professor Stephens was appointed to an academic position at the University of Adelaide.  He is currently Director of the Adelaide Research Unit on Military Law and Ethics and Head of the SA/NT Navy Legal Panel.  He is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.

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You can also join us for our other online events. Please register separately for each event, and use the individual Zoom link for that event.

Sunday, 2 August | Join Professor Tilman Ruff AO, founding member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and Co-President of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) to learn about the journey to developing the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and why it is so important that all States sign and ratify the treaty.

Monday, 3 August | Join Dr Eve Massingham as she discusses the legality of nuclear weapons and the approach that States have taken to them pursuant to their obligation to ensure respect for international humanitarian law.

Wednesday, 5 August | Join Karina Lester, a Yankunytjatjara Anangu woman from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands) in the far North West of South Australia to share her late father's story and her grandmother's story of the British Nuclear Tests in the 1950s and 1960s.

Thursday, 6 August | Join Isao Moriomoto for our concluding event to hear him share the personal story of his mother's survival of the Hiroshima atomic bombing and how he has continued the education and advocacy work of his mother.

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This webinar series is co-hosted by Australian Red Cross and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Australia.