This Australian is heading to Hiroshima with a mission: putting an end to nuclear weapons

Almost eight decades after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, youth leaders from around the world will gather in the Japanese city for a UN conference to advocate for a world free of nuclear weapons.

Simon Liu, from Australia, is one of 50 participants who will attend a youth-led UN conference advocating for a world without nuclear weapons. Credit: Bettmann Archive / David Mareuil / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images / Supplied / SBS

Key Points

• A youth-led UN conference will be held in Hiroshima, Japan, to advocate for a world without nuclear weapons.
• There are still an estimated 12,500 nuclear weapons in existence today.
• Youths play a critical role in nuclear disarmament, says the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August, 1945, were the most catastrophic acts of mass destruction in human history.

By the end of that year, an estimated 140,000 people in Hiroshima and a further 74,000 people in Nagasaki had died as a result.

Despite the lessons of this tragedy, there are still an estimated 12,500 nuclear weapons in existence today, posing a significant threat to humanity.

The wrecked framework of the Museum of Science and Industry in Hiroshima as it appeared shortly after the blast in 1945. Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

"Nuclear weapons are an existential threat to society," Simon Liu, a 24-year-old humanitarian consultant from Sydney, told SBS Japanese.

"It’s something to always be aware of, and to carry that message across generations, so it's not lost over time."

Liu is one of 50 young people — and the sole representative from Australia — selected by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) to lead an upcoming UN conference in Hiroshima advocating for nuclear disarmament.

Simon Liu, 24, is a humanitarian consultant from Sydney. Credit: Simon Liu

The youth-led conference is part of the "Youth Leader Fund (YLF) for a World Without Nuclear Weapons" initiative, coordinated by the UNODA and funded by the government of Japan.

The program was announced in 2022 by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who vowed to keep Nagasaki as the last place on earth to suffer an atomic bombing.

Younger generations play a critical role

With half of the world population under the age of 30 today, "youth are essential" to bringing innovative solutions to the table, according to the UNODA.

"Young people have a critical role in raising awareness and developing new ways to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons and work towards their elimination," a spokesperson said in a statement to SBS Japanese.

This is a vision Liu shares.

This platform is an inspiration for the youth around the world to believe in themselves, to pick a stance in what they believe in, and create a positive change in the world.

Simon Liu

In light of the escalating geopolitical tensions in Ukraine and Gaza, "nuclear disarmament efforts are more important than before", the UNODA spokesperson added.

Understanding the true history

Risa Pieters, a US-based Japanese-South African, will also be leading the conference in Hiroshima.

She is the deputy director of global programs at the Asia-Pacific Obama Foundation.

Growing up in the US, Pieters recalled the "discrepancy" in the stories and histories of the atomic bombings taught at school.

"It was one-sided perspective and very brief," she said.

Simon Liu (left) and Risa Pieters will attend the Youth Leader Conference on Nuclear Disarmament. Credit: Risa Pieters

"I remember bringing that content home, and asking my (Japanese) mum about it, and her telling me all these stories that were completely different from what I was hearing."

That "gap" is still evident today, Pieters said.

"Seeing the fanfare around the movie Oppenheimer, and that not including the victim’s voices either ... I feel like it's urgent that we continue to work with hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) and bring those stories to as many audiences as possible," she said.

It's critical that we all understand our shared history and that we're doing everything in our power to work together to not repeat it.

Risa Pieters

With the average age of the atomic-bomb survivors now over 85, youth hold a crucial role in keeping the torch burning.

"Hibakusha are real-life witnesses of history. Those stories impact and influence this generation of emerging leaders," Pieters said.

Liu added, “That collective and generational trauma is something that I really wish to use this platform of the United Nations to share with the world and do more about it.”

Declare action

The Hiroshima conference will bring expertise, innovation, creativity and much-needed inter-generational and inter-cultural dialogue.

"It is envisioned that they (participants) will go back to their regions, their countries, their communities, and carry on pursuing the goals of the declaration," the UNODA spokesperson said.

"Declaration is actually worded as declarACTION," Liu said.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) in Hiroshima, Japan. Source: Anadolu / David Mareuil via Getty Images

He emphasised that the conference is all about encouraging continued commitment.

"It's kind of like what are we doing now, and what are the actionable steps we can take, and then we can reflect on that experience."

Pieters, too, said: "It’s absolutely critical that youth are part of this conversation, that youth are at the table because this is their future as well."

The inaugural Youth Leader Conference on Nuclear Disarmament will be held on 30 August, 9:15-11am UTC+9 and will be live streamed.

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