President’s Letter: Humanity in the Balance
Dear NAPF Community,
The war between Israel and Iran, which the United States entered by bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend, has put millions of people in harm’s way. The conflict is allegedly over Iran’s potential to build nuclear weapons, even as Israel has for decades maintained a policy of ambiguity regarding its own arsenal estimated at around 90 nuclear warheads. Israel has also resisted entering any international agreements and regulatory processes that regard nuclear weapons and nuclear technologies.
The crisis threatens to engulf not just the region but the entire world. Humanity is hanging in the balance. We join the call of all pleading for peace and diplomacy, and condemn in the strongest possible terms the path of war and the devastation it brings.
It is hard to believe that humans are a quarter of the way into the 21st century and 80 years past the advent of nuclear weapons, and yet, we seem not to have accepted that peace amongst states is not just a moral, but an existential imperative. In Einstein’s words, we must change our “modes of thinking” in order to move away from the brink.
At NAPF, we are always changing and interrogating what we do and how we do it. But one thing that we have never deviated from is the sincerest of beliefs that a world free of nuclear weapons must be pursued and must be achieved for the sake of nothing less than life itself. We agree with the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, who stated in 2013 that “there are no right hands to handle these wrong weapons.” That of course means that Iran should not acquire nuclear weapons, nor should any other state. At the same time, it is incumbent upon the nine states that have nuclear arsenals to work in earnest towards eliminating them. As we near the 80th anniversaries of the Trinity explosion and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it would not be a moment too soon.
It is hard to pursue the goal of nuclear abolition for many reasons, especially in such challenging times. What helps to sustain us is the vision of leaders, experts, artists, and activists – within our own community and from around the world, both living and passed – who have dedicated themselves to the cause of peace and disarmament. Learning from them is an enormous privilege. Celebrating them, as has been an NAPF tradition since its founding, is always the highlight of our year.
On September 26, the International Day for Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, we will be immensely privileged to honor two extraordinary human beings who have been vocal and ardent advocates for humanity at our 38th Evening for Peace: actor and activist Martin Sheen, who will receive the 2025 Daniel Ellsberg Lifetime Achievement Award, and Pope Francis, who will receive, posthumously, the NAPF Distinguished Peace Leader Award for 2025. The event will take place at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. More information to follow. For now, we hope you will save the date!
We also hope that you will join us for our 31st Annual Sadako Peace Day on August 6, the 80th Anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, to honor the memory of Sadako Sasaki and all innocent victims of war. More information about this event is available below, along with our recent writing, videos, and other resources.
Something else that helps to sustain us is donations from people like you. Each contribution energizes us to push ever harder in pursuit of a peaceful world, free of nuclear weapons. Please consider giving today – we are grateful for your support!
With love and hope,
Ivana N. Hughes
President, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Latest
NAPF at the 2025 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Preparatory Committee
NAPF delivered statements, organized side events, and amplified youth and frontline voices at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
See HERE for photos, program, and event summaries.
Welcoming our 2025 Intern Cohort
We’re excited to welcome our 2025 summer interns from Columbia, NYU, Williams College, and the Lycée Français de New York. They bring energy and unique perspectives to our disarmament and advocacy work this summer.
Get to know them HERE.
Article in Common Dreams
Christian Ciobanu and Dr. Hughes honor Pope Francis’ powerful legacy on nuclear disarmament and environmental justice and call on Pope Leo XIV to carry it forward.
Read the full article HERE.
Highlights
Interfaith Perspectives: Hope for Peace in a World of Conflict
NAPF hosted an NPT side event with RTT and faith-based partners on interfaith dialogue and nuclear disarmament. For event summary and recording, see HERE.
Advancing Nuclear Disarmament & Non-Proliferation Education
NAPF, RTT, CNS, PeaceBoatUS, Kiribati, Japan, and Mexico co-hosted an NPT side event on disarmament education. Learn more and watch the recording HERE.
Nuclear Weapons & Global Order at Columbia University
Professors Richard Falk and Jeffrey Sachs and Dr. Ivana Hughes discussed the relevance of nuclear weapons to the current global order at a Columbia University event. Watch the recording HERE.
Rebuilding the Anti-Nuclear Weapons Movement Conference
Dr. Ivana Hughes joined Jay Coghlan and Archbishop John Wester for a keynote on nuclear abolition at the 2025 Rebuilding the Anti-Nuclear Weapons Movement conference held in Seattle. Watch the keynote video HERE.
Upcoming
31st Annual Sadako Peace Day
AUG 6, 2025
NAPF and the Immaculate Heart Community will hold the 31st Annual Sadako Peace Day on August 6, 2025, marking 80 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. RSVP via Paperless Post or email info@napf.org.
38th Evening for Peace
September 26, 2025
Save the date for the 38th Evening for Peace, honoring actor and activist Martin Sheen and the late Pope Francis for their enduring contributions to peace, justice, and human dignity. The evening will include a reception and dinner at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Formal invitation to follow.
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