Choose Hope Symposium Day 2: Public Symposium

Sunday, August 24, 2025
Phoenix Hall, B2 Floor, International Conference Center Hiroshima

Report by Erika Kokor

The second day of the Choose Hope Symposium, co-organized by Soka Gakkai International and the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, opened with powerful reminders of why the struggle for nuclear abolition cannot wait. Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes delivered the opening remarks, drawing on her visits to Hiroshima and Nagasaki to stress the global impact of nuclear weapons and the moral imperative of abolition. She honored the memory of Sadako Sasaki through her moving poem, “I think of you often, Sadako,” urging participants to fold paper cranes and send them across the world—not as flames of chain reactions, but as flames of hope.

The urgency of this message was amplified by keynote speaker Annie Jacobsen, journalist and author of Nuclear War: A Scenario. She described in chilling detail the mere 72 minutes it would take for nuclear war to devastate the planet, from the launch of a single missile to the chain reaction that would engulf the globe. Her stark words—“This is what a world with nuclear weapons looks like. This is madness”—underscored the stakes of the symposium’s mission and set the tone for a day of deep discussion, reflection, and resolve.

The first panel brought together Christian Ciobanu, Masako Toki, Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes, and Annie Jacobsen to examine the global stakes of nuclear weapons. Christian highlighted the devastation of Operation Grapple on Kiritimati Island, calling it “a dress rehearsal for the death of the world.” Masako emphasized youth education as a vital yet underused tool, urging disarmament to be broadened as a human rights issue, the voices of hibakusha to be preserved, and governments to be held accountable—reminding us, “Our task is daunting, but we can’t afford complacency.” Ivana described the fight as “the Donut Problem,” requiring pressure from both inside and outside nuclear states, while Annie stressed the importance of simplifying education around nuclear weapons, creating safe spaces for people to learn and act.

The second panel, featuring Sayaka Morii, Hideo Asano, Kenneth Chiu, and Valeriya Zhrebetsova, centered on the role of youth and hope in shaping a nuclear-free future. Sayaka, a graduate of Hiroshima University, underscored cross-cultural education and the hibakusha’s commitment to peace beyond deterrence. Hideo called for stronger youth involvement in policy-making and dialogue, while Kenneth reminded the audience that “youth voices are voices of the present.” Valeriya evoked the specter of Tsar Bomba—“the collective suicide of mankind”—to stress the need to “break the wall of public complacency.” Together, the panelists, responding to interactive word clouds with the audience, conveyed that remembering the past and amplifying hope are essential to building a peaceful world.

Both days of the Choose Hope symposium reflected the enduring legacies of David Krieger and Daisaku Ikeda, who showed through their lives that peace must be pursued with courage, imagination, and most importantly, hope. Across the discussions and panels, youth were highlighted as not only inheritors of this struggle but also its leaders. Their ideas, energy, and voices shape the conversations—and will continue to shape the actions—that move us closer to a nuclear-free future.

Program

Short video about Krieger and Ikeda
Welcome remarks by Tomohiko Aishima
Opening remarks by Ivana Nikolić Hughes
Hibakusha Testimony by Mariko Higashino
Keynote speech by Annie Jacobsen
Hibaku Piano Performance by Kimiko Sakai
Panel 1 “Confronting the Nuclear Threat: TPNW, Nuclear Justice  and a Path to the Nuclear Abolition” by Chie Sunada (moderator), Ivana Nikolić Hughes, Christian Ciobanu, Masako Toki, Annie Jacobsen
Panel 2 “Hope in Action: Carrying the Legacy, Building the Future” by Luli van der Does (moderator), Sayaka Morii, Hideo Asano, Kenneth  Chiu, Valeriya Zherebtsova
Closing Remarks & Announcement