President’s Letter: Choosing Hope in Difficult Times

Dear NAPF Community,

At the dawn of the nuclear age, Albert Einstein stated that “The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking, and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe.” After nearly 80 years of being a part of our world, nuclear weapons continue to threaten everything each of us has ever known and loved. Even more tragically, they threaten to extinguish civilization and life on the planet, prospects so unsettling that they seem unthinkable.

It is precisely in difficult times, such as the ones we find ourselves in, that we must not give up, and that we must embrace the ideals of humanity as our guiding star. In other words, we must choose hope. At the turn of this century, our own David Krieger and the great Japanese leader of Soka Gakkai and Soka Gakkai International (SGI), Daisaku Ikeda, shared this message with the world through their timeless dialogue, entitled Choose Hope. It is a message that we must return to for as long as it takes.

In March, we chose hope when we participated in the Third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations in New York. There, members of our delegation delivered statements, organized and participated in side events, and brought diplomats and experts to Columbia, NYU, and beyond to engage with youth and affected communities. We subsequently chose hope in a symposium by the same name that we co-organized with SGI in Santa Barbara, which included our 20th Kelly Lecture with author Annie Jacobsen. The gathering was everything we had hoped for and more. Sharing perspectives and building community, the participants and attendees delighted in each other’s company and contributions. We are deeply grateful to SGI for their partnership and to all of the participants for their insight, perspectives, and sheer humanity. See below to learn more and watch videos of the events.

In 1905, the author G.K. Chesterton wrote that “Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, otherwise it is no virtue at all.” This was incidentally the same year that Albert Einstein began to upend physics, establishing in one swoop (and four papers) the foundations of special relativity and quantum mechanics, which form the basis for all of modern physics. One hundred and twenty years later, it is due to modern physics that we have many of the comforts and conveniences of modern life and that we have new ways of exploring the mysteries of our Universe. But the creation of nuclear weapons – for which Einstein is not to blame! – has also cast a shadow over humanity for nearly 80 years. We choose hope that this shadow will be lifted. Join us in learning more and supporting our work as we educate and advocate for a world free of nuclear weapons!

With love and hope,

Ivana N. Hughes
President, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

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March Meeting Overviews

NAPF at the Third Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW

NAPF delivered statements, organized side events, and amplified youth and frontline voices at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

See HERE for photos, statements, and full event recaps.

20th Frank K. Kelly Lecture by Annie Jacobsen

Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen delivered the 20th Frank K. Kelly Lecture, sharing insights from her book Nuclear War: A Scenario. The lecture was followed by a panel discussion on nuclear disarmament.

See HERE for the full video, photos, and more.

Choose Hope Symposium

The Choose Hope Symposium convened diplomats, civil society leaders, youth, and community members to reflect on peace and disarmament. Co-hosted by NAPF and SGI, the event honored David Krieger and Daisaku Ikeda’s enduring legacies.

See HERE for videos, photos, and more.

Publications

Advancing Nuclear Justice

Christian Ciobanu and Dr. Hughes joined global partners at the UN to advocate for nuclear justice and frontline communities at a powerful 3MSP side event. Read HERE.

NAPF Statement at 3MSP

Dr. Hughes delivered a statement on behalf of NAPF during the general debate of the 3MSP at the United Nations in New York. Read and watch her statement HERE.

Nuclear Weapons and Gender

NAPF joined diplomats, youth leaders, and Dr. Jennifer Simons at our UN side event, spotlighting the gendered impacts of nuclear weapons. Read the full report HERE.

20th Frank K. Kelly Lecture Recording

Annie Jacobsen explores nuclear risk in her Kelly Lecture, followed by expert reflections on disarmament and global security. Watch the full event HERE!

From Deterrence to Disarmament

John Mecklin, Amb. Elayne Whyte, Eduardo Sánchez, and Prof. Alexander Harang joined Chie Sunada from SGI for a powerful panel on diplomacy and nuclear disarmament. Watch HERE.

A Conversation with Andrew Davis

Director Andrew Davis discusses his book Disturbing the Bones and the intersections of memory, justice, and disarmament. See recording HERE.

Resources

Honoring Peace, Condemning War: Protesters Gather at Vandenberg to Oppose ICBM Test and Remember Activist Legacies

Taraem Taukaro – Affected Communities High-Level Statement at 3MSP

3MSP Event: Midtown Mixer and ‘Shades of Disarmament’

3MSP Event at NYU: Examining the Relationship Between the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons and the TPNW

3MSP Event at Columbia: Film Screening of ‘Silent Fallout’ and Panel Discussion

Upcoming

NPT Preparatory Committee

APR 28 – MAY 9, 2025

NAPF will attend the 2025 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee at the UN Headquarters in New York, where Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes will deliver the NGO statement. NAPF will also host side events and collaborate with youth leaders, diplomats, and civil society partners to advance nuclear disarmament.