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UNI Global Union from Nagasaki to Hiroshima

Two days after the conclusion of the UNI Global Union World Congress in Nagasaki, UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings attended the Peace Appeal ceremony of the 2010 world summit of Nobel peace laureates in Hiroshima.

The ceremony at the Hiroshima peace park was addressed by six Nobel Peace Prize recipients who echoed many of the themes from the UNI World Congress debate on peace and freedom from fear.

Jody Wiliams, who won the peace prize for her campaign against landmines, stated that “We all have the power to do the extraordinary. Lets do the extraordinary and get rid of nuclear weapons now and forever.”

The Dalai Lama said, “People power could change the world. Prayer was not enough. People must take action”.

The Nobel Peace Prize winners present, Frederick William De Klerk, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Mohamed ElBaradei, Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi and the Dalai Lama, adopted a Hiroshima declaration that referred to nuclear weapons as immoral and illegal and made five calls for action including the adoption of a universal treaty to abolish all nuclear weapons in partnership with civil society.

The peace summit award was presented to the Italian football legend Roberto Baggio for his humanitarian work and contribution to the fight against poverty, hunger and disease. A special mention was made of the public role he had played to free Aung San Suu Kyi. News of her release had reached the ceremony hours before.