In a press release dated March 2, Heavenly Culture World Peace Restoration of Light (HWPL) announced, “Under the problem that the Marshall Islands nuclear legacy is spreading into a serious human rights crisis in combination with climate change, experts from around the world called for a joint response through an international webinar (online seminar).”
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▲Profile of the presenter of the international webinar ‘Ongoing Impact of Nuclear Legacy in a Changing Climate’ held on February 28th ©Break News
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▲Benetique Cabua Madison, Secretary General of the Marshall Education Initiative (MEI), is giving a presentation at the international webinar ‘Ongoing Impact of Nuclear Legacy in a Changing Climate’ held on February 28th. ©Break News
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▲Thushara Rajasinghe, Judge of the High Court of the Judiciary of the Republic of Fiji, is giving a presentation at the international webinar ‘Ongoing Impact of Nuclear Legacy in a Changing Climate’ held on February 28.[사진 제공 = HWPL] ©Break News
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According to this data, the international peace NGO Sky Culture World Peace and Liberation held an international webinar on the topic of the human rights crisis combining nuclear legacy and climate crisis ahead of the Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Victims and Survivors Memorial Day. This discussion was held a day ahead of the Marshall Islands’ national observance, Nuclear Victims and Survivors Remembrance Day. This event was designed as an opportunity to confirm that the Marshall Islands nuclear contamination issue is no longer a local issue, but is emerging as a global environmental, health, and security agenda.
Sky Culture, World Peace, Liberation Foundation said, “March 1st every year is a day to commemorate the damage caused by the hydrogen bomb test ‘Castle Bravo’ that took place on Bikini Atoll in 1954. Participants said that the damage from the nuclear test does not remain in the past, but structural and intergenerational human rights such as ▲ radioactive contamination ▲ forced migration ▲ destruction of livelihood ▲ loss of access to land passed down by ancestors. He pointed out that the climate crisis, including sea level rise and extreme weather events, is amplifying damage and creating an ‘overlapping human rights crisis’, which was addressed as a key issue. In the Marshall Islands, a total of 67 nuclear tests were conducted between 1946 and 1958, and the recent rise in sea levels in the Pacific Ocean has led to pollution, including ‘Runit Dome‘ in Enewetak Atoll. “It is raising concerns that it is threatening the safety of the region. It is also pointed out that if buried radioactive waste is reintroduced into the marine ecosystem, it could have a long-term impact not only on the health and survival of local communities, but also on the surrounding sea area.”
He also explained, “This webinar brought together voices of international solidarity through a digital platform connecting the Pacific, Europe, Asia, etc. The webinar featured a congratulatory speech by Hiroshi Vitus Yamamura, former Minister of Public Works of the Marshall Islands (currently a member of the National Assembly).” The presenters addressed the intersection of nuclear legacy and the climate crisis from the perspectives of European civil society, international human rights and environmental law, and field experiences in affected areas. Lalit Bhusal (Netherlands), public relations ambassador for the European Climate Pact, said, “The nuclear legacy agenda is easily pushed to the margins of international climate justice discussions,” and added, “Civil society must continue to make it public and expand international cooperation points.” Andy Vermaut (Belgium) also emphasized, “Efforts are needed to elevate the voices of affected communities to the center of the climate agenda.”
“The world is now witnessing a ‘double tragedy’ in real time,” said Benetick Kabua Maddison, Secretary General of the Marshall Education Initiative (MEI). “The combination of unresolved nuclear contamination in the Marshall Islands and the climate crisis is a global security issue that the international community must no longer ignore.”
Thushara Rajasinghe, a judge at the High Court of the Judiciary of the Republic of Fiji, raised legal responsibility as a topic. He said, “National responsibility for environmental damage does not disappear over time,” and urged, “In order to respond to nuclear risks reemerging due to climate change, we must establish and implement an effective legal framework that clarifies responsibility and ensures preventive protection.”
HWPL emphasized, “This webinar was planned as a human rights-centered discussion emphasizing the precautionary approach and the joint responsibility of the international community based on the principles of the ‘Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW).’ In particular, the purpose was to urge the international community’s interest and responsible support for the Marshall Islands by highlighting nuclear legacy and climate vulnerability as interconnected human rights crises.”
An HWPL official said, “In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Marshall Islands nuclear test, we wanted to remind the international community that the nuclear legacy issue is not an issue stuck in the past, but a structural and intergenerational human rights issue that persists to the present.” He added, “As existing damage is deepening due to climate change, responsible international cooperation and discussions on practical solutions are needed.” The official added, “We plan to make the webinar regular rather than a one-time event, and we plan to hold a follow-up webinar in April to discuss nuclear legacy, climate justice, and the role of the international human rights protection system in more detail.”
*Below is the English article translated with ‘Google Translate’ [전문]no see. ‘Google Translate’ is working to increase understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation.<*The following is [the full text] of the English article translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working hard to improve understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation.>
HWPL Holds International Webinar on Nuclear Legacy and Climate Crisis… “Digital Platform for International Solidarity”
Marshall Islands Nuclear Legacy Issue Revisited as an “Ongoing Issue”… Discussion Linking It with the Climate Crisis
– Reporter Park Jeong-dae
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) announced in a press release on March 2nd, “Global experts called for a joint response through an international webinar (online seminar) amid concerns that the Marshall Islands’ nuclear legacy, combined with climate change, is escalating into a serious human rights crisis.”
According to the release, the international peace NGO HWPL held an international webinar on the topic of the human rights crisis posed by nuclear legacy and the climate crisis, ahead of the Marshall Islands’ “Nuclear Victims and Survivors Remembrance Day.” The discussion took place a day before the Marshall Islands’ national observance of “Nuclear Victims and Survivors Remembrance Day.” This event was designed to confirm that the Marshall Islands nuclear contamination issue is no longer a regional issue but is emerging as a global environmental, health, and security agenda. The Heavenly Culture World Peace Restoration of Light organization stated, “March 1st of every year is a day to commemorate the damage caused by the 1954 hydrogen bomb test ‘Castle Bravo’ in Bikini Atoll. Participants pointed out that the damage caused by nuclear tests is not limited to the past, but continues to lead to structural and intergenerational human rights issues such as ▲radioactive contamination ▲forced relocation ▲destruction of livelihoods ▲loss of access to ancestral lands. Furthermore, the climate crisis, including sea level rise and extreme weather events, is amplifying the damage and creating a ‘overlapping human rights crisis,’ which was addressed as a key agenda.” They added, “A total of 67 nuclear tests were conducted in the Marshall Islands from 1946 to 1958. Recent sea level rise in the Pacific Ocean has raised concerns that it threatens the safety of contaminated areas, including ‘Runit Dome’ in Enewetak Atoll. If buried radioactive waste is reintroduced into the marine ecosystem, it could threaten the safety of local communities.” It was also pointed out that this could have long-term impacts not only on health and livelihoods but also on the surrounding seas as a whole.”
He also explained, “This webinar brought together voices of international solidarity through a digital platform connecting the Pacific, Europe, and Asia. The webinar featured a congratulatory address by Hiroshi Vitus Yamamura, former Minister of Public Works (now a Member of Parliament) of the Marshall Islands.” The speakers addressed the intersection of nuclear heritage and the climate crisis from the perspectives of European civil society, international human rights and environmental law, and on-the-ground experiences in affected areas. Lalit Bhusal (Netherlands), Goodwill Ambassador for the European Climate Pact, stated, “The nuclear heritage agenda is often marginalized in international climate justice discussions. Civil society must continue to raise public awareness and expand contact points for international cooperation.” Andy Vermaut (Belgium) emphasized, “Efforts are needed to bring the voices of affected communities to the center of the climate agenda.”
“The world is witnessing a ‘double tragedy’ in real time,” said Marshall Education Initiative (MEI) Executive Director Benetick Kabua Maddison. “The combination of unresolved nuclear contamination in the Marshall Islands and the climate crisis is a global security issue, and the international community can no longer ignore it.”
Judge Thushara Rajasinghe of the High Court of Justice of the Republic of Fiji brought up the issue of legal responsibility. He stated, “State responsibility for environmental damage does not lapse with time. To address the nuclear risks resurfacing due to climate change, we must establish and implement an effective legal framework that clearly establishes accountability and ensures preventative protection.”
HWPL emphasized, “This webinar was designed as a human rights-centered discussion, emphasizing a preventative approach and the shared responsibility of the international community, based on the principles of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW). In particular, it aimed to highlight nuclear heritage and climate vulnerability as interconnected human rights crises, urging the international community to pay attention to and provide responsible support for the Marshall Islands.”
An HWPL representative stated, “In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Marshall Islands nuclear test, we sought to remind the international community that the nuclear heritage issue is not a matter of the past, but rather a structural and intergenerational human rights issue that persists today. As climate change exacerbates existing damage, responsible international cooperation and discussions on practical solutions are essential.” The representative added, “This webinar will not be a one-time event but will become a regular event. A follow-up webinar in April will further discuss nuclear heritage, climate justice, and the role of the international human rights protection system.”
