Date/Time
Date(s) - Thursday - May 22, 2025
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Location
IPB International Peace Bureau
Categories
Hibakusha in Berlin: Honoring the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates with Mr. Kunihiko Sakuma
Event Details
- Date: 22 May 2025
- Time: 6:30–8:00 PM (Doors open at 6:15 PM)
- Location: International Peace Bureau (IPB) Headquarters, Marienstr. 19–20, 10117 Berlin, Germany & via Zoom
- Language: English
- Organized by: International Peace Bureau and Gensuikyo (Japan Council against A & H Bombs)
- Supported by: ICAN Germany, and IPPNW Germany
- Registration:
- In-person attendance: Register here
- Zoom attendance: Register here
The event is free and open to all. Registration helps us prepare for your participation.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Event Description
The International Peace Bureau (IPB) is deeply honoured to welcome Mr. Kunihiko Sakuma – a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing and Chairperson of Hiroshima Hidankyo – to Berlin on 22 May 2025.
Mr. Sakuma is part of a living legacy of resilience, courage, and moral clarity. At just 9 months old, he was exposed to the atomic bomb that devastated Hiroshima in August 1945. Though too young to remember the moment, he has lived his entire life in the shadow of that unimaginable violence—grappling with the physical, emotional, and social consequences of being a hibakusha.
In a time when the threat of nuclear war feels closer than ever, his voice – along with that of thousands of other survivors – is a guiding light in the darkness. His testimony is a plea for humanity to remember, to reflect, and to act.
This event takes place in the lead-up to the 80th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It also follows the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a collective recognition of the hibakusha’s tireless efforts for nuclear abolition.
As Norwegian Nobel Committee Chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes put it:
“A light in the darkest night” – the hibakusha’s testimonies are not just personal memories, they are warnings to humanity.
In this spirit, we echo the ICAN Germany Open Letter, first published in November 2024 and now supported by more than 2,000 signatures, urging German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to invite hibakusha to Berlin for dialogue and commemoration on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We hope this will become a reality.
Join us for an unforgettable evening of reflection, truth, and hope, and help us spread the word!
Registration
In-person attendance: Register here
Zoom attendance: Register here
Program Highlights
- Welcome by the organizers
- Keynote speech by Mr. Kunihiko Sakuma
- Contributions from national and international peace and nuclear disarmament campaigns:
- Gensuikyo (Japan Council against A & H Bombs)
- International Peace Bureau (IPB)
- ICAN Germany tbc
- IPPNW Germany tbc
- Audience Q&A
- Informal reception
Support & Press Inquiries
If you are a journalist and would like to arrange an interview with Mr. Sakuma during his stay in Berlin (20–22 May), or if your organization would like to support this event or collaborate on related activities, please contact us at: info@ipb-office.berlin.