Nobel Peace Laureate and Former US Secretary of Endorse Multilateral Accord on Nuclear Disarmament

Photo by Ronald Reagan Library/Getty Images

CHICAGO, IL (August 5, 2020) –  Former Soviet Union President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Mikhail Gorbachev, and former US Secretary of State, George Shultz, shared letters of support in endorsement of the historic Hiroshima/Nagasaki Accord, a steadfast call toward the abolition of nuclear weapons in the world.

The Accord was released by the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the Charter for Compassion, Religions for Peace, and United Religions Initiative (URI); the world’s largest international interfaith organizations committed to a common mission of social justice, peace, and sustainability.  In a historic first, the partners came together in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan to release this multilateral accord that calls for nuclear abolition.

In a letter of support for the Accord, former US Secretary of State, George Shultz highlights the critical importance of acknowledging the challenges but also the work being done around the world on this issue, “Today, I am alarmed. Although I am in my hundredth year, I am deeply concerned about the future. We live in an unsafe world that grows more dangerous with the proliferation of nuclear weapons…But I am also optimistic. The global situation is not as bleak as it may seem. We have many challenges, but when I look around I see that wise and knowledgeable people are talking about these crucial issues.”

The Hiroshima/Nagasaki Accord has been endorsed by individuals and leaders from around the world, as well as key stakeholders in the nuclear disarmament movement. Former Soviet Union President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Mikhail Gorbachev stresses the importance of grassroots engagement which is critical to the work of the four interfaith organizations, “I was glad to learn from my friend George Shultz that on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing your organizations are planning a joint statement on the need to abolish nuclear weapons…You are right to appeal to politicians, diplomats, religious leaders, youth, scientists, environmentalists. But above all, you are appealing to citizens – which means to every person. For today, fighting for the abolition of nuclear weapons is the civic duty of each and every one of us.”

The Parliament of the World’s Religions, the Charter for Compassion, Religions for Peace, and URI invite individuals, communities, and organizations committed to peace, justice and sustainability to read and endorse this historic Accord. And on August 6th, join Former Soviet Union President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Mikhail Gorbachev, and former US Secretary of State, George Shultz, for the historic broadcast, “75th Commemorative Remembrance of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Introducing the Hiroshima/Nagasaki Accord”.

About The Parliament of the World’s Religions
The Parliament of the World’s Religions cultivates harmony among the world’s spiritual traditions and fosters their engagement with guiding institutions in order to achieve a more peaceful, just and sustainable world. Its origins are rooted to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where the historic first convening of the World Parliament of Religions created a global platform for engagement of religions of the east and west which launched the global interfaith movement. Headquartered in Chicago, Il, USA, the Parliament of the World’s Religions is an international 501c3 NGO affiliated to the United Nations Department of Public Information.
The Parliament manages various programs throughout the year and hosts the world’s premier interfaith convening in cities across the globe. Past Parliaments have convened nearly 50,000 people across the world in Chicago, IL, USA; Cape Town, South Africa; Barcelona, Spain; Melbourne, Australia; Salt Lake City, USA; and Toronto, Canada.
For more information about the Parliament of the World’s Religions and the Hiroshima/Nagasaki Accord, please visit www.parliamentofreligions.org/nuclear
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For More Information Please Contact:
Miriam Quezada
Constituency Development Manager
miriam@parliamentofreligions.org
312-971-3096