Reflection on the 2026 World Conference Against A&H Bombs

By a PAFNYS Student Organizer at Peace Action Macaulay Honors College

Earlier this month, I attended the 2026 World Conference Against Atomic & Hydrogen Bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki to represent Peace Action New York State. When I first found out that I was selected for this opportunity back in June, I was nervous and filled with self-doubt. It would have been my first time traveling outside the country on my own, and I doubted my ability to deliver any interesting or worthwhile speeches. Afterall, I was only a student organizer at Peace Action Macaulay Honors College for a single semester, and had no grand stories to share with nuclear abolition activists in Japan. I considered that perhaps the opportunity would best be given to someone else.

Looking back, I am so glad I said yes to this opportunity after much thought and deliberation. While I was nervous at first, participating in the World Conference was one of the most memorable experiences of my lifetime. There, I learned so much about the global cause to abolish nuclear weapons, and listened to perspectives from activists across Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Western Europe, the USA, and the Marshall Islands. Listening to testimonies from both Japanese and Korean atomic bomb survivors (commonly referred to as the hibakusha) was a deeply moving and emotional experience, further reinforcing to me the dangers of nuclear weapons and the importance of the struggle to abolish them.

By participating in the conference, I also was able to learn more about the political situation in Japan, and the efforts by Japanese activists to resist their far-right government’s militarization agenda. I shared with them the efforts I took alongside other students at Macaulay Peace Action to resist the Trump regime, but also remained honest about the difficulties of being a new student organizer trying to mobilize students at a commuter school. While I initially felt as though I was not worthy of representing PANYS at the conference, some of my greatest memories were Japanese students/youth approaching me, sharing that they appreciated the honesty and that my words inspired them to become more involved in activism as well as campaigns for nuclear abolition and demilitarization. I cherish all these interactions, and it encourages me to know that not only did I Iearn from other activists by participating in the conference, but my words also inspired others as well. 

Attending the 2026 World Conference Against Atomic & Hydrogen Bombs was an amazing experience, and I am so grateful for Peace Action NYS and The New Japan Women’s Association for the opportunity. Building solidarity and sharing perspectives with activists from around the world filled me with hope, and I am excited to take back everything I have learned to CUNY Macaulay Honors College, and let it inform my organizing within Macaulay Peace Action and beyond!