By North East Scotland CND – Campaigning for Peace, an affiliate of WBW, August 20,2026

“Turning nuclear remembrance into positive change”

On 8 August we held our annual gathering to remember those who died in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombings. And as the event was held outside Marischal College, central Aberdeen, we engaged with local passersby and made some new recruits for our cause!

Guest speaker Yu Aoki, who was born in Hiroshima but lives in Aberdeen, talked about the horror of the atomic bombings and the urgency of the current world situation. We heard inspiring and rousing music from Melting Pot, Bryan Duncan, and JC Bigfoot as well as poems and song lyrics read by local CND Activists.

Looking forward, Jonathan Russell, our Chair, spoke about our ongoing Welfare not Warfare campaign.

Here are some key highlights from Jonathan’s speech:

These solemn anniversaries can never be passive history. They are an urgent, annual alarm bell as governments across the world are being urged to turn themselves into the largest, most dangerous warfare states in history.

(On 5 March the Financial Times featured an article declaring): “Europe must trimits welfare state to build a warfare state.” That is what Labour chancellor John Healeywants us to believe, too. It is a dangerous lie.

A lie leading to growing inequality, deepening poverty, and an arms race which—like all arms races in history—can lead only to war involving levels of devastation which will**make Hiroshima and Nagasaki look primitive in their death dealing consequences.

This is why we must turn sorrowful remembrance into active resistance and the**building of positive alternatives. That is, ones which resist the predatory  arms lobby, and recognise that true human and national security is built on foundations of social security, solidarity and democratic accountability.

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