It is now 80 years since the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This anniversary comes at a time of growing international concern. In January 2025, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists concluded that the threat of nuclear weapons use—whether by accident, miscalculation, or deliberate escalation—is more urgent than it has been in decades. Ongoing conflicts and rising tensions in Eastern Europe, the Indo-Pacific, and most recently the Middle East—with their dangerous nuclear implications and risks of regional proliferation—underscore just how vital and relevant these ceremonies remain.
This significant anniversary offers a moment to reflect on the enduring human cost of nuclear weapons use and testing, to commemorate the victims, and to reaffirm our shared commitment to a nuclear-free Aotearoa New Zealand.
Join us—alongside City Councillors, MPs, and the wider Christchurch community—as we honour the strong anti-nuclear heritage of our Peace City and country. This public commemoration will feature reflections, readings, music, and the ceremonial ringing of New Zealand's only World Peace Bell.
Gather with us to honour the memory of the more than 200,000 lives lost, to recognise the courage of survivors (hibakusha), and to reaffirm our shared commitment to peace, disarmament, and a nuclear-free world.
