A meaningful and inspiring event took place on Tuesday, December 10thin the form of a torchlight procession from The Scottish Parliament to Queen Elizabeth House to mark the Nobel Peace prize celebrations in Oslo, and reaffirm Scotland’s commitment to nuclear disarmament.
This year the Nobel Peace Prize was won by Nihon Hidankyo, the Japanese Confederation of A- and H- Bomb Sufferers Organizations. Their tireless advocacy for nuclear disarmament, rooted in the lived experiences of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors, resonates deeply with the movement that earned the International Campaign for Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) the same honour in 2017 and nowhere more so than in Scotland, where the UK deploys its nuclear arsenal against the expressed position of the Scottish Government and Parliament and their support forlocal the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons This award is a powerful reminder of the urgent need for a world free of nuclear weapons and it reinforces the connections between global and local efforts for peace.
See Nihon Hidankyo receive the award here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqvPpz1huIw
Our local event celebrated Scotland’s ongoing dedication to peace, and builds on past actions for nuclear disarmament, including carrying the ICAN Nobel Peace Prize torch which was given to ICAN Scottish partners by Nicola Sturgeon when they visited Oslo for the award in 2017. Those participating included members of Protest Harmony, and some campaigners who had attended ICAN’s Nobel celebrations in Oslo, with others who had attended the 2022 ICAN Forum held there in 2022 . Together, they amplified a message of peace during this festive season!
ICAN is a collaboration of partners around the world committed to the elimination of nuclear weapons through the global Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Protest in Harmony led the singing, including the very appropriate songs, Burning for Peace and Another World, and Dylan, from Towerbank Primary School led the procession, carrying with the Oslo Torch. Scottish CND’s Chair, Lynn Jamieson spoke out side Queen Elisabeth house about the importance of hearing the voices of the of all those with lived experience of nuclear weapons; development, testing and use. She highlighted Scotland’s position as an unwilling host of the UK’s nuclear weapons as a unique opportunity, and the evening closed with everyone singing the Freedom Come All Ye, penned by Hamish Henderson in the nineteen sixties in protest at the weapons being brought to the Clyde. A powerful and inspiring moment for peace!
