Atomic Reporters supports better factual reporting on the nuclear file. As well as working with media workers we also provide training and opportunities for young people to share and publish their views about the subject of nuclear weapons and related issues. In cooperation with the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), AR is running a series of essays by participants in its Youth Leader Fund fellowship program who visited Nagasaki and Hiroshima last year, Japanese cities attacked with atomic bombs by the US in 1945, the only time such weapons have been used in conflict. The third essay is from Mashaal Shahnawaz, member of the Youth Leader Fund for a World Without Nuclear Weapons Program.

Article by guest author Mashaal Shahnawaz

Many years ago, I remember reading about the Hibakujumoku—the trees that survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—and I thought to myself how come mere trees were able to survive such force and devastation and still stand strong? This mystery stayed with me, until I visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a few years later. 

Being part of the Youth Leader Fund for a World Without Nuclear Weapons Program (YLF) was nothing short of a transformative journey. I was able to gain insights into the harrowing tales of nuclear warfare and how important it was to advocate for multilateral nuclear disarmament for the greater good of humanity and the generations to come. Walking down the roads that people 80 years ago would have walked not knowing what was coming their way, listening to the testimonies and heart-wrenching stories of the Hibakusha—atomic bomb survivors—witnessing the haunting silence around the A-bomb dome and looking at the burnt clothes of children left behind as their bodies evaporated due to the sheer heat and force of the atomic explosions left me with a deep sense of loss, and grief. How could we possibly stand still while weapons of such brutality continue to exist? This was a question that kept bothering me the whole time I was in Japan.

But it all vanished when I met the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Hibakusha’s courage in recounting unspeakable suffering and their unwavering advocacy for peace, the youth working tirelessly to keep the memory of the Hibakusha alive and grassroot organizations like Green legacy and RECNA relentlessly championing nuclear disarmament made me realize it wasn’t only the Hibakujumoku that survived the bombing and were beacons of resilience in the face of adversity, it was the people of these A bombed cities too. Their strength and hope for the future is something that I will always cherish and now hope to impart amongst my countrymen and women too.  

As a Pakistani, I plan to leverage this experience to advocate for nuclear disarmament within my community. In some ways I have already started on my agenda by sharing my experiences and insights with my classmates, since as undergraduate students of Strategic and Nuclear Studies, nuclear weapons, warfare and its potential impacts is something we study and discuss often. Recently, I also featured in a YouTube video discussing the devastating impacts of the atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, spreading the urgent message of abolishing weapons of mass destruction.

Looking ahead, my colleagues and I plan to launch a podcast discussing the implications of nuclear weapons, their consequences, and the need for disarmament. I also plan on engaging my community’s school going children and instilling the need for advocacy amongst them through dialogue, seminars and storytelling sessions. On a broader level, I intend to engage with civil society organizations and policy think tanks in Pakistan to explore pragmatic steps towards regional and global disarmament, this includes advocating for confidence-building measures between nuclear-armed states and emphasizing the importance of multilateral treaties like the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). By integrating the lessons from Hiroshima and Nagasaki into my advocacy efforts, I hope to contribute to a future where the horrors of 1945 are never repeated. This journey has been more than an academic experience; it has been a call to action—a responsibility I carry with me as I strive for a world without nuclear weapons.

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Mashaal Shahnawaz is an undergraduate student of strategic and nuclear studies at the National Defence University, Pakistan. She is also a member of the Youth Leader Fund for a World Without Nuclear Weapons Program.