Hi-

I was wondering if you could help me with something. The mayor of Hiroshima is trying to get mayors around the world to join together to ban nuclear weapons. He began something called Mayors for Peace. Lots of cities have signed up, including Bejing and London and Los Angeles, but Boston's Mayor Menino hasn't yet. I thought that if lots of children wrote to him, asking him to join and help make the world a safer place for them, it might convince him. I also thought that it might comfort children and teenagers to know that many influential people are trying to make the world a safer place for them. Do you know anyone, teachers or parents or whoever, who could help?

I'm attaching a flier that we wrote up about it. If you know anyone who can help, ask them to spread the word. The more letters, the better.

Sincerely,
Nancy Gorman


Mayors for Peace

Ask teachers and parents to help:

We are asking parents, teachers, and others to help children write letters to the Mayor of Boston asking him to sign Mayors for Peace.

It will comfort children to know that so many influential people are working to make the world a safer place.

What is Mayors for Peace ? The Mayors for Peace is designed to build solidarity and facilitate coordination among the cities that support the Program to Promote the Solidarity of Cities toward the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons. Its primary goal is to work internationally to raise consciousness regarding nuclear weapons abolition. It is also formally committed to pursuing lasting world peace by working to address starvation, poverty, refugee welfare, human rights abuses, environmental destruction, and other problems that threaten peaceful coexistence.

On June 24, 1982, at the 2nd UN Special Session on Disarmament held at UN Headquarters in New York, then Mayor Takeshi Araki of Hiroshima proposed a new Program to Promote the Solidarity of Cities toward the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons. This proposal offered cities a way to transcend national borders and work together to press for nuclear abolition. Subsequently, the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki called on mayors around the world to support this program.

Quote from Mayor T. Akiba, Hiroshima, Japan

“Our goal is to bring forth a beautiful flower, namely the total elimination of all nuclear weapons from the face of the earth by the year 2020. Only then will we have truly resurrected hope for life on this planet.”

What to write: “Please join the Mayors for Peace and help make this a safer world for me.”

Write to: The Honorable Thomas Menino, Boston City Hall, One City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201

Deadline: Please spread the word. We are trying to get the Mayor to sign up before the Nuclear Non proliferation Treaty Review at the United Nations in Early May 2005.

Who has signed: 763 cities in 110 countries are members.

Examples Include: Beijing, Berlin, Gaza, Jerusalem, London, Kabul, Moscow, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Tehran.

Almost 100 cities in the United States are members including: Atlanta, Detroit, Jersey City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Cambridge, Leverett, Newton, Northampton, Worcester.

For more information go to: http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/mayors/english/outlines/index.html