By Tom McClimon
September 14, 2009

Conference of Mayors Past President Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic and U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran traveled to Japan to participate in the Peace Memorial Ceremonies and the 7th General Conference of Mayors for Peace, and participated in the 64th anniversary events of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Plusquellic and Cochran were part of the official participants at the ceremony commemorating the 64th anniversary of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima on August 6, which was attended by tens of thousands of people. Representing The United States Conference of Mayors, they were among 20 officials asked to place wreaths of followers honoring those who had died as well as honoring the call for peace in the world. Others placing wreaths included Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba, President of the United Nations General Assembly Miguel d’Escoto, and representatives of atomic bomb survivors and their families.

As part of the ceremony, Akiba issued his annual Peace Declaration, which includes a call to end the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the world. “We support President Obama and have a moral responsibility to act to abolish nuclear weapons. To emphasize this point, we refer to ourselves, the great global majority, as the ‘Obamamajority’ and we call on the rest of the world to join forces with us to eliminate all nuclear weapons by 2020.” (Akiba applauded the Conference of Mayors support of this goal when he addressed the mayors at the Conference’s 77th Annual Meeting in June.)

The ceremonial events also included a minute of silence at the moment the bomb detonated, remarks by Aso, d’Escoto and other top national leaders, the releasing of 1000 doves for peace, a commitment to peace by children, and various musical numbers.

While in Peace Memorial Park, Plusquellic and Cochran paid a visit to a park bench donated by the Conference of Mayors to the people of Hiroshima. The park bench is the only park bench in Peace Park that has been approved by an American organization. The park bench was dedicated in August 2005, at the 60th anniversary by then Conference President Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill and Cochran. The park bench, which sits directly across from the Atomic Bomb Dome, the only remaining monument from the atomic bombing, has proved popular with visitors to the park.

Plusquellic addressed the Conference of Mayors long history in promoting peace, speaking to the attendees at the 7th General Conference of Mayors for Peace that was attended by city officials from over 50 countries August 7-10. Plusquellic serves as a Vice President of Mayors for Peace and presided over the closing plenary session. “For many years, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has worked hard for the same causes that bring us all here today – nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and a nuclear-free world by the year 2020,” stated Plusquellic. He announced that at the Conference’s recent 77th Annual Meeting, the mayors adopted resolutions calling upon the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament to adopt 2020 as the target date for achieving a nuclear free world. He also called upon President Obama to announce this goal at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in 2010.

Cochran also addressed the participants by pledging the Conference of Mayors support for the goals of Mayors for Peace. “It’s important that cities that are represented here go back to their countries and get their mayors and municipal organizations to support the work of Mayors for Peace. It’s also important that cities from countries with nuclear weapons be involved in the work of Mayors for Peace and be represented in the organization’s leadership.”

At the meeting’s conclusion, the conferees reaffirmed their support for the 2020 Vision Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons that calls for a nuclear-free world by the year 2020. They further urged the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference to ensure that multilateral negotiations on achievement of a nuclear weapon free world by 2020 are launched by the 2010 United Nations General Assembly.

While in Nagasaki, Plusquellic and Cochran also participated in the Nagasaki Peace Ceremony on August 9 to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the atomic bombing of that city. As part of the Mayors for Peace ceremonies, Plusquellic and Cochran laid a wreath of flowers on behalf of the Conference at the site of center of the atomic blast. Plusquellic also served as one of the representatives of Mayors for Peace in the wreath laying at the 64th Nagasaki Peace Ceremony. Like the ceremony in Hiroshima, the ceremony was attended by thousands of people, was broadcasted nationally, and included national and international leaders. Nagasaki Mayor Tomishisa Taue issued a Nagasaki Peace Declaration in which he declared, “Each of us plays a vital role in creating history. We must never leave this responsibility only to leaders or governments.”

Following the events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Plusquellic and Cochran went to Tokyo where they met with the Japan Association of City Mayors. In a meeting with the President of the Japan Association of City Mayors, Nagaoka Mayor Tamio Mori and the JACM Secretary General Tatsuro Yoshiyama, Cochran reaffirmed the Conference’s long relationship with JACM that has spanned over 20 years. Both executive directors discussed the need for future exchange programs and developed a work plan for 2010.