2,468 Mayors demand nuclear ban during 90th anniversary of the end of World War I

November 4, 2008

PRESS ALERT!
Invitation International Press Conference Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign
Tuesday November 11th, Hotel Regina, Grote Markt 45, Ypres, Belgium

Ypres, Belgium November 4th 2008 - This year, the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I on November 11th in Ypres will be a particularly special commemoration with an international delegation of Mayors for Peace calling for complete nuclear disarmament by 2020. Today Mayors for Peace welcomes another 46 new member cities which enrolled last month bringing total to 2468 cities in 133 countries and regions.

The international Mayors for Peace delegation will take part in the commemorations, consisting of Mayoral representatives from Hiroshima (Japan), Halabja (Iraq), Hannover (Germany), Volgograd (Russia), Manchester (UK), North Olmsted (USA), Biograd Na Moru (Croatia), Granollers (Spain), Florence (Italy) and Malakoff (France).

Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba, the Mayor of Hiroshima and the President of Mayors for Peace, will be in Europe for the promotion of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol, attending events in Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany (program below).  This Protocol will commit governments to achieve total nuclear disarmament by 2020.  After meeting with Ypres, which is sometimes referred to the Hiroshima of World War I, is also the home of the International Campaign Secretariat of Mayors for Peace, working for a worldwide ban on nuclear weapons by 2020.  The Mayor of Ypres, Mr. Luc Dehaene, actively supports this campaign which is going from strength to strength.

Every day at least one city or municipality lends their support by joining the organization, which as of today counts 2,468 members in 133 countries and regions.  Between October 1st and November 4th 2008, 46 new member cities and municipalities have joined and pledged their support in the struggle for the total elimination of nuclear weapons by the year 2020.  These new members hail from Belgium (1), Eritrea (1), Greenland (1), Japan (12), Luxembourg (4), the Netherlands (1), Nicaragua (14), Spain (9), the UK (1), and the USA (2).

This kind of membership growth is continuous with Mayors for Peace and has made it one of the largest organizations of local governments in the world.   More and more mayors are choosing to stand up against the inertia of national governments and demand a safer, more humane future for their citizens.

Press contact: Pol DHuyvetter +32-495-28 02 59

Program of Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba, Mayor of Hiroshima and President of Mayors for Peace

Nov 9 –   

10:00:  Keynote Speech by Mayor Akiba at Academic session Luxembourg Mayors for Peace
           in Luxembourg City Hall
14:00:  Written message by Mayor Akiba to be read at the launch of the Flemish Peace Forest Project, Hasselt
16:00:  Opening reception of new Wallonia regional Mayors for Peace office, Bastogne

Nov 10

10:30:  Meeting of the Board of Directors of 2020 Vision Campaign Association, City Hall, Ypres
14:30:  General Meeting of the 2020 Vision Campaign Association, City Hall, Ypres
20:00:  Welcome ceremony at Flemish Parliament marking 90th anniversary of end of WWI             
20:15:   “11th of November Lecture” by Mayor Akiba to Flemish Parliament, Brussels

Nov 11 - 

08:45:  Meeting with Mayor Akiba and Belgian Prime Minister, Yves Leterme

09:30-10:15: International Press Conference – Hotel Regina, Grote Markt 45, 8900 Ypres
                   with Executive Cities Mayors for Peace (list below)

10:25:  Departure of "Poppy Parade" from the Cathedral to the Menin Gate, Ypres
11:00:  Special Last Post ceremony at Menin Gate, Ypres
12:15:  Keynote Speech by Mayor Akiba at Academic Conference, Ypres
18:30:  Dinner with peace campaigners, Ghent

Nov 12 – 

08:00: Breakfast meeting with Mayor Daniel Termont of Ghent
10:00: Ceremony and reception for the planting of first trees of the Ghent Peace Forest, Ghent
14:00: Symposium "Perspectives on Nuclear Disarmament 2010/2020"
          with opening address by Mayor Akiba, City Hall Brussels
17:00: Private Meeting with the Mayor Freddy Thielemans of Brussels
17:30: Greetings at the first Mayors for Peace Belgian Annual Meeting at Brussels City Hall 

Nov 14 –

10:00: Meeting with Parliamentarians of German Parliament, Berlin
12:00: Meeting with Walter Momper, President of Berlin State Parliament
13:00: Keynote Speech by Mayor Akiba at Mayors for Peace German Annual Meeting, Berlin
14:30: Meeting between Mayor Akiba and Ambassador Gottwald, Federal Rep. for Disarmament & Arms control


Delegations – Executive Cities of Mayors for Peace
Akron (OH), USA– represented by Mr. Thomas O'Grady, Mayor of North Olmsted (OH)

Biograd na Moru, Croatia - Mr. Ivan Knez, Mayor
Ms. Jasminka Bajlo, Chief Associate
Ms. Klarica Siniša, Editor

Florence, Italy - Ms.Lisa Clark, Representative of the City of Florence

Granollers, Spain - Mr. Josep Mayoral I Antigas, Mayor
Ms. Carme Barnaby, Peace Department of Granollers

Halabja, Iraq - Mr. Khder Kareem, Mayor
Mr.Nariman Ali, Assistant to the Mayor

Hannover, Germany - Ms. Ingrid Lange, Deputy Mayor
Mr. Bernd Grimpe, Assistant to the Mayor

Hiroshima, Japan - Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba, Mayor and President of Mayors for Peace
Mr. Steve Leeper, Interpreter & Director of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation
Mr. Manabu Iwasaki, Assistant to the Mayor
Ms. Mitsuko Okuda, Guide escort

Laakdal, Belgium - Mr. Patrik Vankrunkelsven, Senator and former Mayor

Malakoff, France - Mr. Michel Cibot, Head of City Administration of Malakoff
Ms. Alexia Berny, Assistant

Manchester, UK - William Risby, Councilor and former Lord Mayor

Volgograd, Russia - Mr. Alexander Davydenko, First Vice Mayor
Ms. Elena Vasilevskaya, International Relations Office
Mr. Igor Tertishnikov, Assistant to the Mayor

Ypres, Belgium - Mr. Luc Dehaene, Mayor
Mr. Filip Deheegher, Director of  the Peace Dept. of Ypres

Please find a downloadable version of Mayor Akiba's program and our list of delegates here.