The virtual seminar will be held from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. (E.T.)
Since the US destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago, cities as targets have been synonymous with nuclear weapons. But city governments also have been a place for anti-nuclear politics as city officials and residents together tackle a global issue that national governments are seen not to address effectively. Today, nearly 100 U.S. cities, out of 1000 cities worldwide, have joined the ICAN Cities Appeal to have respective national governments join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This presentation explores how city officials and residents seek to exert influence where local governments seem to lack obvious jurisdiction and authority, using examples of U.S. local government actions such as ordinances creating nuclear-free zones and resolutions supporting nuclear disarmament. It will seek to broaden the definition of impact in local government action, to refocus attention on relational issues in nuclear weapon politics, and to reconsider the role of civil society in debates about nuclear weapons.
About the speaker: Hirokazu Myazaki is the Kay Davis Professor of Anthropology at Northwestern University. As an anthropologist he has studied and been deeply engaged in a variety of forms of peace activism, and his research has long been driven by the question: how do we keep hope alive? Miyazaki has written extensively on exchange, hope, and peace. Miyazaki's current project focuses on the role of local governments and religious organizations in nuclear disarmament and peacebuilding. This work has led to several published articles, including an in-depth study of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as models of city diplomacy.