September 26, 2021, Leuven, Belgium – Lumbini-Kapilvastu Global Campaign Belgium (LKGCB) together with the partner organization, Leuven Peace Movement, participated in a peace action at Kleine Brogel on The United Nations International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. The aim of this action is to promote world peace and address challenges associated with nuclear weapons.
Nuclear weapons inflict devastation and suffering on a massive scale, threatening the very survival of humanity. Nuclear weapons cause massive death and destruction, trigger large-scale displacement and long-term damage to human health, environment, as well as socio-economic development. More than 13,000 nuclear weapons are still deployed worldwide. In January this year, a global treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons (TPNW), came into force, outlawing parties to the treaty from developing, testing, producing, possessing, or stockpiling nuclear weapons.
The peace action was organized by The Belgian Coalition against Nuclear Arms who called on citizens and organizations to participate in a ‘Bike not Bombs’ peace action at the military base in Kleine Brogel. Some US-nuclear bombs are stored at this base. More than 150 activists took part in this playful and peaceful action with a clear message together: No nuclear weapons in Belgium & Europe. The participants also included activists from other European countries. Several speeches were held afterwards. To emphasize the European and Global dimension, there were also speakers from Germany, the Netherlands and the USA.
Attending the peace action, Dr. Rajendra Bari, president of LKGCB mentioned – “The spreading of non-violence message of Buddha and nuclear disarmament is essential to promote world peace and social harmony”.
In addition, more than 110 cities and municipalities support the call of the peace movement to make Belgium free of nuclear weapons. Through a letter, they call on the government to refrain from installing new nuclear bombs at Kleine Brogel and to sign the TPNW. The European peace movement has united the Nuke Free Europe campaign and has planned several actions in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Similarly, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is a coalition of non-governmental organisations in one hundred countries promoting adherence to and implementation of the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
