Following the dreadful events of the earthquake and tsunami which affected north-east Japan, Irish CND has written to the Japanese ambassador to Ireland to express our profound sadness at the devastating impact of this catastrophe. Many Irish CND members have visited Japan and feel a strong affinity with the Japanese people.
For anyone who might wish to make a donation to support the humanitarian response to the disaster, this can be done through the Irish Red Cross online at http://www.redcross.ie/help/donate_now.php, or by phoning 1850 507070. Humanitarian relief is also being conducted by the Japan-based Peace Boat organisation, which Irish CND hosted on a visit to Dublin last June, when nine survivors of the Hiroshima bombing were given a civic reception by the Lord Mayor. For more information on Peace Boat's emergency response, or to make a donation, see http://www.peaceboat.org/english/index.php?page=view&nr=19&type=22&menu=62.
Unfortunately, the aftermath of the earthquake in terms of a potential nuclear disaster as a result of damage to the Fukushima power plant provides an ominous reminder of the dangers of a nuclear accident. Should the far greater energy and radiation of a nuclear bomb ever be unleashed, either deliberately or by accident, the impact would be unthinkable - a chilling reminder of the urgency of working for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
