During the third meeting of states parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, a meeting held at UN Headquarters in New York City, I was privileged to attend many side sessions peace activists coordinated.
One session was the panel “Youth Voices for a Sustainable, Nuclear-Weapon-Free Future,” addressing how to engage young people.
Two sad facts:
- One survey has found US youth don’t think the US will ever give up nukes.
- Marshall Islands youth don’t know about their nuclear legacy because their elders don’t want to talk about it due to the stigma.
However, the 2025 Global Youth Peace Awareness Survey had both discouraging and upbeat results. The survey asked, “What prevents you from taking actions for nuclear abolition?”
“I don’t know what to do,” said 43%, and 27% said, “There’s nothing I can do.”
On the up side, 76% said nukes are unnecessary, and 9% said they didn’t know if they are necessary!
That info came from the “Youth Voices” panel. Another side session I attended March 7 was “The Lasting Physical and Psychological Effects of Nuclear Weapons.” Speakers highlighted the disastrous effects on vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly. That session was delivered by ASEAN peace leaders—from the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations, a political and economic union of 10 states.
As activists met and shared ideas from around the globe, one book was considered a great asset: Atlas of Disarmament: Facts and Figures Against the Wars of Today and Tomorrow.
