Statement by Cultural Leaders on 80th Commemoration of Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The following statement from cultural leaders is endorsed by Governor of Hiroshima Hidehiko Yuzaki, Governor of Nagasaki Kengo Oishi, and Co-Chair and CEO of NTI Secretary Ernest J. Moniz. It was published in The New York Times and Variety on August 6, 2025.

No More Hiroshimas, No More Nagasakis: Cultural Leaders for a Future Without Nuclear Weapons

Eighty years ago, atomic bombs destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killed hundreds of thousands of people, and changed the course of history. Atomic bomb survivors, known as “hibakusha,” have been warning us about what happens when nuclear weapons are used. Their deeply personal stories of loss, trauma, resilience, and determination are a clarion call in dark times.

Today, experts believe the risk that a nuclear weapon will be used again—by accident or on purpose—is as high as it has ever been. Conflicts are raging in regions with nuclear weapons—even over nuclear weapons. The only remaining treaty limiting the number of nuclear weapons in the world expires in six months. Emerging technologies and AI pose new unknown risks to already complex systems. We’re sliding into a costly and dangerous new arms race under the absurd premise that threatening annihilation keeps us safe.

But the ending isn’t written yet, and the creative community has a leading role to play in pulling us back from the nuclear brink.

The stories we tell matter. In 1983, The Day After—the chilling TV movie about nuclear war—reached 100 million Americans and helped convince President Reagan to urgently pursue nuclear arms reductions. Around the same time, public support for a nuclear arms buildup plummeted from 61 percent to 16 percent. Storylines about nuclear weapons helped pave the way for historic treaties that reduced worldwide stockpiles by 80 percent. But today, for the first time in 40 years, the number of nuclear weapons in the world may go up, not down.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

We believe nuclear weapons pose an unacceptable risk to our civilization and our security. We stand firmly against a costly new arms race and the development of more nuclear weapons. And we call on leaders to take action to ensure that a nuclear weapon is never used again.

This is a public commitment to use our voices, platforms, leadership, and storytelling expertise to call attention to the dangers posed by nuclear weapons and help audiences imagine a safer future without them. Together, we can build a critical mass to demand our leaders move us closer to—and eventually reach—a world without nuclear weapons.

For the victims and survivors and for our collective future, please join us.