Panel about nuclear weapons and armament

Good Morning.

The one thing that comes to my mind when I think about working on
nuclear disarmament with other young people today is “what a time to be
doing this!”

And indeed, it is a great time for young people to become active on
nuclear disarmament, because for the first time since too many years,
their enthusiasm for a world free of nuclear weapons is not crushed by
cynicism and doubt faced with the grim realities of the past
administration in washington, but actually receives affirmation and
support from a wonderful community of NGOs and even diplomats at times.

At the very least since President Obama’s Prague Speech, more and more
people are beginning to recognize the idea of a world free of nuclear
weapons not just as a vision, but as an achievable goal.
Along with statements by the so-called elder statesmen such as the
Perry/Schultz/Kissinger/Nunn Op-Ed in the US, big civil-society
campaigns such as the Global Zero Initiative and the ongoing efforts of
an invaluable community of dedicated NGOs pushing for a nuclear weapons
convention, we can clearly see a huge global momentum in favor of
nuclear disarmament.

While President Obama maintained that he might not see a world free of
nuclear weapons during his lifetime, the scope and power of this new
momentum leads me to believe that our generation can indeed save the
next from the dangers of nuclear annihilation and radioactive waste.

Which leads me to our meeting here today, where we find everything I
just talked about. We have elder statesmen and distinguished global
leaders among us as well as young people, highly motivated and committed
to abolishing nuclear weapons, a generation that is becoming more and
more involved every year. What a great opportunity of future activists
to share their views and benefit from the enormous wealth of knowledge
and life experience our distinguished hosts represent.

And I am happy to be able to say that steps are being taken towards this
goal, and I am grateful and I appreciate the chance to address all of
you in this manner, and that was room for some brief Q&A and I’m sure my
three young colleagues will concur.

Unfortunately, there is a wall. There is a wall running right through
the middle of this room, that causes young people to sit all the way
back there without raising their voices or sharing their concerns and ideas.

This is also a wall that keeps you, the nobel peace laureates from
effectively imparting your wisdom upon us, so that we can learn from
your experiences and be more prepared to support and eventually carry on
your invaluable work.

From where I stand, it all seems clear to me. Looking around this room,
I see nothing less than the potential for the most fruitful and
productive exchange of ideas, wisdom and strategy. For me, it is deeply
saddening to see it unfulfilled.

So in the spirit of this conference, I challenge all of us to tear down
this wall and build a bridge of mutual understanding and trust between
generations, so that next year, we shall all meet as equal partners
working for our common goal: a more just and peaceful world without
nuclear weapons.
Thank you

Jacob Romer, Student-Peace-Bureau Heidelberg

About

The Permanent Secretariat of Nobel Peace Laureates Summits derives from a new and more broadly based collaboration between the International Gorbachev Foundation and the City of Rome for realizing the World Summits of Nobel Peace Laureates. The Permanent Secretariat, based in Rome, is a non-profit association without political aims. As well as organizing the tasks of the Summit, the Secretariat monitors the activities of Nobel Peace Laureates, while promoting the adoption of the "Charter for a world without violence" and supporting the work of the Nobel.