Testimony to the New York City Council Hearing on Resolution 0976 – 2019 and INT 1621 – 2019,
January 28, 2019.

Dear Esteemed New York City Council,

I am writing this letter to support Resolution 0976 and INT 1621, which call for the City of New York to support the Nuclear Ban Treaty (TPNW) and to divest from any company in the nuclear weapons industry from the city’s pension funds.

My name is Rev. Dr. Toshikazu Kenjitsu Nakagaki, President and Founder of the Heiwa Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of New York, Current Vice President and Past President of the Buddhist Council of New York. I am also a Hiroshima Peace Ambassador and Nagasaki Peace Correspondent. I am the organizer of the annual NY Interfaith Peace Gathering to commemorate the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bombings. I have organized that event for 26 years. We have received an annual peace message from New York Mayor’s office every year for our gathering along with peace messages from the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Nuclear weapons are a threat to humanity and the environment, and need to be eliminated as soon as possible. As New York City has initiated many important bills in the past, I sincerely hope that our city will be able to pass these important legislative bills to contribute towards a peaceful world without nuclear weapons. This issue has been set aside too long, and we need to act now before another nuclear tragedy happens. It is a great contribution that NYC can do, as the next year 2020 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic bombings. We need to begin a new Manhattan Project for Peace to eliminate nuclear weapons, and these bills will be an important step.

I would like to encourage the Council in this urgent work. Thank you very much for the standing up to this gravest danger and unbearable cost.

No More Hiroshima, No More Nagasaki, No More Nukes and No More Tragedy to any one! This is my peace prayer.

Sincerely,

Rev. Dr. Toshikazu Kenjitsu Nakagaki
President and Founder
HEIWA Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of New York Ltd.