Senzatomica

Senzatomica is an awareness-raising campaign which aims at peace education as well as training, information and empowerment of people to stimulate a public opinion movement to ban the development, testing, possession, stockpiling, use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. The campaign – in existence since 2011 – has aroused great interest over the years due to its approach (education for peace and disarmament, promotion of inclusive dialogue, transformation of the human spirit) carried out through advocacy actions and parallel diplomacy.

As far as parallel diplomacy is concerned, the main instrument of the campaign was the exhibition (in both standard and “compact” versions) which was brought to 80 Italian municipalities. An important part of the project will consist in redesigning and realising the new version of the standard exhibition – given the obsolescence of the current version – and planning the next steps in the main Italian cities.

As far as the advocacy activity is concerned, it is proposed – in close cooperation with the partners – to organise conferences, surveys, parliamentary questions and meetings with political representatives to remind them of the necessity and urgency of our country’s commitment to strengthening the pathways to nuclear disarmament and possible support for the TPNW.

The exhibition ‘Senzatomica. Transforming the human spirit for a world free of nuclear weapons’ is promoted by the Senzatomica Committee – a direct emanation of the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai – as part of the campaign for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Its aims are to inform, make people think and empower them. It is of primary importance that people are informed about the true reality of nuclear weapons that occupy the top of the pyramid of violence and that they can understand that it is their right and duty to express their opinion, so that they can make their voice heard on an issue that affects them so closely. Now is the time to unleash the courage and stimulate the action of ordinary people to create an indomitable force for peace.

The exhibition, to be set up in cooperation with administrations and school facilities, is intended for people of all age groups and is presented as an educational tool. The exhibition is also an opportunity to reflect on wide-ranging issues such as the social responsibility of the scientist, responsibility towards future generations, the environmental impact of nuclear testing, the (exorbitant) cost of armaments and their maintenance, and in particular on the direct correlation between nuclear disarmament and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Senzatomica was awarded the Medaglia di rappresentanza medal by the President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano.

Because of its efforts to reach a TPNW, ICAN — which Senzatomica has been partner of since it was founded — won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. A delegation participated in the awarding ceremony in Oslo in December of that year.