Senzatomica

The Senzatomica awareness campaign intends to work for peace education and people’s empowerment so as to foster a public opinion movement aimed at banning the development, testing, possession, stockpiling, use or threat to use nuclear weapons. For the second year, the campaign is being supported through 8×1000 funds from the Istituto Buddista Italiano Soka Gakkai. Over the years, it has raised great interest thanks to its approach (educating about peace and disarmament, promoting an inclusive dialogue, transforming the human spirit), which is applied to both official diplomacy and parallel diplomacy.

• As regards parallel diplomacy, the main tool of the awareness-raising campaign for Italian citizens has been the Senzatomica traveling exhibition (in its two versions: standard and compact). Thanks to 8×1000 funds from 2021, the executive design phase of the new exhibition is almost complete and the first two stops have been scheduled.

• As regards official diplomacy, in close collaboration with partners,the goal is to organize conferences, polls, parliamentary inquiries as well as meetings with political representatives to reiterate the urgent need for Italy to commit to strengthening nuclear disarmament programs and supporting the TPNW.

In this second year, Senzatomica intends to keep stimulating reflection on the importance and feasibility of a nuclear-weapons-free world focusing especially on school-aged youth. It also aims to strengthen its information and awareness-raising efforts towards the public opinion as well as institutions for the Italian Government to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which came into force on January 22, 2021.

The new exhibition hinges upon the TPNW and addresses the main topics included in its Preamble, with a view to highlighting the new horizons of world possibilities the Treaty can bring about. The exhibition also aims at informing, stimulating reflection and empowering ordinary people. It is paramount for people to know the truth about nuclear weapons and to understand that it is their right and their duty to express their opinion. Thus they can make their voice heard on an issue that so closely concerns them and they can free their courage and creativity to create an indomitable force for peace. The exhibition itinerary – to be set up in collaboration with local administrations and schools – is designed for people of any age and can be used as a teaching tool.

In order to support the dissemination of peace education and nuclear disarmament in Italian schools,
a training course will also be developed and offered to teachers in Italy. This course will receive accreditation on the SOFIA portal of the Ministry of Education, therefore teachers attending it will receive training credits.

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.