Dalai Lama calls for concerted global action for world peace on 75th anniversary of world’s first atomic bombing

DHARAMSALA, 5 Aug: His Holiness has called for concerted global action for world peace on the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the world’s first atomic bomb on Japan.

“I take the opportunity to urge governments, organisations and individuals to rededicate themselves to making the achievement of peace the centrepiece of our lives,” in a statement he issued to the world’s first nuclear attack.

Describing the 20th century as “an era of violence,” the Tibetan Nobel Laureate has stated that “Now, in our increasingly interdependent world, we have a chance to make this a more peaceful century.” 

 The Dalai Lama has further called for a demilitarised and nuclear-free world.  “When conflicts arise, they should be settled through dialogue, not the use of force. War means killing. Violence leads to counter violence. we need to put an end to combat and the production of weapons and construct a more peaceful world.”

The Tibetan Nobel Laureate has further stated that many of the problems in the world today are man-made as a result of our “strong negative emotions” and the mentality of us versus them.

“We must recognise the oneness of humanity and understand that we will not achieve peace merely through prayer; we need to take action,” the statement concluded.

The US dropped the world’s world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan on 6 Aug 1945, destroying the city and killing 140,000 people, mostly civilians and including many children.

Three days later, a second nuclear weapon was dropped on Nagasaki, another Japanese city.