First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, along with other peace and faith groups in the community, are sponsoring Moving Beyond Suffering to Hope – No More Nukes, the annual Hiroshima – Nagasaki Memorial Event of the US bombing of the two Japanese cities. We come together to grieve and remember the impact of war and nuclear weapons, with the resolve of ending their use. This year we are sponsoring two events. On Friday, August 6th at 7:00 p.m. we will host our traditional memorial service including reflections, poetry, music, and the traditional ringing of the bell and placement of flowers at the Japanese Bell, on the State Capitol Complex. (West of the Iowa Judicial Branch Bldg, 1111 E. Court Ave. DM.) Please bring lawn chairs anda flower to place at the bell.
The second event, which will be held on Sunday, August 8th from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. at our church in Channing Hall, will feature a presentation by Global Zero on their campaign to secure international commitments to a No First Strike Policy, a presentation by National Iranian American Council (NIAC) regarding an update on the reinstatement of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), known also as the Iran nuclear deal. Following these zoom presentations local organizers will offer comments on related work and next steps to include a call to action. We hope you can join us.