In Japan, a Mothers’ Movement Against Nuclear Power

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from YES! Magazine:



In Japan, a Mothers’ Movement Against Nuclear Power
The Fukushima disaster has brought a powerful new demographic to Japan's anti-nuclear movement: mothers.

by Heidi Hutner
posted Apr 25, 2012


On the one-year anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japanese women in New York City gathered for a rally they called Pregnant With Fear of Radiation. Protestors wore fake pregnant bellies, or carried posters with images of pregnant women wearing face masks.

Well aware that fetuses, children under five, and women are at the greatest risk from radiation exposure, mothers have emerged as a powerful voice in Japan’s growing anti-nuclear movement.

To call attention to their message, the mothers have organized marches, petitioned government officials, fasted, and held months-long sit-ins in public locations. They regularly wear symbols of maternity and motherhood in deliberately confrontational ways.

The mothers call for action on multiple fronts. Most immediately, they demand the evacuation of all the families of Fukushima, where radiation emissions continue. They ask for tougher safety standards for food and drink in Japan, and an end to the practice of spreading and burning radioactive rubble from the contaminated zone throughout the country’s various prefectures. And, to prevent future disasters, they call for the permanent closure of all nuclear power plants in Japan and throughout the world. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/in-japan-a-mothers-movement-against-nuclear-power

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