I am Yuki: The Hiroshima project [Music]

I am Yuki: The Hiroshima project [Music]

As the 77th commemoration of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki approach, London CND is proud to feature the work of Diego Philips, a London-based musician, presenting a musical and deeply emotional rendition of this human tragedy.

I am Yuki :The Hiroshima project promotes global peace, forgiveness and tolerance. After years of collaborative work, is now available to all.

You can watch the concept-album here:

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A bit of context

Philips’ intimate relationship with Japan started in 2004 on his first visit to Japan. In 2007 he went back and spent six months there where he attended a Japanese High School, soaking in Japanese Culture. In 2013, he went back once more on holidays and visited the city of Hiroshima, where he was deeply moved by the historical events whilst visiting the Hiroshima peace museum.

The music takes influence from various places, from The Beatles to The Velvet Underground and other bands like Wilco and Radiohead. The final product is a syncretism of Folk & Rock, pulling from the influence palettes of the musicians.

The narrative behind the music tells the story of a young boy called Yuki, who sees his life being taken away by the bombings. The concept-album finishes on the word of Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet as an ode for global peace.

As the project was ready to be released, the pandemic hit the world and everything came to a standstill. The world has now been transformed by a global experience and people everywhere have seen their own worlds shaken by the events. This project is closer to us now than ever before and is finally ready to be presented.

More than a concept-album, I am Yuki : The Hiroshima project is promoting global peace, forgiveness and tolerance, helping the world to remember that the events of the past shape the world of tomorrow.

Remembering Bruce Kent - obituary

Obituary by Carol Turner, Co-Chair London Region CND

London CND supporters will join with me in expressing regret and sadness at the death of Bruce Kent, after a short illness, less than a fortnight before his 93 rd birthday. We celebrate his contribution to the peace and-anti war movement, and send sympathy to his family, particularly his wife Valerie who stood shoulder to shoulder with Bruce in many of the campaigns he espoused.

Bruce Kent was a leading figure in CND over six decades. including a period as General Secretary then Chair throughout the 1980s. He remained a leading spokesperson for the Campaign thereafter. On his death he was a Vice President of CND, President Emeritus of the Movement for the Abolition of War, Vice President of Pax Christi and Patron of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

He was too a Vice President of London Region Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and remained active right up to his death. Unable to join us at Lakenheath on 21 May, he recorded a video message urging support.

Bruce joined CND in 1960, a new convert to nuclear disarmament. I recall the story he told of his first encounter with the young nuclear disarmament movement – his irritation when, as a newly-ordained Roman Catholic priest, the arrival of the bride and groom at a wedding service he was officiating at was delayed while protesters on the first Aldermaston march passed nearby his parish church.

This self-deprecating tale was typical of the humour and perspective he brought to his work for CND, and a reason of why he remained popular with audiences young and old over many decades.

Tributes to Bruce are pouring in, including from the Ham and High, his local Haringey newspaper which described him as a ‘peace hero’. He will be warmly remembered, and missed, for many years to come.

• CND, including tributes from Kate Hudson, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Prof Paul Rogers, Reiner Braun International Peace Bureau

• Guardian – a charismatic peace activist

London CND at the V&A archives, with Peter Kennard

On Thursday 9th June 2022, London CND had the immense priviledge of being given access to some of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection of anti-nuclear posters, in the presence of the artist Peter Kennard.

After a few minutes of perusing through a rich layout of posters from CND, Greenpeace and many other organisations from Germany to the USA, our group of 25 gathered up to listen to Peter Kennard.

Throughout the 1970s and 80s Peter Kennard’s hugely powerful photomontages ensured that the movement, and the striking imagery that came to represent it, were etched onto the public consciousness.

Peter has gone on to become one of Britain’s leading political artists, creating work which has come to define modern protest.

His iconic, haunting images have appeared in publications such as New Scientist, The Guardian, New Statesmen and many more.

It was fascinating to hear about the behind-the-scenes of how Peter produced his striking collages with kids’ toys, cardboard and many other unexpected elements.

We were shocked to hear that CND had to take a reactionary campaign to court for violating the copyright of one of these posters - only to be told by the judges that the copyright couldn’t be violated on the ground that “there wasn’t enough artistic thinking behind the poster”!

Through this rich collection of posters, we are reminded that the struggle for nuclear disarmament is as pressing as ever. While the UK already owns hundreds of nuclear bombs 8 times more powerful than the ones dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the UK government announced an increase of 40% of its nuclear stockpile in 2021. Furthermore, while the Ukraine war saw direct threats of nuclear escalation, the news broke out last month that US nuclear weapons would return to the base of Lakenheath in Suffolk, 100km from London.

As our Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament continues, the need for impactful imagery and design persists.

We are very grateful to the V&A archivist Zorian for working with us on this event and preparing the posters, and to Peter Kennard for his haunting work and fascinating presentation.