Media Release
For Immediate Release
August 5, 2009
CONTACT: Andrea Shipley
(208) 344-9161
(208) 514-8713 Cell
Snake River Alliance and Idaho Peace Coalition Hold Hiroshima Memorial
WHAT: “Stewarding Peace Through Memorial: A Walk and Talk for Peace”
WHEN: August 6th, 2009 5:30-8p.m.
WHO: Snake River Alliance, Idaho Peace Coalition and Will Ferraggiaro of the D.C. Based Fund for Peace
COST: Free
DETAILS: Folks will gather at the Train Depot at 5:30 pm. The peace walk will leave the Boise Train Depot for the Anne Frank Memorial at 6 p.m. After arriving at the Memorial a ceremony and key note speech will take place. The event ends at 8 p.m.
BOISE, ID–On August 6th and 9th, 1945 two atomic bombs vaporized 210,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This Thursday, nearly 60 years after the first atom bomb was dropped, the Snake River Alliance and the Idaho Peace Coalition will pay tribute to the victims and survivors of those bombings with a peace walk and memorial featuring key note speaker Will Ferroggiaro, from the D.C. based Fund for Peace.
The peace walk will begin at the Boise Train Depot where a “peace tree” was planted over 30 years ago by local peace activists and members of the Snake River Alliance. The walk will leave the Depot at 6:00 and travel down Capitol Blvd. Participants will carry signs that read “Never Forget, Never Again.” The walk will end at the Anne Frank Memorial, where the Snake River Alliance will unveil a memorial brick in honor of the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. Fund for Peace Executive Director Will Ferraggiaro will speak at the Anne Frank Memorial beginning at 6:45 p.m.
Ferraggiaro will also lead a Ford Foundation funded roundtable discussion on the same day titled, “The Use and
Purpose of U.S. Power in the 21st Century” which will begin at 12:00 p.m. and last until 1:30 pm in the Hatch A Ballroom at Boise State University.
Snake River Alliance Executive Director, Andrea Shipley says, “The memorial brick lying is an important part of paying tribute to the victims wrought by the devastating misuse of weapons of mass destruction. The Snake River Alliance has been working to promote awareness about the dangers of nuclear weapons, waste and power for 30 years and this memorial is meant to help us remember how important it is to cultivate peace in our community.”
The Snake River Alliance works for responsible solutions to nuclear waste and a nuclear-free future. It seeks to strengthen Idaho’s economy and communities through the implementation of renewable energy sources in Idaho and the promotion of energy efficiency and conservation. This year marks its 30th Anniversary as Idaho’s nuclear watchdog and advocate for clean energy.