Dear friends of peace,

Today we commemorate the 140,000 people who died instantly when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. We must also think of those who suffered from the aftermath and continue to suffer even today, 78 years later. What madness are humans capable of? Why are threats of nuclear weapons still being used in 2023 when we know what they do? Why are nuclear weapons still being produced and ready for use? Why are explosive devices attached to the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia? Why are there nuclear power plants, even though we know that radioactive particles get into the sewage, that nuclear accidents happen and that we don't have safe solutions for the disposal of radioactive materials?

Why do people still have to die in wars in 2023?

I don't have an answer and I don't understand. Every politician who does not advocate an immediate end to all wars must imagine the following: Namely, that they themselves, if they were not so privileged, would be in the theatre of war and could die. And all politicians must realize that even if their beloved children were not as privileged as they are, they could be injured or die in the theatre of war.

Everyone who thinks about this needs to wake up and demand an immediate end to all wars!

People must no longer be allowed to die in war! There simply must be no more wars. We must work together to ensure that the responsible politicians wake up and work for an immediate end to all wars! In 2023 and for even a longer time, the whole world has had a much bigger problem in common, namely the climate crisis.

Therefore, we demand an immediate end to all wars and an immediate end to rearmament! We demand the use of these funds to save our environment and against all suffering in this world!

In order to reach the politicians, our decision-makers, our Hiking for Peace association organizes peace hikes in Vienna every two months, in which we now have around 50 participants. We initiate simultaneous peace hikes worldwide and there are now 10 active groups, namely 6 in Austria, one in Germany, one in Sweden, one in France and a newly founded one in Iceland.

The peace hikes are a good opportunity to bring peace organizations together with the local population on a regular basis and to promote exchange. Environmental organizations are also very welcome and there is the opportunity for speeches, joint garbage collection or other initiatives against the climate crisis and to plan for peace. It's important that we all get together!

Because 99% of the people in this world are against war and want our planet to be liveable for future generations. And because that's what the whole world wants, we need to wake up and take to the streets and say out loud what we want. So, my request to everyone who is here today on this day of remembrance: let's wake up and let's do more together!

Let's be visible together on the streets and demand an end to all wars and protection of the environment from those responsible! Let's join forces, peace advocates and environmentalists with the whole world, to achieve our goals and demands!

That's why my request to everyone is: Let's take to the streets together regularly. Please pass the possibility of the Peace Walks on to everyone you know. Please join groups or start one yourself and meet regularly. Because: Together we can achieve a lot! Together, all together, not alone, but ONLY TOGETHER we can change our world. Because it is time that wars came to an end, that we stand up for our climate and together we will be able to save the world for future generations!