As survivors of Hiroshima start to age, they keep their stories alive through passing them down to younger generations. Nearly 70 years after the Aug. 6, 1945 bombing, even the youngest atomic bomb survivors are elderly. Many aging atomic bomb survivors are leaving their legacy with their families, community and any outsiders willing to listen, with hope that their stories will prevent future use of nuclear weapons.
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Here is a little-known piece of history about Hiroshima: the story of how twenty-five young Japanese women, crippled and disfigured by the effects of the atomic blast, banded together to fight against their despair. They were brought to the United States in 1955 for plastic surgery – lodged in American homes and operated on at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital – in a remarkable humanitarian effort that is itself an epic.
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The Radium Girls were so contaminated that if you stood over their graves today with a Geiger counter, the radiation levels would still cause the needles to jump more than 80 years later. They were small-town girls from New Jersey who had been hired by a local factory to paint the clock faces of luminous watches, the latest new army gadget used by American soldiers. The women were told that the glow-in-the-dark radioactive paint was harmless, and so they painted 250 dials a day, licking their brushes every few strokes with their lips and tongue to give them a fine point.
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August 6, 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on a human population, specifically the people of Hiroshima, Japan. As a commemorative series, Women Of Green is taking a look back at the impact of nuclear war on the lives of women. This is the first post in the series. Mothers and Daughters Reflect on the Bomb In looking at the effects of nuclear weapons on mothers and daughters, the documentary film, Atomic Mom makes clear not only the past and effects, but also a way forward. In addition, filmmaker M.T. Silva has created Momisodes, a web series of Atomic Mom where mothers and daughters share thoughts on peace, and you can contribute your own ‘momisode’ to the series. The Film: Two decades after the end of the Cold War, the U.S. President claimed it was a particular mission for his administration to reduce the numbers of weapons on the planet, and to secure those weapons and materials that remain. The importance of this mission is too often forgotten in the current century—except when politicians raise the specter of scary nations who might have or attain weapons, like North Korea or Iran, or scary, […]
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As a 3% blogger, I’m constantly amazed and inspired by all the women and men who not only believe in our vision, but also jump right in to further the cause — writing for our blog, speaking at our events, and sponsoring our conferences. Many of these luminaries have shared their wisdom and insights with us over the years. Here are a few of their tips for creating the change we want to see in ourselves and in the world.
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From helping care for an abused woman’s animals to switching jackets so she can slip past her husband in the parking lot, advocates in poor, rural areas are thinking outside the box.
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If you’re feeling inspired by the Supreme Court’s historic same-sex marriage decision, then do your part to help build and sustain forward momentum toward justice for all. Legalizing same-sex marriage is a huge victory, but it is not the finish line of justice. Inequality takes many forms, and people are still waiting on their ability to live freely, safely, or, just to live.
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Kat Gordon worked for 20 years as a Copywriter/Creative Director and saw firsthand how women were often left out of pitches and important meetings. She describes the “Ultimate Emperor’s New Clothes Moment” of her life as the day her agency pitched the Saab car account with 16 men and one woman and then was mystified why they didn’t get the business.
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There is another form of discrimination in this country where words and opinions are blatantly expressed, and most just ignore the issue: ageism. We are a youth oriented country that looks at aging as something to avoid at all costs. We have to face that our population is aging and the number of Americans over age 60 is growing. We need to examine our social attitudes and realize that we live in a society that stereotypes aging adults.
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Last summer, Procter & Gamble’s Always scored a big hit with its stereotype-crushing Like a Girl ad, which then got a slot on the Super Bowl. Now, the feminine products brand is back with another powerful commercial aimed at building the confidence of women. The new Leo Burnett ad, Unstoppable, is directed, like its predecessor, by documentarian Lauren Greenfield. And it features a diverse group of girls and young women talking about the limitations they’ve experienced as a result of social norms.
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