80 Years of the Nuclear Age: The Role of Youth in Building a Safer World 

This year marks 80 years since the dawn of the nuclear age—beginning with the first detonation of a nuclear weapon by the U.S. Army on July 16, 1945, in the New Mexico desert as part of the Manhattan Project, followed by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9. This event is a moment for remembrance, reflection, and a renewed call to action for a world free of nuclear weapons. We will honor the victims of nuclear weapons use and testing, while highlighting the urgent need to advance disarmament and nonproliferation education—particularly among younger generations. 

We hope you can join us for this meaningful event!

Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2025  
Time: 4:30 pm ~6 45 pm 
Irvine Auditorium, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey 
Address: 499 Pierce St., Monterey CA 93940 
Organized by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and
Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey 

AGENDA 

4:30 PM – Paper Crane Folding Activity 
Led by CNS Summer Undergraduate Fellows 

5:00 PM – Opening Remarks 
Masako Toki, Senior Project Manager, CNS 

5:05 PM – Welcome Remarks  

5:10 PM – Testimony from Hiroshima 
Ms. Keiko Ogura, Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Survivor (Video Presentation) 

5:20 PM – Keynote Address 
Dr. Stephen Herzog, Professor of the Practice, CNS 

5:40 PM – Introduction to Nuclear Testing and Downwinders 
Jean du Preez, Director for Education and Training, CNS 

5:50 PM – Testimony from a Downwinder 
Mary Dickson, Writer and Playwright (Video Message) 

6:00 PM – Testimony from a Third-Generation Survivor 
Yumi Sato, MIIS Graduate, OPANAL Intern (Video Presentation) 

6:10 PM – Youth Panel Discussion: 
“The Role of Youth in a World Free of Nuclear Weapons” 
Presented by CNS Summer Undergraduate Fellows 
Moderated by Jean du Preez 

6:45 PM – Closing  

To learn more, click here to visit the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey event page.

Contact: Masako Toki, Senior Project Manager and Research Associate

mtoki@middlebury.edu