Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons Honors Nuclear Prayer Day on August 6 with an Invitation for Global Prayers

Second Annual Nuclear Prayer Day, August 6th 2023

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, July 8, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons invites individuals, religious and interfaith communities, and nuclear disarmament organizations, initiatives, and grassroots movements to save the date on August 6th, 2023 for the second annual Nuclear Prayer Day.

On this day, the 78th Anniversary of the atomic bombing on Hiroshima, Japan, Voices intends to create global awareness of the threats of nuclear weapons, and to encourage individuals to replace feelings of fear with hope, solidarity, and action by hosting Nuclear Prayer Day. This day is dedicated to saying a prayer for a world free of nuclear weapons. The threats of first use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine still remain, and the potential for capricious escalation stir us in the deepest parts of our souls, and inspire us to pray that this planet might be saved from the more than 13,000 warheads which are aimed and ready!

This year at this event on Nuclear Prayer Day we would expect over a 100,000 people to unite in prayer similar to the previous year. We would like to invite – you, your group, your congregation, and your organization - to join with others around the world on August 6th to say a prayer for a world free of nuclear weapons. You are also invited to send us your prayers for Nuclear Prayer Day so that we can share it with the world.

People of our group who have said a Nuclear Prayer include former Secretary of State George Shultz; former Secretary of Defense William Perry; former Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr.; physicist Sidney Drell; international lawyer Jonathan Granoff; and many more. These are people who have devoted their lives to disarmament and the abolition of nuclear weapons. People of action – and also people of prayer!

“These weapons are not ultimately a matter of the military, politicians or national security, they are a matter of the human heart, a matter of global stewardship, a matter of a motherly scream before a deadly calamity awaiting her beloved. Far down in the human being, down where the primal urge to perpetuate life abides, there is an alarm system of basic instinct. When that alarm goes off, a prayer wells up, a cry surfaces, terror finds a voice. A call to action explodes. Voices use of the word “prayer” to cover all the various emergency responses. We invite people to create their own prayer or to say a Nuclear Prayer we say.” The Rt. Rev. William E. Swing, Founding Member of Voices, and Founding Trustee and President Emeritus of the United Religions Initiative (URI).

To honor this day, Voices will organize an interfaith event about prayer for a world free of nuclear weapons in New York City at St. Bartholomew’s Church (St. Bart’s) on August 6, at 12:30PM EST to which all are welcome. The event will also be live streamed.

During this event the winner of the Fourth Annual Voices Gorbachev/Shultz Legacy Youth Award 2023, will be announced. This award honors a youth, or organization which, has pioneered or been part of exemplary programs and actions to engage youth in the local, regional or global movement to abolish nuclear weapons.

Additional events include a global zoom room with a compilation video of prayers from the seven continents for a world free of nuclear weapons, with a space provided for discussion, reflection and community that people can join in. These events will take place on August 5th at 9:30 PM EST, and on August 6th at 3.30PM EST.

For more information about Nuclear Prayer Day and how to participate please visit https://www.voices-uri.org/nuclear-prayer-day or click here.

Nuclear Prayer Day, 2023 is a designated pre-parliament event by the Parliament of the World Religions.

Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons is part of United Religions Initiative, the largest grassroots interfaith network in the world. URI builds bridges by encouraging members to work together on practical projects that enhance civil communities and promote understanding between people of different religious and cultural traditions. URI has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. At present, URI has 1141 Cooperation Circles in 110 countries, with over one million members.

Sponsors of Nuclear Prayer Day 2023 events include United Religions Initiative, Committee of Religious NGOs, Global Security Institute, Green Hope Foundation, Parliament of World Religions, Religions for Peace, Sine Network, and Soka Gakkai International

Jenneth Sonntag
Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons
jenneth@uri.org

Voices Eight Founding Members Recite a Nuclear Prayer