Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day 2026: “Añin Jitbon Mar” – Spiritual Calling from our Islands

Geneva Commemoration, organised by the Representation of the Marshall Islands in Geneva

Each year, the Marshall Islands observe Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day on 1 March, honouring those affected by the nuclear testing programme that took place between 1946 and 1958. 

This year, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, in collaboration with the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation and the World Council of Churches, will host an event on 6 March 2026 from 14:00 to 15:00 at the Maison de la Paix in Geneva (Pétale 5, 5th floor). Please note that attendance is by invitation only.

Speakers 

The event will feature a diverse panel of speakers, presenting an opportunity to share our story with the international community, including:

Moderator:

• Augustine SOKIMI, Legal Counsel, Permanent Mission of the Marshall Islands

Speakers:

• Ignacio PACKER, Executive Director, Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation
• Abacca ANJAIN-MADDISION, Survivor 
• Selina LEEM, Activist, Nuclear Justice and Climate Justice
• Bernard DUHAIME, Special Rapporteur on truth, justice reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence (Video) 
• Jennifer PHILPOT NISSEN, Human Rights and Disarmament, World Council of Churches

Keynote Speaker:

• H.E. Dr. Hilda HEINE, President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (Video)

Spiritual Call:

• John TAUKAVE, Pacific Cultural Arts, PhD candidate, University of Amsterdam

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Global Solidarity for Nuclear Justice - About the Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day

In 2026, 1 March is the 72nd anniversary of the Castle Bravo nuclear test, the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated by the United States of America causing catastrophic human rights and humanitarian consequences for the Marshallese people.

This was the most powerful nuclear bomb ever tested by the U.S., with an explosion 1,000 times stronger than the Hiroshima bomb, causing displacement, radiation-related illnesses, and environmental devastation.

This year’s commemoration is also significant as we approach 80 years since the US nuclear weapons testing program began in the Marshall Islands, on 1 July 1946. The legacy of the 67 known nuclear weapons tests between 1946 and 1958 has caused transgenerational human rights violations and challenges, affecting our right to life, right to health, right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and right to self-determination, among others.

The theme “Añin Jitbon Mar” (Spiritual Calling from our Islands) is inspired by the recognition that the Marshallese experience with nuclear weapons is an atrocity to humanity and calls for a universal response and global solidarity in the pursuit of nuclear justice. The Marshallese people appeal to the global community's conscience to acknowledge, address, and seek justice for the lasting human rights violations caused by the nuclear legacy.

The messages from the Marshallese people are as follows:

• Remember and Honor: Commemorate the victims and survivors, their lives and sacrifices.
• Human Rights and Justice: Recognize our nuclear legacy as a continuing, unaddressed violation of fundamental human rights, demanding accountability and justice.
• Resilience and Future: Support us in our pursuit of nuclear justice, strengthening the unwavering resolve of the Marshallese people.
• Karreo (Cleansing): Advance truth, accountability and redress through honesty, meaningful dialogue, empathy, greater solidarity, cooperation and collective action towards pragmatic durable solutions.

This commemoration invites us to not only gather to remember, but to listen, to learn, and to act in solidarity with the Marshallese people in their pursuit of justice and healing. 

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