Just these past few weeks

Just these past few weeks, I had the opportunity to attend the international conference entitled Human Rights, Future Generations and Crimes in the Nuclear Age, held in Basel from September 14-17, 2017.The conference brought experts from all around the globe which included internationally recognized physicians, lawyers, peace keepers, activists, philanthropists, Nobel Peace Nominees, and many more. I had the chance to speak as a speaker from the Marshall Islands discussing Marshall Islands’ experience with nuclear weapons and the devastating human consequences afforded to victims of such weapons. The conference essentially was a chance for me to give not only visibility for Marshallese nuclear victims but to give them a chance to be equally dignified so as to not forget their stories that are interlinked with the greater peace and security concerns highlighted in the UN where a war of words between North Korea and the United States currently ensues. The primary reason for me joining this conference is in line with my goals in discovering a deeper sense of self where a globalized reality taught at the University of San Francisco is fully realized in my humanitarian endeavors aimed at solidifying my moral position and conscience. The participants from all over that came to this international conference in the University of Basel had a chance to reaffirm “that the risks and impacts of nuclear weapons, depleted uranium weapons and nuclear energy, which are both transnational and trans-generational, constitute a violation of human rights, a transgression of international humanitarian and environmental law, and a crime against future generations” and as a presenter from the Marshall Islands, I too had the chance to present why this is. Aside from giving Marshallese people a sense of equal dignity, my dual citizenship status as a Marshallese American forced me to expand my moral obligations to showcase to the crowd that decisions made by powerful governments do not reflect the reality that is the civilian population. By this I mean that the narrative needs to change for it is not fair to blame all Americans for what is essentially a human rights crime. Part of the reason I was able to make it to this international conference and speak with dignity on an issue that is at the core of Human Rights’ values was because of the encouragement and moral support from my professors at the University of San Francisco who essentially gave me a space to exist as I am without shame and pushed me to accept myself by not discouraging a path that is naturally mine to uphold. Essentially, coming to USF didn’t necessarily change me, it allowed me to change the world on campus through a simple act of kindness by expanding my conscience through sheer will and determination to be heard in a conference filled with experts where the moral argument of the victims of nuclear experiments reigned supreme in delivering the Conference’s outcomes. I was reminded of how small the world was in this Conference when I came across colleagues from Japan and Europe who not only knew the organization I co-founded called REACH-MI but also knew some of my family members who have been fighting to be heard for as long as they’ve experienced the receiving inhumane end of nuclear deterrence policies. However, when it came down to showcasing truth, I had the opportunity to speak up a truth that has been forgotten from our memories that needs to be relit and as a result, the outcome of the Conference reflected my courageous step to be heard that was essentially shaped and molded by American educators at a Jesuit institution.