Mr. Truman Meets Hiroshima on the Future of Nuclear Weapons

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A historic meeting between the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum will take place on March 1, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. CST (UTC/GMT: Tuesday, March 2, 01:00 to 03:00), via a live videoconference/webcast. This event, presented by Webster University (www.webster.edu) and its Holden Public Policy Forum, will be a first-of-its-kind symbolic meeting between President Truman and Hiroshima since the tragic events of 1945.

The meeting will provide a convergence of the two museums – one representing the first head of state to use nuclear bombs, the other representing the people in the first city where the bomb was dropped. The speakers and participants also will discuss the future of nuclear weapons.

To access the meeting go to: http://eagle.webster.edu/TheGlobalForum.

This webcast is being produced in anticipation of the critical 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference (NPT), May 3 to May 28 in New York City, in which the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum will discuss the philosophical basis on which they can work toward a common vision for the future of nuclear weapons.

The NPT is regarded as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. It was designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to further the goal of nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament, and to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The agenda for the March 1 event is as follows: 

Video introduction: Voices and images on the past, present and future of nuclear weapons  

Welcome: Webster University President Dr. Elizabeth (Beth) J. Stroble

Welcome to Harry S. Truman Presidential Museum & Library: Dr. Michael Devine, director

Moderator: Former Mo. Gov. Bob Holden

Historical Context: Truman, Hiroshima and Nuclear Weapons

Dr. John Chappell, associate professor, History, Politics and International Relations, Webster University

Live Broadcast from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum:

Steven Leeper, chairman, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba, mayor of Hiroshima 

Testimonials by Hiroshima and Nagasaki "Hibakusha" (A-bomb witnesses)

Questions and Discussion: 

Online questions and comments will be moderated by Satoko Norimatsu, director, Peace Philosophy Centre, Vancouver, B.C., and Dr. John Chappell.

A recorded archive of the video webcast and the online discussions will be available for on-demand playback online.

With its home campus in St. Louis, Webster University (www.webster.edu) is a worldwide institution committed to delivering high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence. Founded in 1915, Webster offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs through five schools and colleges, and a global network of more than 100 campuses. Its 20,000-plus student population represents almost 150 nationalities. Since opening its first campus overseas in Geneva in 1978, Webster has become a recognized leader and innovator in global education, with an international presence that now includes campuses in London; Vienna; Amsterdam and Leiden, the Netherlands; Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu, China; and Bangkok and Cha-am, Thailand. Webster also has educational partnerships with universities in Mexico and Japan.

SOURCE Webster University -- Saint Louis Campus