From October 26-28, 2025, leaders from government, civil society, faith communities, and international organizations gathered in Rome for the Daring Peace Conference 2025, hosted by the Sant’Egidio Community.

Dr. Ivana Hughes participated in the session “The Forgotten Danger: For a World Without Nuclear Weapons”, alongside UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu, Susi Snyder from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Bishop Alexis Mitsuru Shirahama of Hiroshima, and Hibakusha survivor Katsuko Tanaka. The session was moderated by Andrea Bartoli, President of the Sant’Egidio Foundation for Peace and Dialogue and Senior Associate Researcher Scholar at Columbia University.

The discussion focused on nuclear weapons and efforts toward global disarmament, including through the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Dr. Hughes focused her remarks on (1) the tragedies that occurred in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945; (2) other nuclear harms suffered by communities worldwide as a result of the decades-long nuclear testing programs; and (3) the role of scientists in bringing about a world free of nuclear weapons.

The session was part of the broader Daring Peace 2025 program, which brought together representatives of different religions, cultures, and civil society to promote dialogue, peace, and solidarity.

You can find the full program of the conference here.