18/06/2026
ÖFG Peaceful Change panel discussion on 18 June 2026 at the Diplomatische Akademie Wien - Vienna School of International Studies organised in cooperation with the Österreichische Forschungsgemeinschaft (ÖFG)
Welcome:
Markus Kornprobst
(Professor of International Relations, Vienna School of International Studies)
Keynote address:
Setsuko Thurlow
(Nuclear-disarmament advocate and survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945)
Discussion:
Nadja Schmidt
(Director, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons ICAN Austria)
Aigerim Seitenova
(Kazakh human rights professional and interdisciplinary researcher; Co-Founder, Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Coalition)
For decades, Setsuko Thurlow has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the humanitarian and ethical dimensions of nuclear weapons, speaking before governments, universities, international organisations and civil society audiences around the world. She became one of the leading public voices of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), helping to mobilise support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). In 2017, she delivered one of the Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speeches on behalf of ICAN.
Her advocacy bridges history, lived experience, and international policy, reminding audiences that debates about deterrence and strategic stability ultimately concern human lives, communities and future generations.
At a time when nuclear rhetoric is intensifying internationally, this event aims to provide participants with a rare opportunity to engage directly with individuals – including with lived experience - working at the intersection of diplomacy, advocacy and ethics.
This lecture is part of the ÖFG Working Group on Peaceful Change's series of public lectures and panel discussions, which is organised jointly by the Österreichische Forschungsgemeinschaft (Austrian Research Association ÖFG) and the Diplomatische Akademie Wien - Vienna School of International Studies (DA).
Learn more about the DA and its programmes at https://www.da-vienna.ac.at.
Partner:
Austrian Research Association (ÖFG): https://www.oefg.at/
Photo: © Alice Cheung auf Pixabay
