Hannover’s Deputy Mayor Thomas Hermann, as representative of Mayors for Peace, participated in the Basel 2025 Intergenerational Forum on Peace, Climate Action and Nuclear Disarmament. During his intervention, he highlighted the importance of local action in addressing global problems, underlining the fundamental role of cities in finding solutions, stating that “it is good that cities are networking internationally, below government level, because we need to solve the challenges of our time locally, in the cities.”

The Deputy Mayor also reflected hope in the new generations and their commitment to peace and climate justice, which is essential for the future of humanity “it is impressive how the young generation is working on the issue of peace and climate justice for themselves.”.

He ended his speech with a warning note, speaking about the “need to remember these stories [Hiroshima and Nagasaki’s testimonies] now, especially in these times, and bring them back into people’s consciousness. These fates drive us in our commitment.”

The Basel 2025 Intergenerational Forum on Peace, Climate Action and Nuclear Disarmament was held in Basel on Wednesday, 22 January. The event builds on the intergenerational forums of past editions, the PACEY Awards, and the 2024 World Future Policy Awards on Peace and Future Generations. This forum addresses topics such as the existential threats posed by nuclear weapons policies and climate change for the generations of today and tomorrow. It emphasises the catastrophic humanitarian, economic, and environmental consequences of current conflicts such as the Gaza/Israel or Ukraine/Russia conflicts.