CIF Alumni Spotlight: Arashu Onodera

Arashu Onodera

Soka Senior High School

I am Arashu Onodera, a sophomore of the University of Tokyo. I graduated from Soka Senior High school in Tokyo, Japan in 2018. First of all, I really appreciate that I have a chance to introduce my experience for the Alumni Spotlight of the Critical Issues Forum (CIF). I hope my experience will help you, who are reading this, to understand the CIF project, an excellent nonproliferation and disarmament education project for high school students from around the world.

I participated in the CIF that was held in Nagasaki in 2017. The theme of the year was “Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and its Role for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons.” Meeting with Dr. Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) at the CIF conference in Nagasaki was an amazing experience for me. It also opened the path for me to participate in the “CTBT: Science and Technology 2017 Conference (SnT2017)” that was held in Vienna, Austria from June 26th to 30th. These experiences have greatly helped me to set my goals in the university. These two events, both CIF and SnT2017, had significant impact on my career choice. Therefore, I would like to start with introducing each event in details, then, describe my student life at the university. Finally, I would like to mention my possible future career path.

Preparing for the CIF conference, I researched nuclear weapons from multiple perspectives: from historical, diplomatic and scientific standpoints. I created a visual product to present my research findings using a Prezi format (https://prezi.com/m/qfgn2elv0ggk/nuclear-weapons/) in collaboration with my classmates. It was the first time for me to collect such extensive information about nuclear weapons. This process was quite challenging. Through this preparation, I managed to be well versed on nuclear weapons issue.

We made the presentation for the CIF titled “Making CTBTO An Organizer of A Nuclear-Weapons-Free World.” Learning about the characteristic of the CTBT and the normative approaches to the issue from the past and the present, we especially focused on the role of the CTBTO. At the CIF, we introduced not only the normative significance of the CTBT but also the potential of the CTBTO as a roundtable-organizer for the future. We were honored that we presented our thoughts in public and had a discussion with some students from Japan, around the United States and Russia. On the last day of the CIF conference, I was selected to participate in the public symposium “Disarmament and Nonproliferation Education” as a panelist with Dr. Zerbo as a discussant. At the symposium, we shared our learning experiences toward the conference, and also answered questions by Dr. Zerbo and the audience. It was a great opportunity to reconsider my thoughts on the issues or the notion of “peace”.

Through these CIF activities, I managed to cultivate knowledge and sensitivity about nuclear weapons issues. Now I am aware of the issue not only from the moral standpoint but also diplomatic or academic perspectives. In these ways, the CIF made me what I am today, majoring in international relations to pursue the world without nuclear weapons.

After the CIF, I received a gracious invitation to the “CTBT: Science and Technology 2017 Conference (SnT2017)” from Dr. Zerbo with two other participants who joined the CIF conference in Nagasaki; one from the US, and one from Russia. Approximately 1,000 scientists, technologists, academics, students, CTBTO policy makers, members of the media and representatives of institutes involved in research and development relevant to all aspects of CTBT verification gathered at the conference. Participants exchanged knowledge and shared advances in monitoring and verification technologies of relevance to the CTBT.

It was an invaluable opportunity for me to participate in such a big international conference to observe how the discussion there was carried on.

We joined the SnT as members of “CTBTO Youth Group (CYG)”. Some sessions were set for the CYG members: for instance, the workshop about the use of social media to spread our thoughts to promote nuclear disarmament. Attending the plenary sessions where many dignitaries, high-ranking officials, and eminent scholars presented was an amazing, even surreal experience for me.  During the breaks, we enjoyed dialogue, discussion and delicious cuisine. As a CIF member and a CYG member, I made good friends at the SnT. Although I am not so good at making friends normally, the fulfilling discussion in Vienna created the sense of comradeship to achieve the world without nuclear weapons.

Graduating from my high school, I chose international relations as my major, in order to pursue the way of nuclear disarmament from an academic standpoint. Thanks to the opportunity given by the CIF, I started to desire the abolition of nuclear weapons, and also became interested in the academic approach. This is why I can say “CIF experience has greatly helped me to set my mission in the university”.

Going through the undergraduate life, I am cultivating my understanding on the international law, politics and economics. After I finish the college, I plan to continue to study at a graduate school, or also I am thinking about becoming a diplomat to devote myself to nuclear weapons issues. In any way, I am planning to pursue a career on nuclear disarmament. I really appreciate the opportunity that CIF provided, which led myself and other youth to pursue a path toward a world free of nuclear weapons.