Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare

Facts about victims of chemical warfare

• Chemical weapons were used for the first time on a large scale in battle during World War I at the battle of Ypres in 1915. The chemical that was used as a weapon was chlorine gas.
• According to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, as of 2023, 100% of the world's chemical weapons stockpile has been destroyed.
• There are three different schedules of chemicals:
  1) Schedule One: these are typically used in weapons such as sarin and mustard gas
  2) Schedule Two: these are used in weapons such as amiton and BZ
  3) Schedule Three: these are typically the least toxic chemicals and are used for research and the production of medicines.
• South Africa had a classified chemical and biological weapons program, known as Project Coast, which operated from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. The project's goal was both to develop chemical and biological weapons for military use, and to research substances for covert and unconventional purposes, such as the control of civil unrest and assassinations.
• Project Coast also aimed to develop chemicals that could cause infertility among the Black population, in efforts to manipulate and reduce numbers. While there is no concrete evidence confirming the use of such substances on a large scale, the intention is deeply concerning and highlights the racial motivations behind the program.

In the News and Trending in South Africa for Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare

Top things to do in South Africa for this observance

• Spread awareness on social media by using the hashtags #peacenotwar and #remembranceforallchemicalwarfarevictims
• Visit the site of some of the chemical weapon use. Some ideas, the Battlefields of Ypres, the Battlefields of Passchendaele and the Tokyo Subway.
• Advocate for stricter legislation and international conventions against the use of chemical weapons. Raise awareness among policymakers about the need to ensure the prevention and non-proliferation of chemical warfare agents.
• Engage with international organizations working towards the prohibition of chemical weapons, such as the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). This collaboration can help raise awareness and strengthen efforts to prevent the use of chemical warfare.

References and related sites