Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare

Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare

The Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare serves as a reminder of the horrors of chemical weapons and the need for their total elimination. This observance honours the victims, reaffirms the global commitment to preventing chemical warfare, and strengthens the international effort toward achieving a world free from chemical weapons. Additionally, this day serves as a time to promote international peace, contribute to global disarmament, and prevent threats to international security.

Although the history of the Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare is recent, South Africa's relationship with chemical weaponry runs deeper. In the past, South Africa possessed and developed chemical and biological weapons, but it has since dismantled these programmes and signed the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1993. For the people of South Africa, the Day of Remembrance not only focuses on global disarmament but also on upholding the country's commitment to the prevention and non-proliferation of chemical warfare.

In South Africa, the observance of the Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare involves promoting education and raising public awareness of the dangers and destruction caused by chemical weapons. This may include commemorations, public speeches, discussions, and other platforms to emphasize the importance of international cooperation and South Africa's dedication to a world free from chemical warfare. The Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare takes place annually on April 29, providing an opportunity for the South African people to engage with this imperative issue.

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.