As the world looks to the United Nations for the Eleventh Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons this month, disarmament is once again at the forefront of international discussion. The NPT Review Conference, taking place in New York from 27 April to 22 May 2026, comes at a moment when the need for public engagement, education, and intergenerational dialogue remains as urgent as ever. Peace Boat US has long contributed to that work through its ongoing disarmament advocacy and education efforts, including engagement with the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons process, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) conferences, and partnerships with organizations such as the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
This article brings together the reflections of four young women connected to Peace Boat US, Sara Hollingshead, Delia Galvan, Molly Rosaaen, and Christelle Barakat, who have each found their own path into disarmament work through youth discussions, advocacy spaces, and personal commitment. Their voices offer an important reminder that disarmament is not only shaped in high-level meetings, but also through the people who choose to care, speak up, and stay engaged. At a time when nuclear policy can feel distant from everyday life, their reflections bring the issue back to what is most human, our shared responsibility to one another, and to the future.
Delia Glavan
Delia Glavan is a Political Science and Peace Studies student at Pace University with a strong interest in human rights and advocacy. She has volunteered with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons at the Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and has also participated as part of civil society at the United Nations General Assembly. Her work and interests are rooted in disarmament, housing equity, and gender issues.
Q1: Why is youth involvement in disarmament important beyond awareness? What does it change in practice?
Delia: “Youth involvement in disarmament plays a critical role in bringing young people into these conversations. Organizations like Youth for Disarmament help give young people a platform to express their views and share their perspectives.
For example, there was a recent Global Youth Disarmament Consultation that gathered input from hundreds of young people around the world. The results were compiled into a report that was then shared with key stakeholders working on disarmament and non-proliferation. That kind of process allows young voices to directly inform policy discussions.
Another important role is connecting young people who care about the same issues. Youth platforms create spaces where people can meet, collaborate, and organize together. It’s also incredibly important simply for young people to be present in these spaces, especially in the United Nations context. Nuclear weapons can sometimes feel like a Cold War issue, something from the past rather than something affecting us today. Because of that, many young people may not see it as an immediate concern.
But youth today are not only the citizens of tomorrow they are also today’s leaders, scientists, and decision-makers. Our presence in these spaces should not be symbolic or tokenistic. Young people bring real ideas, creativity, and new ways of communicating the disarmament message. That perspective is essential for reshaping the narrative and finding new approaches that haven’t been tried before.”
Q2: What is one real-world win in disarmament that most people don’t know about?
Delia: “There have actually been many important wins in the disarmament field. One example is the treaty that prohibits nuclear testing worldwide. Until relatively recently, nuclear testing was quite common. Because of that treaty, testing has largely stopped, and our lives today may be very different because of it.
Another major achievement is the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). More and more countries are signing and ratifying it and committing themselves to advancing the disarmament agenda. That is a significant step forward.
I also think we’re seeing progress culturally. Nuclear issues are receiving more attention again through books, films, and television. When these topics re-enter public conversation, people start discussing them again, forming opinions, and expressing opposition to nuclear weapons. Getting people to care and talk about the issue is one of the hardest things to achieve, so that cultural attention is a very meaningful step.”
Q3: With conflicts happening around the world right now, what is one lesson you’ve learned that changed how you see disarmament?
Delia: “In the world we’re living in right now, disarmament cannot be overlooked. We are witnessing in real time how crucial it is for people to come together and push for the abolition of nuclear weapons. We’re living in a moment of great instability, where world leaders sometimes make irrational decisions that harm many people. This uncertainty affects how young people think about the future. When the world feels unpredictable, it becomes difficult to imagine what tomorrow might look like. In that context, disarmament should be at the forefront. Many of the dangers we see today would not exist if these weapons did not exist. Nuclear threats would not be possible without nuclear weapons.
At the same time, periods of instability often create resistance. As power becomes more concentrated, more people begin organizing and pushing back. I think we’re seeing more people joining movements like the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and other disarmament initiatives. In that sense, this moment is also bringing new energy to the movement.”
Q4: Did you create anything during or after Peace Boat such as a project, campaign, event, or research that helped reopen the conversation professionally?
Delia: “Since the Peace Boat US internship, I’ve remained in contact with many people and have been able to participate in spaces where disarmament is an active topic of discussion and commitment. Personally, I’ve been focusing a lot on researching disarmament education. Learning as much as possible about the topic helps me better articulate my own views and strengthens my ability to advocate for change. I’ve also learned a great deal through conversations with professors and colleagues who have supported my learning process. Right now, my focus is on continuing this personal education and engagement.
After university, I would definitely be interested in continuing this work professionally either within an organization or through advocacy work so that my involvement goes beyond education and becomes part of my professional path.”
Sara Hollingshead
Sara Hollingshead works at the intersection of United States-Japan relations, peace and security, and nuclear disarmament. She is the Coordinator of Member Engagement at the U.S.-Japan Council and a Peace and Security Fellow at ReThink Media, where she focuses on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. As a former Peace Boat US intern, she also attended the Third Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Her commitment to nuclear abolition is deeply personal, shaped in part by her family’s background in Hiroshima and strengthened through her participation in the 2024 Hiroshima-International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons Academy.
Q1. Peace Boat brings together people from many countries and backgrounds. How did that multicultural environment affect your ability to communicate difficult topics like disarmament?
Sara: “Working with people from diverse countries and backgrounds showed me that nuclear disarmament is a global issue that affects everyone. My personal connection to Hiroshima has helped me communicate the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons more clearly, highlighting that anyone can be affected, making it easier to connect with people from all backgrounds and inspire them to engage in the movement.
What stands out here is the way Sara connects global dialogue with personal history. In multicultural spaces, disarmament stops being someone else’s issue. It becomes shared. Her connection to Hiroshima also gives her a way of speaking about nuclear weapons that is not abstract. It is grounded in memory, consequence, and the understanding that these harms do not belong only to the past.”
Q2. If you could deliver one message to world leaders about disarmament, what would you say in one sentence?
Sara: We need to move nuclear disarmament beyond abstract strategy, recognize that these weapons are indiscriminately catastrophic, and learn about the human and intergenerational impacts from those most affected.
This is one of the strongest lines in the whole article because it refuses the usual distance. Sara is not asking leaders to think more strategically. She is asking them to stop hiding behind strategy and face the human reality of what these weapons mean.”
Q3. Youth4Disarmament aims to connect young people with experts. How do you ensure youth engagement is meaningful?
Sara: “We need to meet youth where they are and make disarmament relevant to their lives. That means giving them real opportunities to learn, speak, and shape the conversation alongside experts.
It sounds simple, but this gets at something many institutions still fail to do. Youth engagement is not meaningful because young people are present. It becomes meaningful when they are trusted enough to speak, to influence, and to help shape the conversation rather than just listen to it.”
Q4. What is one truth about disarmament that most people avoid because it’s uncomfortable, but that we need to face?
Sara: “It’s necessary to recognize that nuclear weapons exist because humanity has accepted the risk of mass destruction as part of security.
That answer does not soften anything, and it should not. It pushes straight into the contradiction at the center of nuclear deterrence: the idea that security can rest on the acceptance of catastrophic destruction. It is uncomfortable, but that is exactly why it matters.”
Christelle Barakat
Christelle Barakat is a Lebanese young leader and peace advocate currently pursuing a Fulbright-funded graduate degree in Peace and Conflict Studies at UNC Greensboro. Her work centers on international peace development, youth leadership, and community engagement. She was selected by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) as a UN Youth Champion for Disarmament, representing her country and region as one of just ten young people chosen globally. With a background in Political Science and International Affairs from the Lebanese American University, her interests span conflict, gender, migration, development, and peacebuilding.
Q1. You’ve been part of the Peace Boat. How did that experience shape the way you think about disarmament and peacebuilding in real-world terms?
Christelle: “I learned about the Peace Boat through the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) when I was selected as a Youth Champion for Disarmament. The first time I listened to a hibakusha testimonial was during an online Peace Boat event. I was deeply moved by it and realized that I wanted to be involved in nuclear disarmament efforts and help hibakusha get their stories out into the world.
Joining Peace Boat as an intern allowed me to become more deeply involved in helping others around the world to organize online hibakusha testimonial events. It also enabled me to learn much more about climate issues and the oceans, expanding what I already knew. Furthermore, this experience humanized disarmament for me, especially in practice. It also inspired me by showing me the real impact that a group of determined people can make in the world. Peacebuilding today is different: it comes down to political will and having the courage to set differences aside, dialogue, and choose peace every single day.”
Q2. For those who are new to this topic, what does the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) do briefly, and why does it matter today?
Christelle: “The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) works to regulate, reduce, and eliminate weapons. This includes regulating conventional weapons, preventing the proliferation of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons, promoting nuclear disarmament and the reduction of nuclear arsenals, and assisting Member States with arms control and disarmament-related matters, including the implementation of disarmament-related treaties. UNODA also works to build confidence among Member States by encouraging more transparency regarding weapons and military spending. In recent years, it has also focused on educating individuals, particularly youth, on disarmament, non-proliferation, and arms control.
UNODA and its work particularly matter today because we are seeing renewed military conflict in an era of rapid technological advancement. This includes rising nuclear tensions, which require nuclear risk reduction measures, renewed dialogue, and more transparency and implementation of international disarmament treaties. It is more important now than ever to prevent the proliferation of weapons, particularly weapons of mass destruction, and to uphold international law.”
Q3. What are the most common misconceptions young people have about disarmament, and how do you address them?
Christelle: “The most common misconceptions that young people have about disarmament include the belief that youth cannot influence disarmament processes, that disarmament is solely a government-level issue, that disarmament is unrealistic or unattainable, and that youth cannot meaningfully contribute to disarmament.
In terms of addressing these misconceptions, it helps first and foremost to present examples where young individuals and youth movements have successfully advocated for disarmament. One such example is the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize.
Furthermore, disarmament is not unattainable; it is within reach. There are several examples of treaties that have reduced the number of weapons or that have banned certain categories of weapons.
As for meaningful youth engagement, there is still a lot of work needed, but, in recent years, the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs has led educational initiatives that have empowered youth to meaningfully engage in multileveled disarmament efforts.”
Molly Rosaaen
Molly Rosaaen has built her career around youth empowerment, international exchange, and global sustainability. She began her journey with Peace Boat US as an intern and later served as Youth Coordinator, supporting young people in peacebuilding and cross-cultural initiatives. She also worked with Youth for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as Operations Coordinator for the Second Meeting of States Parties, contributing to international efforts in nuclear abolition and youth engagement. She now serves as the Youth Programs Coordinator for Blue Planet Alliance, where she works with young people from around the world to advance renewable energy solutions and promote sustainability. In this role, she is committed to amplifying youth voices, fostering global collaboration, and supporting the next generation of climate leaders.
Q1. Did your work with Peace Boat US on disarmament issues help open doors professionally?
Molly: “I think Peace Boat’s connection with the disarmament community has opened many doors for me in that space. I was lucky enough to travel to Japan twice for disarmament-related events, the ICAN Academy and the G7 Youth Summit, because of my connection with Peace Boat, along with countless other opportunities.”
Q2. If you had to name one disarmament issue that deserves more public attention right now, what is it and why?
Molly: “One disarmament issue that I think deserves more attention right now is the humanitarian and environmental effects of nuclear weapons in the context of current arsenals’ capacities. It is hard for people to conceptualize the dangers that one nuclear warhead can cause, especially when many people assume a detonation would be around the size of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. In reality, modern nuclear weapons are far more powerful and have the capacity to destroy entire cities, and the effects would include a widespread global health crisis and lasting environmental changes. Raising awareness of these consequences is important as it shows the urgency of disarmament and the need for global cooperation to reduce these threats.”
Q3.What does disarmament mean to you, beyond the technical definition?
Molly: “Disarmament, to me, goes beyond reducing weapons, it represents a commitment to peace and security. It reflects the hope that those in power will choose diplomacy over destruction and cooperation over conflict. At its core, disarmament is about choosing to prevent harm and preserving life.”
These conversations are a reminder that disarmament is not only about policy, it is also about people, memory, responsibility, and the kind of future we are willing to fight for. As the world turns its attention to the upcoming Review Conference, the reflections of young people like Delia, Sara, Molly, and Christelle show that youth voices are not on the margins of this work. They are already helping shape its meaning, its urgency, and its future.