WSU Vancouver Alumna Selected For Hiroshima-focused Nuclear Abolition Leadership Program (Photo) - 07/17/26
VANCOUVER, Wash. – Courtney Boswell, an organizer with the Collective for Social and Environmental Justice at Washington State University Vancouver and an alumna of the university, has been selected to participate in the 2026 Dr. David Hall Emerging Leaders in Nuclear Weapons Abolition Program, an intensive leadership initiative hosted by Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility.
The in-person program will take place July 29 through Aug. 9. It begins with two days of training at the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action in Kitsap County, Washington, followed by travel to Hiroshima, Japan—the first city destroyed by an atomic weapon in 1945.
The program was created to honor the legacy of Dr. David Hall, a longtime advocate for peace and abolition who served as a leader in WPSR and the Ground Zero Center. Hall believed strongly in preparing the next generation to confront what organizers describe as the greatest existential threat to human survival: nuclear weapons. The program trains young organizers in the history, ethics and politics of nuclear weapons and prepares them for direct engagement with survivors, activists and policy advocates. It aims to cultivate future leaders committed to abolition through education, international dialogue and community accountability.
Participants will study the history of nuclear weapons development and anti-nuclear activism before traveling to Hiroshima for a week-long visit hosted by the World Friendship Center. The experience includes meetings with atomic bomb survivors (known as “Hibakusha”), visits to the Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum, and participation in the Aug. 6 commemoration of the bombing.
Following the Hiroshima visit, participants will present publicly on their experiences and engage in continued organizing work through regional and national abolition networks. All participants are required to join a virtual report-back webinar on Sept. 29, as well as complete a community-based report-back project, which may include public presentations, radio interviews, written reflections or media contributions.
In addition to the educational and organizing components, a vlog and documentary will be filmed during the Hiroshima trip. The completed project is expected to be screened at a future CSEJ DocArts event at WSU Vancouver, extending the program’s impact to the broader campus and community.
For more information about the Emerging Leaders program, visit www.wpsr.org/emergingleaders.
For more information about DocArts events, contact van.csej@wsu.edu.
About WSU Vancouver
WSU Vancouver is one of six campuses of Washington State University and the only four-year research university in Southwest Washington. The campus offers undergraduate and graduate programs that support workforce development, innovation and economic growth through strong partnerships with businesses, industries and community organizations.
WSU Vancouver is located on the homelands of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and Peoples of the Lower Columbia Valley. We acknowledge their presence here. WSU Vancouver expresses its respect towards these original and current caretakers of the region. We pledge that these relationships will be built on mutual trust and respect.
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