MORE than US$1 trillion a year is spent on global military expenditures and the arms trade.

However, it is estimated that only an annual expenditure of US$19 billion on basic services could eliminate starvation and malnutrition globally.

An additional US$12 billion annually could educate every child on earth. And US$23 billion a year could reverse the spread of malaria

The basic needs of every human on earth could be met if just less than 10% of the world's military spending was directed to that purpose.

This was highlighted to visitors at the anti-nuclear exhibition themed "From a Culture of Violence to a Culture of Peace: Transforming the Human Spirit" jointly sponsored by two non-governmental groups - Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM) and Physicians for Peace and Social Responsibility.

The exhibition was held at the foyer of Dewan Tunku Syed Putra in Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang from October 23-25.

The event was well attended. On the last day of the exhibition, some 2300 people alone including students from some 50 schools visited the exhibition.

Tan Chong Lip, an organising committee member said that the exhibition is held to mark the 50th year since the Soka Gakkai second president, Josai Toda called for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

In September 1957, Josai had condemned the use of nuclear weapons in the strongest possible words by saying, "We, the citizens of the world, have an inviolable right to live. Anyone who tries to jeopardize this right is a devil incarnate, a fiend, a monster".

In line with "transforming the human spirit", visitors are challenged to make a change through creating a global sense of the deep connection among people, creating resolutions to conflict through genuine dialogues and conduct peace activism openly by revealing who they are.

Besides that, the public are also encourage to educate children on dealing with conflicts peacefully as well as teaching them to respect other cultures and values.

Public petition

On a small but important part, visitors are encouraged to sign a public petition which calls the government of Malaysia to actively support the international campaign to abolish nuclear weapons through a nuclear weapons convention.

The petition is expected to be handed to the Malaysian government after the anti-nuclear exhibition nationwide tour is over.

"We will submit to the government beginning of next year," said Tan.

In conjunction with this exhibition, a talk on peace with the same theme will be held tonight at the Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra, USM from 7.30p.m.-10.00 p.m.

The invited speakers are Taiping Peace Initiative Chairman Dr Anwar Fazal, president of Physicians for Peace and Social Responsibility Dr Ronald S McCoy, Assoc Prof Dr Wan Ahmad Kamil from the Department of Nuclear Medicine, USM and Head of Paediatrics Gastroenterology Prof in MU Medical Centre Prof Dr Christopher Boey.

Public admission is free.

Two other similar exhibitions which will be held in Penang at the Queensbay Mall from 29-31 October 29-31 and at the SGM Penang Culture Centre from Nov 1-4 are also open to the public.