Apr 29, 2010
Barack Obama is undoubtedly the U.S. president most committed to nuclear
disarmament since Kennedy. People all over the world have cheered
President Obama's commitment to move toward nuclear disarmament.
Yet the stark reality is U.S. and Russia maintain over 20,000 nuclear
weapons, many of them on hair-trigger alert, ready to launch on a few
minutes' notice. Many are tens or hundreds of times more powerful than
the Hiroshima bomb, which leveled that city and killed over 140,000
people.
The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) agreement, while
welcome, is a modest reduction, leaving the U.S. and Russia with over
1,500 deployed, long-range "strategic", nukes, and thousands more
"tactical", short-range weapons and "reserve" nukes in storage. U.S.
Senate ratification of New START, where 67 votes are required by the
Constitution to approve treaties, may prove difficult, especially
without conditions supporting modernization of the U.S. nuclear weapons
complex that would undercut the treaty's thrust and appear hypocritical
to the rest of the world.
Criticism by some analysts that this treaty and other recent initiatives
(the Congressionally-mandated Nuclear Posture Review and Nuclear
Security Summit) are too modest or narrow does not diminish the
president's stature as a leader on nuclear weapons issues. It reflects
the reality that he is a politician, pressured by many constituencies,
many of whom do not share his vision of a world made more secure by
scrapping nuclear weapons. The Dr. Strangeloves in the nuclear weapons
establishment certainly have the president's ear. Their influence needs
to be countered by an engaged public in the U.S. and around the world.
We have the opportunity to do just that at the upcoming Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference (NPT RevCon), held every five
years at the United Nations in New York.
The NPT is the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and
non-proliferation regime. It has three main tenets - disarmament,
non-proliferation, and the development nuclear energy. Because of the
dangers of catastrophic accidents like Chernobyl, the unsolved problem
of storing and safeguarding nuclear waste and the potential that
"peaceful" nuclear programs or materials can morph into weapons
programs, nuclear energy should be replaced with safe, renewable,
"green" energy sources.
Regarding nuclear weapons, the NPT review is a unique opportunity, yet
one that comes at a moment of potential crisis. Concern over Israel's
undeclared nuclear arsenal and the possibility that Iran may seek a
nuclear weapons capacity has spurred a renewed call for a Middle East
Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone by countries in the region. If this is blocked
at the NPT Review, there is concern that countries in the region such
as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and others might seek nuclear weapons.
This is only one crucial non-proliferation issue requiring progress at
the review conference. In the realm of disarmament, many non-nuclear
countries are impatient with progress toward fulfilling the NPT's
Article VI, which calls for the original nuclear states (the Unites
States, Russia, China, France and Great Britain) to disarm in exchange
for the non-nuclear states forgoing nuclear weapons. The NPT became
international law in 1970, so the impatience is understandable and
warranted.
The NPT is the world's most widely adhered-to treaty, with 186 signatory
countries, but U.S. leadership is crucial. President Obama has a golden
opportunity, and an obligation really, to make bold progress toward the
global elimination of the world's most deadly weapons.
He won't do it alone, and he won't be alone. In addition to the
delegates from the member states, tens of thousands of people from
around the world will gather in New York this weekend, just before the
NPT RevCon opens. Events will include an international conference,
rally, march and festival to demonstrate international civil society's
support for peace, disarmament and prioritizing human and environmental
needs over nuclear weapons and war.
Three days that can change the world!
This weekend New York City, Peace Action, and international coalition
organizing under the banner "Disarm Now! For Peace and Human Needs" and
thousands of activists from around the world will take a stand against
nuclear weapons with a groundbreaking conference on disarmament and a
mass demonstration of global importance. The events are the culmination
of an international petition campaign involving over 4 million people.
We call on you to stand with the Hibakusha, the survivors of the
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Yoko Ono, LUSH Cosmetics, President
Obama, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and peace and disarmament
activists from countries around the globe to take action for a world
free of nuclear weapons.
This week, international artist Yoko Ono urged participation in the
three days of action on her website.
LUSH, the international organic cosmetics company, is supporting Peace
Action and the international petition campaign calling upon President
Obama to engage in "multilateral negotiations on an international
agreement to abolish nuclear weapons, within our lifetimes."
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will keynote the International
Conference for Nuclear-Free, Peaceful, Just and Sustainable World. Last
fall, he said, "nuclear disarmament is the only sane path to a safer
world."
Last year, President Obama reminded the world that taking steps towards a
world without nuclear weapons is a moral responsibility. Without
action, organizing and protest, that moral responsibility will never be
realized.
There is still time to help change history.
1) Be in Times Square at 1:30 PM on Sunday, May 2!
Rally in Times Square (South of 41th Street on 7th Avenue) to call for
No Nukes, No Wars, Fund Human Needs, Protect the Planet!
March to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at the UN with Hibakusha, people from
the US who have been harmed by uranium mining and nuclear weapons
testing, as well as peace activists and nuclear abolitionists from
across the US and countries around the world.. Close the afternoon by
participating in a dynamic International Peace & Music Festival from
4-6:00 PM.
2) Watch Live Web Streaming of International Conference for
Nuclear-Free, Peaceful, Just and Sustainable World, April 30 -May 1.
On the eve of the U.N. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review
Conference, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will join over 800
participants at historic Riverside Church in Manhattan to discuss the
urgency of nuclear abolition and the new opportunities for disarmament.
The abolition of nuclear weapons and shifting the world's resources from
war planning to feeding, healing and housing the peoples of the world
is what is needed in the 21st century. We must make it happen, in our
lifetime.
Live Web Streaming
The conference is now at full capacity. We are working on the logistics
for live web streaming of Ban Ki-moon's address, and all the plenary
speakers on Friday night and Saturday. Check www.peaceandjusticenow.org
on Friday, April 30 for details.
Organize viewing parties in your area! Timing and list of plenary
speakers are up on the peaceandjusticenow.org website.
Whether or not you can join us in New York this weekend, all people of
conscience need to seize on (in the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.) "the fierce urgency of now" in demanding peace, disarmament,
social justice and environmental restoration.
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barack obamachernobylegypthiroshimairanisraelmartin luther king jrnagasakinew yorkrussiasaudi arabia
Barack Obama is undoubtedly the U.S. president most committed to nuclear
disarmament since Kennedy. People all over the world have cheered
President Obama's commitment to move toward nuclear disarmament.
Yet the stark reality is U.S. and Russia maintain over 20,000 nuclear
weapons, many of them on hair-trigger alert, ready to launch on a few
minutes' notice. Many are tens or hundreds of times more powerful than
the Hiroshima bomb, which leveled that city and killed over 140,000
people.
The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) agreement, while
welcome, is a modest reduction, leaving the U.S. and Russia with over
1,500 deployed, long-range "strategic", nukes, and thousands more
"tactical", short-range weapons and "reserve" nukes in storage. U.S.
Senate ratification of New START, where 67 votes are required by the
Constitution to approve treaties, may prove difficult, especially
without conditions supporting modernization of the U.S. nuclear weapons
complex that would undercut the treaty's thrust and appear hypocritical
to the rest of the world.
Criticism by some analysts that this treaty and other recent initiatives
(the Congressionally-mandated Nuclear Posture Review and Nuclear
Security Summit) are too modest or narrow does not diminish the
president's stature as a leader on nuclear weapons issues. It reflects
the reality that he is a politician, pressured by many constituencies,
many of whom do not share his vision of a world made more secure by
scrapping nuclear weapons. The Dr. Strangeloves in the nuclear weapons
establishment certainly have the president's ear. Their influence needs
to be countered by an engaged public in the U.S. and around the world.
We have the opportunity to do just that at the upcoming Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference (NPT RevCon), held every five
years at the United Nations in New York.
The NPT is the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and
non-proliferation regime. It has three main tenets - disarmament,
non-proliferation, and the development nuclear energy. Because of the
dangers of catastrophic accidents like Chernobyl, the unsolved problem
of storing and safeguarding nuclear waste and the potential that
"peaceful" nuclear programs or materials can morph into weapons
programs, nuclear energy should be replaced with safe, renewable,
"green" energy sources.
Regarding nuclear weapons, the NPT review is a unique opportunity, yet
one that comes at a moment of potential crisis. Concern over Israel's
undeclared nuclear arsenal and the possibility that Iran may seek a
nuclear weapons capacity has spurred a renewed call for a Middle East
Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone by countries in the region. If this is blocked
at the NPT Review, there is concern that countries in the region such
as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and others might seek nuclear weapons.
This is only one crucial non-proliferation issue requiring progress at
the review conference. In the realm of disarmament, many non-nuclear
countries are impatient with progress toward fulfilling the NPT's
Article VI, which calls for the original nuclear states (the Unites
States, Russia, China, France and Great Britain) to disarm in exchange
for the non-nuclear states forgoing nuclear weapons. The NPT became
international law in 1970, so the impatience is understandable and
warranted.
The NPT is the world's most widely adhered-to treaty, with 186 signatory
countries, but U.S. leadership is crucial. President Obama has a golden
opportunity, and an obligation really, to make bold progress toward the
global elimination of the world's most deadly weapons.
He won't do it alone, and he won't be alone. In addition to the
delegates from the member states, tens of thousands of people from
around the world will gather in New York this weekend, just before the
NPT RevCon opens. Events will include an international conference,
rally, march and festival to demonstrate international civil society's
support for peace, disarmament and prioritizing human and environmental
needs over nuclear weapons and war.
Three days that can change the world!
This weekend New York City, Peace Action, and international coalition
organizing under the banner "Disarm Now! For Peace and Human Needs" and
thousands of activists from around the world will take a stand against
nuclear weapons with a groundbreaking conference on disarmament and a
mass demonstration of global importance. The events are the culmination
of an international petition campaign involving over 4 million people.
We call on you to stand with the Hibakusha, the survivors of the
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Yoko Ono, LUSH Cosmetics, President
Obama, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and peace and disarmament
activists from countries around the globe to take action for a world
free of nuclear weapons.
This week, international artist Yoko Ono urged participation in the
three days of action on her website.
LUSH, the international organic cosmetics company, is supporting Peace
Action and the international petition campaign calling upon President
Obama to engage in "multilateral negotiations on an international
agreement to abolish nuclear weapons, within our lifetimes."
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will keynote the International
Conference for Nuclear-Free, Peaceful, Just and Sustainable World. Last
fall, he said, "nuclear disarmament is the only sane path to a safer
world."
Last year, President Obama reminded the world that taking steps towards a
world without nuclear weapons is a moral responsibility. Without
action, organizing and protest, that moral responsibility will never be
realized.
There is still time to help change history.
1) Be in Times Square at 1:30 PM on Sunday, May 2!
Rally in Times Square (South of 41th Street on 7th Avenue) to call for
No Nukes, No Wars, Fund Human Needs, Protect the Planet!
March to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at the UN with Hibakusha, people from
the US who have been harmed by uranium mining and nuclear weapons
testing, as well as peace activists and nuclear abolitionists from
across the US and countries around the world.. Close the afternoon by
participating in a dynamic International Peace & Music Festival from
4-6:00 PM.
2) Watch Live Web Streaming of International Conference for
Nuclear-Free, Peaceful, Just and Sustainable World, April 30 -May 1.
On the eve of the U.N. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review
Conference, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will join over 800
participants at historic Riverside Church in Manhattan to discuss the
urgency of nuclear abolition and the new opportunities for disarmament.
The abolition of nuclear weapons and shifting the world's resources from
war planning to feeding, healing and housing the peoples of the world
is what is needed in the 21st century. We must make it happen, in our
lifetime.
Live Web Streaming
The conference is now at full capacity. We are working on the logistics
for live web streaming of Ban Ki-moon's address, and all the plenary
speakers on Friday night and Saturday. Check www.peaceandjusticenow.org
on Friday, April 30 for details.
Organize viewing parties in your area! Timing and list of plenary
speakers are up on the peaceandjusticenow.org website.
Whether or not you can join us in New York this weekend, all people of
conscience need to seize on (in the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.) "the fierce urgency of now" in demanding peace, disarmament,
social justice and environmental restoration.
Barack Obama is undoubtedly the U.S. president most committed to nuclear
disarmament since Kennedy. People all over the world have cheered
President Obama's commitment to move toward nuclear disarmament.
Yet the stark reality is U.S. and Russia maintain over 20,000 nuclear
weapons, many of them on hair-trigger alert, ready to launch on a few
minutes' notice. Many are tens or hundreds of times more powerful than
the Hiroshima bomb, which leveled that city and killed over 140,000
people.
The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) agreement, while
welcome, is a modest reduction, leaving the U.S. and Russia with over
1,500 deployed, long-range "strategic", nukes, and thousands more
"tactical", short-range weapons and "reserve" nukes in storage. U.S.
Senate ratification of New START, where 67 votes are required by the
Constitution to approve treaties, may prove difficult, especially
without conditions supporting modernization of the U.S. nuclear weapons
complex that would undercut the treaty's thrust and appear hypocritical
to the rest of the world.
Criticism by some analysts that this treaty and other recent initiatives
(the Congressionally-mandated Nuclear Posture Review and Nuclear
Security Summit) are too modest or narrow does not diminish the
president's stature as a leader on nuclear weapons issues. It reflects
the reality that he is a politician, pressured by many constituencies,
many of whom do not share his vision of a world made more secure by
scrapping nuclear weapons. The Dr. Strangeloves in the nuclear weapons
establishment certainly have the president's ear. Their influence needs
to be countered by an engaged public in the U.S. and around the world.
We have the opportunity to do just that at the upcoming Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference (NPT RevCon), held every five
years at the United Nations in New York.
The NPT is the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and
non-proliferation regime. It has three main tenets - disarmament,
non-proliferation, and the development nuclear energy. Because of the
dangers of catastrophic accidents like Chernobyl, the unsolved problem
of storing and safeguarding nuclear waste and the potential that
"peaceful" nuclear programs or materials can morph into weapons
programs, nuclear energy should be replaced with safe, renewable,
"green" energy sources.
Regarding nuclear weapons, the NPT review is a unique opportunity, yet
one that comes at a moment of potential crisis. Concern over Israel's
undeclared nuclear arsenal and the possibility that Iran may seek a
nuclear weapons capacity has spurred a renewed call for a Middle East
Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone by countries in the region. If this is blocked
at the NPT Review, there is concern that countries in the region such
as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and others might seek nuclear weapons.
This is only one crucial non-proliferation issue requiring progress at
the review conference. In the realm of disarmament, many non-nuclear
countries are impatient with progress toward fulfilling the NPT's
Article VI, which calls for the original nuclear states (the Unites
States, Russia, China, France and Great Britain) to disarm in exchange
for the non-nuclear states forgoing nuclear weapons. The NPT became
international law in 1970, so the impatience is understandable and
warranted.
The NPT is the world's most widely adhered-to treaty, with 186 signatory
countries, but U.S. leadership is crucial. President Obama has a golden
opportunity, and an obligation really, to make bold progress toward the
global elimination of the world's most deadly weapons.
He won't do it alone, and he won't be alone. In addition to the
delegates from the member states, tens of thousands of people from
around the world will gather in New York this weekend, just before the
NPT RevCon opens. Events will include an international conference,
rally, march and festival to demonstrate international civil society's
support for peace, disarmament and prioritizing human and environmental
needs over nuclear weapons and war.
Three days that can change the world!
This weekend New York City, Peace Action, and international coalition
organizing under the banner "Disarm Now! For Peace and Human Needs" and
thousands of activists from around the world will take a stand against
nuclear weapons with a groundbreaking conference on disarmament and a
mass demonstration of global importance. The events are the culmination
of an international petition campaign involving over 4 million people.
We call on you to stand with the Hibakusha, the survivors of the
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Yoko Ono, LUSH Cosmetics, President
Obama, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and peace and disarmament
activists from countries around the globe to take action for a world
free of nuclear weapons.
This week, international artist Yoko Ono urged participation in the
three days of action on her website.
LUSH, the international organic cosmetics company, is supporting Peace
Action and the international petition campaign calling upon President
Obama to engage in "multilateral negotiations on an international
agreement to abolish nuclear weapons, within our lifetimes."
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will keynote the International
Conference for Nuclear-Free, Peaceful, Just and Sustainable World. Last
fall, he said, "nuclear disarmament is the only sane path to a safer
world."
Last year, President Obama reminded the world that taking steps towards a
world without nuclear weapons is a moral responsibility. Without
action, organizing and protest, that moral responsibility will never be
realized.
There is still time to help change history.
1) Be in Times Square at 1:30 PM on Sunday, May 2!
Rally in Times Square (South of 41th Street on 7th Avenue) to call for
No Nukes, No Wars, Fund Human Needs, Protect the Planet!
March to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at the UN with Hibakusha, people from
the US who have been harmed by uranium mining and nuclear weapons
testing, as well as peace activists and nuclear abolitionists from
across the US and countries around the world.. Close the afternoon by
participating in a dynamic International Peace & Music Festival from
4-6:00 PM.
2) Watch Live Web Streaming of International Conference for
Nuclear-Free, Peaceful, Just and Sustainable World, April 30 -May 1.
On the eve of the U.N. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review
Conference, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will join over 800
participants at historic Riverside Church in Manhattan to discuss the
urgency of nuclear abolition and the new opportunities for disarmament.
The abolition of nuclear weapons and shifting the world's resources from
war planning to feeding, healing and housing the peoples of the world
is what is needed in the 21st century. We must make it happen, in our
lifetime.
Live Web Streaming
The conference is now at full capacity. We are working on the logistics
for live web streaming of Ban Ki-moon's address, and all the plenary
speakers on Friday night and Saturday. Check www.peaceandjusticenow.org
on Friday, April 30 for details.
Organize viewing parties in your area! Timing and list of plenary
speakers are up on the peaceandjusticenow.org website.
Whether or not you can join us in New York this weekend, all people of
conscience need to seize on (in the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.) "the fierce urgency of now" in demanding peace, disarmament,
social justice and environmental restoration.
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