Peace Action Available for Interview: On 73rd Anniversary of the U.S. Atomic Bombings, Organizers for Nuclear Disarmament in Hiroshima & Nagasaki

With President Trump's dangerous statements and policies regarding nuclear weapons, and heightened tensions with North Korea and Iran regarding nuclear weapons issues, commemorating the 73rd anniversaries of the U.S. Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Monday, August 6th, and Thursday August 9th is as important as ever.

Representatives from Peace Action New York State, Chicago Area Peace Action, and Massachusetts Peace Action are currently in Japan to participate in events surrounding the anniversaries of the bombings, and are available for interview.

Topics:

• The significance of the anniversaries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings
• President Trump's dangerous statements and policies regarding nuclear weapons
• Grassroots efforts in the U.S. to reduce the nuclear threat and advance the goal of a nuclear weapons free world
• President Trump's unilateral withdrawal from the successful Iran nuclear agreement
• The diplomatic process with North Korea
• U.S. plans to spend $1.2 trillion over next 30 years on expanding its nuclear weapons capabilities
• The politics behind all the above issues as they relate to the Trump administration, Congress, and the 2018 midterms

Emily Rubino, Grassroots Campaigns Coordinator, Peace Action New York State (PANYS), emily.rubino@panys.org, 1-513-509-6439 (cell)

Emily Rubino is dedicated to intersectional activism that recognizes the connections between domestic social justice struggles and international human rights struggles. Her background in advocacy and activism includes acting as a Social Justice Leader through Fordham's Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice and traveling to Nepal, Jordan, and Chile through IHP's Human Rights program to stand with communities of indigenous, refugee, and Palestinian peoples in their human rights struggles. She has been involved with Peace Action New York State in various capacities for the past two years, and looks forward to continuing to advocate for a less oppressive world order. She is a Fordham graduate with a BA in International Humanitarian Affairs and Sociology.

Hassan El-Tayyab, Policy and Organizing Director, Chicago Area Peace Action, hassan@chipeaceaction.org, 1-508-241-0888 (cell)

Hassan El-Tayyab is the Policy and Organizing Director at Chicago Area Peace Action. He leads CAPA's lobbying efforts with the Illinois Congressional delegation to advance diplomacy and legislation to reduce the nuclear threat such as H.R. 669, the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act. You can read a feature story about him in the Chicago Tribune, and an op-ed of his in Truthout on nuclear diplomacy with North Korea. He is scheduled to be in Hiroshima from August 3-7 and in Nagasaki from August 8-9.

Michelle Cunha, Assistant Director, Massachusetts Peace Action, michelle@masspeaceaction.org, 1-781-605-5583 (cell)

Michelle Cunha holds a Bachelor's Degree in European History from Franklin Pierce University. A native of Bedford, she focuses on nuclear weapons issues such as Hanscom Air Force Base's roll in the new nuclear arms race.

Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs, Peace Action, pmartin@peace-action.org, 1-951-217-7285 (cell)

Since 1993, Paul Kawika (ca vee' ca) Martin, Peace Action's Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs, has worked with numerous environmental, peace, animal rights and human rights organizations including the Rainforest Action Network and Physicians for Social Responsibility. Paul worked with a Clinton Presidential Commission and spent a year campaigning in twenty countries on Greenpeace ships including the Rainbow Warrior. His work has appeared in countless international, national and local television, radio and print media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Politico, Nightline, CNN, MSNBC and Democracy Now! Mr. Martin has travelled to nearly 35 countries including Japan, Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon and Cuba. He received his bachelor's at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) in Environmental Studies and Global Peace and Security and currently lives in Washington, D.C.

About Peace Action:

Founded in 1957, Peace Action (formerly SANE/Freeze), the United States' largest peace and disarmament organization, with over 100,000 paid members and nearly 100 chapters in 36 states, works to abolish nuclear weapons, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights and support nonmilitary solutions to international conflicts. The public may learn more and take action at www.PeaceAction.org.