EdinburghCND will be leafletting at the East End of Princes Street from 1230 on Sat 13th June. We will then join SCND at the Leith Festival

Scottish CND will have a stall at the Leith Festival on Saturday (13 June) in Leith Links. We will arrive at 10.30 am and set up the stall around 11.30 am. It is likely to be busiest in the afternoon, 1 pm to 4 pm. We will be coming through from Glasgow with our two giant puppets, Big Sandy and CiNDy. The stall will have new Bairns not Bombs Tshirts, CND jewellery, tattoos, leaflets etc. Help  appreciated.

6th: ++High winds at the Meadows Festival meant we had to shut down early. We will be back tomorrow (sunday) 11am to close

Meadows Festival – Sat & Sun, 6 – 7 June Edinburgh CND (mega) stall at the Meadows Festival on Saturday and Sunday.  There’ll be plants and second hand books on sale to raise funds plus CND and STW materials as the political part.  Last year it was really successful.  If you can help for anytime between 9 to 5 Saturday and or Sunday please come along. (see previous post for further details)  We will also be at the Leith Festival – Sat, 13 June  Other events this week-end and later

1. Friday 5th June, the Nuclear Free Local Authorities Scotland Forum is holding a special seminar on Trident replacement issues after the UK election. This is being held in the Council Chamber, Renfrewshire House, Paisley from 12.15pm – 2.30pm. The keynote speaker will be Sunday Herald Environment Editor Rob Edwards, who will talk about the allegations made by Able Seaman William McNeilly of the safety and security of Trident submarines, which Rob exclusively broke in the Sunday Herald. Other speakers include CND Scotland Chair Arthur West, Nukewatch Scotland’s Jane Tallents and Bill Kidd MSP.  To attend please email Cathy Birrell, NFLA Scotland Secretary on cathy.birrell@ced.glasgow.gov.uk asap.

2. AUDIENCE INVITATION:The Big Questions will be broadcasting live from The Leith Academy in Edinburgh on Sunday 7^thJune and we’re looking to invite people to be part of our audience.  ABOUT THE BIG QUESTIONS: The Big Questions is the BBC’s flagship live religious, moral and ethical debate show fronted by Nicky Campbell. The show itself features specially invited front-row speakers who have a particular interest, expertise or personal story that relates to one of the week’s debates. These speakers debate in front of a wider studio audience. While we cannot guarantee everyone the opportunity to speak, our audience is sometimes invited to contribute to the discussion too. PRACTICAL DETAILS: We will be recording two episodes in Edinburgh… The first episode will be a live broadcast which requires the audience to be on location at 8:30am on Sunday 7^th June. This will be a more topical programme revolving around the week’s news events. The second episode will be a pre-record which requires the audience to be on location at 12:30pm on Sunday 7^th June. It will eventually go to air on Sunday 14^th June. This will be a special programme revolving around one question – Are nuclear weapons justified? HOW TO APPLY: If anyone would like a seat in our audience, please contact audiencetbq@mentorn.tv or 0141 611 9626. Please include your full name and a contact telephone number.

3. Document Film Festival Spirit of Revolt – Archives of Dissent Scottish Peace Network and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Present Two films and a blether for the centenary of the 1915 Rent Strikes
 Pearce Institute, Govan, Glasgow TODAY 4 June 2015, 7pm Free/ donations welcome Refreshments provided.

4. The next meeting of the Scrap trident Coalition will be in Edinburgh at 6.30pm on Tuesday June 9th
It will be in the Edinburgh Peace & Justice Centre, terrace St Johns Church, west end Princes St

5. If you agree that the government has its priorities wrong, join the Scrap Trident bloc on what will be a huge anti-austerity protest in Glasgow on Saturday (am), June 20th 60 thousand people have already confirmed their attendance at 3 demos including London – be a part of this important day!

6. Unsung Heroes: Celebrating Conscientious Objectors Past Present and Future. A Fundraiser for a memorial to Conscientious Objectors and all those who have opposed wars. With Margaret Bennett, Christine Kydd, Fiona Thom & friends, Scott Murray, Protest in Harmony, Lisa Rigby  & Penny Stone. 20 June. The Pleasance Cabaret Bar. Tickets £13/ £8. from comemorial.bpt.me or from the Peace and Justice Centre.

And please sign the petition for a Conscientious Objectors’ Memorial in Edinburgh here. Already over 500 people have signed. The petition closes today, 4 June, so don’t delay!

7. An official march for armed forces day will take place on June 27 at 11am. The march will assemble at 11 am at the Grassmarket and will be marching up to the royal mile and past the National Library and back around to Grassmarket. Suggested assembly at 11 am in front of the National Library with banners and placards.

8. The World Is My Country exhibition and talks. Talk in Edinburgh possibly second half of October.

 OTHER NEWS:

1. Peace & Freedom e-news WILPF Congress & Conference Special Issue now available

2. Scottish CND would like to appoint a part-time Assistant Coordinator to provide maternity leave cover. 

Job title: Temporary Assistant Coordinator 
Salary: £12,477 per annum 
Salary info: 21 hours per week. Fixed term appointment from July 2015 to 31 January 2016
Job Type: Part time
 Closing date: 9 June 2015
Location: Glasgow

Role: 
The purpose of this post is to assist with the administrative work of the Scottish Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.  There will also be a requirement to assist with some campaigning work, in line with the overall strategic direction of Scottish CND as set by the Executive Committee.

3. CND remains unsatisfied with the Ministry of Defence’s response to Trident whistle-blower Able Seaman McNeilly’s allegations, which include claims of negligent security practices and structural inadequacies in Britain’s nuclear weapons system. Less than two weeks after the long list of safety failings were published, the government issued a short statement yesterday (Thursday, May 29th), concluding that ‘most of McNeilly’s concerns proved to be either factually incorrect or the result of mis- or partial understanding’. Minister Penny Mordaunt MP defended the government’s response in a debate later that day on Trident safety, called by the Scottish National Party’s Alex Salmond MP. While Mordaunt was also keen to refute McNeilly’s allegations, she said that further details of the investigation could not be made public for national security reasons.            CND’s General Secretary Kate Hudson said: ‘Looking back at confirmed safety and security incidents in relation to Britain’s nuclear weapons system, the MoD can forgive us for not feeling reassured with their short assessment of submariner McNeilly’s detailed claims.                                                                                   ‘Scottish CND has published a valuable reminder of known dangerous issues with our nuclear weapons system. There is a shortage of staff operating Trident, instances of on-board fires requiring external assistance and there’s even a confirmed incident of British and French nuclear submarines colliding.’While Trident is supposed to keep us safe, it is becoming more and more evident that instead it is a disaster waiting to happen. It is the inherent danger of operating nuclear weapons, as well as the astronomical cost of maintaining them, which is making an increasing amount of the public call for the government to scrap Trident and cancel its replacement.’