Wishing all our supporters a peaceful new year:

Edinburgh CND will be leafleting at the East End of Princes Street on Saturday 14th January at 1230.

A New Year Message from CND

Don’t forget that this is the year of the UN talks to initiate a treaty to prohibit all Nuclear Weapons. The following letter appeared in the National on 6th Jan:
‘I strongly agree with Joseph G Miller’s letter in Wednesday’s National (‘Shame on UK for voting against nuke treaty bid’). It’s a scandal that the BBC hasn’t covered recent developments at the UN where 123 countries voted in favour of a resolution to negotiate on a treaty to prohibit all nuclear weapons. The UK voted against this resolution, contradicting the noises the government make about being in favour of multilateral disarmament. Scotland had no vote despite having hosted these obscene weapons for decades with all the attendant risks.
Mr Miller finishes his letter hoping the Scottish electorate will wake up to the dangers of nuclear weapons. I can assure him many of us have. Some are Peace Campers at Faslane, some campaigners with Scottish CND and its local groups, some the activitists of Nukewatch monitoring the bomb convoys. Join us!
The next elections are for local councils in May, I urge voters to quiz your candidates about the risks of nuclear warheads being driven along our roads and what they plan to do about the danger we are all put in by this’.

Remember: You could help persuade the UK government to support this coming World Conference on Nuclear Weapons by signing our petition.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/175096

+++++STOP PRESS: https://www.facebook.com/events/115723635598426/ for Women’s event on Sat 21st
Join us to say Stop Trump’s Nuclear Arms Race on the day of the US President-elect’s inauguration. We’ll be at the Wellington Statue East end of Princes street on 20 January from 5 30pm. There will be a London event at the same time.
The last few weeks have seen international tensions grow as US President-elect Donald Trump has made an alarming series of statements, the consequences of which could spell nuclear annihilation.
Breaking with decades of US presidential policy, Trump has spoken in favour of nuclear proliferation – suggesting that more countries should develop their own nuclear weapons. Referring to Japan and South Korea countering North Korea, he said he’s fine about a nuclear arms race in East Asia. There can be few more dangerous developments.
But dangerous statements and actions abound. Before Christmas he said “the United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability”, and at the end of the year he was reported as saying “let it be an arms race” in a telephone call to the MSNBC presenter Mika Brzezinski.
He has already stated that he wishes to end the nuclear deal with Iran. His decision to end decades of agreement with China by phoning the Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen raises the spectre of a conflict too terrible to contemplate.
Our movement must confront this situation as a matter of urgency: the real world effects of this provocative approach to international relations by Britain’s main ally – the most powerful military force in the world – can already be felt.

OTHER EVENTS:

1. Visits to Faslane: Saturday 7th January and a Sunday in February. Contact edinburghcnd@yahoo.com for further details

2. A night of celebration for the life of John Ainslie – giant of Scottish CND and the peace movement in Scotland – will take place from 7.30 pm in St Peters Church Hall, Glasgow, G11 5PS (Chancellor St. entrance) on Friday January 13th.
The event is being organised by Scottish CND and is open to our members and supporters and people from the wider Peace Movement who wish to attend. Supporters from CND groups or networks across the UK are also very welcome to attend. There will be some light snacks available and refreshments, but people can bring their own bottle. Donations will be welcome to cover the food costs.
The programme for the night is as follows:
7.30 pm: Opening remarks and welcome – Arthur West – chair of Scottish CND
7.45 pm – 8.30 pm: Songs, music and contributions from various people on the life of John Ainslie
8.30 pm: Break and a chance for some food and drink
9 pm: Brief readings from John’s reports down the years
9.15 pm Celidh music and dancing
10.30 pm Closing remarks
John Ainslie’s nephew – Ross Ainslie will be playing a few songs. He is one of Scotland’s finest traditional musicians playing pipes, whistles and cittern.
Maeve MacKinnon, who is an outstanding Scottish singer, will also be performing at the event. Maeve is the daughter of former Scottish CND chair Alan MacKinnon

3. Peace and Justice Burns Supper and Ceilidh
Sat 28 Jan 2017. 6pm Burns Supper. 8 – 11pm Ceilidh.
Full three course Burns’ Supper, with speakers, peace activist and author Alastair McIntoshwith the Immortal Memory, musician and inspiring educator Stan Reeves giving the Address to the Haggis, and political activist, writer and dreamer Zara Kitson responding from the lassies. Dancing until midnight with Hud Yer Wheesht Edinburgh Ceilidh Band, and support acts Various Moons playing Norman MacCaig-inspired tunes, and Kenny Vass singing Burns.
Full licensed bar with organic and local delights and the raffle with Gandolf. Raising vital funds to keep the campaining going for Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre.
Come to the full Burns Supper & Ceilidh or just the Ceilidh
Supper & Ceilidh (supporters) £25 / Standard £20 / Concession £15
Ceilidh Only: Supporters £15 / Standard £10 / Concession £6.50 / Advance concession £5 / under 12 £3.50
Book Tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2

4. The next meeting of the Scottish Peace Network will take place on Tuesday, January 10, at 2pm in the electron club which is on the first floor of the Centre for Contemporary Art on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow city centre

STOP PRESS 5. CAAT Edinburgh quarterly meeting
17th January 2017, 7pm – 8.45pm
at Quakers’ Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL will discuss current campaigns, including the national and local campaigns on Yemen, action on arms companies’ presence in Scottish schools and other ideas for action from several sub-meetings that have taken place since the last quarterly meeting.4

STOP PRESS 6. More on CND wish to all CND groups and members (see first item) a happy and peaceful 2017. Despite the serious challenges we face, we are feeling very positive about the year ahead for our campaign. It will be exciting to follow developments at the UN with a global nuclear weapons ban being negotiated – starting in March. But no matter what this year brings, we will continue to work hard together to campaign against all things nuclear. They also suggested using their new materials http://www.cnduk.org/shop/index.php?cPath=3&osCsid=4t61eusiamka2kjlv1oss2seo4