2.There will be leafleting on Saturday 11th March 1230 at the East End of Princes street.Please join us. We will be leafleting for the Global Nuclear Ban (continued below). (For other updates see +++++ especially item 6)

1. Our next meeting: ‘Trident, Truth and Trump’
A free talk by Veronika Tudhope, Organiser with the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (SCND), on her work to oppose the lunatic immoral waste of money that are Trident nuclear weapons, and build for the momentuous period till July when the UN will vote in New York on a global treaty to ban all nuclear weapons. Questions and discussion after.
Tuesday 7th March 7-8pm in the Peace & Justice Centre, 5 Upper Bow, Edinburgh, EH1 2JN, all welcome.
info: edinburghcnd.org contact: edinburghcnd@yahoo.com FB/twitter
There will be a short business meeting before hand at 6.15pm

2.continued
In one month negotiations will commence at the United Nations on a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. The initiative has the support of more than 120 countries and represents the chance to take a huge step towards a world without nuclear weapons. http://nuclearban.org.
Despite the international consensus, the UK government continues to oppose the process and is set to boycott the negotiations. This isn’t good enough and will leave the UK among the international pariahs on this important issue.

Scrap Trident http://scraptrident.org reported on the Week of Action for the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty: It was great that so many of us got out on the streets last week to back the global ban. We’ve heard about events in Biggar, Forres, Inverness, Irvine, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kilmarnock, Helensburgh, Dunoon and Ullapool, which is pretty impressive! It isn’t very easy campaigning on an issue on which the public have (so far) mostly no background information at all. The conventional media have been fed that information by the big international agencies but they haven’t yet understood its importance and relevance. This week we were told by one senior journalist that there is not much interest in “do-goodey stuff at the UN”. Of course, we have been there before, put in the effort and eventually the thing has taken off, and the media have then played catch-up. One good recent indicator was the mention of the ban made by MSPs in the recent Trident debate.
The ban treaty work in Scotland is continuing and here are a few of the activities from different organisations:
A. A letter has gone to all MSPs to inform them about the negotiations, to point out Scotland’s unique position, and to suggest a number of things they can do. The letter is copied below and it would be good if you could jog the elbows of your own MSPs about it.
B. A number of Scots may travel to the June sessions of the negotiations (as accredited civil society representatives).
C. SCND set up a ban treaty working group , and it needs some extra input ­ (not exclusive to SCND). Next meeting 8th March in Glasgow: contact SCND
++++++Added: notes on 8th March now available. Next meeting 20th March 10am, also in SCND office
D. UK CND report that they held a lobby of MPs followed by 2 meetings.
There are more leaflets and postcards if you need them and people who are ready to travel to speak at public meetings about the ban.

N B Signatures are still needed for the e-petition:
http://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/175096

++++3. Added on 2nd March:
You are invited to the Scottish Parliament on the 14th March at 2.00 pm
for an unusual and special opportunity which the Scottish Parliament
nuclear disarmament cross party group is hosting with Bill Kidd MSP.
Marzhan Nurzhan of Kazakhstan who is the PNND Coordinator for the
Commonwealth of Independent States (former Soviet countries) will make a
presentation about the important events that began in Kazakhstan in
1991, when a huge civil society movement in Kazakhstan was successful,
firstly in moving the Soviet government to close down the nuclear tests
site. Then, upon the break-up of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan sent the
nuclear weapons on their soil to Russia for demolition and negotiated a
Central Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone. This is an exciting and hopeful
story which I am sure you will want to hear. Please allow 20 minutes to
get through Parliamentary security.Please download the attached flier.
REGISTER if you intend to attend this event: To register contact Janet Fenton: janet@wordsandactions.scot or call 07795594573.
Spaces are limited and as such we ask that you RSVP by 9th March 2017 5pm.
+++++++ added on 10th NB still a few places left, but hurry.

4.The MOD is to shut bases to pay for Faslane taking the subs with upgraded Trident missiles (Fallon under fire over MOD upgrade plan, 25 February).
At least two of the eight Scottish bases that will shut are stopover points for the convoys taking the Nuclear warheads between Reading and Faslane. Will these convoys now stop off at Motorway services for comfort breaks, or will drivers spend longer at the wheel and increase the risks communities are already subject to? Will the convoys be rerouted to the more dangerous roads which link the few barracks which are to stay open?
As the UN starts to debate a global ban on nuclear weapons next month, let’s hope for a future free of the unacceptable risks to humanity these hellish weapons pose.

5. (a)Campaign Against Arms Trade and the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre have launched a petition to the City of Edinburgh Council to do everything within its power to require that Lothian Pensions Trust divest from all arms companies. The petition can only be signed by Edinburgh residents aged over 16 and you can sign the petition by clicking onto the link below.
Disarm the Scottish Pension Fund: Sign the Petition now!
If you’d like to add your support to the campaign and get involved with the Edinburgh CAAT group, please email outreach@caat.org.uk to find details of the next meeting.
(b) CAAT are also organising an event outside the Scottish Parliament to raise the profile of the arms made in Scotland currently being used against Yemen by Saudi Arabia If you would like to register your interest in attending part or all of this action, or if you would like more information, please email Mark at eventscaatedin@gmail.com. SAVE THE DATE: WEDNESDAY 19TH APRIL 2017 – FROM SCOTLAND WITH SHAME

++++++Added 6 on 10th. Six years ago, an earthquake and tsunami hit the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, releasing radioactive material into the atmosphere in what was the biggest nuclear disaster since the explosion at Chernobyl twenty five years earlier. Events in London:Friday, March 10th, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Outside Japanese Embassy, 101 Piccadilly, London Fukuishima March Saturday, March 11th, assemble 12 noon Outside Japanese Embassy, 101 Piccadilly, London Followed by a rally at Richmond Terrace (opposite Downing Street) with speakers including Kate Hudson and Bruce Kent Fukushima Parliamentary Public Meeting
Wednesday, March 15th, 7pm-9pm Committe Room 9, House of Commons, Westminster, London
EVENT IN GLASGOW Scottish CND will hold a short vigil between 3 pm – 3.30 pm at the Donald Dewar statue on Buchanan Street, Glasgow on Saturday March 11 .

AND THE REST OF THE NEWS:
0. Nuclear News No.93 March 2017 is now available to download here: http://www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/nuclearnews/NuClearNewsNo93.pdf
1. MPs debated Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain in response to a petition signed by 1.85 million people calling on the government to cancel the invitation.
2.Early notice of the Trident Ploughshares disarmament camp in July (8th to 16th) at Peaton Wood near Coulport. http://tridentploughshares.org/coulport-disarmament-camp-july-2017/
3.Latest Bulletin from the Los Alamos Study Group:
http://www.lasg.org/ActionAlerts/2017/Bulletin229.html
4.Something on Democracy:
http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-tyranny-of-majorities/
5.In London at the Weekend? Join the CND banner to say NHS not Trident on the national demo to save the national health service. Gather at the Gandhi memorial in Tavistock Square, 12 noon on 4 March 2017.
6.The next meeting of the Scottish Peace network is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Tuesday 11th April in Glasgow at the Electron Club in the CCA, Sauchiehall St. BUT if this time and date is not convenient please suggest alternatives and they can consider changing
7.New update from Australia https://walkingforcountry.com/ ++++++The Bad news this week is that the Federal Environment Minister gave environmental approval for the Mulga Rock uranium mine. Check out CCWA’s media release here. The good news is we still have a chance to stop this mine – particularly at the State election this Saturday where we can get rid of a pro nuclear Liberal Government.
8.The Stand Comedy Club has helped us and now needs our help:http://www.thestand.co.uk/news/699/25-02-2017-1106/stand_up_for_the_stand_comedy_club_%E2%80%93_we_need_your_help
9.Welcome to Argyll & Bute – what an attraction to promote! http://www.thenational.scot/comment/15123918.Kevin_McKenna__Welcome_to_Argyll_and_Bute__Europe_s_capital_for_weapons_of_mass_destruction/?ref=rl&lp=2
10.(passed)After the Independence Convention- Organising IndyRef2 Meeting tonight at the Augustine Church. 7pm