Thanks to all who made the Meadows Stall(s) such a great success. We will be discussing our future events at:
The next meeting of EdinburghCND will be held on Tuesday 6th June at 6pm in the Peace and Justice Centre. All welcome.
Stop Press: Polling stations open thursday 8th. Please use your vote to send a clear message at the ballot box that we don’t want nuclear weapons. Unsure how to vote?
Thousands of you have contacted the candidates in your constituency using end’s election tool. Your campaigning meant that all candidates were clear that nuclear weapons are an important issue at this general election. They have now published the answers we received from candidates to the three questions. If you’re still unsure how to vote, find your constituency to see the policy positions of your local candidates to help make an informed decision.
On Saturday 10th of June we will be leafletting from 1230 at the East End of Princes Street before Women in Black.
Suggested Format of June 17th event :Empty chair and label, 10 A3 boards up with appropriate slogans, Stall with leaflets, Letters to the new Foreign Secretary, Street Leafleting, Something said by supporting organisations 5 pm, Protest in Harmony 5.15 pm, Organisations banners on display. https://www.womenbanthebomb.org/solidarity-events-around-world
The first draft of the legally binding treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons comes after 132 countries participated in negotiations at the United Nations in March.
Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said:
“This inspirational document represents one of the best attempts of international co-operation, and the hopes and dreams of billions across the world, to eliminate a major threat to life on our planet. “This draft treaty sets out how the international community can work together to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons. This is the voice of the global majority of nations, frustrated with the lack of progress by nuclear-possessing states. “But Britain has so far not stepped up to the plate. Our government has boycotted these negotiations. So, after the general election, the new government will have a clear choice: will it join the next stage of negotiations taking place at the United Nations in June, or will it turn its back on the international community actively engaged in multilateral attempts to disarm? “Does Britain stand for confrontation or co-operation? This is a key question as we near polling day. Let’s make sure we elect representatives who won’t turn their back on the world.”
SCND have a brand new website which presents Scotland’s view and input on the ban treaty (mobile friendly version coming soon).
Please visit www.nuclearban.scot and keep an eye on our articles.
New leaflets and briefings have been produced and these can be downloaded or ordered from Scottish CND office.
The draft treaty includes a prohibition on aiding, encouraging or inducing others to manufacture nuclear weapons, which could be interpreted as banning such investments. However, this is not clear. UNFOLD ZERO will therefore continue to encourage the negotiating governments to include in the final treaty a specific prohibition on financing the production of nuclear weapons. http://www.unfoldzero.org/unfold-zero-ban-treaty-should-prohibit-nuclear-weapons-financing/. On 1st June Unfold Zero issued a press release urging Governments to take on the Nuclear Arms merchants : For further information see: PNND and UNFOLD ZERO Working paper to the UN prohibition treaty negotiations on prohibiting the financing of nuclear weapons production. Move the Nuclear Weapons Money: A handbook for civil society and legislators
See other events (4) below for details of Abolition 2000 side events.
Further background to the talks can be found at http://www.lasg.org/BAN/BAN_open.html devoted to this process, as well as from the http://www.icanw.org (ICAN) and from http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/ There is also a statement on the Mayors for Peace website.
1. The June edition of Peace and Justice News is about privacy and can be read at: http://peaceandjustice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Privacy-and-Freedom-Issue-June-17.pdf
Upcoming Peace & Justice Events
22 June. 7-9pm. Countering Military Recruitment of Youth: Two Short Films & Discussion. Augustine’s United Church. George IV Bridge.
6 July. Peacebuilding in Afghanistan. Maya Evans. 7-9pm. Venue tbc.
7 July. Fly Kites Not Drones Workshop for Young people of all ages! 10am-1pm. Venue tbc.
8 July. Carolyn Affleck Youngs Walking to Japan Book Talk. Peace & Justice Centre.
2-3pm. Book Talk. 3 – 4pm Origami Cranes Workshop with Carolyn.
13 July: Nonviolent Resistance in the USA in the Age of Trump.
6pm Light Refreshments at the Peace & Justice Centre.
6:45pm Talk & Q&A. at Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace
8:30pm Peace & Justice AGM.
Cooperative Games & Conflict Resolution Schools Programme. They are currently running Cooperative Games sessions at two primary schools – Parsons Green and Dalry. Louise Smith is Lead Facilitator at both schools, working with Trainee Facilitators Katie O’Neil and Hayley Reid.
2. The next quarterly meeting of Edinburgh CAAT is going to take place at the Edinburgh Quaker House on Wednesday 14 June, 7pm to 8.45pm New people are very welcome! This would be a great meeting to come along to if you’ve not joined one before. Topics for discussion include: current campaigns: Yemen; Divestment; and Education, Organising upcoming events, including a session at the World Justice Festival and a follow-up to our creative campaigning training, Increasing local membership and coordination with other peace initiatives in Scotland. Also on the 6th Tea, Cake, War and Peace: Conversations on peace, conflict and security issues with Edinburgh Campaign Against Arms Trade Forest Café (basement), 141 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, EH3 9JN Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/ events/1835072293486370/
It’s vital that we set the agenda on this topic at the beginning of the new government’s term in office. That’s why we have called a major conference to focus on the crucial question of nuclear power on June 17th in London. Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL For the full speakers list and further information, visit the conference web site. No need for nuclear: the renewables are here will explore topics including what’s wrong with nuclear power; the politics of nuclear power; energy demand, energy efficiency; and the scope of renewables in the UK. Buy your ticket online
4. Abolition 2000 and the UN talks: Peace & Planet, an initiative endorsed by Abolition 2000, is holding a No Nukes, No Walls, No Warming conference on June 18 to discuss the root causes of the nuclear arms race, explore the connections between nuclear weapons policies and other key planetary issues, and develop effective strategies for de-militarization.
The conference will highlight the impact of nuclear arms on the diverse communities most directly impacted by their development, testing and use. There will be opportunities for networking and conversation! For more information contact Joseph Gerson. People for Nuclear Disarmament and the Abolition 2000 working group on de-alertingwill hold a side-event on July 3 on Rising nuclear risks and how to address these. For more information contact John Hallam.
See abolition 2000 for a full list of side events in New York during the nuclear ban treaty negotiations, including some other events organized by Abolition 2000 members.
5. nuClear News No. 96 June 2017 is now available for downloading here: www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/nuclearnews/NuClearNewsNo96.pdf
6. The Drone Campaign June Newsletter is available. https://www.dronecampaignnetwork@riseup.net
7. The world seems set on self destruction with megalomaniacs selling tonnes of “beautiful military equipment” in the Middle East and sad lunatics blowing themselves up to kill innocent kids. The only thing we can do as an antidote is to create ART! In the long run creativity will always win over destruction.
Here is virtuoso Junchi Deng from the Royal Academy of Music playing some Mozart adapted for the accordion by Michel Sanvoisin: The Good Soldier Schwejk’s music project is taking shape. Junchi is committed to the project and even had to delay his return to China to be in London for the last performance! Proper rehearsals will start in June when the band is finalised. Support our project and come and see a rehearsal. STOP PRESS: Kick starter fundraise was a success.
8. Antony Owen is a writer and CND UK Peace Education patron with a new poetry collection The Nagasaki Elder which is now available to pre-order with V.Press (see links below). This collection was partly inspired by testimonies taken in Hiroshima from atomic bomb survivors on my self funded peace trip there in 2015. It is not very often at all that poetry focuses on the consequences of nuclear weapons and this was a very harrowing collection to write and he feels a strong social conscience to write about these times we live in.
9.In Australia the activities against Uranium mining continue:For the latest news: https://walkingforcountry.
edinburgh cnd 