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On Tuesday (4th June) Edinburgh CND supported the protest against Trump’s visit to the UK and will be particularly highlighting the danger of any conflict escalating on the nuclear front. People are meeting outside St Giles Cathedral in the Edinburgh High Street from 5 to 7 pm. We will be concentrating our attendance from 5.30 to 6.30 but people will be there for the whole 2 hours. Protest against Trump’s drive to war after which we will have our monthly meeting in the new Peace and Justice Centre.

CND says: It’s vital that we come together to rally against Trump on Tuesday June 4 during his state visit to Britain – Be sure to read our up-to-date briefing that lays out just how dangerous this man is NB CND demand the London protestors be given the right to march. If you agree , please sign the petition addressed to the London Metropolitan Police. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is one of several organisations leading protests against Trump’s state visit to Britain next week.
CND is protesting against what it describes as “Trump’s nuclear brinkmanship” and his “penchant for tearing up nuclear treaties,” in particular the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. CND argues that recent developments suggest that the 2018 withdrawal was, in effect, a declaration of war.

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We will hold the conference call twice. You choose which one to join: (i) Thursday June 6 at 12 noon New York time; This call is primarily for those in the Americas and/or planning on being in New York for the counting. Click here to register for the call. (ii) Monday June 10 at 9 am Central Europe time: This call is primarly for those in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Click here to register for the call.                  ———————                                                                                                                                   7(a) NEW POST 10th June from PNND and the Basle Peace Office: The Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström today hosted a meeting in Stockholm of high-level representatives (mostly foreign ministers) from 16 countries to elevate political attention to nuclear risks, and to inject new life into the nuclear disarmament commitments made by States parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).The participating governments include a mix of non-nuclear countries (Argentina, Finland, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland) and allied countries under extended nuclear deterrence policies (Canada, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Korea and Spain) making this a very credible and potentially effective group.The ministerial meeting is part of a ‘Stepping Stones initiative‘ introduced by Sweden to the NPT Preparatory Committee meeting in May 20                                                                                   ————                                                                                                                                                       8. Events in London: (a) Special evening to celebrate the life and legacy of former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, on Monday 3 June 5pm to 8pm at London’s prestigious Central Hall Westminster – where the first UN Secretary-General was appointed in 1946. (b) Give Peace A Dance is an evening of music, spoken word and politics Notting Hill Arts Club in support of CND. Early bird tickets are available for £7.50. Full price is £10. (c) Ambassador Robert Gallucci, Dr Dan Plesch, Chair Henrietta Wilson 25 June 2019 1:00 PM to 3PM in Russell Square: College Buildings Room: KLT     (d) CND is delighted to announce our full line up of punk-disco bands for our Give Peace A Dance evening is here                                                                                                                                                                —————-                                                                                                                                              9. Berlin  http://uraniumfilmfestival.org: Next Uranium Film Festival screening and round table event with documentaries about depleted uranium weapons in Berlin, June 24th, 7 pm. Venue: Zeiss Großplanetarium in Prenzlauerberg. All are invited!                                                                                                                                                 ——————–                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              10. Los Alamos Study Group http://www.lasg.org/ for news from the US     STOP PRESS: includes a press release 4th June:Administration to conduct environmental analysis of plutonium warhead core (“pit”) production in SC; mayanalyze NM production; NNSA’s plan may violate 1998 court order and other applicable law  ++++++10th June Bulletin 258: Administration announces plan to conduct environmental analysis of plutonium warhead core (“pit”) production in SC, no comparable commitment in NM                                                                                                                       —————                                                                                                                                             11. Other events: (i) https://www.edinburghyeshub.info for buses to Galashiels for the Indy demo on 1st June (ii) To Yemen with Love, From Scotland Saturday 15 June. 3pm – 6pm (plus afterparty) Glasgow G3 6PE Recommended by Edinburgh CAAT (iii) Annual Inter-Faith Occasion for World PeaceTuesday 26 June. 7:15 – 9pm. St. Mark’s Unitarian Church, Edinburgh EH1 2DP +++++++++(iv) A PLEA The bus for the Oban Indy demo leaves the Edinburgh Hub 31 Lasswade Road at 9am and will pick up opposite Murrayfield Hotel at 9-20. Please book edinburghyeshub.info  events  although we have to pay the bus this Friday you can book by going on site and when payment comes up press pay on line, this way you can pay when you can afford it.
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AND A REMINDER:

Copies now available from Edinburgh CND, email us on Edinburgh CND@yahoo.com AND 2nd June Meadows Festival and 8th June Leith Gala (see first item)

NEW LEAFLET Available at all Edinburgh Events! People Power not Military PowerEVENTS IN MAY

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has confirmed it will go ahead with protests against a Royal Navy thanksgiving service to mark 50 years of Britain’s Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD) at Westminster Abbey on Friday. Further details on the CND web site and below News item 2

1. Saturday 4th May: Edinburgh May Day March and rally (supported by Edinburgh CND). Assemble 1130 Johnston Terrace and march off (with the Edinburgh CND banner) at 1200.  Rally 1230 at the pleasance theatre. Penny Stone will be singing for Edinburgh CND and we will have a stall.

2. Sunday 5th May: Stall at May Day book fair Kirkgate Community Centre Leith 12 noon to 6pm

3. Tuesday 7th May: regular organising meeting 6pm at Peace and Justice Centre. NOTE new address: 25 Nicolson Square, Edinburgh EH8 9BX

4. Friday 10th May: NVLA meeting in Dundee (see main post)

5. Saturday 11th May:12 30, Leafleting at the East End of Princes Street JOBS NOT TRIDENT. This will run alongside Edinburgh Stop the War’s ‘Solidarity with Palestine’ stall.   After both: 140,000 Origami Peace Cranes Workshop 2 – 4pm at the NEW Peace and Justice Centre

6. Wednesday 15 May. Conscientious Objectors Day Vigil 5 – 6pm. NOTE VENUE CHANGE: Now at:Outside Register House, by the Wellington Statue, East End of Princes St
Remember COs of the First World War who were not released until 2019 and those of all wars, including present day COs. With songs by Protest in Harmony, reading of names of COs and brief talks by a few descendants of COs. If you are a CO descendant or a CO yourself and would be willing to speak or if you would like to bring a poem to read or song to sing please contact us here.
7(a).Friday 17th May: CAAT and Transition Edinburgh: DSEI 2019 Awareness Raising 5.30-8.30pm Fri 17 May St Leonards Land EH8 8AQ

7(b)Saturday 18 May, 9.30am to 5pm How We Win: Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigningalso at St Leonard’s Land Rm 3.24,

8. CANCELLLED Saturday 18th May: Edinburgh Yes Hub are having a rally St Katherines Park CANCELLED

9. Friday 24th May: Youth Strike for Climate 10am Scottish Parliament

And in June: Here’s an updated link to the page where you can book tickets for the Edinburgh film screening event. Please feel free to share among your networks.Tuesday 11th June  6:30 PM – 9 PM Grassmarket Community Project Candlemaker Row: Film screening “War School: The Battle for Britains Children”

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/film-night-war-school-the-battle-for-britains-children-tickets-60521967835?aff=ebdssbdestsearch  

NEWS

1. A statement from Scottish CND on Chernobyl disaster – April 26 2019 is the 33rd anniversary of what is known as the Chernobyl disaster .
This was a catastrophic nuclear incident that occurred in the No 4 nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant . The location was the town of Pripyat , in northern Ukraine .This incident is considered the most disastrous nuclear power plant incident in history , both in terms of costs and casualties . According to the World Nuclear Association – two Chernobyl plant workers died on the night of the incident and a further 28 people died within a few weeks as a result of acute radiation poisoning .
According to a 2006 study by Elisabeth Cardis of the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon by year 2065  the incident at Chernobyl will have caused 16, 000 cases of thyroid cancer and 25,000 cases of other cancers . Research by the European Parliament also indicates that the incident caused a major release of nuclear radioactive material into the atmosphere .This research also shows that the incident had a major impact on both agricultural and natural ecosystems in Belarus , Russia and Ukraine .
the thoughts of Scottish CND members and supporters and the wider Scottish Peace Movement were with our fellow human beings who have been affected by the Chernobyl incident as this sad anniversary comes about .                                            Reminder: we will be having a meeting on Chernobyl as part of the Edinburgh World Justice Festival in October

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2. From CNDUK: With Easter services at Westminster Abbey now over, preparations are in full swing for a nuclear weapons thanksgiving service set to take place on May 3.
We are doing everything we can to get the Abbey and the Defence Secretary to reconsider their plans to host this morally repugnant service. Our campaign has already garnered much attention in the press.
Nuclear weapons should not be celebrated. Their use would lead to the indiscriminate killing of hundreds of thousands of people and provoke a nuclear exchange that would threaten all life on our planet.
It is incumbent on us all, at every level of society, church and government, to work towards of nuclear-free world.
Take action: Please write to the Dean of Westminster to ask him to reconsider his decision to host the service. It takes just 1-minute using our lobby tool.Thank you to the thousands who have already written in.                                                           Join the CND No Thanksgiving for Nuclear Weapons protest outside Westminster Abbey on the day of the service                                                                                                               During the church service there will  be a ‘die-in’ to represent the millions killed in the event of nuclear war.                                                                                                                  Christian CND will conduct a service of repentance led by CND vice-president Bruce Kent.     Westminster Abbey Protest: No Thanksgiving For Nuclear Weapons  Gather at 11am outside Westminster Abbey on May 3 Look for the CND banner • Share the event on Facebook

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3. The long-awaited Report of the House of Lords International Relations Committee on “Rising nuclear risk, disarmament and the NPT”  has now been published:    House of Lords – Rising nuclear risk, disarmament and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty – Select Committee on International Relations  Anti-nuclear campaigners have responded to a new report by the House of Lords International Relations Committee into the rising threat of nuclear weapons use.  Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said:
“We welcome the report which calls on the UK government to endorse the principle that ‘a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.’ With increasing geopolitical tensions, destruction of fundamental arms control treaties, and the continued development of new nuclear weapons, the UK must do more to support global disarmament initiatives. The report is right to criticise the government’s lack of engagement with the UN’s new nuclear weapons ban treaty. It calls out the ‘aggressive tone about the treaty’ which in practice has meant the UK boycotting talks and offering little encouragement to countries that have embraced this exciting diplomatic initiative. The report does however fail to address the hypocrisy of the government in continuing to waste money on replacing the Trident nuclear weapons system. The replacement of our nuclear weapons is contrary to our Non-Proliferation Treaty commitments and is set to cost at least £205bn which could be better spent on jobs, homes, education and health.” “The report does however fail to address the hypocrisy of the government in continuing to waste money on replacing the Trident nuclear weapons system.

Notes Threat of nuclear weapons use has risen, says Lords Committee Click to download the “Rising nuclear risk, disarmament and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty” report. (24/04/2019)

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4. The Basle Peace office, PNND and UNFoldZERO co-sponsored organised a very successful international conference on April 12-13, Move the Nuclear Weapons Money: Invest in the Future, which was hosted by the Basel City Kanton/government (see conference report below), and we are co-sponsoring a Move the Nuclear Weapons Money side event at the 2019 Non-Proliferation Treaty prep com at the United Nations on (May 7, 2019 (details below).

this unique event which was hosted by the City of Basel on April 12-13. The conference brought together legislators (parliamentarians and city councilors), climate change and disarmament experts, investment fund managers and activists to address and reverse the corporate and financial interests which are maintaining a fossil fuel based economy and a nuclear arms race.The conference advanced two key tools:          Divestment from nuclear weapons and fossil fuel industries:                                         Investment in peace and sustainability, with a focus on investments by governments, pension funds, cities, universities, religious organisations and banks.  For more information see:

• Press release: Reversing the financial interests in fossil fuels and the nuclear arms race;
• Conference report: Basel city hosts successful conference on Move the Nuclear Weapons Money;
• Presentations: Conference presentations.                                                       Representatives from governments, international organisations and civil society will be meeting at the United Nations in New York from April 29 – May 10, 2019 for the Third session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. There will be a number of side-meetings

UNFOLD ZERO and the Basle Peace Office also  encourage participation in the Abolition 2000 Annual Meeting in New York on Sunday 5^th May.

+++++6. Scottish CND are delighted to say that Francis Daehoon Lee – a founding member of the South Korea People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy organisation is speaking at a pubic meeting organised by Scottish CND on Wednesday May 15 at 7 pm in the Unite the Union Building at 145 – 165 West Regent Street Glasgow G2 4 RZ