NEW LEAFLET Available at all Edinburgh Events! People Power not Military Power
EVENTS IN MAY
EVENTS IN MAYThe 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
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”
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
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
——————–
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
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
———————-
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.
“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)
————————-
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 5th May.
——————
5. The May issue of nuClear News is now available for downloading at:
This issue includes stories on: http://www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/NuClearNewsNo116.pdf
——————-
6. Beyond Nuclear International: US nuclear plants aren’t prepared for extreme floods and earthquakes. But the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s majority Republican commissioners just decided that’s not necessary, changing its own staff’s recommended safety enhancements from required to voluntary. Eduardo Soto Pérez’s 30-minute drama imagines a future where a nuclear accident that could have been prevented actually happens. His feature film — La Fuga (The Leak, in Spanish with English subtitltes) acts out the consequences of a serious accident at a nuclear waste storage facility. —————
7. CNDUK: The Office of Nuclear Regulation has announced a decision to prosecute Devonport Royal Dockyard, where Trident submarines are refitted and refuelled, over health and safety breaches. In December it was reported that cranes that lift nuclear fuel at the dockyard had been halted amid a series of safety alerts. It has now emerged that the dockyard had breached crane regulations during work on the HMS Vanguard nuclear weapons submarine in September 2018 when a weight narrowly missed a worker. The case is due to open on 23 July at Plymouth Magistrates Court.
Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said: “News of this safety breach is alarming, not least because it is just the latest in a long list of incidents that have occurred over many years. Indeed, unsafe practices have dogged not only Trident submarines but the nuclear weapons infrastructure overall. The very least we should expect from the Ministry of Defence is the highest level of safety standards in dealing with such dangerous weapons. No one wants to see a nuclear accident.”
Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said: “News of this safety breach is alarming, not least because it is just the latest in a long list of incidents that have occurred over many years. Indeed, unsafe practices have dogged not only Trident submarines but the nuclear weapons infrastructure overall. The very least we should expect from the Ministry of Defence is the highest level of safety standards in dealing with such dangerous weapons. No one wants to see a nuclear accident.”
—————
8.Update on Hunterston B
On April 25, EDF (Électricité de France) gave notice to the Hunterston Site Stakeholder Group (SSG) that they have submitted a safety case for restarting one of the two reactors that make up Hunterston B, ie reactor 4, and it declared a restart date for reactor 4 of May 14th. Reactor 4 has less cracking in its graphite core than reactor 3. Note that EDF is legally required to give notice to the National Grid of any proposed restart date and EDF’s declaration does not mean R4 actually will restart then. For more info email edinburghcnd@yahoo.com
————————————–
Other Events:
1. CAAT Edinburgh – Schools Sessions Planning Group
Thursday 9 May at 7pm to 9pm
Please email us on CAATEdinburgh@live.com for location details! 2.World Fair Trade Gathering
Saturday 11 May at 5pm
at Usher Hall, Edinburgh
Concert and ceilidh with loads of exciting bands and musicians
Please email us on CAATEdinburgh@live.com for location details! 2.World Fair Trade Gathering
Saturday 11 May at 5pm
at Usher Hall, Edinburgh
Concert and ceilidh with loads of exciting bands and musicians
4. Organised by Lloyd Russell Moyle MP, member of Parliament’s arms export control committee (CAEC), an alternative ‘Citizens Committee on the Arms Trade’ event, at 6pm on May 22 in the Atlee Suite in Portcullis House, Westminster.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/citizens-committee-on-the-arms-trade-tickets-61091455187
5. Securing China’s Northwest Frontier Identity and Insecurity in Xinjiang A talk by Dr David Tobin of Manchester University Tuesday 14th May at 7 p.m. in The Brass Monkey 14 Drummond St, Edinburgh EH8 9TU
+++++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
edinburgh cnd 