It’s vital that the peace and anti-war movements are mobilised to demand an end to what John Pilger dubs an ‘American invention designed to impose American power on Europe.’ Britain’s membership of NATO is rarely discussed in the public arena. Many politicians talk like it’s an obviously good thing – some even cling to the bogus notion that NATO represents a high-point of international cooperation.
——————-
Rob Edward’s report on Hunterston https://theferret.scot/hunterston-graphite-debris-nuclear/ explains the issues. It very disturbing that Reactor 4 was allowed to restart when the graphite is known to be crumbling. As outlined in Scottish CND’s pamphlet the ‘risks of radiation working group’ suggested a call to issue iodine tablets and declare evacuation when it was restarted https://www.banthebomb.org/index.php/publications/reports/2041-radiation-risks-and-nuclear-power-in-scotland ——————
The IPU Standing Committee on Peace and International Security held an open session on Implementation of the 2014 IPU resolution entitled Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: The contribution of parliaments. PNND Global Coordinator Alyn Ware introduced the topic and chaired the session. The conference also highlighted the Global Peace Index www.pnnd.org
——————— 4. 4. Move the Nuclear Weapons Money: peace, disarmament, climate and social justice activists will meet in New York to count out $1 trillion, the nuclear weapons budget for the next 10 years, and to ‘reallocate this to climate protection and the sustainable development goals.’ Over seven days and seven nights during UN Disarmament Week (Oct 24-30) we will be counting one million notes each of face-value $1million in strategic places around New York. This event will highlight the Move the Nuclear Weapons Money campaign and actionspeople can take to cut nuclear weapons budgets, end investments in nuclear weapons corporations (and the fossil fuel industry) and re-direct these budgets and investments to help humanity and protect the planet. UPDATES (4.1) 25/10 Counting of the nuclear weapons money started at the United Nations at a press conference yesterday attended by the UN press corps. (4.2) 28/10 Since Thursday over $100 billion in 100,000 mock notes of $1 million each have been counted at the counting Hub (a gallery) in Manhattan, and at various locations around New York City including inside the UN, at the Schools Strike 4 Climate rally outside the UN and at Union Square near a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. In addition, billions of dollars have been counted at events in New Mexico, Philadelphia and the New Zealand Parliament, and billions of pounds counted in London outside the Ministry of Defence ———————
5. Climate Change is one of the main threats the world faces today. Urgent action is needed but our government continues to prioritise war and weapons over the future of our planet. CND joined XR Peace and is currently taking part in the October Rebellion. Find out more in the magazine, which also includes news on the upcoming NATO summit in London. Read Campaign: October edition
Eight of nine XR peace activists were arrested outside the supreme court. They had glued themselves to each other in front of the court in spite of the imposition of a Section 14 Order which prohibits any Extinction Rebellion protest in London. They called on the UK Supreme Court to recognise the crime of Ecocide and the illegality of nuclear weapons, and to protect people’s rights to freedom of assembly. They are calling on the court to use its powers to uphold international law. Photo Group outside the Supreme Court
Photo Police surround activists ahead of arrests
Photo Superglue being removed by police
Photo Close-up of protester before they were arrested
6. Beyond Nuclear International: https://beyondnuclearinternational.org 6.1 NATO is aggressive, expansionist, and should be abolished, argues the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Disbanding NATO, says CND’s Kate Hudson, would move us toward a nuclear-free, less militarized Europe. Even as its reactors — and shares — were crumbling, French nuclear company EDF held a propaganda side-show at the UK’s Labour Party Conference. Beyond Nuclear’s Linda Pentz Gunter went along. 6.2 The Extinction Rebellion, born in Britain, is on the streets en masse around the world. Part street theatre, part rage for survival, participants face mass arrest and harassment. What is XR and is it working? We provide a glimpse. Those living downwind of the US atomic tests have been unevenly compensated, excluding those at the epicenter of the very first test, Trinity. Will this injustice ever come to an end? 6.3 (28/10) An international team visited the small villages in the “Polygon,” the area in Kazakhstan where the former Soviet atomic tests took place. There, they found both terrible suffering and remarkable resilience. In the next in our series on the myths of nuclear deterrence, E. Martin Schotz argues that we are already at war, even before we use nuclear weapons. ——————- 7. Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre. Over the coming year, the Peace & Justice Centre will continue to promote peacebuilding and non-violence through a range of great projects. Will you chip in to ensure that our hard-working staff and volunteers are able to realise these projects?DONATE NOW (a) Thanks to substantial grants, our team of Peacebuilders will continue to teach peace in schools with our cooperative games programme. (b) Thanks to the generous donations of hundreds of supporters we’ve raised £67,450 so far to build an Opposing War Memorial in Princes Street Gardens – that’s 40% of our budget for the project. Our lead artist for the sculpture, Kate Ive is running workshops in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee for participants to create their own handkerchief like the ones that will be put on the tree. You will create a simple emblem, image or text design which Kate will then help you embroider onto fabric. During the workshop, Kate will also talk about the design and construction process and timeline for installing her Opposing War Memorial design in Princes Street Gardens.
Edinburgh workshop: Wednesday 27th November, 6.30 – 8.30pm, central venue to be confirmed.
(c) In partnership with Scottish CND and international health charity Medact we’ve persuaded three Scottish local Councils to call for divestment of their pension funds from nuclear weapons. Last month we published the 2019 Don’t Bank on the Bomb Scotland report where you can find information on how to lobby your Councillor. Check out the coverage in the National here. (d) We’re also working with Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) to expose the role of Scottish companies in selling arms to Saudi Arabia. Our report will be published jointly with CAAT later this autumn.(e) To mark the 75thanniversary of Hiroshima next year we’re planning an exhibition of 140,000 Origami Cranes. Each crane represents one person who died when the nuclear bomb was dropped. With 134,000 cranes made so far, we’ve nearly reached our goal. (f) see website for white poppy sales —————– 8. Scottish CND: 8.1 The latest edition of Nuclear Free Scotland – Spring/Summer 2019 is available on our website. Become a member today to get a copy in the post! 8.2 The new Scottish Greens CND Network counts all Greens in SCND as members. Data protection legislation makes it difficult to know who they are! Soplease email us to add you to our subgroup and receive relevant info write directly to scnd@scottishgreens.org.uk). 8.3 6 Nov, Glasgow: Scottish CND are proud to be supporting a screening of The War Game at the Glasgow Caledonian University 8.4 29 Oct, Glasgow: Come hear about the impact of nuclear power and weapons from Alex Lockwood and talk about what climate action means for you, what your priorities are and what you think we should all be doing. Edinburgh CND still has copies of Alex’s Book mail us on edinburghcnd@yahoo.com 8.5 Next No to War / No to NATO Scottish Network meeting is scheduled for Wednesday November 13 at 2 pm in Scottish CND office. +++++++8.4 SCND AGM takes place on Saturday 16th of November in the Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL, 10 am. ————————- 9. ANTHOLOGY LAUNCH Dove Tales NEW anthology is called BRIDGES OR WALLS? and features work by Margaret Elphinstone, Chrys Salt, Liz Niven, Ray Evans and many more. The book launch is at our Day of the Dead event at the CCA on Sauchiehall Street in GLASGOW on the 5th of November at 7pm!
edinburgh cnd 