STOP PRESS:  There will be Parliamentary vote on Trident on Monday, July 18th. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36754911

The Scrap Trident Coalition have called Flashmobs for 12 noon on the Saturday before (16th). The one in Edinburgh will be at the Mound.

On Wednesday 6th July Edinburgh CND joined others at the Mound as UKCND, Stop the War and many others gathered in Westminster listening to the revelations of the Chilcot report.                                                                                                                                                                  We will also be leafleting on Saturday 9th July 1230 at the East End of Princes Street    No to NATO No to Trident Jail Blair               Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said:  “The report shows that Tony Blair had no respect for cabinet procedure, no respect for Parliament, and no respect for international law.  “A country was destroyed, millions of innocent Iraqis were killed, British soldiers were killed, and terrorism has spread across the Middle East. “Chilcot reveals the evidence that must now be used to bring Tony Blair to justice. This is our demand. “Only when justice is served can we prevent disasters like the Iraq war ever happening again.”

On Wednesday 13th July, hundreds of constituents will lobby their MPs to persuade them to change their minds ahead of the parliamentary decision on whether the government should replace Trident, the UK’s nuclear weapons system. Sign up to lobby your MP. In the evening CND will host a Stop Trident public meeting in Parliament to discuss the political situation going forward. Speakers include: John Hilary, Bruce Kent, Kate Hudson, Lindsey German, and Caroline Lucas MP. 6 – 7.30pm Wednesday 13th July Committee Room 10, House of Commons                                                                                                                               Members of Scottish CND will be present as a representative lobby as part of CND Mass Lobby (see stop press below for more info)

CND has launched the Trident and jobs report which sets out the employment implications of cancelling Trident replacement. The report, written by economist Michael Burke, reveals the significant potential for industrial development and jobs creation in the UK if the £205 billion planned for Trident is invested elsewhere in the economy. Full report is available on the CND website.

Edinburgh CND will be holding a commemoration on Hiroshima Day. This will take place from 6-7pm on 6th August at Mound Place (adjacent to Princes Street) there will also be an International Hiroshima Fast and supporting a presence near/at the Parliament            Other Events currently scheduled:      Ayrshire CND Gatherings and Vigils to remember the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki  Saturday August 6th- 1030am – 1130 am in Bridgegate Irvine  Saturday August 6th- 12noon – 1pm at the Cross Kilmarnock Sunday August 7th- 1pm – 2pm at the Wallace Tower Ayr

nuClear News No.86 July 2016 is now available for downloading at www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/nuclearnews/NuClearNewsNo86.pdf

Latest Drone Campaign Network news: https://dronecampaignnetwork.wordpress.com
Don’t Bank on the Bomb: SCND & Ayshire CND EP&JC will organise stalls at RBS & Edinburgh will add RBS leaflet & template letter to its stall Saturdays.
Andrew Feinstein book The Shadow World film at Ed Int Film Festival
Next meeting P&J Tues 6 Sept 1:30 – 3pm. BL to email date to list & ask if other time is better

UNFOLD ZERO and Basel Peace Office thank Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament for cosponsoring Chain Reaction 2016, a series of events and actions at nuclear-weapons and nuclear-disarmament related sites, political offices and symbolic locations around the world from July 8 – the 20th Anniversary of the historic World Court case against nuclear weapons – until October 2, the International Day for Nonviolence and Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.  Chain Reaction 2016 will be launched on July 8 at the International Peoples Tribunal on the Nuclear Powers and the Destruction of Human Civilisation in Sydney, Australia. Nuclear disarmament actions and events between July 8 and October 2 are being posted on the Chain Reaction World Map and Events pages.

The next meeting of the Scottish Peace Network will be in the Electron Club in Glasgow city centre. It will take place on Tuesday, August 16 at 2pm.
From ICAN: Amidst all the other news this week, we just wanted to check in with you all about the convoys project and ask for a couple of favours.
They’re keen to feature campaigners and experts who have been doing such important work laying the foundations for this project – as well as other people who are just downright scared of the dangers involved in the nuclear convoys. Here are some ways you can add your voice:
1. Picture quotes
It would be great if you could send a good quality photo of yourself and a quote about the convoys, which I will magically transform into a picture-quote-thingy to be posted on Twitter and Facebook. No longer than this quote from Owen Thompson MP:                               2. Vox pops
Get a friend to film you (or do it in selfie mode!) using a mobile phone, answering the question: Why do I want nuclear weapons off our roads? We’re looking for roughly 30 seconds of film; here’s Matt’s video as a guide. Please post it to the Nukes of Hazard Facebook page and tweet it using the hashtag #NukesofHazard so that we can share it further.

The Shetland to Scilly – New Technologies for Peace Journey
started in the Shetlands on 26th May has now reached the English midlands (near Chesterfield in Derbyshire).
The website http://www.shetlandtoscillyforpeace.com has recently been updated. More news and photos are being added all the time.

STOP PRESS (3)

1. Proposal for 13th July: A small (Scottish) representative group attends. (In Scottish national dress?)
   They could make a statement thanking all the Scottish MPs who are committed to opposing Trident and its replacement. It would also point out thatthe democratic deficit of control over what happens in Scotland has been intolerably extended so that Scotland is to be misrepresented on the world stage in addition to being ignored in how we manage our own affairs, and MPs would be asked to press the UK Government on its refusal to participate in the UN working group on nuclear weapons ban. We could get someone from each constituency in Scotland to agree a one-line statement with their name and the name of their MP. The statements could be appended to the letter/statement The group would hand this over at the lobby
   CNDuk Council (who organised the lobby) is enthusiastic about our doing this, and would highlight it to the press and so is the MP,.
2. Chain Reaction 2016, a series of events and actions at nuclear-weapons and nuclear-disarmament related sites around the world, was launched today in Sydney during an International Peoples’ Tribunal on Nuclear Weapons and the Destruction of Human Civilisation.
3. Edinburgh CAAT minutes of last meeting available. Updates to a few things since the meeting:What does everyone think of the name we had for the event in April, “Anti Arms Trade Fair”? I started thinking of shorter, catchier and more positive options and thought of “Peace Fair” – I might ask other groups about it too, but do tell me if you think it should be changed or kept the same. It’s mostly for promotion reasons I started thinking of it, of course, in the context of discussions about changing the narrative to make it more attractive to the general public and to get more people involved.

   And the good news: on 30 June, CAAT was allowed a judicial review of the government’s Saudi arms exports, so we’re up to a big but exciting challenge!

   We’ve had great feedback from the Shadow World screening There will be another screening of Shadow World on Weds 21 September in Glasgow, worth pencilling in.

   The next meeting is on Monday 26 September, 7-8.45pm.

STOP PRESS!

Wednesday June 6th: Chilcot report

After a seven-year wait the Chilcot Report is finally going to be published on July 6th. Despite its astounding length (2.3 million words) it is highly likely that it will fall short of an outright condemnation of the Iraq war and fail to apportion blame to those who were truly responsible for the catastrophe. o ignored

Protest as the report is released: 6 – 7pm at the east end of Princes Street close to Register House and opposite the Balmoral Hotel

 

Thanks to everyone who helped with and supported the successful Benefit on the 21st.                           We still have copies of Edinburgh poet Allan Crosbie collection of poems ‘Outswimming the Eruption’ sold in connection with the benefit. You can order it from edinburghcnd@yahoo.com for £8.50. Until 4th Julyall proceeds will go to Edinburgh CND.

Our next meeting is on Monday 4th July at ACE.    The following week-end July 8th we will be out leafleting.

Other events:

1. Don’t forget : Trident Ploughshare month of action is still in progress. Details can be found at tinyurl.com/BurghfieldAction It runs until 30th June

2. SCND have arranged to have a stall at the Great Scottish Walk and Run in the car park near Holyrood House on Sunday 26 June, when Big Sandy is taking part in the 10 k walk. The stall will be set up at 9 am. The runs start at 0930 and the walks at 1130. There are other events in the early afternoon. (NB minutes of last executive are available) Other SCND stalls:
Kelburn Garden Festival (Largs), 3 – 4 July
T in the Park (Strathallan), 7 – 11 July
Belladrum Festival (Inverness), 3 -7 August

3. The next Don’t bank on the Bomb meeting will be Wednesday 29th June at 1:30pm at the Peace and Justice Centre in Edinburgh.

4. The next meeting of the Scottish Peace Network will be held on Tuesday, June 28, at 2pm at the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre. They will be discussing the upcoming event to remember the battle of the Somme (including 1st July at 5pm at the Dewar’s statue on Buchanan Street in Glasgow city centre) and future plans as well as assessing the counter protest at the armed forces day show in Stirling.

Other News:

A new Peace and Justice Newsletter is available: Peace and Justice – Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre

Government won’t answer Trident questions – facts would shock even own MPs Responding to shadow defence secretary Emily Thornberry’s speech at the Royal United Services Institute, CND’s Kate Hudson said: “These are precisely the questions the government needs to answer, and we congratulate the shadow defence secretary for asking them. It seems it’s a deliberate strategy for the government to avoid giving honest answers about Trident. They know that if more people knew the facts about Trident many, including Conservative MPs, would be outraged.

“Our research shows that it will cost at least £205 billion to replace Trident, a particularly staggering figure when we consider the enormous cuts being made elsewhere in the public sector; it’s out of date technology, and far from addressing the real security threats we face from terrorism, global pandemics, cyber warfare and climate change, it actually makes us a target.”

Some Brilliant news form London: the Stop Trident lobby on July 13th is set to be our biggest lobby of parliament yet. But it will be the last chance we’re likely to have to meet MPs in big numbers before they vote on Trident. So we need your help to step up the work now.
The more MPs we can reach, the closer we’ll get to halting plans to replace Trident.

For information on CND conference: http://www.cnduk.org/about/cnd-conference/item/1647-conference-registration-pageNB nominations for officers to be received by 1st July

Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, gave testimony to the People’s Chilcot Tribunal alongside the former UN envoy to Iraq, Hans von Sponeck; British soldiers who served in the war; relatives of soldiers killed in Iraq; as well as journalists and leading figures in the anti-war movement.

Round the World:

Albuquerque — 21 June , a panoply of nuclear officials and generals convened in Albuquerque to discuss and promote US nuclear weapons plans and New Mexico’s role in them. The meeting has been organized by the “Strategic Deterrent Coalition” (SDC) and is being funded by Northrup Grumman, Boeing, Orbital ATK, BAE Systems, and others — and directly by the Air Force, through the time of its officers and airmen if not also in other ways. Support is being mustered for an amendment offered by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) to the Defense Appropriations Bill, which would strip $76 million from the Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) missile — a proposed new, stealthy nuclear cruise missile that is probably the single worst new nuclear weapon in President Obama’s outrageous trillion-dollar nuclear weapons investment package.

Australia: After and epic week adventure in the Karlamilyi National park with Martu elders and people from across the country.Martu people to march 140km in protest against Pilbara uranium mine
The Martu people from Indigenous communities in WA’s Pilbara region are setting off on a week-long March to protest against a proposed uranium mine.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-04/martu-people-in-the-pilbara-protest-a-uranium-mine/7476440

Only a day to go to our Benefit! don’t forget to buy your ticket. These are available from eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/comedy-benefit-night-for-edinburgh-cnd-tickets-25980994855     and from the Stand.

Host – Liam Withnail
Phil O’Shea
Danny Bhoy
Robin Grainger
Daisy Earl
Keir McAllister

Tickets will be on sale at the Edinburgh Stop the War AGM tonight (Mon) 7.30 at the Quaker Meeting House Victoria Terrace.

We are also holding a raffle with many great prizes: Wine, Books, Tickets, Cake, CND merchandise and there will be a stall (with CND badges, materials and a new poetry book).

http://wp.me/a5VxwQ-av
Edinburgh RIC 7pm Thursday 26 May Public Meeting as part of a series of discussions on the EU referendum Organised in partnership with Edinburgh STW and Scottish WILPF
The meeting focuses on the EU, NATO, the Middle East and War
With Frances Guy (former ambassador to Yemen & Lebanon) Jonathon Shafi (RISE),
Lindsay German (Stop the War) Heidi Meinzolt, WILPF Germany, European WILPF Co-ordinator Augustine Church 41 George 4th Bridge Edinburgh EH1 1EL
https://www.facebook.com/events/229254204119952/

Edinburgh Meadows Festival, 4 – 5 June Leith Festival, 11 June: there will be stalls and we are looking for help. Scottish CND will also be at T in the Park.

Celebrate Midsummer and support our good cause by coming along to The Stand Comedy Club, Edinburgh, on Tuesday 21st June from 7.30pm. See top acts while helping the campaign to stop the Westminster government’s insane plan to spend over £200bn on renewing Trident.
Here’s the line up so far: http://www.thestand.co.uk/show/27151/benefit_in_aid_of_edinburgh_cnd Tickets are £7/£5, bookable by phone from The Stand on 0131-558 7272, by emailing edinburghcnd@yahoo.com or malcbruce@yahoo.co.uk, or at the door, or Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/comedy-benefit-night-for-edinburgh-cnd-tickets-24908790864 More details at: https://edinburghcnd.org/events/ Yes, there will be a raffle. Great prizes!

The new UN working group on nuclear disarmament, the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG), completed its second and most substantive session in Geneva today. 100 governments participated over the course of two weeks at the United Nations and many more contributed their support through a joint working paper from the Humanitarian Pledge group (now numbering 127 States). You can read about it on the Reaching Critical Will website.                                                                                                                                                      Los Alamos Study Group Bulletin 218: UN Working Group builds momentum among large majority of world’s countries toward treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons
Trish and Greg are in the process of returning from Geneva after the very interesting eight-day May meeting of the 2016 “Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) Taking Forward Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations.” Before that they took part in a weekend campaign meeting of some 130 persons led by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), in which the Study Group is an active partner organization — one of 440 partner organizations in 98 countries in all. For them, and for others with whom they spoke, this meeting was far and away the most powerful, interesting, and important multilateral meeting of states on nuclear disarmament ever attended. A process leading to negotiation of a new disarmament treaty is now underway and will continue in the fall at the UN in New York.There is general agreement among a large majority of the world’s countries that the essential common ground in any new treaty, and the first thing thing that needs to be done, is to prohibit the possession, development, transfer, and use of nuclear weapons — that is, to fill the legal and normative gap that has prevented, and unless fixed will continue to prevent, successful disarmament diplomacy. Excellent daily summaries from this meeting can be found in the OEWG newsletters of Reaching Critical Will (RCW), which were handed to disarmament delegates each morning. In addition to straight reporting, Ray Acheson’s editorials captured very well, in our view, the import of each day’s discussions. RCW also maintains an index of documents and working papers submitted.

Where to from here?
The OEWG will hold its final session on August 16, 17 and 19. It will then adopt a report to present to the United Nations General Assembly. There is no consensus yet on what the OEWG will report on or recommend.

Ban Ki-moon will end his 10-year term as UN Secretary-General in December 2016. The campaign for the next UN Secretary-General has begun. Nine candidates have already come forward. For the first time ever the selection process is transparent. You can read the positions of candidates online. And governments and civil society can ask questions of the candidates – through social media and ‘candidate dialogue sessions’ in the UN General Assembly.

News from Trident Ploughshares: Please spread the word about the month of Action. Theres loads of information on the Trident Ploughshares website http://tridentploughshares.org/june-2016-a-month-of-daily-direct-action-against-trident-renewal-please-join-us/ Have a look at the groups who have their own day and think about who you know that might be interested in one of them and send the info. Even if you can’t come yourself you can help by encouraging others to join in. http://tridentploughshares.org/publicly-announced-actions-at-burghfield-during-june-2016/ For those of you who do Facebook we now have an event page. Please share it on your Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/events/1724532487784877/                          The UK section of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons has pledged its support to the planned month of nonviolent disruption of the British nuclear weapon assembly plant at Burghfield in Berkshire.
For more on all these ask to see the new TP newsletter

In Australia?  Walkatjurra Walkabout 2016
August 7th – September 7th 2016. more info at http://www.walkingforcountry.com

In Glasgow? The Scottish Peace Network monthly vigil will take place this Wednesday, May 25, from 5 to 6pm at Dewar’s statue on Buchanan Street.  On the streets protesting the bombing of Iraq and Syria and opposing militarism in all its forms.

Syria: The Cooperative Institute for Transnational Studies in collaboration with the University of Aegean (Laboratory EKNEXA-Department of Sociology) have announced a conference on the refugee crisis, ‘Crossing Borders,’ in Lesvos, Greece, on 7-10th July.
Syria Solidarity UK are very concerned to note that the list of speakers includes Tim Anderson, a supporter of the Assad regime

To the participants and organisers of the ‘Crossing Borders’ Conference
http://www.syriauk.org/2016/05/to-participants-and-organisers-of.html

 

We will be leafleting tomorrow (Saturday 14th) from 1230 to 1pm at the East End of Princes Street. We will be concentrating on Trident Replacement (see below for latest news) and our up-coming- benefit (click events on right of page). We have some great publicity cards for the Benefit. See further down for events on Sunday.

Trident replacement cost rises to ‘staggering’ £205 billion    Campaigners have revealed that the cost of replacing Trident, Britain’s nuclear weapons system, has risen to £205 billion. In a briefing published by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, researchers have compiled a comprehensive account of government spending on Trident replacement using the latest publicly available data. Researchers were staggered to discover that the figure had more than doubled since the replacement cost was last calculated in 2014 for CND’s People Not Trident report. CND General Secretary Kate Hudson explains how we’ve calculated the rapidly increasing cost of Trident replacement.                                                       The latest issue on CNDs magazine has more on this and a look at what last week’s election results mean for the Stop Trident campaign, particularly in Scotland. http://cnduk.org
Can you spare a few minutes to talk to your MP about Trident?
Join the Stop Trident mass lobby: Book a 5-minute meeting with your MP

nuClear News No.85, May 2016 is now available for downloading here:
http://www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/nuclearnews/NuClearNewsNo85.pdf

Other Events:                                                                                                                                             1. Poppies For Peace Films For Freedom
Sunday 15 May. 2 – 3.30pm. A tribute to Harry Patch the last surviving ww1 soldier asks: “Has their sacrifice been betrayed by our failure to end war?” Grassmarket Community Project. 86 Candlemaker Row. LIKE & Share the Event on Facebook.                                            2. Conscientious Objectors Day Vigil The Mound. Saturday 15 May. 4 – 5pm.
We will read the names and hear stories of First World War COs from Edinburgh and Scotland and stand in solidarity with all those who continue to refuse to take part in wars today. This is an annual event, but has special significance this year as we mark the centenary of conscription in the First World War. With Protest in Harmony. Like & Share the Facebook Event .                                                                                                                                           3. 7.30pm Monday 16 May Edinburgh Stop the War has its May meeting at the Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, EH1 2JL. Do come along and join in the discussion
and planning for future events.                                                                                                                            4. HELP MAKE EWJF 2016 HAPPEN -INVITATION TO GET INVOLVED
7.30 – 9.00 pm Wednesday 18 May Golf Tavern (upstairs), Bruntsfield Links, 30 Wright’s Houses, EH10 4HR Open Meeting with introduction on
What We in Scotland Can Do About Global Injustice? We’re planning for EWJF2016 to run from 1 – 16 October 2015.                                                                                                                                  5. Edinburgh RIC 7pm Thursday 26 May Public Meeting as part of a series of discussions on the EU referendum Organised in partnership with Edinburgh STW and Scottish WILPF
The meeting focuses on the EU, NATO, the Middle East and War
With Frances Guy (former ambassador to Yemen & Lebanon) Jonathon Shafi (RISE),
Lindsay German (Stop the War) Heidi Meinzolt, WILPF Germany, European WILPF Co-ordinator Augustine Church 41 George 4th Bridge Edinburgh EH1 1EL
https://www.facebook.com/events/229254204119952/                                                                                                                       6.140,000 Paper Cranes Workshops at P&J. Saturdays 2 – 4pm.
Project to make 140,000 origami cranes in memory of those killed by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs.                                                                                                                                            7.Bread not Bombs: Today’s #BrimstoneBlockers protest
http://www.syriauk.org/2016/05/bread-not-bombs-todays.html
Sisters Against The Arms Trade protested at the MBDA missile factory in Bedford, closing its operations. MBDA are manufacturers of the Brimstone missile, a weapon which played a key role in David Cameron’s arguments in favour of precision British airstrikes.
https://diary.thesyriacampaign.org
#Women4Syria statement in solidarity with the women of Daraya:
http://www.syriauk.org/2016/04/solidarity-with-women-of-daraya-drop.html
March With Medics Under Fire Saturday 14th 2pm Trafalgar Square London                     8.Also on Saturday: Come and hear about the current situation in Poland and how the KOD is fighting in defence of democracy, for the separation of powers and for media freedom in Poland. Three members ofKOD are visiting Edinburgh as part of a tour of Europe, to raise awareness of the issues. If you have any queries or would like to know more about this event please contact the International Committee at intl@scottishgreens.org.uk
9. The next meeting of the Scottish Peace Network will be held on Tuesday, May 17, at 2pm at the electron club in Glasgow city centre. The electron club is on the first floor of the Centre for Contemporary Art on Sauchiehall Street.                                                                           10 .Nuclear Free Local Authorities Scotland are meeting in Dunfermline on 3rd June.
11. Edinburgh Meadows Festival, 4 – 5 June Leith Festival, 11 June: there will be stalls and we are looking for help.

Other News:                                                                                                                                                          1. Janet Fenton made an eloquent intervention at the UN nuclear disarmament talks last week on behalf of UK WILPF, which also included good mentions of John Ainslie’s work with Scottish CND, and the dangerous nuclear weapon convoys. The text of Janet’s statement http://uk.icanw.org/action/7438/
The key topics for the first week (May 2-4) were on nuclear risk reduction, transparency and building awareness of the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons. (See OEWG program and schedule).#LetsTalkNukes is an online platform to inform you of the deliberations and to help you talk to your government about what they should do at the OEWG. Use the hashtag #LetsTalkNukes to challenge the policies of your country, ask diplomats what they’re going to say on your behalf at the UN, or just express your opinion about nuclear weapons.

2. Shetland to Scilly – New Technologies for Peace Journey The new website has now been launched. It includes a blog which is being updated every day with news about the Journey. Most of the news will be on the website and so future updates – if any – will be brief. Suggestions for the website are welcome. You can also send in comments for publication on the blog. The Shetland to Scilly – New Technologies for Peace Journey website is at http://www.shetlandtoscillyforpeace.com .

3. Join the Facebook Page to keep up to date on the Australian events (see earlier newsletters)

STOP PRESS 9th MAY: note meetings on 9th May (Hiroshima Survivor), 10th May (change of time for Don’t Bank on Bomb meeting), Coming Together to Work for Peace in the Middle East (see 3 below) Wednesday 11 May. 7 – 9pm and meeting on 12th May Challenging Militarism Working Group (see 4b below)

1. Today is 1st May (May Day). Edinburgh CND supports the local May Day celebrations which start today with an event at 2pm in the Storey Telling centre: http://www.tracscotland.org/…/5172/james-connolly-from-edinburgh’s-cowgate-to-the-dublin-gpo

2. The annual May Day march assembles 11.30am at Johnston Terrace on Saturday 7th May and sets off at midday marching (join us behind our banner) to a rally at the Pleasance (with Penny Stone and stalls) https://www.facebook.com/events/1717615495148829/ and events here. Please Join us behind our banner on the march and on the peace table at the rally.

3. Tomorrow (2nd May) will be our monthly meeting 6pm in ACE 17 W Montgomery Pl, Edinburgh EH7 5HA. We will be discussing May Day, the Election, Nuclear Convoys and Our Benefit

4. THERE ARE STILL HUSTINGS TO ATTEND before the Election on 5th May. A list of Hustings can be found by clicking on events on the right of this page. Suggested Questions in previous posts.

5. And in June: Our benefit at The Stand: Benefit in Aid of Edinburgh CND at The Stand Edinburgh on Tuesday 21st June. Tickets cost £7 (£5 concs) and can be reserved through the Stand website, their box office on 0131-558 7272 or bought direct from Edinburgh CND on 0131-538 7298 or edinburghcnd.org or on the door. https://www.facebook.com/events/256460924690733/ and events here. Note there is now also possible to book through Eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-benefit-night-for-edinburgh-cnd-tickets-24908790864

Other News:                                                                                                                                                     1. You can find more information about CNDs submission to the Labour Party Defence Review on their website: cnduk.org
The Liberal Democrats are opposed to like-for-like Trident replacement, but a policy commission is considering the party’s long-term approach to the issue. The review is currently taking evidence from invited groups, and CND will be giving evidence in the summer. It is expected that a final report will be made in Spring 2017
Also see website for t-shirts (especially health one)                                                                               2. Latest Trident Ploughshares newsletter is available

And events: 
1. Hiroshima Survivor in Edinburgh 4.30 pm Monday May 9th Quaker Meeting House 7 Victoria Terrace Edinburgh EH1 2JL (see previous news on this site for more information)

2. Don’t Bank on the Bomb meeting. Tuesday 10th 11am in the Peace and Justice Centre. Note change of time!

3. Coming Together to Work for Peace in the Middle East.
Wednesday 11 May. 7 – 9pm. Frank Romano, prof of law at Uni of Paris Ouest. Hosted by Dr Sara Trevelyan, with support from EIFA, Edinburgh International Centre for Spirituality & Peace & Edinburgh Peace & Justice Centre. Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. LIKE & Share the Facebook Event Here

4. (a)In the last few months Janet Fenton the current secretary of Scottish CND has visited Ireland and Japan . During those visits Janet spoke at a number of meetings and events. She also met peace activists and a range of people from civic society in those countries.
Janet has agreed to do a report back meeting on her visits and this will take place in the Scottish CND office in the Wellington Church 77 Southpark Avenue Glasgow G12 8 LE on Thursday May 12th at 7pm. This is an informal gathering for Janet to give her reflections and thoughts on these 2 visits. Anyone who is interested is very welcome to come along     4 (b) Edinburgh Challenging Militarism Working Group meeting is Thursday 12 May from 7 – 9pm. This will take place at the Peace and Justice Centre. 5 Upper Bow. EH1 2JN.Please invite others you think may be interested and bring ideas. This will follow the What Can Quakers do about Militarism? Workshop to explore issues around increasing militarisation. Facilitated by Sam Walton, Peace & Disarmament Programme Manager at Quaker Meeting House, Victoria Terrace. 10am -12noon. All are welcome to attend that meeting regardless of whether you are a Quaker.

5. Conscientious Objectors Day Sunday 15 May. 4 – 5pm. Foot of the Mound, Edinburgh.

6. Peace and Justice Centre meeting: a taster session hosted by Journey to Justice and RSA Scotland On: Monday May 16th, 2016, 9.30 am – 1pm, followed by a communal lunch – please bring your own At: Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, EH1 2JL (From 9.30 am – 1pm ) Please register via this Eventbrite link: http://bit.ly/1RTLEJf

7. Are you interested in what governments are talking about in preparation for the upcoming UN Open Ended Working Group on nuclear disarmament (May 2-13) and the Conference on Disarmament (May 16-July 1)?                                                                                           8. In Australia: 👣 Karlamalyi Walk 4thWalkatjurra Walkabout 2016 August 7th – September 7th 2016

STOP PRESS: 30 years on, we must learn the lessons of Chernobyl. 26th April marks the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. In recognition of that and the subsequent nuclear tragedy at Fukushima, CND has called on the government to abandon plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK.
Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said: “30 years on from the world’s most serious nuclear disaster, we remember the thousands of lives lost and blighted by the impact of radiation, the homes and livelihoods abandoned and destroyed in Ukraine and other affected areas. Today we bear witness to the legacy of environmental destruction and continuing damaging health consequences that live on.

THERE ARE STILL  HUSTINGS TO ATTEND before the Election on 5th May.  A list of Hustings can be found by clicking on events on the right of this page. Suggested Questions in previous posts.

2 days after the election we will be at the  May Day celebration. The annual May Day march assembles 11.30am at Johnston Terrace on Saturday 7th May and sets off at midday marching (join us behind our banner) to a rally at the Pleasance (with Penny Stone and stalls) https://www.facebook.com/events/1717615495148829/ and events here.

And in June: Our benefit at The Stand: Benefit in Aid of Edinburgh CND at The Stand Edinburgh on Tuesday 21st June. Tickets cost £7 (£5 concs) and can be reserved through the Stand website, their box office on 0131-558 7272 or bought direct from Edinburgh CND on 0131-538 7298 or edinburghcnd.org or on the door. https://www.facebook.com/events/256460924690733/ and events here.

Note there is now also possible to book through Eventbrite:   http://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-benefit-night-for-edinburgh-cnd-tickets-24908790864

Other news:

1. Drones Campaign Monthly newsletter via http://dronecampaignnetwork.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f4b7a7e4e1dc9a526bdcef140&id=309f5a5dec&e=a4fa904f48

2. Peace and Justice Centre meeting: a taster session hosted by Journey to Justice and RSA Scotland On: Monday May 16th, 2016, 9.30 am – 1pm, followed by a communal lunch – please bring your own At: Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, EH1 2JL (From 9.30 am – 1pm ) Please register via this Eventbrite link: http://bit.ly/1RTLEJf
Other P and J sponsored events:
a).Don’t Bank on the Bomb Letter Writing 26 April. 2 – 4pm
Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre Drop in and write letters to Parliamentary candidates and financial institutions. We will provide the materials you need to call on prospective MSPs to commit to ending Scottish Parliament Pension Scheme investment in nuclear weapons and on banks to divest. b). Paper Cranes Workshop Saturdays usually 2 -4pm Edinburgh Peace & Justice Centre 5 Upper Bow, Edinburgh EH1 2JN The project aims to make 140,000 paper cranes in memory of those killed by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs. c) International Conscientious Objectors Day Vigil with Protest in Harmony Sunday 15 May. 4 – 5pm. Footof the Mound, Edinburgh.
Next meeting of Edinburgh CAAT will be on 13 June 7-9pm in Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh.

Governments, disarmament experts, international organisations and civil society will meet in Geneva from May 2–13 for the second session of the United Nations Open open ended working group on Taking Forward Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations(OEWG).
Join  for a free webinar on April 27 at 4pm Central Europe Time to discuss this new diplomatic effort in Geneva. Click here to register

NB  You can Post your questions or opinions on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #LetsTalkNukes. If you do that, your post will appear on the #LetsTalkNukes page.

 

 

1. Edinburgh CND is supporting the Anti Arms Trade Fair organized by CAAT
   Saturday 16 April, 11am – 3pm. Foot of the Mound by the Royal Scottish Academy
   (If construction work is on on the day – the East End of Prince’s Street).
   Let’s celebrate our resistance to the dealers of death…
   What moves can we make together to turn investment from arms to renewables, to switch the resources to public funding for health and education?
   Come along to find out the facts behind the dealers of death – the profiteers of the arms trade – big and small and in our midst.
   Find out more about global and UK government military spending, how the arms trade fuels conflict and contributes to the refugee crisis, UK involvement in bombing Syria & Yemen, and how you can get involved in changing all this.
   The Anti Arms Trade Fair is a chance to get the facts out there, to make new contacts and to share our networks.
   Let’s analyse, plan and be inspired by testimonials and speeches from individuals affected by the arms trade and organisations working on alternatives for military spending.
   Paper Cranes Workshop This day and all Saturdays 2 – 4pm.
   Edinburgh Peace & Justice Centre 5 Upper Bow, Edinburgh EH1 2JN The project aims to make 140,000 paper cranes in memory of those killed by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs
   Meanwhile in London: Tens of thousands of people are getting ready to demonstrate on tomorrow’s People’s Assembly march for health, homes, jobs and education.
   Join the People not Trident bloc to demand an end to plans to replace Trident at a cost of over £100 billion. The money is clearly needed elsewhere, and our campaign needs to take advantage of this critical moment.
   Sign up to the Facebook event Gather 1pm, Sat 16th April on Gower Street London (look out for the CND banner). CND thanks all those who donated to this event.

2. Next meeting of Edinburgh Stop the War Monday 18 April
We meet 7.30pm at the Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace – hope to see you there

3. Peace Hustings Thursday 21 April. 7:30 – 9:15pm. Augustine United Church.41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1690475707893418/ – Please share and invite friends!Please come along with your questions about the role Scotland and MSPs can play in promoting international peace. Although defence is not a devolved issue, there is a lot we can do on a local level, for example to promote positive alternatives to the declining shipping industry.

THERE ARE MANY OTHER HUSTINGS TO ATTEND A list of Hustings can be found by clicking on events on the right of this page. Suggested Questions in previous post

NB Hustings list has been updated!

4. Don’t Bank on the Bomb Letter Writing 26 April. 2 – 4pm Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre Drop in and write letters to Parliamentary candidates and financial institutions. We will provide the materials you need to call on prospective MSPs to commit to ending Scottish Parliament Pension Scheme investment in nuclear weapons and on banks to divest.

5. The general public, as well as party members, are able to make submissions to the Labour Party Defence Review. Please use this opportunity to tell Emily Thornberry that you are opposed to Trident. Submissions can be made to defencereview@labour.org.uk The deadline is 30 April.
For help see British CND submission to Labour Defence Review and
Labour CND advice on making submissions to the review on their respective websites

6. Public meeting, Saturday 30 April
This is an Important public meeting on the Prevent legislation, which is being implemented in Scotland. 5pm at the Augustine Church on George 4th Bridge. Organised jointly with the Muslim Women’s Association of Edinburgh, SACC and UAF. Check out the FB event at https://www.facebook.com/events/1674489076164375/

7. May Day celebration (supported by Edinburgh CND). The annual May Day march assembles 11.30am at Johnston Terrace on Saturday 7th May and sets off at midday marching (join us behind our banner) to a rally at the Pleasance (with Penny Stone and stalls) https://www.facebook.com/events/1717615495148829/ and events here.
8. SETSUKO THURLOW, HIBAKUSHA THE GLOBAL NUCLEAR BAN INTRODUCTION FOR SCOTS TEENAGERS 4.30 pm Monday May 9th Quaker Meeting House 7 Victoria Terrace Edinburgh EH1 2JL (see previous news on this site for more information)

9. Edinburgh World Justice Festival ‘get involved’ meeting  evening 10th May in the Peace and Justice Centre

10. International Conscientious Objectors Day Vigil  Sunday 15 May. 4 – 5pm. Foot of the Mound, Edinburgh.

11. The next meeting of the Scottish Peace Network is scheduled for 2pm on Tuesday 17 May. In the electron club on the first floor of the Centre for Contemporary Arts on Sauchiehall Street in the Glasgow city centre.  The SPN also have a monthly vigil in Glasgow. Next one: Wednesday, April 27, from 5 to 6pm at Dewar’s statue on Buchanan Street.

12. Our benefit at The Stand: Benefit in Aid of Edinburgh CND at The Stand Edinburgh on Tuesday 21st June.  Tickets cost £7 (£5 concs) and can be reserved through the Stand website, their box office on 0131-558 7272 or bought direct from Edinburgh CND on 0131-538 7298 or edinburghcnd.org or on the door. https://www.facebook.com/events/256460924690733/ and events here.

13. UN Open Ended Working Group: Thanks to the initiative of campaigner Rachel Lever there are now two petitions up and running which urge the UK to take an active and constructive part at the UN Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) in Geneva. Please sign and share both petitions widely! https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Britains_Party_leaders_Take_an_active_and_constructive_part_in_UN_nuclear_disarmament_talks/?cpwdskb
https://www.change.org/p/british-party-leaders-uk-government-take-part-in-un-nuclear-ban-talks-in-may-in-geneva
Are you coming to Geneva in May for the UN Open Ended Working Group? If so, please let us know. Below is some useful information about the May sessions.
Main program – formal plenary sessions
The formal plenary sessions will be held from May 2-4 and from May 9-13. They will include sessions on each of the topics in the OEWG mandate. http://www.baselpeaceoffice.org/sites/default/files/imce/oewg/2016/program_for_plenary_sessions_oewg_may_2-13.pdf for the program.
Please contact unfold zero at info@unfoldzero.org if you have any questions about the OEWG and how to participate.

EVENTS
1. Leafleting with Edinburgh CND: This Saturday 1230 East End Princes Street (all welcome) https://www.facebook.com/EdinburghCND/
2. Hustings ( go and ask your potential MSPs about their views on Trident). Please go along to any you can: Trident questions on the waste of money are always relevant! There are suggested questions in the previous post on this site. A list of Hustings can be found by clicking on events on the right of this page. In particular we invite people to the Peace and Justice Centre Hustings on the 21st https://www.facebook.com/events/1690475707893418/ STOP PRESS 13th APRIL hustings in Restalrig Community Centre and 14th April Broughton St Mary’s (Edinburgh North and Leith)
3. Global Day of Action Against Military Spending in Edinburgh Saturday 16th April, 11am – 3pm On the Foot of the Mound (Or if the current construction work is still on on the day, the East End of Prince’s Street)
Join Groups working on military spending related agendas.
4.May Day celebration (supported by Edinburgh CND). The annual May Day march assembles 11.30am at Johnston Terrace on Saturday 7th May and sets off at midday marching (join us behind our banner) to a rally at the Pleasance (with Penny Stone and stalls) https://www.facebook.com/events/1717615495148829/ and events here.
5. Our benefit at The Stand: Benefit in Aid of Edinburgh CND at The Stand Edinburgh on Tuesday 21st June. This is a busy and crucial year for our campaign-all the more reason to lighten up with laughter while raising money and reaching out to a new audience. Can you help make this night a winner by selling tickets to friends and families, by helping run the event and donating raffle prizes? Tickets cost £7 (£5 concs) and can be reserved through the Stand website, their box office on 0131-558 7272 or bought direct from Edinburgh CND on 0131-538 7298 or edinburghcnd.org or on the door. As well as the money from ticket sales we hope to run a raffle to raise even more cash. This means top quality prizes donated by you! We’ve already been offered red wine by one generous supporter https://www.facebook.com/events/256460924690733/ and events here.

NEWS FROM organisations:
1. April 2016 edition of CND’s Campaign magazine with guest articles from Chair of Parliamentary CND, Caroline Lucas MP and the General Secretary of the Public and Commerciall Services Union, Mark Serwotka. http://cnduk.org/cnd-media/campaign-magazine
2. Peace and Justice News: http://peaceandjustice.org.uk
3. nuClear News No.84 April 2016 is now available for downloading here http://www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/nuclearnews/NuClearNewsNo84.pdf
4. Footprints for Peace (Australia) latest: http://www.walkingforcountry.com.au
5. Since his election as leader of the Labour Party, CND Vice-President Jeremy Corbyn has challenged the consensus on Trident replacement which had developed at the top of Britain’s two main parties. The policy review is now underway, led by Shadow Defence Secretary Emily Thornberry, and you don’t have to be a member of the Labour Party to make your views heard. All of us have an opportunity to influence Labour’s policy on nuclear weapons. http://cnduk.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50a46ed98fb9032bd46d11880&id=f5fc7ac7e6&e=96dcf14be7

6.We received this message from London. Setsuko will also be visiting Edinburgh and will be with us on 9th May. More info to follow.

Religions for Peace in partnership with Quaker Peace and Social Justice is organising this event with Setsuko Thurlow, May 12 at 6.00pm at Friends House in London.QUAKERS IN BRITAIN AND RELIGIONS FOR PEACE UK A Noiseless Flash – a rare chance to hear first hand the testimony of Hiroshima survivor Setsuko Thurlow FRIENDS HOUSE 173-177 EUSTON ROAD LONDON NW1 2BJ THURSDAY MAY 12 2016 6.00 PM (NO CHARGE)
Setsuko Thurlow, a survivor of Hiroshima, will be speaking in London on
Thursday May 12, 2016 at Friends House. She will talk about how she has been inspired by the humanitarian initiative reframing the issue of nuclear weapons from deterrence to their humanitarian consequences and the strong push this gives a nuclear Ban Treaty. Setsuko says, “How much longer can we allow the Nuclear Weapon States to
wield this threat to all life on earth? The time has come for action to establish a
legally binding framework to ban nuclear weapons as a first step in their total
abolition.” Setsuko was a 13 year-old student on August 6th 1945, working for the military
in Hiroshima to decode secret messages. At 8:15 that morning she recalls
being given a pep-talk by an Army General when a bluish white flash filled the
room, and she remembers the sensation of floating in the air. She married James Thurlow in the 1950s and settled in Canada where she dedicated her life to working for nuclear disarmament. She has been recognised by the Japanese Foreign Ministry, named Peace Ambassador by Hiroshima City and is the recipient of the Order of Canada Medal, the highest honor for Canadian civilians. In 2015, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and in 2016 she was named Arms Control Person of the Year.

“The truth is, we all live with the daily threat of nuclear weapons. In every silo,
on every submarine, in the bomb bays of airplanes, every second of every day,
nuclear weapons, thousands on high alert, are poised for deployment
threatening everyone we love and everything we hold dear.”