edinburghcnd

Edinburgh CND News 10th April 2018: Update 14th and 20th

Stop all the bombing in Syria day of action – Saturday 12 – 2pm

Saturday 21st April is a day of action across the UK – calling for an end to the bombing in Syria, a radical shift in UK foreign policy and support for Syrian refugees. Last Saturday we collected nearly a 1000 signatures calling for an end to the bombing. We want to try and beat that this week and get the message out far and wide. We’ll have placards and petitions – but do bring your own too – we want to be an active, outgoing and visually unmissable presence on Princes Street

 

14th April:  Another Reason to Join us today:

Peace campaigners have responded to airstrikes conducted by the US, UK and France early this morning.

Kate Hudson, CND General Secretary, said:

“We strongly condemn these air strikes on Syria, which are in defiance of international law. They will only increase the likelihood of this terrible conflict spilling over into the wider Middle East and potentially beyond that.

“We also condemn Theresa May’s decision to bypass parliament which demonstrates a contempt for the necessary democratic process. She has also disregarded public opinion in launching these strikes; polls indicate that only 22% of the population support this bombing campaign.

“CND works for the prevention and cessation of wars in which nuclear weapons may be used and there can be no clearer example of such a situation than that which we are currently facing. Diplomatic and political solutions must be sought. Nuclear escalation poses consequences too terrible to contemplate.”

  1. 13th STOP PRESS:  Stop all the bombing in Syria: CND works for ‘the prevention and cessation of wars in which nuclear weapons may be used’ and there can be no clearer example of such a situation than that which we are currently facing. Diplomatic and political solutions must be sought.
    Edinburgh stop the war are urging all our supporters to do everything possible to stop a further attack on Syria by the Western powers.​ Join us in petitioning at the east end of Princes Street, 12pm Saturday 14th April See our statement at https://scotlandstopwar.org/2018/04/09/statement-on-syria-2/      The Daily Mail reports that ‘Britain’s Armed Forces are drawing up options for a joint strike with the US on Syrian forces’ and, ‘No 10 refused to rule out the Prime Minister recalling Parliament to vote on action but sources said she might be able to go ahead without approval from MPs’. The situation in Syria is critical. ​Stop the War condemns the alleged chemical attack on Douma and all foreign interventions, including by Russia and Iran. ​If Trump and other Western powers escalate with bombs, missiles or other means it can only lengthen the roll call of the dead and prolong the cycle of violence. The Syrian people have suffered too much already to bear yet more foreign intervention. Contact your MP Download the Stop the War Petition ‘No more attacks on Syria’ and take it round your friends, workmates, fellow students etc. Emergency lobby of Parliament (London)
    Meet your MP to discuss Syria and state your opposition to airstrikes.
    Wednesday 18 April • 1pm – 4pm
    Briefings available in Committee Room 20 between 1pm and 2pm.
    Called by Momentum, Stop the War, CND and Global Justice Now

    and come to the following meeting:

    Dave Webb will be speaking (with Tim Coles) at our public meeting on Thursday 26th April: 7.30pm – Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh– Public Meeting with Tim Coles author of “Fire and Fury: How the US Isolates North Korea, Encircles China and Risks Nuclear War in Asia” Organised by EdinburghCND and Edinburgh Stop the War http://www.cnduk.org/cnd-media/item/3728-60-faces-david-webb

    Thursday 26th April: 7.30pm – Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh– Public Meeting with Tim Coles author of “Fire and Fury: How the US Isolates North Korea, Encircles China and Risks Nuclear War in Asia” Organised by EdinburghCND and Edinburgh Stop the War
For details of other Edinburgh CND events including: 
  1. Saturday 14th April: monthly leafleting, 12.30 pm at the East End of Princes Street (we are joining with Stop the War: see stop press above)
  2. ++Monday 16th April is the monthly Edinburgh Stop the War Coalition meeting.  Do come along and participate. 7.30pm at the Peace and Justice Centre, 5 Upper Bow, EH1 2JN
  3. Saturday 5th May: The Edinburgh CND supported May Day march and rally                                     SEE EVENTS (RIGHT SIDE of PAGE)
OTHER NEWS: 
1. In the next few weeks, representatives from almost all states will gather in Geneva  for the UN’s nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference, to plan progress towards nuclear disarmament.
The UK signed up to the Treaty in 1968, but successive governments have retained Britain’s nuclear arsenal. Our current Government claims to support the NPT as a way of achieving multilateral nuclear disarmament, so we want to pile on the pressure to get it to actually do something in Geneva!
Parliamentary CND is calling on the Government to make good on its claims and inject new life into the NPT. They have launched EDM 1122 to make this call.
We need to join that call. Please ask your MP to add their name in support of EDM 1122. You can send your MP a message using a model letter through the CND website at https://cnd.eaction.org.uk/lobby/PrepCom (also see reminder at end of post)

 

2. In April 1958, the first march to Aldermaston, Britain’s bomb factory in Berkshire, unleashed a new movement which was to have global repercussions. It mobilised thousands against the Bomb and shaped radical protest for generations. The famous symbol produced for the march by artist Gerald Holtom became CND’s own symbol and is universally recognised as the sign of peace.                                                                             CND are celebrating six decades of vibrant and powerful activity with a new online exhibition, displaying photos and memories provided by you, our members and supporters. You selected the photos that best symbolised a significant memory from the past 60 years. The exhibition shows photos from demonstrations, vigils and blockades; significant sites, like Greenham, Molesworth, as well as photos of artefacts, like favourite badges, banners, and knitting. The exhibition will be published on a rolling basis – we’ll let you know when we’ve updated it – so don’t worry if you can’t yet see the photos you have submitted.

3. This month is also the 60th anniversary of Grapple Y, the test of a multi-megaton thermonuclear weapon by the United Kingdom in the central Pacific. The atmospheric nuclear test was held at Christmas (Kiritimati) Island on 28 April 1958, during Operation Grapple – the program to develop the British hydrogen bomb. Commonwealth servicemen who participated in the UK nuclear testing program in the Pacific are calling for recognition and compensation, as leaders gather in London for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).  Sixty years on, sailors and soldiers from New Zealand and Fiji who participated in Operation Grapple have issued an open letter to the Commonwealth Heads of Government, calling for justice for the survivors of the UK nuclear tests.  In the open letter they call on British Prime Minister Theresa May to fulfil promises made 60 years ago, to address the health and environmental consequences of the UK nuclear weapons program.  For more information: The book ‘Grappling with the Bomb’ can be downloaded free from:  Free downloads – ANU Press – ANU

4. nuclear News No.106 April 2018 is now available to download at:
5. Stirling University CND are raising money this summer by providing volunteers to the Workers’ Beer Company, who run bars at music festivals and is owned by Battersea and Wandsworth TUC.
Queens of the Stone Age Concert: 30th June 2018
Finsbury Park Festival: 1st July 2018
Lovebox and Citadel: 13th – 15th July 2018
For each hour you work, Scottish CND will receive £7 which will go towards funding the campaign for nuclear disarmament and projects such as this summer’s Peace Academy (applications still open).
6. Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre Events:
1. 140,000 Origami Cranes Workshop.14 April. 12 May. 9 June. 2 – 4pm.
Peace & Justice Centre.
2. Cooperative Games & Conflict Resolution Facilitator Training.
Sat 21 April. 10am – 4pm.  For people considering full training for our schools programme or for personal or professional development. Fee waived for those who continue on our full Facilitator training. £30 or pay what you can.
★For more info and To register see here.  Also :They  are looking to raise £1,750 to help sustain our work delivering Cooperative Games and develop the Conflict Resolution workshops over the summer term.
3. Anatomy of Peace Building through Music, Rhythm & Silence
Wed 9 May. 6:30 – 8:30pm. Venue to be confirmed. With Christine Stevens.
Become a musical peace-maker.  
4. Week of Events on Conscientious Objection
4.1 CO Day Vigil. Tues 15 May. 5 – 6pm. Foot of Mound, by National Gallery.
Speakers, singing, silence. Our annual vigil remembering those who refused to kill in past wars and today.
4.2 CO Memorial Design Launch. Edinburgh.Tues 15 May 6:30 – 7:30pm.To be confirmed. Check our website or ring to confirm if coming.More Info on CO Week of Events Here
5. ‘That’s Not Okay’ Interactive Workshop: 
Standing up for our values on the street,at work, in our groups and at home.
Sat 26 May. 10am – 2pm.David Hume Tower. LG.07, George Square.
With Mil Rai and Emily Johns,
Check P and J website or ring 0131 629 1058 Wed & Fridays 1 – 4pm to for full details of events where details are not yet confirmed.
REMINDER: The UN High Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament will convene in New York May 14 -16.  Nuclear disarmament campaigners plan to use the occasion to focus public attention on the nuclear-weapons industry, a key stimulus to the nuclear arms race. “Companies manufacturing nuclear weapons and their delivery systems are a powerful lobby to increase nuclear weapons budgets, and to expand nuclear weapons policies in order to justify this massive public spending,” said Alyn Ware, Global Coordinator of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament.

For more information please visit www.nuclearweaponsmoney.org. Jackie Cabasso, Executive Director of Western States Legal Foundation, released an open letter, which has been signed by more than 100 US civil society groups. The letter expresses support for the upcoming inter-Korean summit in April and the US-DPRK summit in May, and urges the leaders “to patiently and diligently seek common ground.”

edinburghcnd

Edinburgh CND News 22nd March 2018 Updated on 29th

Our meetings next month:

  1. Tuesday 3rd April: ECND regular organising meeting, 6pm, Peace and Justice Centre, 5 Upper Bow, Edinburgh.
  2. Saturday 13th April: monthly leafleting, 12.30 pm at the East End of Princes Street
  3. Thursday 26th April: 7.30pm – Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh– Public Meeting with Tim Coles author of “Fire and Fury: How the US Isolates North Korea, Encircles China and Risks Nuclear War in Asia” Organised by EdinburghCND and Edinburgh Stop the War.

And in May: The Edinburgh CND supported May Day march and rally will take place on Saturday 5th May. Assemble (top of) Johnston Terrace 11.30 for 12 noon. March behind the Edinburgh CND banner and join us for the rally in the Pleasance Theatre from 12.30.

In June: Once again we’re having our ‘Plants For Peace’ stall at the Meadows Festival. Saturday and Sunday the 2nd and 3rd of June, sharing with Edinburgh Stop The War. This is our biggest event of the year, enjoyable, but tiring! raising our profile and earning the cash we need for our campaigning against nuclear weapons.                                             We need your help, please get in touch edinburghcnd@yahoo.com if you can offer any help whatsoever (on the day or growing plants before hand)

STOP PRESS: 28th March: Anti-nuclear campaigners have condemned the announcement of an extra £600 million for the Dreadnought submarine programme, part of the government scheme to replace the Trident nuclear weapons system. The extra funding, which will be made by the Treasury to the Ministry of Defence, was announced in today’s Prime Minister’s Questions. Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said: “Spending on Trident is out of control – another £600 million announced today. This means the Ministry of Defence is already overspending at this early stage of replacing Britain’s nuclear weapons system, which is why the contingency fund is now being eaten into.

Other events:                                                                                                                                  

1. Scottish Christians Against Nuclear Arms (SCANA) Pentecost Peace Witness Vigil
Saturday 26th May 2018 12 noon – 1.0 p.m. Faslane Royal Naval Base, Gareloch.
2. Edinburgh World Justice Festival (supported by Edinburgh CND) Organising Meeting and AGM 7.30 Monday 28 March Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL

3. Sunday 1st April: As protesters poured along the streets of London, on Easter Monday, 1959, hot-foot from the Aldermaston nuclear bomb factory, they passed the church of then-priest Bruce Kent. Bruce was horrified – every one of the five weddings he was conducting that day was disrupted! But the marchers gave Bruce food for thought and led to his lifelong dedication to campaigning against nuclear weapons. Six decades on, the threat that nuclear weapons pose – to humanity, to the planet – is even greater. Bruce has changed the hearts and minds of many during that time, and he still campaigns today. But he can’t do it alone. Change requires mass action and mobilisation – people united to bring about the world they wish to see. The day before, campaigners had marched from London to the AWE factory in Berkshire – where Britain was making its first nuclear bombs. The world has changed immensely since then – we face numerous new threats that would not have been conceived of in 1958 – but AWE is still producing nuclear warheads. CND invites you all to join us at AWE Aldermaston this Easter Sunday to celebrate our history and look to the future. Through speeches, music, memories, fence decorating, let’s make it clear that Trident should be scrapped and we want a nuclear-free world. It’s also an opportunity to see the fantastic CND installation which is travelling the country. The event will conclude with an inter-faith vigil. Details Assemble 12 noon, Sunday, April 1st Main Gate, AWE Aldermaston, Berkshire, RG7 4PR
More information Help us promote the event Like and share our priority Facebook post. Click here for the link.  Like and retweet our priority tweet. Click here for the linkClick attending on our Facebook event and share it with your group members and other contacts. Use the hashtag #CNDat60 on your own social media posts Distribute some leaflets in your area – we can post these to you free of charge. For more information or any questions please contact information@cnduk.org or phone 020 7700 2393.

Bruce Kent, CND vice president, said:

“It took 40 years to get votes for women. The ending of slavery took almost 50 years, so the fact that things take a long time doesn’t deter us. CND will keep campaigning and demanding change until all nuclear weapons around the world have been abolished.”

Why are we going to Aldermaston?
Easter Sunday marks the 60th anniversary of the first Aldermaston march – an event that mobilised thousands against the Bomb and shaped radical protest for generations. The Aldermaston factory continues to produce nuclear warheads today and its closure is fundamental to our campaigning goals. We will mark the anniversary with speeches, poems, music and memories, and we’ll look to the future too, as we continue our struggle to rid Britain – and the world – of nuclear weapons.

p.s. (3a) If you can’t make Aldermaston, you can join the Fly Kites not Drones event in the Meadows. Sun 1st April. 1pm – 4pm.  Meadows Pavilion Café. Bring, Make & Fly Kites. Big Display kites on show. Inspired by the Afgan Peace Volunteers, this event happens all around the world at Nao Ruz, the Afghan New Year, when people in Afghanistan fly kites. Now the blue skies have become a source of fear. Solidarity with people living under millitary drones threat. Support for refugees. With Refugee Community Kitchen. Music & soup. Family friendly. Give what you feel. SHARE the Event on Facebook.

4 . Edinburgh CAAT had a busy month, including spending almost a full week in Scottish Parliament chatting to MSPs and their staff about converting arms to renewables, and ending Scottish public funds to the arms industry. More than 25 MSPs, including someone from every political party, came to speak with us. Lots of momentum, lots to follow up on. Next group meeting is Monday 26 March, 7 to 8.45pm at the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre. Newcomers always welcome, as are agenda suggestions. We’ll spend some time discussing next steps on arms to renewables.
>> Take a look at the draft agenda and send through any suggestions Still a few places left at the training! 
There are still a couple of spots available at the non-violent direct action training we’re running on 7 April in Edinburgh. See previous post

4. On March 28, the United Nations will hold the preparatory meeting for the 2018 UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament. New York, NY – March 28, 2018.  At a media briefing for journalists at the United Nations in New York today, nuclear disarmament experts and campaigners highlighted the critical need for successful diplomacy on nuclear-weapons related conflicts, including in Northeast Asia, between the US/NATO and Russia, and at the upcoming UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament. Abolition 2000 member organizations organized a press conference at the United Nations in New York today (29th) to highlight the critical need for successful diplomacy on nuclear-weapons related conflicts, promote the upcoming UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament, and announce two related initiatives. These were an Open Letter to the Leaders of USA, South Korea and North Korea and Count the Nuclear Weapons Money, a civil society action to take place during the UN High Level Conference.

In the longer run:  

Scotland is going to welcome the world to Faslane on Saturday September 22nd from 12 noon. Under the banner ‘Nae Nukes, Anywhere’ we plan to celebrate the UN Treaty banning nuclear weapons and, at the site where the UK’s Trident missiles are based, say loud and clear we want them scrapped – for good. You want to help? Here’s how!

  1. Be there! Join the First Minister (tbc), speakers from around the world, some top musicians, and ordinary people calling for sanity and humanity.
  1. Donate! Scottish CND will be making an appeal soon, but giving Edinburgh CND cash too means we can make transport free for unwaged.
  1. Help publicise this event – tell your friends, workmates, dentist etc, pass on this email, boost social media, leaflet any gatherings you go to, put up posters.
  1. Volunteer as a steward/first aider at the rally, lots of other tasks needing you too, let us know if you can help – thanks!
  1. Peace people are coming from all over the world – can you give them a room for  a day or two?
  1. Placard and banner making workshops will take place in August and September. Suitable for any age or ability and great fun!

We look forward to hearing from you With thanks in advance from Edinburgh CND

Other news: 

  1. 14th March: the Los Alamos Study Group filed a lawsuit against the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). On December 1 of last year, the Study Group filed a FOIA request for a redacted version of NNSA’s plutonium warhead core (“pit”) production analysis of alternatives (AoA), which was completed in November and briefed to congressional committees at the end of that month.
  2. The March Edition of Drones Campaign News is out: https://dronecampaignnetwork.wordpress.com/3
  3. Coventry peace poet and CND UK Peace Education Patron, Antony Owen has been shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry which is one of the UK’s most respected literary awards. His poetry collection The Nagasaki Elder (V.Press) was partly inspired by testimonies of atomic bomb survivors that Owen took on his extensive self-funded peace trip to Hiroshima, Japan, in 2015.
edinburghcnd

Edinburgh CND News 9th March

STOP PRESS:

1.Faslane Peace Camp is honoured and delighted to host Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear. SEE FURTHER DETAILS BELOW. She will be joining us on Wednesday and attending our weekly vigil, 4-5pm Wednesday 14th  at Faslane North Gate. All are welcome!!!!
☮️🌍☮️

2.The petition on armed forces visits to schools will be heard this Thursday, 15th March, at around 10:30. If you want to attend in person you can obtain a free ticket from the visitors center on 0131 348 5200, or by email: visit@scottish.parliament.uk.Alternatively the meeting will be broadcast live here https://www.scottishparliament.tv/, archive of the broadcast will be available to view the same day, and the Official Report will be available probably a week later.This is possibly the last time the petition will be heard, and may be the last chance for a while to make change in this area. You can read here the latest submission, which they will be considering: http://www.parliament.scot/S5_PublicPetitionsCommittee/Submissions%202018/PE1603_HH.pdf If you are a constituent of Michelle Ballantyne (member for south Scotland) please email her to put forward your views on this and encourage others to do the same – she is a real problem for us on the Committee.ForcesWatch are not able to attend the hearing, but Mairi Campbell-Jack from Quakers in Scotland will be there and will appreciate any support.

3. http://www.thenational.scot/news/16084402.Anti_nuclear_conference_puts_spotlight_on_safety/        SEE BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE CONFERENCE

Saturday 10th March:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Edinburgh CND leafleting 1230 pm at the East End of Princes Street and                       Peace Stall at the Radical Independence Conference 11 to 5pm at the Methodist Halls

+++The public meeting planned for Saturday 24th March has had to be postponed

Seven years on since the Fukushima disaster, the Japanese government remains unable to contain one of the worst nuclear accidents in the history of nuclear power. Thousands of people are still unable to return to their homes because of radioactive leaks.
Here in Britain, anti-nuclear campaigners will bear witness to the ongoing effects of the Fukushima disaster and demand that our government abandons plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations. “We will bear witness to the ongoing effects of the Fukushima disaster and demand that our government abandons plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations.”                                                                                   1. Friday 9th Glasgow Scottish CND are organising a Vigil at the Donald Dewar statue in Buchanan Street Glasgow on Thursday March 8 between 530pm – 6 pm to remember the disastrous effects of the Fukushima disaster which took place on March 9 2011.                                                                                                                                    2. Saturday 10th London see http://www.cnduk.com                                                            3.Monday 12th Edinburgh vigil for the women evacuees of Fukushima at the Chrystal Macmillan buildingedinburgh university  5.00pm                                                  4. CND looks at the latest situation in the Fukushima area surrounding the plant in this month’s Campaign magazine. (They  also look at the ongoing trials of protestors arrested for campaigning against the Arms Fair held in London last year)
Read Campaign: March edition
Download Campaign: March edition

The Don’t Bank on the Bomb 2018 report launched on 7th March. 

Susi and Maaike from PAX were kind enough to provide UK specific information which can be found on the ICAN UK website here: http://bit.ly/2FostJd

Beatrice Fihn Executive Director of the International Campaign to  Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), winner of her 2017 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its work for the new UN Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear  Weapons will visit Scotland on Wednesday 14th. She is meeting with Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop and others at the Scottish Parliament in the a.m., followed by a visit to Faslane in the afternoon. This week’s 4.00 pm vigil at the base is a special opportunity, get there if you can!

Scotland Endangered Conference, 17 March (Helensburgh Parish Church Halls, Colquhoun St, 10.30 – 6 pm, organised by Helensburgh CND) Join Helensburgh CND and their conference to hear about the hazards associated with nuclear weapons regardless of whether or not anyone ever actually pushes the button.

Fly Kites not Drones 1st April 1pm to 4pm at the Pavilion Cafe in the Meadows Also: Help needed to prepare kite making materials at the P&J Centre on the 14th  and 21st March and with set up, kite making and decorating on the day. If you want to volunteer please email

Following the postponement of the March training, CAAT Edinburgh would like to invite you to the following workshop:                                                             Introduction to direct action against the weapons industry
on Saturday 7 April, 10am to 5pm in Edinburgh
(full address provided on registration)
Please register by emailing Niina and Phil on caatedinburgh@live.com

 Thursday 26th April: 7.30pm – Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh– Public Meeting with Tim Coles author of “Fire and Fury: How the US Isolates North Korea, Encircles China and Risks Nuclear War in Asia” Organised by EdinburghCND and Edinburgh Stop the War.

On February 20, the UK House of Lords held a debate on nuclear weapons and the upcoming UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament. The debate was initiated by PNND Co-President Baroness Sue Miller, in order to encourage the UK government to attend the UN conference, and use the conference to advance concrete measures for nuclear risk-reduction and disarmament.                             UNFOLD ZERO encourages you to join activists from around the world for the Annual Meeting of Abolition 2000, the global network to eliminate nuclear weapons. 
Nuclear abolition activists from around the world will meet to share campaign reports, discuss nuclear disarmament strategy, explore opportunities for action, build cooperation and plan further campaigns.
This year, Abolition 2000 will hold their AGM in two sessions: the first in Geneva on April 28 and the second in New York on May 11.The Abolition 2000 Youth Network invites young and ‘young at heart’ to be a part of a global video action to support the UN High-Level Conference. 
Send them your video clip of ‘reaching high for a nuclear-weapon-free world.’ They will compile the videos and show to world leaders to encourage them to take action at the High-Level Conference. Click here to view the promo video. 
 Join youth, celebrities, religious leaders, artists, parliamentarians, activists and others to count out $1 trillion (the nuclear weapons budget for the next ten years), and call for the re-allocation of this to areas of social, economic and environmental need. May 10th-16th Please contact your Foreign Ministry and/or Ambassador to the United Nations and call on them to support NGO participation in the UN High-Level Conference. Click here for a sample letter and contact addresses. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, addressing the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva on Monday (Feb 26), announced a new United Nations initiative for nuclear disarmament. The deadline for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to register in order to be listed as participants for the conference is March 15.

Thanks to donations from CND supporters like you, our giant CND symbol visited its first tour stop on Friday 2nd and made a big media splash! Attracted by the massive installation, hundreds of people came from across north Wales to find out more about our crucial work.

Now we need your help to get the symbol to the next 20 locations across the country.

CND at 60 by Kate Hudson

Timed to coincide with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament’s 60th anniversary, and drawing on archive material and interviews with activists from across the decades, CND at 60 situates the campaign’s current work in the context of Trump and increasing global tensions around nuclear weapons.

It provides detailed coverage of the inside story of six decades of CND – from the mass protests at Aldermaston and Greenham Common, to its central role in post 9/11 anti-war campaigning, to today’s struggle to stop Trident replacement and win support for the UN’s global ban on nuclear weapons.
https://cnduk.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50a46ed98fb9032bd46d11880&id=cc14008991&e=96dcf14be7

 See Los Alamos 244  http://www.lasg.org/  and Australia Walkatjurra Walkabout updates available on request.

edinburghcnd

Edinburgh CND News 22nd February UPDATED!

STOP PRESS: See the (whole) video of our meeting on Nuclear Convoys:
(also see 6 below)
Dates for your diary
1. Monday 26 February: 7.30pm Upstairs room, Beehive Inn, Grassmarket EH1 2JU Planning for the 2018 Edinburgh World Justice Festival. All invited.  Also: Demo for Syria: Stop airstrikes on Eastern Ghouta Monday 26 February, 4.30pm at the Russian Consulate General in Edinburgh
++2. Monday 26 to Thursday 1st , CAAT are going to have a stall in the Scottish Parliament where they can talk to MSPs and their staff about the arms trade in Scotland. They are going to have a particular focus on how Scotland can convert jobs in arms manufacturing into jobs in renewable energy, and highlighting the amount of public funds going to arms manufacturers through Scottish Enterprise, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Please email your MSPs to let them know that they will be there, and enourage them to come and talk. 
3. Tuesday 6 March: ECND regular organising meeting, 6pm, Peace and Justice Centre, 5 Upper Bow, Edinburgh.
4. Friday 9 March:  Next full working group meeting for the big Faslane demonstration on the 22nd September (note new date) at the SCND office in Glasgow at 5.30pm (77 Southpark Ave G12 8LE).
Edinburgh CND are running a bus to the demo ‘The Sheila Skinner Faslane Bus’ in memory of Sheila who died in January.
5. Saturday 10 March: monthly leafleting, 12.30 pm at the East End of Princes Street. Followed by 140,000 Origami Cranes Workshop  2 – 4pm at the Peace and Justice Centre. 
6. Saturday 17 March: Scotland Endangered Helensburgh Parish Church Halls, Colquhoun St, 10.30 – 6 pm, organised by Helensburgh CND.
Join Helensburgh CND and their conference to hear about the hazards associated with nuclear weapons regardless of whether or not anyone ever actually pushes the button.Radioactive materials are transported on our roads, from our airports and on our railways, and our air and water are contaminated by radioactive elements and processes. This follows Edinburgh’s successful meeting on the 21st. If you missed it you can see and hear a recording on our Facebook page.
7. Saturday 24th March: 2.30pm – Public Meeting at the Augustine Church, George 4thBridge – ‘Why we need a new foreign policy’ – for more details check out the Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/194554104619155/
8. Thursday 26th April: 7.30pm – venue to be confirmed – Public Meeting with Tim Coles author of “Fire and Fury: How the US Isolates North Korea, Encircles China and Risks Nuclear War in Asia” Organised by EdinburghCND and Edinburgh Stop the War.
8. Sunday 1st April: 1- 4 pm. Fly Kites Not (Armed) Drones & Refugee Community Kitchen Fundraiser. Pavilion Café, The Meadows.
Kite Making, Decorating, Flying, live music, soup & more. Family friendly fun day. 
ON THE SAME DAY (1st April)
Join Local and National CND to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first Aldermaston march. This was a march that changed the face of politics and protest, putting CND at the cutting edge of radical social change, mobilising and inspiring generations in the struggle for nuclear disarmament.
It’s time to celebrate our history and look to our future: there are big challenges ahead – Trumpism for example, but also big opportunities – like the global ban. Assemble at 12 noon • AWE Aldermaston, West Berkshire RG7 4PR
For speeches, music, memories, fence decorating and forward planning. The event will conclude with an inter-faith vigil.
As part of the lead up to this: a giant 3D CND symbol installation is to tour Britain. Visit cnduk.org/CNDtour to discover when it will visit your area. “The iconic CND symbol is instantly recognisable to millions across the globe. 

To mark 60 years, . CND’s greatest strength has always been its members. Incredible people have shaped our history, our present and will continue to inspire in the future. 60 Faces of CNDtells the stories of 60 people who represent all the millions of people who have campaigned for nuclear disarmament over the decades and have made our organisation so remarkable.Visit the 60 Faces of CND exhibition online

Two Jobs:

1. Scottish CND is looking for a part time Campaign Assistant to join the team (Glasgow office). See http://www.banthebomb.org                                                                   2. The Peace & Justice Centre is hiring a new Administrator. 12.5 hrs / wk flexible schedule. Closing: 14th March 2018. Click HEREfor the Job Description and application pack.  See more in their new newsletter http://peaceandjustice.org.uk

Other News:
1. UNFOLD ZERO members and partners will be in New York for the UN High-Level Conference from May 14-16, and key side-events including the public action Count the Nuclear Weapons Money from May 10-16 and the annual meeting of the Abolition 2000 global network to eliminate nuclear weapons on May 11 or 13 (to be finalised). The Abolition 2000 Youth Network will be organising youth engagement in these events.                                                                  2. Conscientious Objectors Day Vigil Tues 15 May.   5 – 6pm.Foot of the Mound, By the National Gallery. Reading the Names. Singing. CO Descendants & other speakers.

3. Next Meeting of ICAN Scottish Working Group This will be hosted by UN House and will take place WB 7th May after a Doodle Poll. Edinburgh CND attended the first and a report is available.                                                                     4. nuClear News No.104 February 2018 is now on-line here:
www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/NuClearNews_No104.pdf 

5. Last month it was announced that the infamous Doomsday Clock has been moved nearer to midnight, meaning that we’re closer to nuclear war than at any point since 1953. Read about this in the latest edition of Campaign magazine.  Read Campaign: February edition
Download Campaign: February edition
6. See Los Alamos for updates on US government spending on Nuclear weapons and their ‘nuclear posturing’ plus Bulletins 243 and 244:  http://www.lasg.org/
7.Australia Walkatjurra Walkabout updates available on request.
edinburghcnd

Edinburgh CND News 6th February 2018

EVENTS

  1. Saturday 10 February 2018: monthly leafleting, 12.30 pm at the East End of Princes Street.
  2. Thursday 15 February 2018: oganising meeting for Scotland’s Don’t Bank on the Bomb Network, 7 pm, Peace and Justice Centre, 5 Upper Bow, Edinburgh.
  3. Wednesday 21 February 2018: Open meeting on nuclear convoys
    7 pm, Peace and Justice Centre, 5 Upper Bow, Edinburgh
    Did you know that nuclear warheads are regularly transported in lorries for hundreds of miles along UK roads? Any accident involving an explosion or fire could lead to a radioactive plume spreading for miles, poisoning a huge area for thousands of years.
    This meeting will give you the opportunity to hear from David Mackenzie of Nukewatch about its recent report, “Unready Scotland”, which raises sharp questions about the preparedness of the civil authorities in Scotland to respond to a serious incident involving the transport by road of UK nuclear warheads.

convoy-with-Unready-Scotland-and-subtitle-text-box

  1. Tuesday 6 March 2018: ECND regular organising meeting, 7 pm, Peace and Justice Centre, 5 Upper Bow, Edinburgh.
  2. Thursday 26 April 2018: Public Meeting with Tim Coles author of “Fire and Fury: How the US Isolates North Korea, Encircles China and Risks Nuclear War in Asia”, 7.30 pm – 9 pm; Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh.

UK NEWS

  1. It was revealed that the government has spent £100 million deciding whether to replace or refurbish Britain’s nuclear warheads. This money could have been used to pay the salaries of more than 300 nurses for 10 years. In London, CND joined a rally for the NHS on 3 February to demand funding for healthcare not Trident.

trident demo

  1. A National Audit Office report on the Ministry of Defence’s Equipment Plan confirmed that nuclear-related projects, including Trident renewal, are crippling the MoD’s budget. The report warned that that projected costs will increase even more and “[n]uclear-related projects could destabilise the Plan because of their size and complexity”.
  2. The Atomic Weapons Establishment in Berskshire has applied for a licence to raise the radiation levels released from the site so it can run “more realistic” tests in preparation for potential nuclear terrorist attacks. CND chair, Dave Webb, said that if it really wants to stop nuclear terrorism, the British government should scrap Trident and sign the nuclear ban treaty:

“The reason given for the increase in radiation is to carry out tests to prepare for nuclear terrorism, but the root cause of nuclear terrorism is being side-stepped by the British government. Dangerous nuclear materials, that could fall into the hands of terrorists, are being transferred around the world because of our own nuclear weapons system and the nuclear power industry.”

  1. A petition has been launched to stop the transfer of nuclear waste from the UK to Australia, where it could be dumped on sacred Aboriginal land. Please click here to sign.
  2. A new report by Chatham House found that the threat of cyber attacks, such as data manipulation, digital jamming and cyber spoofing, on nuclear weapons systems like Trident is increasing, and could lead to nuclear weapons being used.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  1. Norway’s government pension fund announced that it was divesting from BAE Systems and other companies involved in the production of nuclear weapons. Susi Snyder of divestment campaigning group Don’t Bank on the Bomb welcomed the decision, saying “this is an excellent move in the right direction, demonstrating that any type of investment in any type of nuclear weapons associated company is an investment against the survival of humanity”.
  2. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board moved the hand of the Doomsday Clock to two minutes to midnight “because of perilous nuclear situation“. This is the closest the clock has been to doomsday since 1953.
  3. The US nuclear posture review was released, lowering the threshold for US use of nuclear weapons and calling for the development smaller “more usable” nuclear weapons. Beatrice Fihn, Director of ICAN, described the NPR as “an all-out attempt to take nuclear weapons out of the silos and onto the battlefield. This policy shift from one where the use of nuclear weapons is possible to one where the use of nuclear weapons is likely”.
edinburghcnd

Edinburgh CND News 19th January 2018

Edinburgh CND hosted a showing of the film Nuclear Savage on 17th January. The film is a devastating account of the US nuclear tests in the Pacific and of the impact on the Marshall Islanders who were treated as human guinea pigs. As the US spends untold billions on updating its nuclear arsenal the film should be shown far and wide. The DVD can be borrowed from Scottish CND so think about whether you can show it at a community, campaign or union meeting. 

 Our next meetings:
1. Tuesday 6th February. Monthly planning meeting 6pm at the Peace and Justice Centre 5 Upper Bow, Edinburgh, EH1 2JN.
2. Saturday 10th February: Monthly leafleting 1230 at the East End of Princes Street.
3. Wednesday 21st February: Open Meeting on Nuclear Convoys. 7pm at the Peace and Justice Centre 5 Upper Bow, Edinburgh, EH1 2JN
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++25/1: The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists today moved the hands of the symbolic Doomsday Clock to 2 Minutes to Midnight, indicating that the world is the closest to possible nuclear armageddon since the height of the Cold War in 1953. Anti-nuclear campaigners have responded to the announcement Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said: “The Doomsday Clock moves dangerously closer to midnight. Scientists have assessed political and military developments in the past year and determined that the twin threats of nuclear war and climate change are more likely to lead to disaster than they were last year. We agree with this assessment. The Basle Peace office adds that the announcement highlights the need for nuclear risk reduction measures, such as those being advanced by U.S. Senator Ed Markey, Co-President of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament. Markey has introduced legislation into the Senate (with companion legislation in the House introduced by Ted Lieu) to restrict the authority of the U.S. President to launch a nuclear attack without first consulting congress.

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NEWS
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1. 2018 is the 60th anniversary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, which was founded on the 17th February 1958 at the height of the cold war.
CND is planning a number of events – as well as publishing a new book – to mark the 60th year of one of the world’s most powerful collective voices against the dangers of nuclear weapons. Preliminary details of these are shared below.
CND at 60 A new book
which tells the history of CND, will be published in March 2018. CND at 60, by Kate Hudson, describes the development of nuclear weapons and the waves of civil society outrage and protest they inspired. From Polaris to Trident, the London to Aldermaston marches to mobilisations against cruise missiles, the story of 60 years of the largest single-issue peace campaign in Europe is told from the perspective of one of Britain’s foremost peace campaigners
The CND logo: 
The role of CND’s iconic logo – which has become an internationally recognised peace symbol – will be marked with a symbol tour of Britain. A giant three-dimensional logo installation will visit more than twenty dramatic locations across Britain, including the White Cliffs of Dover, the Angel of the North in Gateshead, and the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.
Aldermaston:
The symbol will also visit the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston, the target of anti-nuclear campaigners in every decade since the founding of CND in the 1950s. The symbol will be joined by CND supporters from across Britain on Easter Sunday, the 1st April 2018, for a rally and celebrations.
60 faces of CND exhibition:
A new exhibition will tell the stories of 60 people and their contribution to the peace movement in Britain. Featuring photos of protest, politicians and passionate people, along with a history of CND in their own words. The exhibition will be displayed online as well as at reception in Parliament on the 21st February. Please contact the press office to register.
Peace, People and Protest:
A cultural event will take place in central London in June celebrating the role of music, song, and spoken word in the history of our campaign. More details will be announced shortly.
CND at 60 web site:
We’ll be adding further details about our 60th year events to the anniversary web site at https://cnduk.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50a46ed98fb9032bd46d11880&id=047b92b30a&e=96dcf14be7
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2. Scottish CND Education is organsing a fully funded 3 day Peace Campaigning Academy for youth and they need help to publicise it. It is open to people between 18 – 30 years old residing in Scotland.

SCND Education (Peace Education Scotland) is organising a fully funded 3 day training programme on all aspects of campaigning work, focusing on the nuclear disarmament movement. Participants will learn all they need to know about communication tactics, lobbying activities, grassroots empowerment, online engagement, fundraising tools and more. The is an national event taking place in Glasgow, open to 18 – 30 yr olds living in Scotland. Food & accommodation provided. More details on the programme & how to apply here. First round of applications should be sent by 16 Feb. Apply now

27 – 29 July 2018 Apply now for a fully funded place!
SCND are looking for volunteers to help with the organising of the event. Welcoming people willing to assist with admin, event planning and outreach. Please send us an email if you have some time to spare info@peaceeducationsctland.org(some things can be done remotely).
Also for leafleting in Glasgow: wed 24th Jan
 Please share the event with your friends, family & groups. Put a poster up in your local pub, college, university, library, community centre or place that has young people around. Order leaflets/posters from our office (or print your own).
3. (a) Basle Peace Office: An early-morning emergency alert mistakenly warning of an incoming ballistic missile attack was dispatched to cellphones across Hawaii on Saturday 13th, setting off widespread panic. (See NY Times Jan 13). Many in Hawaii were already on edge because of escalating tensions between the United States and North Korea, making the false warning very believable.
“45 minutes ago I thought I was going to die by ballistic missile and now I’m making pancakes. Life is wild.” Darcy Hanneman, Hawaii.
The alert was mistakenly sent by someone in the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency pushing the wrong button on a computer. (Just as well it was not the red nuclear button ‘on the desk’ of KimJong-Un or President Donald Trump).
Meanwhile, Basel Peace Office organized three nuclear disarmament actions at the Basel Peace Forum yesterday – a #3DnukeMissile (to stop the nuclear missiles being launched), a competition to indicate where nuclear weapons are deployed in Europe, and an action for people to stop banking on the bomb. 
Participants at the Basel Peace Forum were assisted by Basel Peace Office staff to check if their banks were amongst those investing in nuclear weapons. If so, they were given information on how to encourage their bank to end such investments, or to switch their accounts to banks which don’t have such investments.
You too can check if you are banking on the bomb, and take other action to shift investments from nuclear weapons to better enterprises. See Don’t bank on the bomb and Move the Nuclear Weapons Money. 
Contact info@baselpeaceoffice.orgto add events to the Abolition 2000 calendar.
 (b) ADDITION: From Parliamentarians for Nuclear Disarmament: On January 24, 1946, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus its very first resolution UNGA Res 1(I), which established a commission of the UN Security Council to ensure ‘the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons and all other major weapons adaptable to mass destruction.’ On October 17, 2017, PNND released a Parliamentary Action Plan for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World. The Action Plan was released at  a special event at the 137th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in St Petersburg. In May 2018, the United Nations General Assembly is taking special action to implement the goal by holding a High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament. For more information see Time to implement UN Resolution 1 (I).  

UNFOLD ZERO add: Call on your government to attend the UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament at the highest level (Prime Minister, President or Foreign Minister) and to do their best at the conference to reduce nuclear risks and advance the abolition of nuclear weapons. Click here for a sample letter and list of government contacts.  For more information see Youth call on world leaders to reduce the risk of nuclear war and support nuclear disarmament.

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4. (a) Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre Jan Newsletter is now out: peaceandjustice.org.uk  Don’t forget the crane-making every Saturday 2-4pm at the centre
(b) Reminder: Edinburgh CAAT meet on the 29th Jan 7pm to 8.45pm
Peace and Justice Centre, 5 Upper Bow, Edinburgh, EH1 2JN
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5. After the Successful visit to Scotland last year: PEACE BOAT 96th VOYAGE COMING TO FREMANTLE
Wednesday 24 – Thursday 24 January 2018 | Fremantle Port | a massive 2 days of building a culture of peace around the world
edinburghcnd

Edinburgh CND News 7th January 2018

Wishing all our supporters a peaceful 2018. Our events in January:

  1. Saturday 13 January 2018, monthly leafleting 1230 East End of Princes Street, followed by Origami Cranes workshop 2-4pm at the Peace and Justice Centre.
  2. Wednesday 17 January 2018, Film Screening: Nuclear Savage

    https_%2F%2Fcdn.evbuc.com%2Fimages%2F37334440%2F234036057351%2F1%2Foriginal.jpg
    7 to 9pm
    Augustine United Church
    41 to 43 George IV Bridge
    Edinburgh
    For Facebook event click here
    For Eventbrite tickets click here It was a Pacific island paradise…until the United States tested nuclear weapons and conducted secret human radiation experiments. Experiments that would remain top-secret for decades, until now.
    This documentary reveals a shocking political expose, and an intimate ethnographic portrait of Pacific Islanders struggling for survival, dignity and justice after decades of top-secret human radiation experiments conducted on them by the US government.
    As geopolitical tensions between nuclear armed states continue to escalate, please join us to watch this timely reminder of the humanitarian devastation caused by nuclear weapons. Weapons that threaten our very survival as long as they are allowed to exist. This event is co-sponsored by Scottish Wilpf
    Entry by donation (suggested amount: £3 to help Edinburgh CND cover the cost of room hire).
    Please book through EventBrite if you would like to reserve a place. However, we will also be allowing folk to turn up on the day.                                                               
  3. Edinburgh CAAT meeting, Monday 29th January, 7pm – 8.45 pmEdinburgh Peace and Justice Centre, 5 Upper Bow, Edinburgh, EH1 2JN

STOP PRESS: Anti-nuclear campaigners have condemned Trump’s plans to expand the role of nuclear weapons, expected in his forthcoming Nuclear Posture Review.
Kate Hudson, CND General Secretary, said:
“This dangerous new policy expands the role of nuclear weapons in US foreign policy and makes nuclear war more likely. If it includes, as reports indicate, a plan to develop two new types of nuclear weapons – a low-yield version of the Trident D5 warhead and a sea-launched cruise missile – the weapons will be deemed more ‘usable’ and nuclear war will be more likely. The review also includes new scenarios for when nuclear weapons would be used to respond to non-nuclear attacks. This is a hostile and provocative development and will be understood as such by other states.
“It should be noted that the US Trident D5 missile is used on the submarines of Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons system. The UK government must clarify its position on this development and must reject this catastrophic drive to ‘usable’ nukes.                               On 12th Jan the Los Alamos study group added:  Washington – A leaked “pre-decisional” copy of the Trump Administration’s Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) was published last night by Huffington Post. [1]

The non-nuclear members of the Security Council could be encouraged to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weaponson Jan 18. Watch the Security Council debate on UN Web TV. 

OTHER NEWS:

  1. UNFOLD ZERO thanks everyone for their commitment and action for peace and disarmament in 2017, and wishes you a wonderful new year in 2018.
    UNFOLD ZERO is proud to have informed and engaged civil society around the world in United Nations initiatives and actions for nuclear disarmament. Together we made a difference. Please consider donating to UNFOLD ZERO to enable us to continue working together in 2018.The United Nations Security Council will hold a special thematic debate on January 18 on the topic of ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction and Confidence Building Measures‘.
    The debate will be chaired by Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev, and will have a strong focus on diplomacy and trust-building as important elements to prevent proliferation of WMD and to advance disarmament.
    Kazakhstan has undertaken national and regional disarmament initiatives, including relinquishing all the nuclear weapons that were on their territory and negotiating a Central Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. They have also put forward a number of disarmament proposals to the United Nations, including:
  • a call ‘on all Member States, especially the Security Council’s permanent members, to set a goal of ridding the world of nuclear weapons by the UN’s 100th Anniversary in 2045.‘
  • a proposal for UN members to contribute 1% of their military spending to fund the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The veto power of the Permanent Members (China, France, Russia, UK and USA) makes it difficult to adopt resolutions on these proposals at the Security Council.

However, support from other Security Council members on January 18 could help pave the way for a successful UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament in May 2018, which will not be subject to such veto power. Sample letters are available.

2. The Basel Peace Office also extended very best wishes for the holiday season extends our very best wishes for the new year. Thank you for your support for nuclear disarmament in 2017, a year in which we saw an increase in the risks of nuclear weapons being used in conflicts, but also the achievement of nuclear disarmament measures, including the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

In the first update of 2018 they nclude information on actions and events this month (January 2018) for peace and nuclear abolition, including a teach-in on no-first-use or nuclear weapons, nuclear disarmament and Martin Luther King Jr Day, commemoration of the UN’s first resolution (adopted in 1946) which was on weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and a special session of the UN Security Council on WMD and confidence-building measures. 
For further information, including actions and events for subsequent months, see the Abolition 2000 Calendar.  

3. In February 1958, anti-nuclear activists gathered at Methodist Central Hall in London for what would be CND’s first ever meeting. 60 years on, this anniversary presents us with an opportunity to look at how we’ve contributed to the changes in politics and society that have shaped the lives of millions. Read more about CND past, present and future in this month’s Campaignmagazine, as well as about the financial interests involved in the Trident debate. Read Campaign: January edition
Download Campaign: January edition

4. Los Alamos Bulletin 240, 241and 242: http://www.lasg.org/ 

5. Another special issue of nuClear News. This one covers our comments on a report
commissioned by the Government from Professor Dieter Helm on the cost of energy. Professor Helm’s report was published on 25 October 2017. The government is assessing the findings and recommendations set out in the Helm Review. As part of that process it is asking for the views of stakeholders. nuClear News No.103 January 2018 is available here: www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/NuClearNews_No103.pd

6. Latest Scotland Ban Group and SCND Exec Minutes available on request

7. After the Peace Prize ICAN has been busy : Much discussion about Trumps behaviour. Member organisation SCRAP will have the pleasure of hosting Angela Kane – former UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairts – on Thursday 18th January for a roundtable discussion on “Prospects for the Future of Disarmament: Building on the Nuclear Ban Treaty and the ATT“. The roundtable will be on a first-come-first-serve basis for seating. Please RSVP to km60@soas.ac.uk

edinburghcnd

Edinburgh CND News 18 December 2017

EVENTS:
  1. Wednesday 17 January 2018, Film Screening: Nuclear Savage

    https_%2F%2Fcdn.evbuc.com%2Fimages%2F37334440%2F234036057351%2F1%2Foriginal.jpg
    7 to 9pm
    Augustine United Church
    41 to 43 George IV Bridge
    Edinburgh
    For Facebook event click here
    For Eventbrite tickets click here It was a Pacific island paradise…until the United States tested nuclear weapons and conducted secret human radiation experiments. Experiments that would remain top-secret for decades, until now.
    This documentary reveals a shocking political expose, and an intimate ethnographic portrait of Pacific Islanders struggling for survival, dignity and justice after decades of top-secret human radiation experiments conducted on them by the US government.
    As geopolitical tensions between nuclear armed states continue to escalate, please join us to watch this timely reminder of the humanitarian devastation caused by nuclear weapons. Weapons that threaten our very survival as long as they are allowed to exist. This event is co-sponsored by Scottish Wilpf
    Entry by donation (suggested amount: £3 to help Edinburgh CND cover the cost of room hire).
    Please book through EventBrite if you would like to reserve a place. However, we will also be allowing folk to turn up on the day.

NEWS

ICAN receives Nobel Peace Prize

  1.  On the 10th December, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to ICAN, the global network which supported the 122 states backing the new UN treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons.

    Beatrice Fihn and Setsuko Thurlow delivered the Nobel Lecture in Oslo on 10 December. Fihn said:

    “Nuclear weapons, like chemical weapons, biological weapons, cluster munitions and land mines before them, are now illegal. Their existence is immoral. Their abolishment is in our hands. The end is inevitable. But will that end be the end of nuclear weapons or the end of us? We must choose one.”

    ICAN’s photos from Oslo can be found here and ICAN UK’s photos are here.
    On December 8, a party was held at UN House in Edinburgh to celebrate the win.

  2. Scots attend in Oslo: Scottish activists with political and popular support from home, symbolised by carrying a torch specially gifted by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, traveled to Oslo for the Nobel Peace Prize celebrations.
    Scottish CND Vice Chair, Janet Fenton, wrote:

     “The award is a significant acknowledgement of work by the Scottish peace movement and, in turn, increases Scotland’s contribution to peace in the world.”

    sturgeon.jpg

    3. Day of Action: On December 9, CND called a Day of Action to celebrate the Peace Prize award, draw attention to the nuclear ban treaty and encourage as many people as possible to sign the Citizens’ Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Events were held around the country.
    Members of CND, along with other members of ICAN-UK, hosted their own ceremony outside the Ministry of Defence in London. Veteran campaigner Bruce Kent presented “awards” to those campaigners present. Other speakers will included journalist Victoria Brittain, Sheila Triggs from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom – a previous Nobel peace laureate, Dr Michael Orgel from Medact and Kate Hudson from CND.
    Edinburgh CND held a stall on Princes Street, with an “empty chair” to signify the UK government’s boycott of the treaty.

malcolm.jpg
4. Nobel Peace Prize Concert: Parts of this video message from Scotland was shown on the big screens at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo. The concert was seen live on TV by millions of people. You can watch the full concert here. A video from Edinburgh was sent to the producers as well.

5. Political support for ICAN and the ban treaty: The leaders of the SNP, the Green Party and Plaid Cymru wrote an op-ed urging the UK government to “sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons without further delay and stop wasting public money on weapons of mass destruction that threaten human survival and could never rationally, morally or legally be fired”.

6. Support from religious leaders: A large number of the UK religious leaders issued a joint statement to congratulate ICAN and “call on the UK government to add its support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”

7. The Perfect Gift: Robert Harrap, general director of a socially engaged Buddhist movement, described the ban treaty and the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to ICAN as “the perfect gift” for peace on BBC Radio 2’s Pause for Thought.

Trident

On December 19, CND responded to the news that Trident could be shifted from the Ministry of Defence budget. Dave Webb, CND Chair, said:

“This is an extraordinary development if the government goes ahead. Where precisely will £205 billion or more, the full cost of Trident replacement, be found outside of the MoD budget? The government has repeatedly said it hasn’t got billions laying about so, for lack of a magic money tree, this can mean only one thing. Further cuts to schools, hospitals or other areas of social spending.
There are growing numbers of MPs concerned about the impact of Trident spending on conventional weaponry and defence. The leaks on HMS Queen Elizabeth, the new aircraft carrier, could well be an example of the sort of corner cutting the MoD is charged with. But the answer to this is not to shift the responsibility for Trident spending elsewhere. The credible answer is that it’s time to face the reality about Trident: it’s outdated, expensive, leaves us vulnerable, and doesn’t address the major 21st century security threats. It’s time to cancel Trident.” 

Other news

  1. Daniel Ellsberg on US nuclear war plans: Discussing his new book “The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner” on DemocracyNow!, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg revealed that  US President Eisenhower had plans to kill hundreds of millions of people in a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union and China. Ellsberg also discussed the dangers of a nuclear conflict being started by President Trump with North Korea, Iran or Russia.
  2. You still have time to get someone an awesome CND gift for Christmas! Like one of their soft, warm, organic hoodies. And what’s better than knowing your gift is supporting a globe-saving campaign to end nuclear weapons? All garments are organic and ethically made, printed in a wind-powered factory! http://www.cnduk.org While CND members have been wearing them for years, protest t-shirts hit the fashion headlines in 2017. And hitting the news headlines this year was the United Nations’ treaty banning nuclear weapons. Read about both in this month’s Campaign magazine: Read Campaign: December edition
  3. The December Edition of Drones Campaign News is out: https://dronecampaignnetwork.wordpress.com/ 
  4. Los Alamos Bulletin 239: http://www.lasg.org/ 
  5. Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the UK Labour Party and a PNND Council Member, gave a keynote policy speech on human rights at the United Nations in Geneva on December 8, when he received the Sean McBride Peace Prize. Corbyn told the packed auditorium that ‘We need to redouble our efforts to create a global rules based system that applies to all and works for the many, not the few. No more bomb first and think and talk later.’                                                                                                                        LATE ADDITIONS:
  6. A special issue of nuClear News covering out comments on the UK Government’s Clean Growth Strategy, which the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has called for before the end of December 2017. These comments were produced on behalf of the Stop Hinkley Campaign and the Nuclear Free Local Authorities. www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/wp/wp content/uploads/2017/12/NuClearNews_No102.pdf—
  7. PEACE BOAT 96th VOYAGE COMING TO FREMANTLE Wednesday 24 – Thursday 24 January 2018 | Fremantle Port | a massive 2 days of building culture of peace around the world
edinburghcnd

Edinburgh CND News 3rd December

EVENTS:
  1. Tuesday 5th December: Edinburgh CND monthly meeting with AGM and winter treats, all welcome: 6pm to 7.30pm, Peace and Justice Centre, 5 Upper Bow, Edinburgh EH1 2JN.
  2. Friday 8th December: UN House, a partner organisation of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), will hold an open party on the eve of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, featuring Protest in Harmony: from 5.30 pm, Dolphin House, 4 Hunter Square, Edinburgh EH1 1Q. Please email if you wish to attend this.
  3. Saturday 9th December: UK CND Day has called a nationwide Day of Action to celebrate ICAN’s Nobel Peace prize win and to promote the United Nations treaty banning nuclear weapons. We will be having our monthly stall that day and intend to make it a part of this event: 12.00 noon (note earlier time) at the East End of Princes Street. We will be continuing until 1330 with the support of Women in Black.              and                 From 2pm to 4pm there will be Peace Prize Crane-Making at the Peace and Justice Centre 5 Upper Bow
  4. UNFOLD ZERO encourages people to commemorate Human Rights Day today (December 10) by advancing the human right to freedom-from-the-threat-of-nuclear-weapons. They recommend two recent appeals on nuclear weapons and human rights to send to your parliamentarians and governments. Both of the appeals highlight the threat of nuclear weapons to current and future generations, and call on governments to undertake significant nuclear disarmament measures at the 2018 UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament.
    Such measures could include non-nuclear states signing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (today being highlighted by the Nobel Peace Award) if they have not already done so, and nuclear-reliant states agreeing to no-first-use as a step towards comprehensive prohibition.
  5. Monday 11th December WILPF Scottish Branch Party to celebrate ICAN winning the Nobel Peace Prize will be held at  Serenity Café  6.15 to 8 pm Serenity Café  The Tun, Jackson’s Entry, 111, Holyrood Road Edinburgh EH8 8PJ All Women Welcome. Check out the venue: www.serenitycafe.co.uk  
award_ceremony
The majority of Scottish parliamentarians are now committed to work for the new UN nuclear ban treaty. All SNP (including our First Minister Nicola Sturgeon), all Scottish Greens along with some Scottish Labour representatives (including leader Richard Leonard) have signed it. This commits signatories “ to work for the signature and ratification of this landmark treaty by their respective countries.“ 
Peace is the prize – Celebratory weekend (8-11 December) 
On the 10th December, the Nobel Peace Laureates will take centre stage in Oslo to collect the 2017 prize. This year’s peace prize will be awarded to ICAN, the global network which supported the 122 states backing the new UN treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons.
To celebrate the Nobel Peace Prize – which honours the tireless efforts of thousands of people across the world who brought about the nuclear ban – Bruce Kent will host an ‘award ceremony’ at the MoD! This is your chance to come and collect a peace prize and raise awareness about the nuclear ban.
After the ceremony, there will be a die-in to highlight the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. Medact members will wear scrubs to symbolise the lives of medics that would be lost once a nuclear bomb is detonated. 
And for your diary:. Wednesday 17th January, 7 pm, Nuclear Savage Film + discussion. Augustine United Church, George IVth Bridge
See below for events on 14th and 15th, 16th and 18th
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OTHER LOCAL NEWS:
0. NEW: Saturday 16th December 12.30pm – 2pm: Campaigning stall at the east end of Princes Street (next to the Wellington Statue – drop by for a chat or stop for a while and lend a hand it would be much appreciated.  We’ll have copies of the greetings cards that we’ve produced on sale as well as CDs, leaflets and petitions.If you’re in Glasgow on Saturday Glasgow Stop the War have organized and event at 2pm on the Jamaica Bridge – details at https://scotlandstopwar.org/2017/12/15/events-on-16th-december/                                                                                                                                               Monday 18th December 7.30pm at the Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace: This is our final meeting of the year. We’ll be at the Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace at 7.30pm – come along and share homemade Muffins, Mince Pies and conversation about the state of the world and plans for 2018.

1. Don’t Bank on the Bomb Scotland have the following activities planned –
Thursday December 14 – 11 am – street stall and leafleting at Tescos in Nicolson Street Edinburgh .
This activity will mainly involve handing out leaflets on the links between banks and financial institutions and companies involved in the production of nuclear weapons
Thursday December 14 – 12 30 pm – Don’t Bank on the Bomb planning and organising meeting in the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre Upper Bow Edinburgh .
Anyone interested is welcome to come to these activities
Please help pass word round. Also see news from Commonweal below.
 
 2. Edinburgh CND and the CO Memorial Committee are pleased to announce the Design Competition for a permanent Memorial to Conscientious Objectors to be created in Edinburgh’s Princes St Gardens.
Artists are invited to submit applications by 12 noon 15 December 2017. A shortlist of three or four artists will be engaged to create designs for the Memorial.
View and Download the Brief Here.
Queries should be directed to: COMemorial@peaceandjustice.org.uk
Attached is a full text of the announcement of the Memorial Design competition  which you are welcome to amend and use as you see fit.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
University students, young academics and young activists from around the world met at the historic Charles University from Nov 27-29 to discuss actions and initiatives to prevent nuclear war and promote nuclear disarmament. As nuclear tensions increase following North Korea’s most recent missile test, they released an appeal calling on world leaders to reduce the risks of nuclear weapons being used and to support United Nations initiatives for nuclear disarmament, including the High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament to take place in 2018. The appeal also calls for the $100 billion nuclear weapons budget (most of which is spent on the US nuclear arsenal) to be slashed, and the funds to instead by allocated to climate protection, implementing the sustainable development goals, and for other social and economic needs. The appeal recognizes that a large number of countries still rely on nuclear deterrence as part of their security doctrine, but affirms that these countries are legally obliged to achieve nuclear disarmament. The appeal – Reach High for a Nuclear-Weapons-Free World – was adopted at the conclusion of a three-day conference in Prague, Czech Republic, organised by the Youth Network of Abolition 2000, the global civil society network to eliminate nuclear weapons. 

Basel Peace Office and Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament (PNND) were honoured to be invited to the international conference held at the Vatican earlier this monthat which Pope Francis gave a powerful speech condemning nuclear weapons.
PNND Co-President Senator Ed Markey, Chair of the United States Senate Climate Change Task Force, also joined the “We Are Still In” coalition at the COP23 Climate Conference which was held in Bonn, Germany from Nov 6-17. The We are still in coalition consists of  a group of U.S. states, cities, universities, companies, and nongovernmental organizations working together to achieve America’s commitments to the Paris Agreement despite the Trump administration/s efforts to the contrary. See Markey’s press release on COP23. 
On November 15, PNND held two events in the Spanish parliament (Congress of Deputies) to discuss risks of nuclear war, international initiatives to abolish nuclear weapons, and the role of parliamentarians.
On November 14, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on the President’s unilateral authority to launch a nuclear attack, including the first use of nuclear weapons and PNND Council member Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the UK Labour Party, is one of three recipients of the prestigious 2017 Sean MacBride Peace Prize, conferred by the International Peace Bureau (IPB) a Nobel Peace Laureate organisation.
Los Alamos Bulletin 237: http://www.lasg.org/  NNSA doubts LANL pit production; Nobel peace prize get-togethers Sunday Dec. 10 (Santa Fe & Albuquerque) and Bulletin 238: Normative plutonium policies as we see them – a quick sketch
Australia: Walkatjurra Walkabout: Supreme Court Case update with other news available on request
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OTHER THINGS:
 1.On 17th February 2018, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament will celebrate its 60th anniversary.
To celebrate six decades of vibrant and powerful activity, we are curating an online exhibition with exhibits provided by our members and supporters. We are inviting you to send in a photo that best symbolises your most significant memory from the past 60 years. This could be a photo of you at a demonstration, vigil or blockade; a picture of a site that is significant to you, like Greenham, Molesworth or any of the bases; or a photo of an artefact, like your favourite badge, banner, knitting or piece of fence. What you choose is up to you! If you have something to share, please include a short explanation (100 words max) of why the image is so important to you.
2. In August 2015, Common Weal South Lanarkshire submitted a Freedom of Information request to all 32 Local Authorities in Scotland to establish which councils had investments in companies designing, manufacturing or selling arms in the UK and worldwide. All 32 local authorities responded, with NINE councils confirming they had investments (Orkney Island Council, Highlands Council, Moray Council, Glasgow City Council, Edinburgh Council, Scottish Borders Council, Fife Council, Falkirk Council and Aberdeen City Council). These investments were made without the consent, consultation and knowledge of residents within these local authorities. These investments have been made through scottish local government pensions schemes.
In a bid to highlight those councils who declared investments in the arms industry we decided to target each council individually starting with Edinburgh City Council. This Council alone has £128m invested in the arms industry, while Scotland’s largest local authority pension scheme, Strathclyde Pension Fund has investments worth £83 million in 11 of the 20 companies with the biggest global involvement in arms manufacture. Glasgow City Council has had shares worth £19.6 million (2015), in the top two arms-producing and military services companies; Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of Trident nuclear weapons, and Boeing.
Through a social media, press and targeted campaign we contacted every politician representing each council, all associated community councils and groups active in the council area. We wrote to Edinburgh City Council requesting that they investigate, review and support an investment policy which is transparent, ethically and morally sound that opposes any direct or indirect investments in the arms industry. Common Weal South Lanarkshire believe such a policy would attract the overwhelming support of the people and encourage a wider movement which seeks to invest in our future, instead of perpetuating conflicts using public funds. Alas our request was not taken seriously by the Leader of The Council who merely stated these investments were done so via their Pension Committee. That said, we expected such a reply, our intention being to raise public awareness of how public money was being invested by a council whose conscience is questionable at best in acknowledging the pain, death and suffering such investments have on those least able to protect themselves. It is worth noting the UK are one of the largest arms traders in the world and we wonder why we are a target for terrorism.
3. A new book on North Korea: Fire and Fury: How the US Isolates North Korea, Encircles China and Risks Nuclear War in Asia https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fire-Fury-Isolates-Encircles-Nuclear/dp/1905570937/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
edinburghcnd

Special Post: Two Events on 2nd December.

On Saturday 2nd December, Edinburgh CND will be visiting Faslane Peace Camp. Please see the letter below for details on how you can help.

Also on that day we will have a stall at the Radical Fair 1pm to 5 pm Augustine United Church 41-43 George IV Bridge, EH1 1EL Edinburgh, United Kingdomhttps://www.facebook.com/events/328452514225147/

Peace Camp post: For a year now Edinburgh Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has been directly supporting the Peace Campers at the gates of Faslane Trident submarine base. You may be one of the kind people who have already donated cash, food, clothing and tools to these off-grid heroes who have been opposing nuclear weapons 24/7 for 35(!) years.

Despite the Westminster government going ahead with Trident replacement at a cost of over £200 Billion the peace movement is not downhearted. This year has seen the UN Treaty on the banning of nuclear weapons and the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to ICAN (International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons) who worked so hard to achieve it. The tide is turning, just as it did with cluster bombs and land mines; not completely eradicated yet but generally given up by most nations.
Meantime the nuclear warhead convoys continue to roll, placing us all in danger. Last week one used the Edinburgh bypass, shadowed by Nukewatch and widely reported on social media. Faslane Peace Campers play their part here, monitoring the base for these sinister unmarked trucks which come from the bomb factory near Reading.

The peace campers have great spirit and work hard to oppose nuclear weapons in any way they can.
But life is tough living on almost no money in ‘vintage’ buses and caravans with no mains power. Regular court appearances, sometimes at the other end of the country, follow direct action, and drain cash and energy.

Can you help? Almost anything you can donate will be used!

Cash, food and clothing are all welcome, also any camping and building materials. 

On the Faslane Peace Camp Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ faslanepeacecamp/ there’s a wish list, and, as you’d expect at this time of year, SOCKS feature quite prominently! Follow this link to the peace camp’s CROWDFUNDER page https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ support-faslane-peace-camp/

So, if you’d like to support the peace camp please contact us soon at the mobile number or email address below. We hope to run our next peace convoy through to the camp in early December.

Thanks in advance!

With best wishes,
Malcolm Bruce
Edinburgh CND
edinburghcnd@yahoo.com