2 March 2009
Dear Reaching Critical Will friends and advisors:
This edition of the E-News is chock full of information about civil society campaigns for a just, equitable, and peaceful world and about opportunities to pressure your governments to embrace relevant measures to promote disarmament. Find out what's going on in the Czech Republic against missile "defence", what women at the Commission on the Status of Women are saying about disarmament and militarism, and how to engage with the Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee.
In addition, please save the date of Thursday, 7 May 2009, 6:00-8:00 PM EST, for Reaching Critical Will's 10th Anniversary Party! For anyone who will be in New York City at that time, during the NPT PrepCom, please join us for an evening of food and fun to celebrate ten years of RCW's work for nuclear abolition. The event will be held in the Church Center, across the street from the UN. For details, please contact [email protected].
In peace,
Ray Acheson, Project Director
1) Czech mayors protest missile "defence"
From Europe for Peace, "MEPs, Mayors and the Nonviolent Movement rejects 'Star Wars' in Europe," 19 February 2009
Yesterday, Wednesday the 18th of February, 40 Czech mayors and a broad delegation of the European Nonviolent Movement travelled to Brussels, to meet with Belgian Senators and Members of Parliament to protest against the project of the previous Bush Administration to build the so-called “Space Shield” in the Czech Republic and Poland.
Called on by Europe for Peace and the Czech Nonviolent Movement, hundreds of demonstrators came in buses from the Czech Republic along with representatives of European social movements like, Mayors for Peace, Pax Christi and World without Wars.
“The Invisibles” paraded in front of the European Parliament; hundreds of people dressed in white to symbolise the majority of the European population that has neither been consulted, nor heard in the decisions that affect them. At the same time, humanist and pacifist groups were mobilised in the main European capitals and also in Buenos Aires in front of their parliaments, in support of the Czech pacifists.
This is one more step in the campaign that started in 2007 when the news came of a plan to build a radar base in the Brdy region of the Czech Republic by the Bush administration. The decision was taken directly with the Czech Government without consulting either the people or European colleagues.
After the meeting in the Belgian Senate, the senators and deputies present took interest in the protest of the Czech pacifists committing themselves to present a motion in the Belgian Parliament against the space shield.
Jan Tamas, the young leader of the Czech Nonviolent Movement said yesterday: “Today, finally, we are in the appropriate place to speak about this subject, as the installation of the radar base is not only a problem for the Czech People as it compromises the security of the entire population of Europe”. Jan Neoral, spokesperson of the League of Mayors against the Radar, assured those present that today, in Europe, the voice of the 70% of Czechs and the 13 out of 14 Regional Presidents who are against this project are being heard.
The almost 20 MEPs present in the meeting that took place in the European Parliament expressed their concern for the serious problem that these military installations raise; besides being useless for the real defence of Europe, they make clear the need for a common defence policy that is independent of the USA. Luisa Morgantini, Vice-president of the European Parliament, affirmed “that the current Czech Government is undermining the foundations upon which a united Europe has been built.”
In addition, various European pacifist leaders gave their support to Jan Tamas in the defamation campaign waged against him by the Czech press and they denounced European passiveness in foreign affairs and defence, and our dependence on the decisions of other powers.
Finally, Giorgio Schultze, spokesperson of Europe for Peace, warned about the danger that this military installation means for Europe, being a direct provocation of Russia with the risk of a return to a new arms race and a new cold war and he said; “On the contrary, the path has to be that of progressive disarmament and the immediate disappearance of the whole nuclear arsenal. In this respect, we support the declarations in favour of nuclear disarmament by President Obama and we ask him to take one more step by withdrawing this project and I finish by making a call to create a consciousness against violence inviting all those present to join the World March for Peace and Nonviolence that will start on the 2nd of October and circle the planet asking for nuclear disarmament, the end of wars and all forms of violence.”
For more information, please see:
Europe for Peace
No Star Wars online petition
2) Jody Williams on missile "defence" systems
From Jody Williams, "Use Your Imagination," International Campaign to Ban Landmines, February 2009
Asked to opine about what I think one or two of the biggest issues facing us in the coming decades might be, I find myself needing to quote Arundhati Roy, in her anti-nuclear polemic "The End of Imagination." Roy writes, "There’s nothing new or original left to be said about nuclear weapons. There can be nothing more humiliating for a writer of fiction to have to do than restate a case that has, over the years, already been made by other people in other parts of the world, and made passionately, eloquently, and knowledgeably."
She goes on to say, however, that she is "prepared to grovel. To humiliate myself abjectly, because in the circumstances, silence would be indefensible." Roy is talking about her need to speak out against the open embrace of nuclear weapons by the country of her birth, India.
When asked to comment about ‘big issues,’ and ‘issues related to war and peace’ – after all, I was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize so I should have ‘big thoughts’ about any number of such ‘big issues’ – as often as not I find myself reduced to feeling more like what Roy describes. What more can be said about a multitude of issues facing this increasing small and overwhelmed planet; issues as wide-ranging as global warming or the HIV crisis or unbridled globalization? People with much more intimate knowledge of these issues have spoken – often and with much wisdom. It feels like there is nothing left to be said.
Yet, I also find myself willing to try on some issues – issues on which I am not even approaching what would be called ‘an expert’ -- because I also feel that, under the circumstances, silence would be indefensible. Along with challenges facing us such as those noted above, one that causes me particular concern is the open embrace by the Bush administration of National Missile Defense (NMD), an issue flirted with – to greater and less degree and in various incarnations -- for approaching two decades now since launched under the Reagan administration and known in common parlance as ‘Star Wars.’
Like many others, I tend to revert to calling NMD the ‘Son of Star Wars’ -- yet I recognize that for many, the mere use of such terminology threatens to reduce the cold-blooded horror of this move to militarize space to something amazing and almost wonderful. ‘Son of Star Wars’ of course conjures up the fabulous high-tech wizardry of that imaginative series of movies; causes one to almost want to be able to believe that this NMD is little more than lasers and ‘good guys’ really just trying to defend us all from the ‘bad guys.’
I hesitate to single it out. After all, my ‘expertise’ is landmines. Don’t I risk minimizing the concern by my display of a lack of intimate knowledge? While I may not be an expert on National Missile Defense and its implications for the militarization of space, it doesn’t take an expert to see how this move fits into the arrogant isolationism of the new administration – and from my experience sometimes it is the least expert questions that are the most difficult to really answer.
We are now being asked to stunt our imagination and our own intelligence and accept that real ‘freedom’ means that we should be free from the arms control treaties that have formed a cornerstone of stability for decades. We are told that our friends and allies around the world just don’t understand this new concept of freedom and security. But not to worry, given enough time and a bit more backslapping, they will come around. And if they don’t, we’ll do it anyway.
It is also implied – this is not just the domain of this government – that if we do not accept this new wisdom, if we speak out passionately and maybe even eloquently and for some, maybe even with great knowledge about the issues at hand – we are somehow not patriotic. And, missile defense does seem so overwhelming that it is tempting to give in to being ‘patriotic’ and to letting the ‘experts’ advise us as to how best to protect ourselves from the rogue enemies who will be the ones to feel the wrath of these defensive missiles – after all, what can the ordinary individual possibly really understand about such difficult national defense issues.
I think the biggest challenge is for each and every ‘ordinary citizen’ to believe that their view on this – and any of the other ‘big issues’ facing us – is important. The biggest challenge is for ordinary citizens to fire up their imaginations and believe that they can make a difference on this and most any other issue if they take action.
My friend and fellow-laureate Betty Williams once said (and I shamelessly use her words whenever and wherever I can) that sometimes we try to get by just invoking our feelings of empathy for problems that face others – or us all, collectively. Somehow, just by ‘feeling the other person’s pain’ we are more righteous than those who cannot even do that. But as Betty says, emotions without action are irrelevant. If you do not get up and take action to make the world the place you want it to be, it really doesn’t matter what you feel.
So, I guess that I will have to now try to move beyond my words of horror about the NMD and the militarization of space and the arrogant isolationism of this country. I will have to fire up my own imagination and try to find ways to help convince us all that real security comes with meeting the needs of the individuals on this planet – through human security –and not through spending billions of tax dollars ‘freely,’ for new imaginative weapons that threaten us all.
I re-read this, of course, and find that I have not found new eloquence on this issue of NMD and the militarization of space. I re-read this and recognize that I’ve not found some new magic combination that will convince someone to stop this madness. At the same time, I recognize that the point isn’t necessarily to find new eloquence – it is to add my voice, and my actions, to bring about change that I believe is critical to making this a better place for us all. All that I have to do is use my imagination.
3) Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Day
From Peace Movement Aotearoa, "Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Day," 1 March 2009
Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Day ('Bikini' Day), 1 March, marks the anniversary of the US 'Bravo' nuclear bomb detonation at Bikini Atoll in 1954. The explosion gouged out a crater more than 200 feet deep and a mile across, melting huge quantities of coral which were sucked up into the atmosphere together with vast volumes of seawater. The resulting fallout caused widespread contamination in the Pacific.
For more information, please see:
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/nfipday.htm
4) Commission on the Status of Women: Disarmament Events
The 53rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is meeting in New York from 2-13 March 2009. Two parallel events organised by NGOs will be focusing on women and disarmament:
Women and Disarmament
Friday, 6 March
12:00-1:30 PM
Church Center, Grumman Room
Women Decision-Makers and Disarmament
Thursday, 5 March
2:00-3:30 PM
Church Center, Drew Room
In addition, WILPF International Vice President Kozue Akibayashi will be speaking at the following event:
Okinawa Women Act Against Military Violence
Addressing sexual violence by US military against civilian populations residing near US military bases
Monday, 9 March
12:00-2:00 PM
Church Center, Presbyterian Conference Room (7th floor)
5) UK Co-operative Bank ceases all investment in DU weapon manufacturers
Co-op became the first UK bank to cease investments in depleted uranium weapon manufacturers, classifying uranium weapons along with cluster bombs as indiscriminate. According to the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons,
Last year saw the fifth review of its Ethical Policy, where it invites its customers to respond to a questionnaire on a variety of topical ethical issues. In all more than 80,000 of the bank’s customers responded to the consultation and the results overwhelmingly supported the bank taking a tougher line on many issues. The arms trade was a case in point–99% of respondents supported the exclusion of firms that manufacture and sell indiscriminate weapons, such as cluster bombs and depleted uranium rounds. Historically the Co-op has barred investments in arms companies that export weapons to oppressive regimes and those who manufacture and transfer torture equipment.
For more information, please see:
International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons
6) Latest meeting of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
Thanks to Akira Kawasaki of PeaceBoat for the following information and links:
The second meeting of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) held on 14-15 February 2009 in Washington, DC. The meeting included testimonies from Hibakusha, atomic bomb survivors.
[ICNND]
15 February 2009
Joint Statement by Gareth Evans and Yoriko Kawaguchi on the Conclusion
of the Second Meeting of the International Commission on Nuclear
Non-proliferation and Disarmament
http://www.icnnd.org/media/joint_conf_150209.html
[ICAN]
16 February 2009
ICAN's Media Statement
Australian nuclear plan must articulate clear path to abolish weapons
http://www.icanw.org/news/Australian-nuclear-plan-must-articulate-clear-path-to-abolish-weapons
[Media]
19 February 2009 Global Security Newswire
Obama Preparing Major Nonproliferation Push, Disarmament Commission
Leader Says
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090219_4688.php
19 February 2009 Washington Times
Japan, Australia urge U.S. to cut nuclear threats
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/19/japan-australia-urge-us-to-cut-nuclear-threats/
20 February 2009 ABC Radio National
Gareth Evans: the state of nuclear non-proliferation
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/nationalinterest/stories/2009/2496986.htm
17 February 2009 The Chugoku Shimbun
Atomic bomb survivors call for elimination of nukes at int'l meeting
http://www.hiroshimapeacemedia.jp/mediacenter/article.php?story=20090216174413746_en
16 February 2009 The Sydney Morning Herald
Biden to take up Rudd's nuclear arms push
http://www.smh.com.au/world/biden-to-take-up-rudds-nuclear-arms-push-20090215-884g.html
16 February 2009 The Australian
Biden signals nuclear changes
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25059347-2703,00.html
16 February 2009 The Age
Australian nuclear plan wins US support
http://www.theage.com.au/national/australian-nuclear-plan-wins-us-support-20090215-8860.html
19 February 2009 Your Nuclear News
High-level nuclear panel may call for industry 'code of conduct'
The Commission will have the third meeting in Moscow in mid-June, the fourth meeting in Hiroshima in mid-October, where they will have the final discussion on its report to be published at the end of this year or very early 2010, which will be targeted for 2010 NPT Review Conference.
7) Help stop arms supplies to Israel/Gaza
From the International Action Network on Small Arms
Amnesty International is asking for support for this action to stop arms supplies to parties to the conflict and for a UN Security Council arms embargo.
Goals
Urge governments to stop all arms transfers to Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups until there is no longer a substantial risk that arms will be used for serious violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights abuses
Urge the UN Security Council to impose an immediate arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups
Urge governments to establish independent and impartial investigation of violations of international human rights law and IHL
Urge governments to actively support an effective global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) including the Golden Rule on human rights and IHL
Background
Amnesty International researchers visiting Gaza and southern Israel during and after the recent fighting found evidence of war crimes and other serious violations of international law by all parties to the conflict.
In the three weeks following the start of the Israeli military offensive on 27 December, Israeli forces killed more than 1,300 Palestinians in Gaza, including more than 300 children and many other civilians, and injured over 5,000 other Palestinians, again including many civilians. Israeli forces also destroyed thousands of homes and other property and caused significant damage to the infrastructure of Gaza, causing a worsening of the humanitarian crisis arising from the 18-month blockade maintained by Israel. Some of the Israeli bombardments and other attacks were directed at civilians or civilian buildings in the Gaza Strip; others were disproportionate or indiscriminate.
Amnesty International has found indisputable evidence that Israeli forces used white phosphorus, which has a highly incendiary effect, in densely populated residential areas in Gaza, putting the Palestinian civilian population at high risk. Israeli forces’ use of artillery and other non-precision weapons in densely-populated residential areas increased the risk, and the harm done, to the civilian population. During the same period, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups continued to fire indiscriminate rockets into residential areas of southern Israel, killing 3 civilians.
Arms supplies
Israel is a significant manufacturer of conventional arms but it also imports arms and components from other countries. The US has been the major supplier of conventional arms, providing $447 million in arms and ammunition in 2007, according to US authorities. European Union (EU) member states authorised around €200 million of arms export licenses to Israel during 2007, the major exporters being France, Germany and Romania. These are ‘conventional weapons’ which include armoured vehicles, rockets, missiles, bombs and their components. Specifically for small arms and light weapons, the top 5 suppliers are US, Albania, Netherlands, Mexico and Croatia, between 2004 and 2007. The US supplied $31 million in small arms to Israel during this period.
Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have smuggled small arms, light weapons, rockets and rocket components into Gaza from Egypt. These imports are much smaller than those of Israel. The weapons are reported to be manufactured in Russia but are unlikely to have been obtained directly from Russia.
Campaign suggestions
Contact your national media. Send them the Amnesty International media release and media briefing (link below), or send a media release from your own organisation. Write a letter to the editor of national newspapers.
Advocacy with your government. Write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs urging them to suspend all transfers of military equipment, assistance and munitions, as well as those which may be diverted, to Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups until there is no longer a substantial risk that such equipment will be used for serious violations of international human rights law and IHL..
Advocacy with the European Union (EU). The Czech Republic has the Presidency of the EU until July. Please contact the Czech embassy in your country and urge the EU to impose its own arms embargo on Israel and Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
If your government is one of the members of the UN Security Council, you could write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs or parliamentarians urging the government to impose a full an comprehensive arms embargo on the parties to the conflict. The current members of the UN Security Council are Austria, Burkina Faso, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Japan, Libya, Mexico, Russia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US and Vietnam.
Please contact your national sections of Amnesty International to coordinate any campaign activities. Please email Bruce Millar ([email protected] with your plans and we will circulate to the rest of the network.
+++ Please note IANSA has no funding available for this campaign +++
To receive the Amnesty International Internal Action Circular with more details of the action, please email Bruce Millar ([email protected]
For more information, please see:
Amnesty International media release
Amnesty International media briefing
8) Convention on Cluster Munitions signing ceremony
On 18 March, there will be an event at the UN headquarters in New York, facilitated by UN agencies including the UN Treaty Section, at which all countries will be invited to participate through their missions in New York. Those countries that have not signed or ratified the Convention will have an opportunity to do so at this event as a group and in the spotlight of other states, civil society, and media.
The Cluster Munitions Coalition is calling for action:
If your government hasn’t yet signed the Convention - particularly those states who did not get adequate ‘full powers’ to sign in Oslo, and states that adopted the Convention in Dublin but failed to sign in Oslo - please encourage them to sign at this event in a few weeks’ time, if not before.
If your government can complete ratification procedures within the next few weeks, please encourage them to deposit their ratification instrument at this event, if not before.
Even if your country has signed, encourage your country’s mission to the UN in New York to attend the event.
Adapt and send a letter to your Minister of Foreign Affairs calling on your government to sign or ratify the treaty as soon as possible (if they haven’t done so already)
You can find tempalte letters here:
www.stopclustermunitions.org/take-action/government/
We recommended that you adapt the letter so that it is appropriate to your national context. Here are some suggestions:
Welcome any announcements that the government has made saying it will sign the Convention soon if it hasn’t yet signed, or that it will ratify the Convention quickly if it has already signed, as well as any steps already taken towards signature or ratification. If you are writing to your country about ratification, you may also want to make clear what next steps are needed to complete this procedure;
Highlight why it is important that this country signs/ratifies the Convention, for example if it is an affected country then it will be able to request and receive assistance to clear contaminated land and if it stockpiles then it will obligate the country to start destruction.
Copy the letter to all relevant people in government, parliament and civil society that can help to follow up on ensuring that the signature / ratification procedure is carried out quickly and efficiently.
Attach to the letters the CMC Briefing Paper on the Convention and the ‘How to’ guides on signing and ratifying the Convention.
Contact members of parliament and engage them in your campaign
Check out the excellent new Parliamentary Action Kit online which has information on the Parliamentary Friends of the CMC network, parliamentary forums on cluster munitions, and other useful resources. Thanks so much to Portia Stratton and Landmine Action for putting this together.
Send letters to parliamentarians asking that they encourage your government to sign and ratify the Convention (if they haven’t done so already). You can find template letters here: www.stopclustermunitions.org/take-action/mp/
Arrange a briefing for key government officials and parliamentarians
There is a range of materials to support briefings including the lobbying guides and practical information on how to sign and ratify the Convention, ratification and signature, briefing papers explaining what the treaty means, PowerPoint presentations and photo slide shows: www.stopclustermunitions.org/campaign-resources/
9) Call for art, articles, and advertisements for the News in Review
The News in Review is a daily publication produced during NPT Preparatory Committee and Review Conferences. It features analysis of the day's events, feature articles from NGOs around the world, interviews with diplomats and NGO representatives, nuclear facts, announcements, cartoons, a calendar of events, and more. You can access archived NIRs online athttp://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/nirindex.html. You can also subscribe to receive the NIR daily during the NPT by emailing[email protected] with the subject line "subscribe nir".
We encourage you to submit to this year's News in Review. The guidelines are as follows:
Feature articles: In addition to the daily analysis of the proceedings of the PrepCom, the News in Review also contains feature articles that cover a range of nuclear disarmament issues. We welcome submissions from NGO experts around the world, regardless of whether or not you will be in Geneva. Articles should be between 500-1000 words. The deadline for feature submissions is 18 April. Please submit in .doc format and the body of the email. Articles will be attributed to the author and may be edited for length.
Advertising space: You can use the News in Review to publicize an important announcement, event, or project hosted by your organization. NIRs are hand-distributed to all of the delegates at the PrepCom, sent by email to more than 2000 subscribers, and are archived on our website.
1/4 page ad: $40
1/2 page ad: $60
full page ad: $130
back page ad: $185
(Run your ad twice and get $5 off. Run your add three times and get $10 off. Run your ad four times and get $15 off.)
Cartoons, photos, artwork, poetry: The News in Review wouldn't be complete without its fill of poignant, satirical, and beautiful artwork. We are accepting all forms of anti-nuclear artwork, to be sent in either a .jpg, .gif, or .pdf file. Photos, paintings, doodles, cartoons, collage, mixed media, and drawings are all welcome.
Submit your ad, article, or artwork by sending to [email protected]:
your organization's name;
contact person;
email address;
phone number;
type of submission (for ads, please specify the size of the ad, dates for it to run, and payment method); and
the submission
The deadline for all art, article, and advertising submissions to the News in Review is 19 April 2009. The earlier, the better.