While there are good efforts underway (in Congress, in local communities, and elsewhere) to REDUCE the likelihood of nuclear war, there is also a POWERFULLY INSPIRING AND NECESSARY effort underway WORLDWIDE.
The United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear War passed the U.N. General Assembly in 2017, and efforts are underway for nations to ratify it. See this blog’s “Nuclear Weapons” category for information I have posted previously.
HERE ARE MORE INFORMATION, UPDATES and OPPORTUNITIES:
TALKING POINTS to support the treaty:
In July 2017 a strong majority of the United Nations General Assembly (122 nations) passed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Now about 35 nations have ratified it. When 50 nations ratify it, this treaty to ban nuclear weapons will go into force.
The non-profit organization behind the treaty – the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN, www.icanw.org) is a worldwide grassroots organizing that is very smart about how to help people convince their nations to ratify the treaty. ICAN produced a strategically smart document of “talking points” that I have attached at this link: ICAN Nuclear Ban Talking Point Builder – May 17
Please use this information to publicize the issue – and share it with people throughout the U.S. and in other countries. Thank you!
Recent progress on nations signing and ratifying the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons:
GOOD NEWS:
In January 2020 when the Doomsday Clock moved 20 seconds closer to midnight (100 seconds instead of 2 minutes), we got good news: Paraguay is the 35th nation to ratify the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Since 50 nations are needed for the Treaty to go into force, we are now 2/3 of the way there. Since then, I heard that a 36th nation also has ratified it.
How could we LOCALLY promote the U.N. treaty banning nuclear weapons?
The Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (OCANW) is starting to explore ways we could urge our local governments (cities and our county) to take actions. For more information and local opportunities, contact me and participate in future meetings of our local Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. In January 2020 I wrote this, and it is still valid:
The United Nations General Assembly took the historically radical step of passing a treaty that would BAN nuclear weapons when enough nations ratify it. The sponsoring organization won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. But mainstream media in the U.S. have almost totally failed to report on this huge news. See information about efforts in the U.S. at this link – www.nuclearban.us – and information about the treaty itself at this link: www.nuclearban.us/the-treaty/
Only a vigorous grassroots organizing campaign can put it on our nation’s agenda of hot topics that the public, the politicians and the media absolutely must take seriously. How could the Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons – and the statewide coalition in which OCANW is an active member (Washington Against Nuclear Weapons, www.wanwCoalition.org) do that?
It is NOT ENOUGH to merely do a bunch of things without a coherent plan. We need one or a very few clear, explicit goals, and we need a strategy for a campaign to organize and accomplish a sequence of steps to achieve our goal(s). OCANW meets on the THIRD THURSDAY of each month. We use Zoom video software while the Coronavirus pandemic prevents us from meeting in person. Contact me at (360) 491-9093 glenanderson@integra.net
Cities inspired by ICAN oppose nuclear weapons:
This came from late December 2019: https://www.psr.org/blog/2018/11/27/new-ican-cities-appeal-inspired-by-psrs-work-in-american-cities/
California and New Jersey Call for Nuclear Disarmament:
In May 2019 this news came from the Golden Rule Project (www.vfpgoldenruleproject.org). It came with more of this text embedded with links. See the original blog posting to see everything that it had linked if you want to see the state legislation. Here is their information:
On August 28, 2018 California became the first state in the U.S. to declare its support for the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) by passing Assembly Joint Resolution 33.. On May 23, 2019 New Jersey followed by passing Resolution A230 in support of US accession to the TPNW and Back from the Brink (www.preventnuclearwar.org) measures to reduce nuclear dangers. The TPNW treaty, negotiated in 2017 among the majority of the world’s nations and many NGOs, was adopted at the United Nations by a vote of 122-1 on July 7, 2017.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) — https://treaties.un.org/doc/Treaties/2017/07/20170707%2003-42%20PM/Ch_XXVI_9.pdf — includes a comprehensive set of prohibitions on participating in any nuclear weapon activities. These include undertakings not to develop, test, produce, acquire, possess, stockpile, use or threaten to use nuclear weapons. The Treaty also prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons on national territory and the provision of assistance to any State in the conduct of prohibited activities.
States parties will be obliged to prevent and suppress any activity prohibited under the TPNW undertaken by persons or on territory under its jurisdiction or control. The Treaty also obliges States parties to provide adequate assistance to individuals affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons, as well as to take necessary and appropriate measure of environmental remediation in areas under its jurisdiction or control contaminated as a result of activities related to the testing or use of nuclear weapons.
The Treaty currently has been ratified by twenty three countries and fifty are needed for it to come into force.
The efforts of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN, www.icanw.org) to achieve this treaty were recognized with the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. Click here — https://www.wagingpeace.org/california-embraces-nuclear-disarmament/ — to read an excellent article by Rick Wayman of Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.
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Veterans For Peace Golden Rule Project is a member of ICAN and supports the TPNW with the ICAN Cities Appeal. Click here — http://www.vfpgoldenruleproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ICAN-Cities-Appeal.pdf — to download the ICAN Cities Appeal and get started promoting a resolution in your city or state!
