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Nobel Peace Prize for ICAN’s Nuclear Weapon Ban Is Spot On

by David Krieger

The 2017 Nobel Peace Prize does not go to a politician or political leader. In fact, it does not single out any individual. Rather, it goes to a campaign, the International Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), composed of more than 450 civil society organizations in some 100 countries around the globe. It goes to a broad base of civil society organizations working in coalition to ban and eliminate nuclear weapons.

In this sense, the award goes to the extraordinary people (“We, the People…”) throughout the world who have stepped up to end the threat to all humanity posed by the nearly 15,000 nuclear weapons still remaining on the planet.

To read the full article at The Hill, click here.

The Nuclear Dreams of President Donald Trump: Nightmares Past and Present

by Rebecca Gordon

Preventing a nuclear war between the United States and North Korea may be the most pressing challenge facing the world right now.

Our childish, ignorant, and incompetent president is shoving all of us — especially the people of Asia — ever nearer to catastrophe. While North Korea probably hasn’t yet developed the missiles to deliver a nuclear warhead to the U.S. mainland, it certainly has the capacity to reach closer targets, including South Korea and Japan.

But what can ordinary people do about it? Our fingers are far removed from the levers of power, while the tiny digits of the man occupying the “adult day care center” we call the White House hover dangerously close to what people my age used to call “the Button.” Nevertheless, I think there may still be time to put our collective foot on the brakes, beginning with the promise of a bill currently languishing in Congress.

To read more, click here.

Rethinking the Three Rs

by Brooke Takala

Until quite recently, ‘the 3 Rs’ simply meant reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmatic. One could very well get by with basic competencies in literacy and math.

The shift we see through acceptance of a total and legally binding ban on nuclear weapons is, at its core, an ideological and philosophical one. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is a milestone in the ongoing reframing of global security concepts. While some may see the ban treaty as a stand against nuclear weapons states, we can also understand the action as taking a stand for peace by legally de-legitimizing weapons of mass destruction.

However, reframing is directly linked to access to knowledge. The less we know, the less we question what is acceptable. The more we know the more action we are likely to take when the human consequences of the nuclear cycle are recognized. Hence, the 3 Rs of Human Security embedded in the nuclear ban treaty: Recognition, Restitution, and Remediation.

To read more, click here.

NATO Nuclear Weapons Exercises Take Place in Europe

On October 16, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) began its annual nuclear weapons exercises. The “Steadfast Noon” exercises took place at two bases where the United States deploys nuclear weapons: Kleine Brogel in Belgium and Büchel in Germany.

The U.S. currently deploys approximately 180 nuclear weapons in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey.

Julian E. Barnes, “NATO Launches Its Main Nuclear Drill, Showcasing Its Defenses,” Wall Street Journal, October 16, 2017.

Vice President Visits Nuclear Weapons Base

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence visited the Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota on October 27, telling the airmen to “stay sharp” and “be ready” in the face of what he called an increasing threat from North Korea. Minot AFB hosts 26 B-52 nuclear-armed bomber aircraft and commands 150 Minuteman III nuclear-armed Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.

The U.S. nuclear weapons at Minot AFB alone are capable of indiscriminately killing hundreds of millions of people. Despite this, Pence said, “There’s no greater element of American strength, there’s no greater force for peace in the world than the United States nuclear arsenal.”

Julia Manchester, “Pence to Military on North Korea: ‘Be Ready’,” The Hill, October 28, 2017.

Setsuko Thurlow, Hiroshima Survivor and NAPF Advisor, to Jointly Accept Nobel Peace Prize

Setsuko Thurlow, who was 13 years old when she survived the United States’ atomic bombing of Hiroshima, will jointly accept the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize on December 10 with Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Thurlow said, “Survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are living witnesses to the horror of nuclear war. They have played a central role in ICAN. World leaders must heed their call for a nuclear-weapon-free future.”

Setsuko Thurlow has dedicated her life to campaigning for the abolition of nuclear weapons. In 2015, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation gave her its Distinguished Peace Leadership Award, and she has continued her involvement with NAPF as a member of the Advisory Council.

“Atomic Bomb Survivor to Jointly Accept Nobel Peace Prize on ICAN’s Behalf,” International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, October 26, 2017.

Nobel Foundation Stops Investing in Nuclear Weapon Producers

Just weeks after awarding the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the Nobel Foundation has announced that it is implementing a policy to no longer invest in companies that are involved in the production of nuclear weapons.

“One can discuss that we should have done that earlier, but we sharpened our standards in March and we are now following through with it,” said Nobel Foundation director Lars Heikensten. “At the latest, by March next year we will have no investment in anything that is connected with any kind of production which is classified as connected with nuclear weapons,” he said.

“Nobel Prize Money Will No Longer be ‘Invested” in Nuclear Weapons,” Agence France Presse, October 27, 2017.

President Trump Refuses to Certify Iran’s Compliance with Nuclear Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump refused to certify that Iran is acting in compliance with its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly referred to as the Iran Nuclear Deal. Congress requires that the U.S. President certify Iran’s compliance every 90 days. By refusing to certify, Trump has set the stage for Congress to re-impose economic sanctions against Iran, which would put the U.S. in violation of the deal.

“President Trump’s rejection of the JCPOA is an incitement to proliferation, makes achieving further agreements to rein in the nuclear threat more difficult, and increases global risk of nuclear use,” the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) said in a statement.

“Nobel Peace Laureates Denounce Trump’s Iran Move,” Agence France Presse, October 13, 2017.

Trump to Visit Asia in Early November

U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit several Asian countries in early November. He is scheduled to visit China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea over a one-week period. President Trump has chosen not to visit the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.

The U.S. has continued to prepare for war with North Korea. According to Christine Ahn, Executive Director of Women Cross DMZ, “The U.S. has sent three nuclear aircraft carriers to be docked on the Korean Peninsula. They have been conducting very provocative joint war exercises with South Korea, including Navy SEALs that took out Osama bin Laden. They do include the decapitation strikes. And so, it’s one thing to say, ‘We don’t want war with North Korea,’ and another to actually be laying the grounds for that.”

“Trump Admin Continues Threats and Provocations Against North Korea, Laying Groundwork for Nuclear War,” Democracy Now, October 30, 2017.

British Nuclear Submarine Crew Members Fired After Cocaine-Fueled Parties

Numerous sailors from the British Royal Navy’s nuclear-armed submarine HMS Vigilant have been fired after testing positive for cocaine. While the submarine was docked in Kings Bay, Georgia, to pick up nuclear weapons, sailors reportedly had out-of-control parties at a local hotel.

The incident occurred in September at a time of heightened nuclear tensions, when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened at the United Nations to “totally destroy” North Korea, and Kim Jong-un called Trump a “mentally deranged U.S. dotard” who will “pay dearly” for his UN speech.

Cleve R. Wootson Jr., “Nuclear Sub Sailors Fired After ‘Absolutely Disgraceful’ Parties with a Prostitute and Cocaine,” Washington Post, October 28, 2017.

Head of Nuclear Safety Agency Urges Trump to Abolish It

Sean Sullivan, chairman of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB), told the director of the Office of Management and Budget in a private letter that closing or shrinking the panel he chairs is consistent with President Trump’s ambition to cut the size of the federal workforce. DNFSB, chartered by Congress, has helped persuade the federal government to impose tighter safety rules and regulations at most of the eight nuclear weapons sites — employing more than 40,000 workers — where nuclear weapons and their parts are produced or stored.

Patrick Malone, “GOP Chair of Nuclear Safety Agency Secretly Urges Trump to Abolish It,” Center for Public Integrity, October 19, 2017.

Congressional Budget Office Increases U.S. “Modernization” Cost Estimate

On October 31, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published a report that increases the estimated 30-year cost of “modernizing” the U.S. nuclear arsenal and production facilities to $1.24 trillion. The CBO report examines some options to eliminate some of the costs or delay them.

This estimate is $242 billion higher than the already-outrageous $1 trillion figure that has been widely cited since the Obama administration began its plans for a 30-year nuclear weapons spending binge.

“Approaches for Managing the Costs of U.S. Nuclear Forces, 2017 to 2046,” Congressional Budget Office, October 31, 2017.

Video Shows Illegal Dumping of Toxic Liquid at Hanford

Video taken in August 2017 shows contractors at the Hanford Site in Washington State illegally dumping rainwater from large metal containers containing radioactive waste. Hanford, which is the most contaminated site in the Western Hemisphere, was used primarily to produce plutonium for U.S. nuclear weapons from the mid-1940s to the mid-1980s.

The workers dumping this liquid were employed by Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), a private contractor managing tens of millions of gallons of highly-radioactive waste at Hanford. WRPS officials have denied that they did anything wrong. However, state Representative Gerry Pollet said, “Of course it’s illegal to dump any liquid waste. This is the kind of thing that caused Hanford to be the most contaminated place in the Western Hemisphere in the first place. I am shocked to see something like this in 2017. It’s outrageous.”

Despite the United States’ inability to properly deal with the huge amount of radioactive waste it has created through decades of past nuclear weapons development, the Trump administration has indicated that it favors renewed production of nuclear weapons and components.

Susannah Frame, “Video Shows Illegal Dumping of Toxic Liquids at Hanford,” KING 5, October 27, 2017.

This Month in Nuclear Threat History

History chronicles many instances when humans have been threatened by nuclear weapons. In this article, Jeffrey Mason outlines some of the threats that have taken place in the month of November, including the November 28, 1993 arrest of a group of Russians who attempted to sell 4.5 kilograms of highly-enriched uranium to undercover buyers.

To read Mason’s full article, click here.

For more information on the history of the Nuclear Age, visit NAPF’s Nuclear Files website.

The Doomsday Machine: New Book by NAPF Distinguished Fellow Daniel Ellsberg

The Doomsday Machine, a new book by NAPF Fellow Daniel Ellsberg, is now available for pre-order. It will be released on December 5. Ellsberg, the legendary whistleblower who revealed the Pentagon Papers, was a presidential advisor and nuclear strategist. The Doomsday Machine is Ellsberg’s hair-raising account of the most dangerous arms build-up in the history of civilization, whose legacy – and proposed renewal under the Trump administration – threatens the very survival of humanity.

To pre-order the book from Amazon, click here.

Study War No More

Join the Global Campaign for Peace Education and World Beyond War in this timely discussion on “Debunking the Myths of War” by participating in discussion 3 of the online study guide Study War No More. This discussion features an introductory video by Study and Action Partner Paul K. Chappell, the Peace Leadership Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

The goals and objectives of this discussion are to identify, reflect and analyze assumptions of war, violence and conflict.

Study War No More provides guided inquiries and suggests practical actions for students and citizens to understand the nature of “the war system” and the possibilities for its transformation to an authentic “global security system” pursued via peaceful means.

Click here to learn more and participate.

Sleepwalking to Armageddon

A new book edited by Dr. Helen Caldicott, Sleepwalking to Armageddon, is now available. For this book, Dr. Caldicott assembled some of the world’s leading nuclear scientists and thought leaders to assess the scientific and political dimensions of the threat of nuclear war today. NAPF President David Krieger wrote a chapter for the book. It also includes a chapter by NAPF Advisory Council member Noam Chomsky.

Click here to order a copy of the book.

NAPF Brings Message of Peace to Middle School

NAPF Peace Leadership Director Paul K. Chappell has partnered with the Santa Barbara Middle School for a six-month peace education effort. The partnership is part of NAPF’s newly-launched Peace Literacy Initiative, in which Chappell worked with a team of educators around the United States and Canada to develop free curriculum for grades 4-12 and college.

Whitney Ingersoll, director of admission at Santa Barbara Middle School, said, “He speaks from the heart, and his message speaks to archetypal mindsets of what it means to be human. He clearly explained how we can better understand ourselves and others, in order to communicate and live more peacefully, inside and out.”

Over the next few months, Paul will conduct workshops with students, teachers, and parents at the school. The school’s intent is to foster a more peaceful and compassionate way to be in the world within oneself, at home, and as a school community.

To read more about this initiative, click here.

Evening for Peace: A Prescription for a Nuclear-Free World

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s 34th Annual Evening for Peace took place on October 22, in Santa Barbara, California. The theme of this year’s event was “A Prescription for a Nuclear-Free World.” The Foundation honored Dr. Ira Helfand and the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War with its Distinguished Peace Leadership Award.

Audio and video of Dr. Helfand’s chilling and inspiring acceptance speech are available here to download from our Evening for Peace page. A written transcript and photos will be available soon.

Rick Wayman to Participate in Vatican Nuclear Disarmament Conference

Rick Wayman, NAPF’s Director of Programs, will participate in a nuclear disarmament conference at the Vatican on November 10-11. The conference, entitled “Perspectives for a World Free from Nuclear Weapons and for Integral Disarmament,” will feature an audience with Pope Francis, as well as talks by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and many Nobel Peace Laureates.

Information on conference outcomes will be published in the December issue of The Sunflower.

New Peace Poetry Book Now Available

Portraits: Peacemakers, Warmongers and People Between is a new book of original peace poetry by NAPF President David Krieger. Commenting on the new book, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, “Poetry that awakens our deepest humanity. Each poem leaves me wanting another.”

To order a copy of this new book, click here.

Cards for Humanity

S.200, a bill currently before the senate, calls for restrictions on the President’s ability to use nuclear weapons first.

Buy a $1 postcard as part of our Cards for Humanity campaign and we will send it to the Senator of your choice. We’ll sign your name on the postcard, stamp it, and mail it to your Senator’s office in DC.

Click here to view the postcard and choose your Senators.

Sign the People’s Peace Treaty with North Korea

Alarmed by the threat of a nuclear war between the U.S. and North Korea, concerned U.S. peace groups, including the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, have come together to send an open message to Washington and Pyongyang that we are strongly opposed to any resumption of the horrific Korean War. What we want is a peace treaty to finally end the lingering Korean War!

Inspired by the Vietnam-era People’s Peace Treaty, we have initiated a People’s Peace Treaty with North Korea, to raise awareness about the past U.S. policy toward North Korea, and to send a clear message that we, the people of the U.S., do not want another war with North Korea. This is not an actual treaty, but rather a declaration of peace from the people of the United States.

To read the full text and add your name, click here.

“Nuclear disarmament is not an option for governments to take up or ignore. It is a moral duty owed by them to their own citizens, and to humanity as a whole. We must not await another Hiroshima or Nagasaki before finally mustering the political will to banish these weapons from global arsenals.”

— Archbishop Desmond Tutu. This quote appears in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action. The revised 4th edition of this book has just been published. Order copies today in the NAPF Peace Store at a 25% discount.

“I refuse to have an enemy.”

— Sister Ardeth Platte, a Dominican nun who, together with Sr. Carol Gilbert, returned to a Minuteman III ICBM silo, 15 years after their arrest there, to deliver a copy of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

“So maybe we make a drastic change. We go back to [nuclear] testing.”

— Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, suggesting that the United States resume full-scale nuclear weapons testing.

“Some issues are not about left and right, Republican and Democrat – they’re about our deepest moral values. And we believe that you have to have a campaign, a movement, that seeks to reshape the moral narrative.”

— Rev. Dr. William Barber, a leader of the new Poor People’s Campaign, a non-violent movement to end systemic racism, poverty, militarism, environmental destruction and related injustices, and to build a just, sustainable and participatory society.

David Krieger
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman

The Reality of the Nuclear Age

by David Krieger

Anyone with a modicum of sense does not want to see the U.S. teeter at the brink of war with North Korea and certainly not inadvertently stumble over that brink, or intentionally jump. The first Korean War in the 1950s was costly in terms of lives and treasure. A second Korean War, with the possibility of nuclear weapons use, would be far more costly to both sides, and could lead to global nuclear conflagration.

Neither North Korea nor South Korea want a new war, but U.S. leadership in Washington is threatening war, with remarks such as “talking is not the answer”; North Korean threats “will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen”; “military solutions are now in place, locked and loaded”; and “all options are on the table.” Such posturing has only elicited more nuclear and missile tests from North Korea.

To read more, click here.

Letter to UN Secretary-General

by Women Cross DMZ

In his first General Assembly address, President Trump threatened “to totally destroy North Korea” if the United States or its allies were attacked. As the world’s greatest military power, the United States is the only nation ever to use atomic bombs against a civilian population that annihilated a quarter million people in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. We call on you, as Secretary-General of the United Nations, to counsel in the strongest of terms, the President of the United States and its Ambassador to the UN, that threats to destroy another country are unacceptable and will not be tolerated by the community of nations.

We must work to abolish nuclear weapons worldwide, including in India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, and among all Permanent Members of the Security Council. We oppose North Korea’s increased militarization, including testing missiles and nuclear weapons, and threats to retaliate against the United States, its allies, and its territories where significant U.S. military bases are located. However, we understand North Korea’s fears of a U.S. pre-emptive strike. There is still no Peace Treaty ending the Korean War, during which the United States carpet-bombed 85 percent of North Korea. From 1950-53, four million people were killed, including a quarter of the North Korean population.

To read more, click here.

The North Korea Standoff Is Now as Bad as the Cuban Missile Crisis

by Daryl Kimball

The nuclear danger posed by North Korea is not new. For more than a decade, the Kim regime has possessed nuclear weapons and has been steadily pursuing the capability to develop compact warheads and longer-range missile systems.

But since the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House, a bad situation has become far worse. North Korea has accelerated its missile testing and Trump has vowed a military attack against North Korea if it threatens the U.S. or its allies.

The risk of conflict through miscalculation by either side is now as severe as the tense days of October 1962, when the U.S. and the Soviet Union nearly went to war over the deployment of Soviet missiles in Cuba. Just as was the case in 1962, even a small action or wrong word could lead to war.

To read more, click here.

New Nuclear Posture Review Faces Delays

A self-imposed deadline of December 2017 is likely to be missed as staffing shortages at the State Department and Pentagon slow down work on the Trump administration’s Nuclear Posture Review (NPR).

Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza said that the NPR “will guide modernization efforts and establish U.S. nuclear deterrence policy, strategy, and posture for the next 5-10 years.” As part of the review, the Trump administration is also considering smaller, more tactical nuclear weapons that would cause less destruction than the current U.S. stockpile.

Paul McLeary, “With Pentagon, State Positions Vacant, Trump Nuclear Review Slows Down,” Foreign Policy, September 15, 2017.

Trump Threatens to Totally Destroy North Korea

On September 19 in a speech at the United Nations, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea, a UN member state with a population of 25 million. He said, “The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.”

Article 2(4) of the UN Charter states, “All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.”

Jon Schwarz, “Donald Trump Used the United Nations to Threaten a Massive Violation of International Law,” The Intercept, September 20, 2017.

Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Opens for Signature

On September 20, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons opened for signature at the United Nations in New York. Fifty nations signed the treaty on the first day. Many more are expected to sign in the coming weeks.

The treaty prohibits nations from “undertaking to develop, test, produce, manufacture, acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, as well as the use or threat of use of these weapons,” according to a U.N. press release.

James Dearie, “Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Opens for Signature,” National Catholic Reporter, September 26, 2017.

First U.S. Bank Announces Policy Against Funding Nuclear Weapons

On September 20, New York-based Amalgamated Bank made an official statement against investing in nuclear weapons production. It is the first U.S. bank to do so, and the statement was the bank’s first public announcement on investment policy regarding weapons of any kind. The announcement coincided with the signing ceremony at the UN for the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

“First U.S. Bank Announces Public Position Against Nuclear Weapons,” ICAN, September 21, 2017.

How Many People Would Die in a War with North Korea?

House Reps. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) have asked Defense Secretary James Mattis for estimated casualty totals in the event of war with North Korea. In the wake of the North Korean foreign minister’s statement that President Trump has made a “declaration of war,” the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees want to check the President’s unilateral dealings with North Korea, and have these casualty counts included in their briefings on the situation.

Congressman Lieu writes, “To be clear, we believe it is wrong to use military force without first exhausting all other options, including diplomacy. We also believe it would be unconstitutional for the administration to start a war with North Korea without congressional authorization.”

Defense Secretary James Mattis has said that war with North Korea would be “catastrophic” and that he has looked at military options that he claims would not put Seoul at risk.

Rebecca Kheel, “Dems Ask Mattis: How Many People Would Die in War with North Korea?” The Hill, September 26, 2017.

“The Man Who Saved the World” Dies at 77

On May 19, Stanislav Petrov, a Soviet lieutenant colonel for the Air Defense Forces during the Cold War, died at age 77 at his home in a suburb of Moscow. Petrov was the key actor in preventing the outbreak of an all-out nuclear war between the U.S. and USSR in 1983, when a Soviet system incorrectly signaled that the U.S. had launched 5 nuclear-armed ICBMs towards the Soviet Union.

Petrov’s job was to monitor this system and send the message up the chain of command if an attack was impending. However, when the system alarms went off on September 26, 1983, he correctly suspected it was a system malfunction and did not relay the message up the command chain. Had Petrov not had the composure and intuition to check for malfunctioning software, it is likely that this false alarm would have led to a Soviet counter-attack on the U.S., and ultimately to nuclear war.

Greg Myre, “Stanislav Petrov, ‘The Man Who Saved The World,’ Dies At 77,” NPR, September 18, 2017.

U.S. Navy Awards $5.1 Billion Contract for New Nuclear-Armed Submarine Development

The U.S. Navy has awarded a $5.1 billion contract to General Dynamics Electric Boat. The contract is for the design, completion, component and technology development and prototyping efforts for the Columbia Class Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs).  The work will also include United Kingdom unique efforts related to the Common Missile Compartment.

The U.S. plans to build 12 new Columbia-Class Submarines, each with 16 missile tubes, and the UK plans to build four nuclear-armed ballistic submarines, each with 12 missile tubes.

The nuclear-armed submarines are expected to remain in service through at least the 2070s.

“Navy $5 Billion Deal Builds New Nuclear-Armed Columbia-Class Sub,” Scout, September 21, 2017.

This Month in Nuclear Threat History

History chronicles many instances when humans have been threatened by nuclear weapons. In this article, Jeffrey Mason outlines some of the threats that have taken place in the month of October, including the October 6, 1986 sinking of the Soviet K-219 nuclear-armed submarine in the Atlantic Ocean.

To read Mason’s full article, click here.

For more information on the history of the Nuclear Age, visit NAPF’s Nuclear Files website.

SIPRI Yearbook Published

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a leading independent research institute on conflict, arms control and disarmament, has published its 2017 yearbook.

According to SIPRI, global inventories of nuclear weapons continue to decline in number due to reductions made by the U.S. and Russia. However, “both the USA and Russia have extensive and expensive programs under way to replace and modernize their nuclear warheads, missile and aircraft delivery systems, and nuclear weapon production facilities,” and China, India, North Korea and Pakistan are thought to be expanding the size of their nuclear arsenals. In addition, SIPRI reports that there is inadequate transparency in the reporting of nuclear arsenal size and capability from most nuclear states, particularly Russia, China, North Korea, India, and Pakistan.

For more information on this year’s SIPRI report, click here.

Britain’s H-Bomb Tests in the Pacific

Grappling with the Bomb is a history of Britain’s 1950s program to test the hydrogen bomb, code name Operation Grapple. In 1957–58, nine atmospheric nuclear tests were held at Malden Island and Christmas Island in the British Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony — today, part of the Pacific nation of Kiribati.

Nearly 14,000 British troops travelled to the central Pacific for Operation Grapple. They were joined by hundreds of New Zealand sailors, Gilbertese laborers and Fijian troops. Today, decades later, survivors suffer from serious illnesses they attribute to exposure to hazardous levels of ionizing radiation.

On the 60th anniversary of the tests, Nic Maclellan’s book details regional opposition to Britain’s testing program in the 1950s, with protests from Fiji, Cook Islands, Western Samoa, Japan and other nations.

You can purchase a copy or download a free e-book from the ANU Press website.

A Teacher’s Guide to Peace Literacy

Peace literacy is an idea created by NAPF Peace Leadership Director Paul K. Chappell, a West Point graduate, former Army captain, and Iraq war veteran who grew up in a violent household and struggled with trauma throughout his school years. Realizing that humanity is facing new challenges that require us to become as well-trained in waging peace as soldiers are in waging war, he created peace literacy to help students and adults from various backgrounds work toward their full potential and a more peaceful world.

Peace literacy frames peace not merely as a goal, but as a practical skill-set that allows us to increase realistic peace in our lives, communities, nations, and the world. Peace literacy also helps us fully develop our human capacity for empathy, conscience, and reason.

To read more about this movement, click here.

Evening for Peace: A Prescription for a Nuclear-Free World

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s 34th Annual Evening for Peace will take place on Sunday, October 22, in Santa Barbara, California. The theme of this year’s event is “A Prescription for a Nuclear-Free World.” The Foundation will honor Dr. Ira Helfand and the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War with its Distinguished Peace Leadership Award.

For more information, including sponsorship opportunities and tickets, click here.

NAPF Invited to Participate in Vatican Nuclear Disarmament Conference

Rick Wayman, NAPF’s Director of Programs, will participate in a nuclear disarmament conference at the Vatican on November 10-11. The conference, entitled “Perspectives for a World Free from Nuclear Weapons and for Integral Disarmament,” will feature an audience with Pope Francis, as well as talks by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and many Nobel Peace Laureates.

More information will be published in the December issue of The Sunflower. This trip would not be possible without the generous support of our worldwide NAPF family. To support the costs of this important opportunity, click here.

Poetry Contest Winners Announced

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has announced the winners of its 2017 Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards. Nearly 200 people entered the contest, submitting original poems illuminating their positive visions of peace.

The winning poem in the adult category is entitled “Manchester,” by Nicole Melanson. To read all of the winning poems, click here. For more information about the contest, click here.

No Money for New Nuclear Weapons or Testing

The United States detonated 1,032 nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, under the ocean, and underground between 1945 and 1992 that devastated local communities. Though the U.S. has not conducted a full-scale underground nuclear test in 25 years, resurgent nuclear threats are gaining intensity in the Trump administration. Neocons, nuclear lab managers, and others are urging Trump to hit the accelerator on new nuclear warheads and the underground explosions needed to test them.

Public pressure from ordinary Americans was essential in halting explosive U.S. nuclear testing in the atmosphere and underground 25 years ago. We must act now to halt funding for a new arms race.

Join us as we urge White House Budget Office Director, Mick Mulvaney, and the Armed Services and Appropriations Committees of the U.S. Congress not to fund programs that may lead to resumption of nuclear test explosions or new nuclear weapons. Click here to take action.

Prevent the First Use of Nuclear Weapons

At the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, we are working tirelessly not only for the complete abolition of nuclear weapons, but also in the meantime to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used. The humanitarian consequences of any nuclear weapons use would be unacceptable. The conflict between the United States and North Korea gives new urgency to bills currently in the House and Senate.

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) have introduced bills in the House and Senate to reduce the likelihood of the United States using nuclear weapons first in a conflict. The bills would prohibit the President of the United States from launching a nuclear first strike without an explicit declaration by Congress.

Of course, we believe strongly that nuclear weapons should never be used under any circumstances. This bill would not legislate that, but it would make it much more difficult for the President to use nuclear weapons, which we believe is a move in the right direction.

Please write your Representative and Senators today and ask them to sign on to H.R. 669 in the House or S.200 in the Senate. Click here to take action.

“There is no time left for anything but to make peacework a dimension of our every waking activity.”

— Elise Boulding. This quote appears in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action. The revised 4th edition of this book has just been published. Order copies today in the NAPF Peace Store at a 25% discount.

“Together with China we’ll continue to strive for a reasonable approach and not an emotional one like when children in a kindergarten start fighting and no one can stop them.”

— Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia. Lavrov was referring to a proposal supported by Russia and China that would involve North Korea freezing its nuclear and missile programs in exchange for a halt to joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises.

“Let us commit ourselves to a world without nuclear weapons by implementing the Non-Proliferation Treaty to abolish these weapons of death.”

— A tweet by Pope Francis on September 26, the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

“Our federations, representing millions of doctors, nurses, and public health professionals around the world, welcome this treaty as a significant forward step toward eliminating the most destructive weapons ever created, and the existential threat nuclear war poses to humanity and to the survival of all life on Earth.”

— Joint statement by the World Medical Association, International Council of Nurses, World Federation of Public Health Associations, and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. The statement urges all countries to quickly sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Joy Ferguson
David Krieger
Aidan Powers-Riggs
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman