|
Issue #261 – April 2019 |
| Peace begins with us. Make a meaningful donation today and honor someone special in your life.
|
Perspectives
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
Nuclear Disarmament
Diplomacy
Resources
Foundation Activities
Take Action
Quotes PerspectivesHumanity Is Flirting with ExtinctionThe most stunning and frightening truth about the nuclear age is this: Nuclear weapons are capable of destroying civilization and most complex life on the planet, yet next to nothing is being done about it. Humanity is flirting with extinction and is experiencing the “frog’s malaise.” It is as though the human species has been placed into a pot of tepid water — metaphorically with regard to nuclear dangers and literally with regard to climate change — and appears to be calmly treading water while the temperature rises toward the boiling point. To read the full op-ed in The Hill, click here. In Her Own WordsIn the most recent installment of NAPF’s Women Waging Peace campaign, Dr. Judith Lipton talks about her decades of work on issues around war, sex, human nature, and nuclear weapons. Look around you at this very moment. Where are you? What do you treasure? The scenery? The features of a building where you sit or stand or see? Creatures, great and small, near and far. Your friends, relatives, children, grandchildren, Your food. Your body, with its breaths and heartbeats? Your future? That of others? Now try to imagine nothingness. Extinction. Everything totally gone forever. We are trying to save life on earth. There is nothing more important. To read the full interview with Dr. Lipton, click here. Making Nuclear Weapons Menacing Again“Recapitalize,” “modernize,” “replace”: These are the anodyne terms being used by the Pentagon and the Trump administration to describe their exorbitant plans to overhaul America’s nuclear arsenal. With great-power conflict now the defining theme in US military strategy, the administration seeks weapons that can overawe Russia and China. At the same time, White House officials—led by National Security Adviser John Bolton—seek to extinguish any remaining arms-control agreements that might constrain U.S. arms-acquisition efforts. To read the full op-ed in The Nation, click here. U.S. Nuclear Weapons PolicyU.S. Proposed 2020 Nuclear Weapons Budget Rises Yet AgainAfter weeks of delay due to the extended U.S. government shutdown, the Trump administration released its draft 2020 budget, which included yet another significant rise in funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the Department of Energy that is responsible for development and maintenance of the nation’s nuclear warheads. The requested 2020 budget figure of $12.4 billion for NNSA nuclear weapons activities represents an 8.3% rise over the 2019 budget. The U.S. also spends many of billions of dollars on nuclear weapons through other departments, most notably the Department of Defense, which is responsible for nuclear weapons delivery systems such as intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines, and aircraft. Aaron Mehta, “Trump Budget Increases Funding for Nuclear Weapons Agency Amid New Production,” Defense News, March 11, 2019. Top General Supports Continuing to Threaten to Use Nuclear Weapons FirstJoseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee that he supports the United States’ policy of threatening to use nuclear weapons first in a conflict. Dunford said, “I absolutely believe that the current policy is the right policy.” He continued, “I can also imagine a few situations where we wouldn’t want to remove that option from the president.” Numerous candidates running for president in 2020, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, have supported the U.S. declaring a policy of “no first use,” and bills have been introduced in the House and Senate calling for such action. Lauren Meier, “Top General Opposes Shift to ‘No First Use’ Nuclear Doctrine,” Washington Times, March 14, 2019. U.S. Plans Tests of Previously Banned Intermediate-Range MissilesFollowing President Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia, the Pentagon announced plans to test missiles that were banned under the treaty for over 30 years. Officials said that two types of missiles would be developed: a cruise missile with a range of around 1,000 kilometers, and a ballistic missile with a range of 3,000-4,000 kilometers. The officials claimed that neither new missile would be nuclear-armed. Daryl Kimball, Executive Director of the Arms Control Association, said, “It is unwise for the U.S. and NATO to match an unhelpful action by Russia with another unhelpful action. If the United States tries to bully NATO into accepting deployment of such missiles, it is going to provoke a destabilizing action-reaction cycle and missile race.” Robert Burns, “Pentagon Plans Tests of Long-Banned Types of Missiles,” Associated Press, March 13, 2019. Nuclear DisarmamentSetsuko Thurlow Visits Pope Francis to Discuss Nuclear DisarmamentSetsuko Thurlow, a survivor of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and a member of the NAPF Advisory Council, met with Pope Francis in March to discuss nuclear disarmament. Thurlow, 87, was 13 years old when the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on her city in 1945. Her moving testimony about this incident is available here, in a video from the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s 2015 Evening for Peace, which honored her lifetime of work for nuclear abolition. Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Japan, including the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in November. “A-bomb Survivor Urges Nuke Abolition in Audience with Pope,” Kyodo News, March 21, 2019. City and State Resolutions Throughout the U.S.Numerous cities and states have passed, or are in the process of passing, resolutions calling on the United States government to support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and step back from the brink of nuclear war. Washington, DC passed a resolution in March, and Salt Lake City, Utah unanimously passed a resolution on April 2. Resolutions are currently pending in the state legislatures of Oregon and Hawaii. This builds on the trend set in 2018 by Baltimore, Los Angeles, and the state of California. If you are interested in getting your city or state to introduce a similar resolution, please contact NAPF Deputy Director Rick Wayman at rwayman@napf.org. DiplomacyTrump Demanded North Korea Hand Over Nuclear Weapons to the U.S.At the Hanoi Summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in early 2019, Trump handed Kim a piece of paper containing a demand that North Korea hand over all its nuclear weapons and bomb fuel to the United States. This idea was initially proposed by John Bolton in 2004, and he has revived it in his current position as National Security Adviser. This new revelation about Bolton’s role in spoiling the Hanoi Summit is in addition to his demand that North Korea fully dismantle its chemical and biological weapons programs. Lesley Wroughton and David Brunnstrom, “Exclusive: With a Piece of Paper, Trump Called on Kim to Hand Over Nuclear Weapons,” Reuters, March 29, 2019. Space Peace Treaty Talks FailDiplomats at the Conference on Disarmament (CD) once again failed to achieve an outcome, as they could not agree on language that would ensure that space is used for peace. Russia and China have insisted on language that would prevent the deployment of certain types of military hardware in space. The United States disagrees, saying that it would be impossible to verify. The U.S. is also proceeding with President Trump’s plan for a new branch of the military called a “Space Force.” While the negotiations were ongoing at the CD, India conducted a test of an anti-satellite weapon, and boasted that it had now joined the group of “space powers.” “UN Talks on Space Peace Treaty Fail to Reach Consensus,” Agence France Presse, March 29, 2019. ResourcesThis Spring in Nuclear Threat HistoryHistory chronicles many instances when To read Mason’s full article, click here. For more information on the history of the Nuclear Age, visit NAPF’s Nuclear Files website. Updated Edition of The Untold History of the United StatesOliver Stone and Peter Kuznick have released an updated edition of their book, The Untold History of the United States, which now includes a chapter on the period 2012-19. In a new article in The Nation, Stone and Kuznick write, “It’s terrifying to contemplate how much more dangerous the world has become over the past six years. Things seemed precarious enough in late 2012, when we published our book, The Untold History of the United States, and began airing our 10-hour Showtime documentary. The situation seemed dire, but not desperate.” They continue, “The crises that seemed contained or containable in late 2012 have now To read their article in The Nation, click here. For more information on the updated edition of their book, and to purchase a copy, click here. Foundation Activities2019 Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s FutureThe 18th Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future will take This year’s speaker is Elaine Scarry. Scarry The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, click here. Accelerating Sustainable Development Goals Through Peace LiteracyIn 2015, all countries of the United Nations agreed to a set of 17 global sustainable development goals (SDGs) to be reached by 2030. This was a remarkable achievement as it represents the first time in history that all nations have agreed to a shared vision of the future for people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. Peace Literacy offers a new way of thinking about peace that can help bring this shared vision into clearer focus and accelerate progress toward all SDGs. A new Concept Note, prepared by Dr. Sharyn Clough of Oregon State University, in collaboration with NAPF staff members and many others, outlines how Peace Literacy can help the world achieve these ambitious and essential goals To read the Concept Note, click here. 2019 Poetry ContestThe Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s 2019 Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards is accepting submissions through July 1. The contest encourages poets to explore and illuminate positive visions of peace and the human spirit. For more information on the contest, click here. Celebrate Earth Day with Seeds of PeaceThe newest item in the NAPF Peace Store is here just in time for Earth Day. Our “Seeds of Peace” are packets of sunflower seeds that you can plant, nurture, and share. Sunflowers were used near Chernobyl to extract radionuclides cesium 137 and strontium 90 from contaminated ponds following the catastrophic nuclear reactor accident there. Now sunflowers have become the symbol of a world free of nuclear weapons. This came about after an extraordinary celebration of Ukraine achieving the status of a nuclear weapons free state. On June 1, 1996, Ukraine transferred the last of the 1,900 nuclear warheads it had inherited from the former Soviet Union to Russia for dismantlement. Celebrating the occasion a few days later, the Defense Ministers of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States planted sunflower seeds at a former nuclear missile base in Ukraine that once housed 80 SS-19 missiles aimed at the United States. The seeds are available to be shipped within the United States. Each packet is $2.00 including shipping. To order, click here. Take ActionStop a New “Low-Yield” Nuclear WeaponBills in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, S.401 and H.R. 1086, seek to stop the U.S. from developing a dangerous and destabilizing new low-yield nuclear warhead to be carried on U.S. submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The “Hold the Low-Yield Nuclear Explosive (Hold the LYNE) Act” was introduced by Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ted Lieu. A new “low-yield” nuclear weapon risks dangerously Click here to take action. Sacred Peace Walk in NevadaNevada Desert Experience is organizing a peace walk from April 13-19 to declare that Nevada is not a wasteland, and to discourage the government from desecrating Yucca Mountain with nuclear waste. Marchers will walk from Las Vegas to the Nevada National Security Site (formerly known as the Nevada Test Site). You are invited to join the walk. For more information, visit the Nevada Desert Experience website. A short video about the walk is here. Quotes“Why is war such an easy option? Why does peace remain such an elusive goal? We know statesmen skilled at waging war, but where are those dedicated enough to humanity to find a way to avoid war?” — Elie Wiesel. This quote appears in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, which is available to purchase in the NAPF Peace Store. “The human species’ survival is dependent on our collective courage to eliminate nuclear weapons once and for all.” — H.E. Retno L.P. Marsudi, Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, speaking at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on April 2, 2019. “When we went over to Nagasaki, it was total devastation. It was like a landscape in hell…. It was acres of mud, with bones and hair sticking up out of it. And as I’ve said before, it really made me an instant pacifist. Up to that time, I’d been a good American boy, in the boy scouts, etc…Nagasaki really woke me up.” — Lawrence Ferlinghetti, a legendary American poet who turned 100 on March 31, in an interview with NAPF Advisory Council member Robert Scheer. Editorial TeamDavid Krieger |
Author: A. Stanley Thompson
-
Sunflower Newsletter: April 2019
-
Sunflower Newsletter: March 2019
Issue #260 – March 2019
Peace begins with us. Make a meaningful donation today and honor someone special in your life. 
Perspectives
- Ten Lessons You Should Learn About Nuclear Weapons by David Krieger
- Women Marched for Korean Reconciliation. Washington Is In Our Way by Christine Ahn and Gloria Steinem
- 2018 Nagasaki Appeal by the 6th Nagasaki Global Citizens’ Assembly for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
- U.S. Announces Completion of New Nuclear Warhead
Nuclear Threat
- India and Pakistan Conflict Again Raises Possibility of Nuclear War
Nuclear Proliferation
- Russia Threatens to Cut Time for Nuclear Strike on the U.S.
- Trump Administration Scandal Erupts Over Nuclear Energy in Saudi Arabia
Nuclear Disarmament
- South Africa Ratifies the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
Nuclear Diplomacy
- Trump-Kim Summit Ends With No Agreement
Resources
- Russian Nuclear Forces
- Nuclear Famine: Two Billion People at Risk?
Foundation Activities
- Sole Authority: 2019 Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest
- Peace Literacy and Teacher Leadership
- 2019 Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future
- Plant Seeds of Peace
Take Action
- Support a Formal End of the Korean War
Quotes
Perspectives
Ten Lessons You Should Learn About Nuclear Weapons
Here are 10 lessons that I learned about nuclear weapons in the process of working for their abolition for the past four decades. I wish I could share these lessons with every citizen of the planet, all of whom are endangered by these weapons.
The effects of nuclear weapons cannot be contained in space or time. Radiation from a nuclear detonation is carried by the wind and cannot be stopped at national borders, with or without border checkpoints. Radioactive materials also have long lives. Plutonium-239, for example, has a half-life of 24,000 years and will remain deadly if inhaled for the next 240,000 years.
To read more, click here.
Women Marched for Korean Reconciliation. Washington Is In Our Way.
In 2015, we were among 30 women from around the world who came together to cross the Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ), the infamous strip of land that has separated North and South Korea since a “temporary” cease-fire halted the Korean War 65 years ago.
We never could have predicted that only three years later, the leaders of South and North Korea would meet in the DMZ and declare that “there will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula.” This put in motion the kind of steps toward peace that we had marched for — soldiers from both sides shaking hands and removing guard posts, the beginning of land-mine removal from the DMZ. The new reality is a tribute to Korean leaders and their determination to end the standoff that has separated their people for three generations.
To read the full op-ed in the Washington Post, click here.
2018 Nagasaki Appeal
The rate of reduction of nuclear arsenals has slowed in recent years. An estimated 14,450 nuclear warheads remain, most held by the U.S. and Russia, most an order of magnitude more powerful than the U.S. atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Mirroring the U.S. nuclear posture, Russia has announced plans to develop new “invincible” nuclear weapons. In addition, China, France, India, Israel, Pakistan and the UK are engaged in nuclear weapons “modernization” programs intended to sustain their nuclear forces for the foreseeable future. And all of them are involved in war games and conflicts that could escalate catastrophically at any time.
We pledge to continue our determined efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons, and appeal to the people and governments of the world: “Nagasaki must be the last A-bombed city.”
To read more, click here.
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
U.S. Announces Completion of New Nuclear Warhead
The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced that it completed the first unit of what it calls a “modified” nuclear warhead. The W76-2 is a “low-yield” version of the immensely powerful nuclear warhead that is deployed on nuclear-armed submarines. In its 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, the Trump Administration requested a “low-yield” version of the warhead. If deployed, U.S. submarines will carry a mix of “high-yield” and “low-yield” warheads mounted on the exact same missiles.
The Trump administration claims this move is needed to strengthen nuclear deterrence, but the decision actually significantly lowers the threshold for nuclear weapons to be used.
“NNSA Completes First Production Unit of Modified Warhead,” National Nuclear Security Administration, February 25, 2019.
Nuclear Threat
India and Pakistan Conflict Again Raises Possibility of Nuclear War
In late February, the Indian Air Force made what is believed to be the first incursion into Pakistani airspace in decades. India claims that it bombed the training camp of an extremist group that claimed responsibility for an earlier attack that killed at least 40 Indian troops in Kashmir. Pakistan then claimed to have shot down two Indian military planes, capturing at least one pilot.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, said, ““I ask India: With the weapons you have and the weapons we have, can we really afford a miscalculation?” he said. “If this escalates, it will no longer be in my control.” Khan concluded, “Let’s sit together and settle this with talks.”
“Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan Warns of Nuclear War With India,” Tribune News Service, February 28, 2019.
Nuclear Proliferation
Russia Threatens to Cut Time for Nuclear Strike on the U.S.
In response to President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia will develop weapons that dramatically shorten the time between an order and an attack. Putin said, ““These weapons, by their tactical and technical specifications, including their flight time to the command centers I’m talking about, will fully correspond to the threats that will be directed against Russia.”
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said, “President Putin’s remarks are a continuation of Russia’s propaganda effort to avoid responsibility for Russia’s actions in violation of the INF Treaty.”
Andrew Osborn and Katya Golubkova, “Moscow Ready to Cut Time for Nuclear Strike on U.S. if Necessary: Putin,” Reuters, February 20, 2019.
Trump Administration Scandal Erupts Over Nuclear Energy in Saudi Arabia
The House Oversight Committee has issued a report highlighting corruption in the Trump Administration’s efforts to bring nuclear energy to Saudi Arabia. IP3 International, a private company dedicated to building nuclear plants in Saudi Arabia, employed Michael Flynn as an “advisor” while Flynn was simultaneously serving as Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor. Flynn used his position as Trump’s advisor to push the interests of IP3 in spite of the costs and dangers of importing nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia.
Derek Harvey, the National Security Council’s Senior Director for Middle East and North African Affairs, was also a strong supporter of IP3. Harvey ignored the Atomic Energy Act and decided to transfer nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia illegally.
Paul Waldman, “There’s Yet Another Trump Administration Scandal Brewing. And It’s a Doozy,” Washington Post, February 20, 2019.
Nuclear Disarmament
South Africa Ratifies Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
South Africa has ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the 21st state to join the new treaty. South Africa is the first nation to join the treaty that at one time possessed nuclear weapons. South Africa officially dismantled its small nuclear weapons arsenal in 1989.
Click here to see the full list of countries that have signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Nuclear Diplomacy
Second Trump-Kim Summit Ends With No Agreement
The second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without the two sides signing any agreements. The summit, which took place at the end of February in Hanoi, Vietnam, fell apart for reasons that are not yet entirely clear.
President Trump claimed that North Korea asked for full sanctions relief, but North Korea disputed that claim. Trump’s National Security Advisor, John Bolton, made a surprise appearance at the summit and apparently demanded that any agreement also cover North Korea’s chemical and biological weapons, which neither side was prepared to negotiate.
Dawn Stover, “Hot Takes on the Hanoi Summit,” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, February 28, 2019.
Resources
Russian Nuclear Forces
Hans Kristensen and Matt Korda have published an updated estimate of Russia’s nuclear forces. This report examines Russia’s nuclear arsenal, which includes 4,490 warheads that can be delivered via long-range strategic launchers and shorter-range tactical nuclear forces.
Russia also possesses approximately 2,000 retired nuclear warheads that are still largely in tact awaiting dismantlement, for a total of nearly 6,500 nuclear warheads.
To read the full report, click here.
Nuclear Famine: Two Billion People at Risk?
The recent renewed conflict between India and Pakistan has brought new attention to a report prepared by International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. The report, Nuclear Famine: Two Billion People at Risk?, explains how even the relatively small nuclear arsenals of countries such as India and Pakistan could cause long lasting, global damage to the Earth’s ecosystems.
To read the full report, click here.
Foundation Activities
Sole Authority: 2019 Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has launched its 2019 Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest. This year’s contest asks entrants to grapple with a very timely issue. In the United States, the President currently has the sole authority to initiate a nuclear attack at any time for any reason, or no reason at all.
Contestants will make videos of three minutes or less about whether or not they think this policy is a good idea. If not, why not? Should it be changed? What should U.S. policy be instead?
The contest has three cash prizes and is open to people of all ages around the world. Videos must be submitted by April 1. For more information, click here.
Peace Literacy and Teacher Leadership
“Teachers have enormous power to shape a student’s life, which I experienced firsthand,” says NAPF Peace Literacy Director Paul K. Chappell. “A teacher may be the only person who is a positive influence on a student suffering from trauma, the only example the student has of someone who models skillful listening, deep empathy, genuine respectfulness and high integrity. Peace Literacy helps teachers, students, and people from all walks of life model the healthy behaviors that bring increased respect, empathy, happiness, and self-worth into our homes, schools, workplaces, communities and world.”
Now Chappell will be able to share his story and bring the concepts and skillsets of Peace Literacy to a select group of teachers at the 2019 National Teacher Leadership Conference to be held in Orlando, Florida on July 12, 2019. Hosted by the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY), this year’s conference embraces the theme “A Radical Imagination for the Future.”
To read more, click here.
2019 Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future
The 18th Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future will take place on Thursday, May 9, 2019, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at the Karpeles Manuscript Library in Santa Barbara, California.
This year’s speaker is Elaine Scarry. Scarry teaches at Harvard University, where she is the Cabot Professor of Aesthetics and the General Theory of Value. She lectures nationally and internationally on nuclear war, law, literature, and medicine. The title of her talk is “Thermonuclear Monarchy and a Sleeping Citizenry.”
The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.
Plant Seeds of Peace
The newest item in the NAPF Peace Store is here just in time for spring. Our “Seeds of Peace” are packets of sunflower seeds that you can plant, nurture, and share.
Sunflowers were used near Chernobyl to extract radionuclides cesium 137 and strontium 90 from contaminated ponds following the catastrophic nuclear reactor accident there. Now sunflowers have become the symbol of a world free of nuclear weapons. This came about after an extraordinary celebration of Ukraine achieving the status of a nuclear weapons free state. On June 1, 1996, Ukraine transferred the last of the 1,900 nuclear warheads it had inherited from the former Soviet Union to Russia for dismantlement. Celebrating the occasion a few days later, the Defense Ministers of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States met at a former nuclear missile base in Ukraine that once housed 80 SS-19 missiles aimed at the United States.
The seeds are available to be shipped within the United States. Each packet is $2.00 including shipping. To order, click here.
Take Action
Support a Formal End of the Korean War
The Korean War was paused in 1953 with an Armistice Agreement. Today, over 65 years later, there is still no peace treaty putting a formal end to this war. A new resolution authored by Rep. Ro Khanna aims to change this. The resolution, H.Res. 152, calls upon the United States to formally declare an end to the war and would affirm that the United States does not seek armed conflict with North Korea.
This would go a long way toward creating the conditions for a nuclear weapons-free Korean Peninsula. President Moon Jae-in committed jointly with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “to declare the end of war” on the Korean Peninsula and to promote meetings involving the United States “with a view to replacing the Armistice Agreement with a peace agreement.” Ending the conflict is a symbolic measure that represents an important security guarantee towards realizing North Korea’s denuclearization, and achieving a Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons.
Click here to take action.
Quotes
“We must understand that in the final analysis the mounting cost of preparation for war is in many ways as materially destructive as war itself.”
— General Douglas MacArthur. This quote appears in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, which is available to purchase in the NAPF Peace Store.
“Recent acts of terror and military incursions in the long-disputed territory have exacerbated a conflict that threatens to plunge these two countries into a fifth and, conceivably, final major war since partition. Both countries have traded threats of nuclear retaliation. This is how nuclear war begins.”
— International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, in a press release about the conflict between India and Pakistan.
“There are no winners in nuclear war. The critical missing ingredient is diplomacy, with engagement of all nuclear states to build trust toward verifiable reductions, ultimately joining the nonnuclear countries as they work to bring into force the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”
— Dr. Robert Dodge, a former member of the NAPF Board of Directors, in a letter to the editor of The New York Times.
Editorial Team
David Krieger
Louisa Kwon
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman -
Auckland Statement on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
5-7 December 2018 Auckland, New Zealand
The TPNW and the Pacific
1. Pacific countries (Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu) came together in Auckland from 5-7 December 2018 to discuss the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), to take stock of the Treaty from a regional perspective, to assess its prospects for advancing nuclear disarmament and global security, and to canvass progress toward its entry into force.
2. The Conference took place at a time of increasing concern in the Pacific region, and globally, regarding the slow pace of progress toward a nuclear weapon-free world and the serious implications of this (including for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)) in view of the lack of progress in implementation of the nuclear disarmament obligation of Article VI.
3. Rising tensions, the modernisation of nuclear arsenals, the continued reliance on nuclear weapons in military and security concepts as well as on high alert postures, and threats regarding the possible use of nuclear weapons are widely seen as increasing the risk of a deliberate or accidental nuclear detonation.
4. For its part, the Pacific is only too well aware of the catastrophic consequences of any nuclear detonation as a result of its own experience with over 300 nuclear weapon tests carried out over many years and which has resulted in long-term humanitarian and environmental harm to parts of the region. Efforts by Pacific countries to stop this testing; to “promote the national security of each country in the region and the common security of all”; and, so far as lies within the region’s power, to retain “the bounty and beauty of [its] land and sea”; were key factors in the adoption of the Treaty of Rarotonga in 1985 and its establishment of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone.
5. Pacific countries continued after the end of testing in the region in 1996 to show leadership in efforts to advance nuclear This reflected their awareness that all regions and peoples have a stake in international security and an important part to play in efforts to advance International Humanitarian Law and the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction.
6. Building on their full support for the NPT as the cornerstone of nuclear disarmament, and for other aspects of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime including the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), many Pacific countries took an active part in the Humanitarian Initiative on Nuclear Weapons with Pacific voices bearing witness to the horrors of nuclear weapon testing. Many Pacific countries were active, too, in the subsequent negotiations which resulted in the adoption of the TPNW on 7 July In this, they were giving reality to the words of the Pacific Conference of Churches that nuclear weapons “are no good for the Pacific, and no good for the world”.
7. Five Pacific countries had already ratified the TPNW (Cook Islands, New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, and Vanuatu), and three others had signed it (Fiji, Kiribati, and Tuvalu) by the time of the convening in Auckland of the Pacific Conference.
The Pacific Conference
8. The Pacific Conference on the TPNW was hosted by New Zealand with an opening reception and welcome remarks given by the New Zealand Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control, Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Winston Noting the increasing risks which nuclear weapons entail, Minister Peters expressed his hope that the region would be as strong in its support for the TPNW as it had been for the Treaty of Rarotonga. He conveyed New Zealand’s willingness to partner with its Pacific neighbours in carrying forward priority topics identified for action in the UN Secretary-General’s recent “Agenda for Disarmament”.
9. A “Global Youth Forum on Nuclear Disarmament and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons” was held concurrently with the Conference attendees welcomed the opportunity to engage with youth participants from NZ and from the wider Pacific, as well as further afield.
10. In a video message to the Conference at its outset, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, described the TPNW as a significant first step towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. She invited Pacific countries to join together in supporting it and taking the Treaty of Rarotonga global.
11. A statement was also delivered on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vanuatu, Hon Ralph Regenvanu, highlighting the two key issues for Pacific countries of nuclear disarmament and climate change. Pacific Island nations must “continue to work in unity against the use of nuclear weapons for our good and, most importantly, for the good of our future generations”.
12. Keynote speaker, Beatrice Fihn – Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize laureate – conveyed ICAN’s pride in standing with Pacific nations to advance the Noting that “voices from the Pacific continue to bear witness to the horrors of nuclear weapon testing”, she attributed the awarding of the Nobel Prize in part to ICAN’s work with Pacific survivors of testing. She stressed the lack of an effective response capacity to any use of nuclear weapons, and observed that “the only way to prevent nuclear weapons from harming us is by getting rid of them – no other solution is realistic.”
13. The participation at the Conference of representatives from Austria, Brazil, Ireland and South Africa – members of the Core Group which led the adoption of the TPNW – was welcomed by all The Conference also benefitted from presentations by colleagues from Auckland and Princeton Universities and input from the New Zealand Red Cross on behalf also of the Red Cross Movement.
14. Participants noted that the TPNW was fully consistent with the existing nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime including the NPT and Equally, they emphasised the consistency of the TPNW with regional instruments, most notably the Treaty of Rarotonga, but also the recent Boe Declaration on Regional Security which reaffirms the importance of the rules-based international order founded on the UN Charter, and adherence to international law, and which outlines an expanded concept of security inclusive of human security and humanitarian assistance. It was also highlighted that the TPNW, and efforts to advance nuclear disarmament, support progress in attainment of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 16 with its focus on peace, justice and strong institutions.
15. Conference participants accepted the clear moral and humanitarian rationale for joining the Recalling the words of a former UN Secretary-General that “there are no right hands for wrong weapons”, the advantage of the TPNW’s unambiguous prohibition of nuclear weapons was noted both in advancing disarmament and in reducing the incentive for proliferation. A number of those who had already ratified the TPNW conveyed their pride at their country’s leadership on this issue. Palau had led the way for the region, being the first to ratify the Treaty.
16. Participants exchanged views on key provisions of the Discussion on Article 1 of the TPNW centred on the range of prohibitions which were included in that Article as well as those activities (such as military co-operation and transit) which were not prohibited. Discussion on Article 2 revealed that one country, with praise-worthy promptness, had already forwarded its declaration to the UN Secretary-General.
17. The discussion under Article 3 highlighted the region’s commitment to meeting its International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards In this regard, it was noted that almost all Pacific countries (and all attendees at the Pacific Conference) do have a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement in place and a considerable number have also adopted the Additional Protocol. Under the TPNW, if a State has the Additional Protocol in place at the time of entry into force of the Treaty, it must retain this as its minimum standard.
18. Discussion on Article 7 served to emphasise the region’s strong interest in its provisions for victim assistance and environmental remediation of contaminated Access to such assistance was recognised as being of importance in the region in view of the legacy of nuclear testing.
19. Emphasis was given to the obligation in Article 12 to promote universal adherence of all states to the Treaty.
Next Steps on the TPNW
20. It was recognised that the Pacific region has a role to play in adding its voice to the global effort to strengthen the norm against these inhumane weapons and to increase their In the Pacific, “we are small, but we can have a big impact.”
21. Participants acknowledged the need to expedite the Treaty’s entry into force and lend weight to efforts to advance its A range of options were discussed for taking the TPNW forward in the region, as well as the potential to work with other regions around the world. Wider ratification in the Pacific region would be assisted by greater awareness-raising and by ensuring capacity for its implementation.
22. In this regard, the range of offers of assistance to regional countries in moving forward with the Treaty – including from New Zealand, Core Group countries, the New Zealand Red Cross and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as well as by Auckland and Princeton Universities, and by ICAN – were welcomed by participants.
23. Participants were also encouraged to make use of the existing assistance tools including the Signature and Ratification Kit for the Treaty published by the ICRC as well as the Information Kit on Signature and Ratification published by the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs (ODA). Use could also be made of the recent publication entitled “The TPNW: Setting the Record Straight” produced by the Norwegian Academy of International Law, and a range of other resources.
24. Many participants agreed to work toward signature and ratification (as applicable) of the Participants agreed to stay in close touch in the lead-up to entry into force of the TPNW and to continue to engage actively, including in all appropriate regional contexts.
-
Sunflower Newsletter: December 2018
Issue #257 – December 2018
Our work doesn’t happen without generous and committed supporters. And so, as 2018 draws to a close: Will you share in our vision for a just and peaceful world by making a gift to the Foundation? In 2019 we have big things to do—let’s do them together. Perspectives
- Withdrawing from the INF Treaty: A Massive Mistake by David Krieger
- How The New York Times Deceived the Public on North Korea by Tim Shorrock
- The Myth of the Middle by Ray Acheson
- The Fate of the Earth Depends on Women by Beatrice Fihn
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
- U.S. Outlines Nuclear Weapon Production Plans for Next 25 Years
- Groups Challenge U.S. Plutonium Pit Production Plans
- U.S. Conducts Another Nuclear-Capable Missile Test
Nuclear Disarmament
- ICAN Launches Cities Appeal
War and Peace
- U.S. Military Spending Set To Rise Even Higher
Nuclear Insanity
- U.S. Plans to Solve High-Level Radioactive Waste Problem by Calling It Low-Level
- Southern California Wildfire Burns Area of 1958 Nuclear Meltdown
Resources
- Responding to the Unique Challenge of Nuclear Weapons
- U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces
Foundation Activities
- Holiday Gifts for Your Peace-Loving Friends and Family
- Peace Literacy Team at Work in Canada
- Women Waging Peace
- Letter in the Washington Times
Take Action
- Congress Must Act to Save the INF Treaty
Quotes
Perspectives
Withdrawing from the INF Treaty: A Massive Mistake
It would be a mistake of significant proportions for the U.S. to unilaterally withdraw from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. It would end an important arms limitation treaty, one that eliminated a whole category of nuclear-armed missiles with a range from 500 km to 5,500 km.
The treaty eliminated 846 U.S. nuclear missiles and 1,846 Soviet nuclear missiles, for a combined total of 2,692 nuclear missiles. President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed the treaty in 1987. It was an agreement that followed their realization, “A nuclear war cannot be won, and must never be fought.”
To read the full article, which was originally published by The Hill, click here.
How The New York Times Deceived the Public on North Korea
Like many of his North Korea stories over the years, David Sanger’s account of what he basically described as a betrayal by Kim Jong-un seemed perfectly timed to interject public skepticism of the North at a crucial moment for the U.S. negotiations with both Koreas to resolve the nuclear standoff and pave the way for a final peace settlement on the Korean Peninsula.
Over the past month, while the two Koreas have made spectacular leaps in reducing military tensions along their border, the U.S. dialogue with North Korea has stalled. The primary issues dividing them are Trump’s insistence on keeping his pressure campaign of economic sanctions in place until the North denuclearizes, and the North’s demand that Trump join the two Koreas in publicly declaring an end to the Korean War.
To read the full article in The Nation, click here.
The Myth of the Middle
Amidst all this tension [at this year’s UN First Committee], it’s no surprise that appeals for a “middle ground” are also on repeat. It sounds rational: so many cracks and fissures have begun to split wide open, and a number of delegations are keen to “build bridges.” But this impulse for the middle is misguided and dangerous.
What is the middle ground on nuclear weapons? What is in between those who categorically reject the bomb and those who say it is instrumental to (their) security and for maintaining “stability” in the world?
To read more, click here.
The Fate of the Earth Depends on Women
Recognizing the threat to humanity from climate change, ecological destruction, and nuclear weapons, we ask: “What is the fate of the earth?” I’d answer that by borrowing from former secretary of state Hillary Clinton: “The fate of women is the fate of the earth, and the fate of the earth is the fate of women.” To state this more explicitly: The survival of the human species depends on women wresting power from men. For too long, we have left foreign policy to a small number of men, and look where it has gotten us.
I should be careful here to make a distinction. I often say, “The leaders are not the problem; the weapon is.” This is a key point: While we might feel safer with Theresa May or Hillary Clinton in charge of our nuclear arsenals, we are not in fact safe. I don’t believe that having these weapons in the hands of women is a solution. That is not what I mean by wresting power from men. When you are concerned about the ease of one person’s access to world-destroying firepower, the answer is not to choose the most level-headed person; the answer is to remove the possibility that anyone could be in that position in the first place. That is the power we must wrest from men and the feminist foreign policy we need.
To read the full article in The Nation, click here.
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
U.S. Outlines Nuclear Weapon Production Plans for Next 25 Years
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has published its fiscal 2019 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan, which lays out the investments that it says it will need. NNSA is part of the Department of Energy, and only deals with the development, maintenance, and “disposal” of nuclear warheads. Meanwhile, the Department of Defense manages the delivery systems, such as missiles, submarines, and bomber aircraft.
President Trump’s Nuclear Posture Review has piled on an extra load of work on top of what NNSA already had planned from President Obama’s plan to overhaul the nation’s nuclear arsenal.
Aaron Mehta, “Here’s When All of America’s New Nuclear Warhead Designs Will Be Active – and How Much They’ll Cost,” Defense News, November 2, 2018.
Groups Challenge U.S. Plutonium Pit Production Plans
Three environmental safety and nuclear watchdog groups have joined together to challenge the U.S. government’s plans to produce 80 plutonium pits per year at sites in New Mexico and South Carolina. The groups are demanding that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) halt its plans because it is in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
“NEPA clearly requires that proposed major federal actions be subject to public environmental review,” a letter from the three organizations said.
Nuclear Watch New Mexico, Savannah River Site Watch, and Tri-Valley CAREs believe that without the proper environmental analysis, plutonium pit production at these high levels cannot begin.
“Nuclear Groups Challenge Pit Program Expansion,” Los Alamos Monitor, November 5, 2018.
U.S. Conducts Another Nuclear-Capable Missile Test
On election day in the U.S., November 6, the U.S. test-fired a Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The previous test, on July 31, ended in failure when the nuclear-capable missile self-destructed over the Pacific Ocean.
While the U.S. claims that these missile tests are benign, U.S. officials regularly express outrage when countries such as North Korea or Iran conduct missile tests.
Janene Scully, “Air Force Says Minuteman III Missile Test Launch from Vandenberg AFB Hit Target,” Noozhawk, November 7, 2018.
Nuclear Disarmament
ICAN Launches Cities Appeal
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) launched a new appeal entitled “ICAN Save My City,” which calls on cities to take steps to support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Cities are also urged to cease business with financial institutions that support the nuclear weapons industry.
Major cities have already signed the appeal, including Los Angeles, Toronto, Sydney, Manchester (England), and many others.
Tony Robinson, “ICAN Launches Its New Cities Appeal in Support of the Nuclear Ban Treaty in Madrid,” Pressenza, November 8, 2018.
War and Peace
U.S. Military Spending Set To Rise Even Higher
The bipartisan National Defense Strategy Commission has concluded that the nation’s astronomical spending on the military is insufficient, and that the country should slash “domestic entitlement programs” and “interest payments on the national debt” and instead funnel that additional money to weapons development.
The U.S. military budget is already ten times larger than Russia’s and four times larger than China’s.
The co-chair of the National Defense Strategy Commission, Admiral Gary Roughead, served as chief of Naval operations in 2007 and now sits on the board of Northrup Grumman, a weapons company that profits greatly from U.S. military contracts.
Matt Taibbi, “Trump’s Defense Spending Is Out of Control, and Poised to Get Worse,” Rolling Stone, November 15, 2018.
Nuclear Insanity
U.S. Plans to Solve High-Level Radioactive Waste Problem by Calling It Low-Level
The U.S. Department of Energy has spent billions of dollars at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington State in an attempt to clean up millions of gallons of highly-radioactive waste from the production of nuclear weapons. The liquid waste is stored in leaking underground tanks, and the government has yet to devise a solution to the environmental catastrophe.
Instead of continuing to work on a meaningful solution, the Department of Energy now proposes to simply re-classify the waste as “low-level,” which would allow them to fill the leaking tanks with grout, cover them, and leave them in place.
Ari Natter, “Plan to Leave Buried Nuclear Bomb Waste Underground Draws Fire,” Bloomberg, November 29, 2018.
Southern California Wildfire Burns Area of 1958 Nuclear Meltdown
The Woolsey Fire, which started in southern California on November 8, burned over 100,000 acres and killed three people. The fire is likely to have started on the grounds of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, the site of a partial nuclear meltdown in 1958.
Dr. Bob Dodge, President of Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles, said, “The Woolsey Fire has most likely released and spread both radiological and chemical contamination that was in the Santa Susana Field Laboratory’s soil and vegetation via smoke and ash.”
Dahr Jamail, “California Wildfire Likely Spread Nuclear Contamination from Toxic Site,” Truthout, November 26, 2018.
Resources
Responding to the Unique Challenge of Nuclear Weapons
The Parliament of the World’s Religions has adopted a strong statement in opposition to nuclear weapons and in favor of efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons worldwide. The statement reads in part, “The destructive capacity of nuclear weapons is beyond imagination, poisoning the Earth forever. These horrific devices place before us every day the decision whether we will be the last human generation.”
The statement continues, “We thus make a passionate plea to the leaders of all religions, all people of good will, and all leaders of nations both with and without nuclear weapons to commit to work to eliminate these horrific devices forever.”
To read the full statement, click here.
U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces
The Congressional Research Service has published a report entitled “U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues.”
The report examines U.S. nuclear weapons force structure during the Cold War and the present day, and raises issues for Congress to consider in the future.
To read the full report, click here.
Foundation Activities
Holiday Gifts for Your Peace-Loving Friends and Family
The NAPF Peace Store has books, t-shirts, tote bags, and more. There’s something for every peace lover on your holiday shopping list.
There are original NAPF books like “Speaking of Peace,” as well as our “Nukes Are Nuts” tote bags, t-shirts, and onesies.
Click here to go to the NAPF Peace Store.
Shipping rates are automatically available for shipping within the United States. For shipping outside the United States, please contact rwayman@napf.org for a quote.
Peace Literacy Team at Work in Canada
NAPF Peace Literacy Director Paul K. Chappell, and three others who are a part of the Peace Literacy international team of educators, recently completed a week-long trip to Canada, with events in the provinces of Alberta and Manitoba. Highlights included a Peace Literacy Jumpstart Day at Olds High School, a UNESCO school in Olds, Alberta; a keynote at a Winnipeg youth summit on nuclear weapons abolition; and a day-long Peace Literacy Workshop with the Manitoba Teachers’ Society.
To read more about this action-packed trip, click here.
Women Waging Peace
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s online campaign, Women Waging Peace, highlights the outstanding work of women for peace and nuclear disarmament. Though progress is made every day, women’s voices are still often ignored, their efforts stonewalled and their wisdom overlooked regarding issues of peace and security, national defense, and nuclear disarmament.
Our fourth profile features Christine Ahn, founder and international coordinator of Women Cross DMZ, and a member of the NAPF Advisory Council.
Click here to read our interview with Christine Ahn.
Letter in the Washington Times
On November 8, the conservative Washington, DC-based newspaper Washington Times published a letter to the editor written by NAPF Deputy Director Rick Wayman. His letter was in response to an op-ed that encouraged the U.S. to resume nuclear weapons testing.
Wayman wrote, “There is a good reason that no country except North Korea has conducted a
nuclear weapon test in the 21st century. It is the behavior of a rogue
nation that cares not for the hostile message that nuclear weapon tests
send, nor for the cascade of nuclear proliferation such tests could
cause.”To read the full letter, click here.
Take Action
Congress Must Act to Save the INF Treaty
President Trump has announced plans to withdraw the United States from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a key nuclear arms control pact with Russia signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 and approved by the U.S. Senate.
Congress must take action to keep the United States in the treaty. Click here to email your Representative and your two Senators.
Quotes
“War is an invention of the human mind. The human mind can invent peace with justice.”
— Norman Cousins. This quote appears in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, which is available to purchase in the NAPF Peace Store.
“The government has set up a religion of nuclearism. It is terrifying and dead, dead wrong. It is a form of idolatry in this culture, spoken about with a sense of awe. It’s a total contradiction to our faith. It puts trust in weapons, not trust in God.”
— Elizabeth McAlister, a member of the Kings Bay Plowshares, on trial for breaking into Naval Station Kings Bay in Georgia to non-violently protest U.S. nuclear weapons at the site. An update on the Kings Bay Plowshares case is here.
“Nuclear weapons should be understood as suicide bombs. Even the ‘successful’ use of our own nuclear weapons against an enemy that doesn’t fire back could potentially destroy the world as we know it.”
— Dr. Ira Helfand, co-President of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and a member of the NAPF Advisory Council, writing in an op-ed for CNN.
Editorial Team
Katie Conover
David Krieger
Louisa Kwon
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman -
Sunflower Newsletter: November 2018
Perspectives
- Hacking Nuclear Weapons Is a Global Threat by David Krieger
- California Is Complicit in the Buildup of Nuclear Weapons by Beatrice Fihn
- A New Nuclear Arms Race Has Begun by Mikhail Gorbachev
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
- U.S. to Resume Prosecuting Protestors at Nevada Test Site
Nuclear Disarmament
- Ireland Played Key Role in Non-Proliferation Treaty and Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
- 122 Nations Reiterate Support for Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
War and Peace
- North and South Korea Move to De-Escalate Border Tensions
Nuclear Insanity
- Trump Says U.S. Will Build Up Nuclear Arsenal
- Pence Leaves Open Possibility of Nuclear Weapons in Space
- P5 Nations Unite to Maintain Their Nuclear Weapons
Resources
- Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor
- Foreign Affairs Issue on Nuclear Weapons
Foundation Activities
- Evening for Peace Honors Beatrice Fihn and ICAN
- Women Waging Peace
- Ugandan Rotary Peace Fellow Training in Peace Literacy at NAPF
Take Action
- Stop a New “Low-Yield” Nuclear Weapon
Quotes
Perspectives
Hacking Nuclear Weapons Is a Global Threat
There are many ways a nuclear attack could be initiated. These include the four “m’s” of malice, madness, mistake and miscalculation. Of these ways of initiating a nuclear attack, only malice could possibly be inhibited by nuclear deterrence (fear of nuclear retaliation).
A new, and possibly even greater, concern is coming over the horizon. That concern, related to cyberattacks on an enemy’s nuclear systems, could be labelled as “manipulation.” It is emerging due to the growing sophistication of hackers penetrating cyber-security walls in general. It would be disastrous if hackers were able to penetrate the walls protecting nuclear arsenals.
To read the full article in The Hill, click here.
California Is Complicit in the Buildup of Nuclear Weapons
A new nuclear arms race is underway, with California at the center, though it’s not clear its citizens realize it.
The new nuclear arms race is bringing in a flood of cash to laboratories run by the University of California, where scientists, engineers and technicians have had a hand in designing every single nuclear weapon the U.S. has ever built. And yet the state Legislature and the Los Angeles City Council have resolved that America should support the U.N.’s 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. California is complicit in the arms race, and if nuclear weapons were ever launched, it would be one of the prime attack targets. Its citizens need to speak up to safeguard their future and end the state’s participation in the weapons industry.
To read the full article in the Los Angeles Times, click here.
A New Nuclear Arms Race Has Begun
A new arms race has been announced. The INF Treaty is not the first victim of the militarization of world affairs. In 2002, the United States withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty; this year, from the Iran nuclear deal. Military expenditures have soared to astronomical levels and keep rising.
Is it too late to return to dialogue and negotiations? I don’t want to lose hope. I hope that Russia will take a firm but balanced stand. I hope that America’s allies will, upon sober reflection, refuse to be launchpads for new American missiles. I hope the United Nations, and particularly members of its Security Council, vested by the United Nations Charter with primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, will take responsible action.
Faced with this dire threat to peace, we are not helpless. We must not resign, we must not surrender.
To read the full article in The New York Times, click here.
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
U.S. to Resume Prosecuting Protestors at Nevada Test Site
For the first time since 1987, the U.S. government will prosecute a protestor for trespassing at the Nevada National Security Site, formerly known as the Nevada Test Site. The U.S. seized a vast area of land from the Western Shoshone after World War II and used it to test over 1,000 nuclear bombs between 1951 and 1992.
In 1987, facing hundreds of potential prosecutions for protests at the test site, the District Attorney announced that Nye County would continue to issue citations for crossing the line onto the test site, but would not prosecute those cases.
On October 8, Marc Page-Collogne, along with two others, crossed the line onto the test site. Page-Collogne was taken to jail and was subsequently released pending trial on December 3.
Jack Cohen-Joppa, “After Three Decades, Trespass Prosecutions Resume at Nevada Nuclear Test Site,” The Nuclear Resister, October 29, 2018.
Nuclear Disarmament
Ireland Played Key Role in Non-Proliferation Treaty and Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
Newly declassified documents show Ireland’s important role in stopping the spread of nuclear weapons in the 1960s. The documents detail the strong opposition of U.S. diplomats to the efforts of Frank Aiken, Ireland’s Minister of External Affairs, to negotiate what would become the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The NPT is now nearly universally viewed as an indispensable tool to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
U.S. diplomats have also strongly opposed the efforts of Ireland and other like-minded nations that have led the effort to achieve the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Ray Acheson, Director of Reaching Critical Will, highlighted that the declassified documents show “how relentless pursuit of a principled approach to nuclear disarmament, as from Ireland and others, is how change gets made.”
Cormac McQuinn, “How Ireland Helped Avoid Nuclear War,” The Irish Independent, October 31, 2018.
122 Nations Reiterate Support for Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
At the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, 122 nations voted in favor of a resolution that welcomes last year’s adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
North Korea abstained from the vote, while the other eight nuclear-armed nations (United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, Israel, India, and Pakistan) voted against it. Joining the nuclear-armed nations in opposing the resolution were numerous nations that rely on U.S. or NATO nuclear weapons, including Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Australia, and Canada.
War and Peace
North and South Korea Move to De-Escalate Border Tensions
North and South Korea agreed to work together to de-escalate potential border tensions by implementing a no-fly zone and a ban on military drills near the border.
The measures, which went into effect on November 1, were agreed to at the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang in September.
Hyonhee Shin, “No-Fly Zone, Military Drill Ban Near Korea Border Take Effect,” Reuters, October 31, 2018.
Nuclear Insanity
Trump Says U.S. Will Build Up Nuclear Arsenal
After announcing that the U.S. will unilaterally withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, President Trump stated that he plans on building up the U.S. nuclear arsenal even more as a “threat” to China, Russia, and “anybody else that wants to play that game.”
Trump said that the U.S. would continue this behavior “until people come to their senses.”
“Donald Trump: US Will Build Up Nuclear Arsenal,” BBC News, October 22, 2018.
Pence Leaves Open Possibility of Nuclear Weapons in Space
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence refused to rule out placing nuclear weapons in space, despite a 50-year-old treaty prohibiting such actions. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty outlawed weapons of mass destruction in space.
Pence said, “What we need to do is make sure that we provide for the common defense of the people of the United States of America, and that’s the president’s determination here.” He continued, “What we want to do is continue to advance the principle that peace comes through strength.”
Robert Costa, “Pence Leaves Open the Possibility of Nuclear Weapons in Space,” Washington Post, October 23, 2018.
P5 Nations Unite to Maintain Their Nuclear Weapons
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council (P5) – United
States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and China – issued a joint
statement at the UN General Assembly’s First Committee. The five
nuclear-armed nations opened the statement by claiming a commitment to
the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which has been in effect for nearly 50
years.The P5 devotes multiple paragraphs to criticizing the
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which was adopted
last year at the UN by 122 nations. The P5 wrote, “We will not support,
sign or ratify this Treaty. The TPNW will not be
binding on our countries, and we do not accept any claim that it
contributes to the development of customary international law; nor does
it set any new standards or norms. We call on all countries that are
considering supporting the TPNW to reflect seriously on its implications
for international peace and security.”The TPNW prohibits the use, threat of use, production, and deployment of nuclear weapons.
“P5 Joint Statement on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,” Gov.uk, October 24, 2018.
Resources
Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor
On October 29, Norwegian People’s Aid and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons launched the Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor, the first report of a newly established watchdog for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
The Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor measures progress related to signature, adherence, entry into force, and universalization of the TPNW. It also evaluates the extent to which the policies and practices of all states comply with the core obligations in the Treaty. The term compliance is used in a broad sense, to refer to the compatibility of each state’s behavior with the prohibitions of the TPNW, regardless of whether the state in question has adhered to the Treaty or not. A key purpose of the report is to highlight specific activities that will need to be discontinued if the international community is to achieve its goal of creating a world without nuclear weapons.
To read the first issue of the Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor, click here.
Foreign Affairs Issue on Nuclear Weapons
The magazine Foreign Affairs published numerous articles on nuclear weapons in its latest edition. Titles include: “Do Nuclear Weapons Matter?”; “If You Want Peace, Prepare for Nuclear War”; and “What Is Russia’s Nuclear Stockpile Really For?”
The articles can be accessed on the Foreign Affairs website.
Foundation Activities
Evening for Peace Honors Beatrice Fihn and ICAN
On October 21, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation presented Beatrice Fihn and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons with the Foundation’s Distinguished Peace Leadership Award. Over 200 people, including 50 students, attended the event.
To see photos of the event and to download an audio version of Beatrice Fihn’s acceptance speech, click here.
Women Waging Peace
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s online campaign Women Waging Peace highlights the outstanding work of women for peace and nuclear disarmament. Though progress is made every day, women’s voices are still often ignored, their efforts stonewalled and their wisdom overlooked regarding issues of peace and security, national defense, and nuclear disarmament.
Our third profile features Makoma Lekalakalai, a South African activist who spearheaded a women-led effort to challenge government corruption and nuclear energy policy.
Click here to read our interview with Makoma Lekalakalai.
Ugandan Rotary Peace Fellow Training in Peace Literacy at NAPF
In March 2014, Paul K. Chappell, Peace Literacy Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, gave a four-day workshop on Peace Leadership in Gulu, Uganda. One of the participants was Emily Nabakooza, who was working in peace and development programs at both the strategic and operational levels, with a focus on peace initiatives and youth.
Several years later she applied to become a Rotary Peace Fellow, winning a place at the Rotary Peace Center at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. For her applied field experience for Fall 2018, Emily Nabakooza has chosen to work with NAPF to practice her learning in peacebuilding and to be trained in Peace Literacy.
Emily Nabakooza brings more than seventeen years of practical experience in global peace and development. To get to know her better, we’ve asked her a few questions about her background, her goals, and her interest in Peace Literacy.
To read more, click here.
Take Action
Stop a New “Low-Yield” Nuclear Weapon
A new bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 6840, seeks to stop the U.S. from developing a dangerous and destabilizing new low-yield nuclear warhead to be carried on U.S. submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
The “Hold the Low-Yield Nuclear Explosive (Hold the LYNE) Act” was introduced by Rep. Ted Lieu and already has a number of co-sponsors. A new “low-yield” nuclear weapon risks dangerously lowering the threshold for nuclear use by adding emphasis on low-yield options and increases the risk of miscalculation in a crisis.
Click here to ask your representative to co-sponsor this important new bill.
Quotes
“The love of country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border?”
— Pablo Casals, Catalan cellist and conductor. This quote appears in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, which is available to purchase in the NAPF Peace Store.
“What are we doing to change the human condition that is at the core of global instability and needless conflict? War is neither a human condition nor imperative. We can change things. We can end war and turn weapons into ploughshares. Let us start with the man and the woman in the mirror!”
— H.E. Mr. Lazarous Kapambwe, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations, speaking at the United Nations.
“I actually think the chance of a terrible miscalculation involving nuclear weapons is greater today than 10 or 20 years ago, and possibly even worse than during the height of the Cold War.”
— Sam Nunn, former U.S. senator and co-chair of the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
Editorial Team
David Krieger
Louisa Kwon
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman -
NGO Leaders Write in Support of H.R. 6840
October 3, 2018
The Honorable Paul Ryan
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington DC 20515Dear Representative Ryan,
We call on you to cosponsor H.R.6840, the Hold the LYNE—or Low-Yield Nuclear Explosive—Act, which would prohibit funding for the Trump administration’s proposed “low- yield” warhead. This new weapon is unnecessary and would increase the risk of miscalculation and wider nuclear use.
The Hold the LYNE Act was introduced by Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA). A companion bill was introduced by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA).
A substantial portion of the House has—sensibly—already voted to oppose the low-yield warhead. On the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act, 188 House members supported an amendment by Rep. Blumenauer and Rep. Garamendi to withhold 50% of the funding for the program until Secretary of Defense Mattis submits a report assessing the program’s impacts on strategic stability and options to reduce the risk of miscalculation. More pointedly, 177 House members supported an amendment by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) that would have eliminated all funding for the weapon from the FY2019 Energy & Water Development Appropriations Act.
By cosponsoring this bill, you will demonstrate that you oppose the development and deployment of this dangerous and unneeded weapon, and will fight to stop it from going ahead. You will be heeding the advice of former Secretary of Defense Bill Perry, former Secretary of
State George Shultz, former Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff James Cartwright, and more than 30 other former senior officials who wrote to Congress to oppose the low-yield warhead:
These so-called “low-yield” weapons are a gateway to nuclear catastrophe and should not be pursued. . .
The proposed “low-yield” Trident warhead is dangerous, unjustified, and redundant. Congress has the power to stop the administration from starting down this slippery slope to nuclear war. We call on Congress to exercise that authority without delay.
Please cosponsor H.R.6840, the Hold the LYNE Act, to stop this dangerous new weapon.
Sincerely,
Martha Dina Argüello, Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles
Joni Arends, Executive Director, Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety
Beatrice Brailsford, Nuclear Program Director, Snake River Alliance
Glen Carroll, Coordinator, Nuclear Watch South
Jay Coghlan, Executive Director, Nuclear Watch New Mexico
Vina Colley, President, Portsmouth/Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety and Security
Tom Z. Collina, Director of Policy, Ploughshares Fund
Karen A D’Andrea, Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility Maine Chapter
Bonnie Graham-Reed, Founder, Rocky Flats Right to Know
Lisbeth Gronlund, Senior Scientist & Co-Director, Global Security Program, Union of Concerned Scientists
Odile Hugonot Haber, Chair, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Middle East Committee
Don Hancock, Nuclear Waste Safety Program Director Southwest Research and Information Center
Mary Hanson Harrison, President, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, U.S. Section
Ralph Huchison, Coordinator, Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance
Derek Johnson, Executive Director, Global Zero
Kevin Kamps, Radioactive Waste Specialist, Beyond Nuclear
Marylia Kelly, Executive Director, Tri-Valley CAREs
Daryl Kimball, Executive Director, Arms Control Association
Hans Kristensen, Director, Nuclear Information Project, Federation of American Scientists
Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director, Policy and Political Affairs, Peace Action (formerly SANE/Freeze)
Stephen Miles, Director, Win Without War
Judith Mohling, Coordinator, Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center
Nancy Parrish, Executive Director, Women’s Action for New Directions
Pamela Richard, Manager, Peace Action Wisconsin
Laura Skelton, Executive Director, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Jerry Stein, Convener, The Peace Farm
Ann Suellentrop, M.S.R.N., Project Manager, Physicians for Social Responsibility-Kansas City
Ellen Thomas, Chair, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Disarm-End Wars Committee
Cecili Thompson Williams, Director, Beyond the Bomb
John Tierney, Executive Director, Council for a Livable World, Former member, U.S. House of Representatives
Barbara Ulmer, Co-Director, Our Developing World
Bobby Vaughn Jr., Journalist, A Call to Actions
Rick Wayman, Deputy Director, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Anthony Wier, Legislative Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation
Jon Wolfsthal, Director, Nuclear Crisis Group, Former Senior Director on the National Security Council
-
Sunflower Newsletter: October 2018
Issue #255 – October 2018
Make a world of difference for as little as $5 a month. Become a monthly supporter. Perspectives
- An Exchange on Nuclear Abolition by David Krieger
- Under (Maximum) Pressure by Christine Ahn
- ICAN Statement to UN High Level Meeting by Ray Acheson
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
- U.S. Completes Final Design Review of New Nuclear Bomb
Nuclear Disarmament
- Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Takes Leap Forward
Nuclear Waste
- Radioactivity Found in Communities Around Nuclear Weapons Sites
War and Peace
- North and South Korea Begin Removing Mines from Demilitarized Zone
Nuclear Insanity
- Japan Has Enough Material for Large Nuclear Arsenal
- Obama Considered Attacking North Korea in 2016
Resources
- Alternative Nuclear Posture Review
- The Future of the Iran Nuclear Deal
Foundation Activities
- Evening for Peace to Honor Current Nobel Peace Laureate
- Women Waging Peace
- Nukes Are Nuts Stickers
- In the Shadow of the Bomb: Poems of Survival
Take Action
- Take a Moment to Say Thank You
Quotes
Perspectives
An Exchange on Nuclear Abolition
I want to thank the many commenters on my essay, “Nuclear Abolition: The Road from Armageddon to Transformation.” The comments were thoughtful, intelligent and sometimes passionate. Taken together, they give me hope that change is possible and humanity may somehow find a way through the current threat that nuclear weapons pose not only to human life but all complex life on our planet.
It is only by our commitment and acts of will that we may be able to keep hope alive, protect our world, and pass it on intact to future generations. We may not finish the task, but we must accept the challenge and engage in it with passion if we are to create the awareness, trust, cooperation and institutional framework to achieve the goal of nuclear zero.
To read more, click here.
Under (Maximum) Pressure
“Maximum pressure” or its predecessor “strategic patience” has failed to lead to North Korean denuclearization. What has worked to move North Korea, as this latest series of summits has demonstrated, is meeting, face-to-face, and building trust. After almost two years in the White House, President Trump has tried both “fire and fury” and meeting Kim in Singapore. And the outcomes are clear. Diplomacy and engagement has proven far more effective in moving North Korea toward denuclearization than military posturing and punishing sanctions. A resumption of maximum pressure, on the other hand, could lead to an escalation of the conflict, alienation of our South Korean allies, and even war.
To read more, click here.
ICAN Statement to UN High Level Meeting
We’re speaking here today as a voice of passion and persistence in the quest to make our world more secure, more just, and more equitable. For us, abolishing nuclear weapons is about preventing violence and promoting peace.
Some say this is a dream, that we live in a time of uncertainty and change, that we can’t or shouldn’t try to eliminate nuclear weapons now. But when is there not uncertainty and change? It is the only constant in our world.
What is true is that we live in a time where we spend more money developing new ways to kill each other than we do on saving each other from crises of health, housing, food security, and environmental degradation.
To read more, click here.
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
U.S. Completes Final Design Review of New Nuclear Bomb
The National Nuclear Security Administration has announced the completion of the final design review of the United States’ new nuclear gravity bomb, the B61-12. The current timeline states that the first new bomb will come off the assembly line in March 2020.
The United States currently deploys approximately 150 B61 nuclear bombs in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey. It is likely that the new B61-12 nuclear bombs will replace those currently stationed in those nations.
Aaron Mehta, “America’s Newest Nuclear Gravity Bomb Completes Design Review,” Defense News, October 1, 2018.
Nuclear Disarmament
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Takes Leap Forward
The United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) took a big step forward in the month of September, with nine nations signing the treaty and five depositing their instruments of ratification.
Angola, Antigua & Barbuda, Benin, Brunei, Guinea-Bissau, Myanmar, St. Lucia, Seychelles, and Timor-Leste all signed the treaty last month. Cook Islands, Gambia, Samoa, San Marino, and Vanuatu ratified or acceded to the treaty. This brings the total to 69 signatures and 19 ratifications. The TPNW will enter into force 90 days after the 50th nation deposits its ratification with the UN.
To stay up to date on the TPNW’s process, click here.
Nuclear Waste
Radioactivity Found in Communities Around Nuclear Weapon Sites
Studies by Marco Kaltofen, a nuclear forensics expert and a professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, show that invisible radioactive particles of plutonium, thorium and uranium are showing up in household dust, automotive air cleaners and along hiking trails outside the factories and laboratories that for half a century contributed to the United States’ stockpile of nuclear weapons.
Kaltofen collected samples from communities outside three nuclear sites across the nation and found a wide variation of particle sizes. He said they could deliver lifelong doses that exceed allowable federal standards if inhaled.
Ralph Vartabedian, “Hidden Danger: Radioactive Dust Is Found in Communities Around Nuclear Weapons Sites,” Los Angeles Times, September 28, 2018.
War and Peace
North and South Korea Begin Removing Mines from Demilitarized Zone
On October 1, troops from North and South Korea began removing mines from the demilitarized zone (DMZ). The activities are related to a recent agreement between the two nations when South Korean President Moon Jae-in visited Pyongyang last month. President Moon said that the military deals agreed to in Pyongyang will “end all hostile acts on land, sea and sky between South and North Korea.”
Hyung-Jin Kim, “2 Koreas Begin Removing DMZ Mines to Ease Military Tensions,” Associated Press, October 1, 2018.
Nuclear Insanity
Japan Has Enough Material for Large Nuclear Arsenal
Thirty years ago, Japan began a project to build a nuclear “recycling” plant in Rokkasho that would turn nuclear waste into nuclear fuel. Today, $27 billion later, the plant is still not functional. Moreover, the Fukushima disaster in 2011 has significantly lessened Japan’s use of nuclear energy; only nine of the nation’s 35 nuclear reactors are currently operating. Of these nine, only four are capable of using the new type of fuel.
Over the past 30 years, Japan has amassed a stockpile of 47 metric tons of plutonium. Japan’s neighbors, particularly China and North Korea, are suspicious of Japan’s motives in possessing this quantity of plutonium, which is enough to make about 6,000 nuclear weapons. Japan claims that the plutonium is in a form that makes it difficult to convert to weapons.
Motoko Rich, “Japan Has Enough Nuclear Material to Build an Arsenal. Its Plan: Recycle,” The New York Times, September 22, 2018.
Obama Considered Attacking North Korea in 2016
According to Bob Woodward’s new book Fear: Trump in the White House, President Obama considered a pre-emptive attack on North Korea in 2016 following that country’s fifth nuclear weapon test.
“Even with his intense desire to avoid a war, Obama decided the time had come to consider whether the North Korean nuclear threat could be eliminated in a surgical military strike,” Woodward wrote. He continued, “The Pentagon reported that the only way ‘to locate and destroy — with complete certainty — all components of North Korea’s nuclear program’ was through a ground invasion. A ground invasion would trigger a North Korean response, likely with a nuclear weapon.”
Jesse Johnson, “Obama Weighed Pre-Emptive Strike Against North Korea,” Japan Times, September 12, 2018.
Resources
Alternative Nuclear Posture Review
Global Zero has published a new report that argues that the United States should adopt a deterrence-only approach to nuclear weapons, and phase out the land-based leg of the nuclear triad.
To read Global Zero’s new report, click here.
The Future of the Iran Nuclear Deal
On September 12, NAPF Deputy Director Rick Wayman gave a talk at the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics entitled “The Future of the Iran Nuclear Deal.”
Wayman looks at the deal’s history and the broader foreign policy implications of the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw the United States from the deal — violating the agreement between the United States, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, the European Union and Iran.
An audio file of the talk is available from Salt Lake City radio station KCPW.
Foundation Activities
Evening for Peace to Honor Current Nobel Peace Laureate
On October 21, 2018, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will honor the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and Beatrice Fihn, ICAN’s Executive Director, at the Foundation’s 35th Annual Evening for Peace.
ICAN was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to bring about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was adopted at the United Nations in July of last year. NAPF has worked closely with ICAN as a Partner Organization since ICAN’s inception in 2007.
The event will take place in Santa Barbara, California. For more information about tickets and sponsorship opportunities, click here or call the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation at +1 805-965-3443.
Women Waging Peace
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has launched a new online campaign highlighting the outstanding work of women for peace and nuclear disarmament. Though progress is made every day, women’s voices are still often ignored, their efforts stonewalled and their wisdom overlooked regarding issues of peace and security, national defense, and nuclear disarmament.
Our second profile features Cynthia Lazaroff, a U.S.-Russian relations expert and an award-winning documentary filmmaker.
Click here to read our interview with Cynthia.
Nukes Are Nuts Stickers
We just got some new stickers in stock and are eager to share them with you! These 3″x3″ vinyl stickers are perfect for laptops, water bottles, or wherever you want to get across the message that nukes are nuts.
For a limited time, we’re offering up to 15 free stickers per person, including free postage within the United States. Click here to place your order. Be sure to check out our books, t-shirts, and tote bags while you’re at our online store!
For larger quantities, or if you are located outside the United States, please email rwayman@napf.org.
In the Shadow of the Bomb: Poems of Survival
NAPF President David Krieger has published a new book of poetry entitled In the Shadow of the Bomb: Poems of Survival. In his introduction to the book, Krieger writes, “Of what value are poems in the face of weapons of annihilation? Poetry can penetrate our hearts, bring beauty into our lives, awaken our passion, and present us with flashes of truth. Weapons of annihilation can only destroy — our hearts, beauty, passion, and truth.”
Click here to order your copy from the NAPF Peace Store.
Take Action
Take a Moment to Say Thank You
In August, the California State Legislature passed an historic resolution calling on the United States to embrace the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, to make nuclear disarmament the centerpiece of our national security policy, and to spearhead a global effort to prevent nuclear war.
Will you take a moment today to sign our note of thanks to California State Assemblymember Monique Limón, the author of this outstanding resolution? By introducing the resolution, which passed overwhelmingly, she has set a noble standard for other state legislators around the United States.
Click here to add your name to the thank-you note to Asm. Limón.
Quotes
“If I have to recapitulate in a few words what I feel is the most important commandment for our generation, it is to fight indifference. Whatever happened, happened not only because the killer killed, but because the world was indifferent.”
— Elie Wiesel, the 1986 Nobel Peace Laureate. This quote appears in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, which is available to purchase in the NAPF Peace Store.
“He wrote me beautiful letters. And they are great letters. We fell in love.”
— U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at a rally about his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
“Investments in nuclear weapons are irresponsible. BNP Paribas is fueling the arms race by using its customers’ money to finance their potential death. That has to stop.”
— Martin Hinrichs of ICAN Germany, speaking about the billions of dollars in financing that the bank BNP Paribas provides to companies that produce nuclear weapons.
Editorial Team
Katie Conover
David Krieger
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman -
2018 Winning Poems
These are the winning poems of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s 2018 Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards. For more information on this annual peace poetry contest, and to read the winning poems from previous years, click here.
First Place Adult
Carla S. Schick
When Birds Migrate, They Follow Nature
(after Salgado’s photos of Migrations from Rwanda)Birds migrate; they instinctually know their path
A woman, skin down to bone, rests on a vacated train track.
Hiding in the bush, she gazes out at the photographer,
Covers her mouth as her child, tied to her back, tries to rest.A woman, skin down to bone, sits on the side of a train track,
Young children stare past smoking trees.
The mother covers her mouth as her child tries to rest, looking up;
The children bear no guns, one stands cross-armed, others look bewildered.Young children stare past the smoking trees;
In the distance people are moving trapped in a genocide
These children carry no arms, look out, look bewildered
Endless cycles of war chase them down, forced migrations.In the distance people are moving trapped in a genocide
Centuries of colonial destruction inflame conflicts
Endless cycles of war chase down all sides in forced migrations
The woman wears a wedding ring, but sits alone among dying children.Centuries of colonial destruction inflame internal wars
Dysentery, bullets, cavernous quarries of wealth robbed
The woman wears her wedding ring; at her side are dying children
She draws her awakened baby closer to her warmth, wrapped in a checkered cloth.Dysentery, bullets, cavernous quarries of wealth robbed,
She waits and looks back at the photographer with deep eyes
She draws her awakened baby closer to her warmth, wrapped in a checkered cloth.
Human remains scattered everywhere as they try to escape from certain death.She waits and looks back with deeply sunk eyes at the photographer;
He is invisible in their lives and cannot deliver safety although he sends out warnings.
Human remains scattered everywhere on the path away from a certain death
We never see the expression on the photographer’s face or his hands.While images from Africa float before us in a New York gallery
His body bears the illnesses from the deaths he has witnessed.Honorable Mention Adult
Madison TriceTheir Families Wore White
if i had a dollar for the times i’ve been distrusted
because i am not cynical enough
because people say i am all hope, that if you ripped me open, i would bleed sunlight
so people poke and stab and jab and tear
asking impatiently, “why would you choose such a futile cause”
master of hopeless causes, i will put the hope in hopeless, against all odds
i will hold the hope like a butterfly between my fingers, gently, gently, and hold it up to my heartbeat to remind it that it is alive
i will cradle it in war zones, between buildings hollow and shaken
i will hide it away in government-given housing in far away places
and when i am told to stop holding on
i will release it, into a jar, with little holes in the lid to allow it to breathe
and my butterfly and i will share the same air
because i cannot afford the freezer burn of logic and detached conversations about the rationality of letting situations deteriorate,
sitting in sections with people who have never met someone from the regions they debate
no, i can’t afford to let goFirst Place Youth 13-18
Stephanie AnujareratSleeping, Over
We are restless in the dark,
bright-eyed gold-painted by sodium glow swallowing faint moonlight
whispering wonder at the black between stars.The weight on our tongues:
Friday’s shooter drill, where welocked cardboard doors
pulled down paper blinds for early dusk
squeezed ourselves to roots and shrapnel in shadowy foxholeschildren to embryos to paintbrushes in plastic wombs or coffins.
Now, like then, silence rattles in our lungs.
Meanings spill from the dictionary of war:
v. to press a finger tightly to bomb-shocked lips, quivering chin
v. to steal the edge off the telltale scream of a gun
n. the immutable heaviness of death and earth.You take my hand so we can fall asleep, together.
Walkout day, mourning gathers outside the garden gate.
The flag flies overhead. In the quiet
you pluck petals off a shriveling crimson geranium. I countSeventeen for the lost.
Seventeen for how many desert winters we’ve survived—
lived, it should be. Rust flake petals, crumpled cardinals neatly
ended, fluttering
down.A promise.
As we grow up and grow old we will plant gardens with white roses.
We will not need them for early
funerals, for hate that drives people to hate.We close our eyes, listening to each other breathe
steadily, like courage.Honorable Mention Youth 13 – 18
Emily ChoThe 38th
There are mountain gorals
and deer and rare cranes that walk
the breadth of soldiers and their boyhoods.
Their fur smells of wetness and rain,
and this is what snouts the canopies of barbed wire
that crawl the spaces of blackened history.
June 6th to July 7th, when my mother tongue was not Korean
anymore, vernacular capitulated into shallow cries and
even the sky writhed against the painful
speed of fighter jets, oblique organs of
white metal splitting cities into buildings
into rooms into children into bad smells.
If at night a northern boy
wakes from a nightmare and watches the moon,
my greatest concession is that I cannot feel his loneliness.
In the morning, his small face may squint at the
sun, his hand stretching toward that vast distance where soldiers crouch
and whisper about home.I think of visiting, sprinting the sparse miles between two sister
nations, estranged under a great wrongness, outrunning these
historical truths, old letters and vernacular and crooning songs
over military loudspeakers, wanting to savor that feeling of origin.I do not know when I will return to you,
your staggering mountains and mukungwhas and
mothers and fathers. The programs on television that
show reuniting siblings: How much I have missed you.But in all my wrongness, in the ways my tongue
and eyes and soul will have hardened,
will you still take my hand?First Place Youth 12 and Under
Milla GreekThe Silence
In the last hour of the last night, the shadows will dance away,
and as the final candle flickers out, never to be lit again, the stars will fall away
and past, present, and future will be enveloped in the newly midnight sky.
The frostbitten mountain tops will fall into a deep sleep,
and the snow will melt away, leaving the rivers to flow for the last time.
The trees will whisper their final farewells into the wind before they, too,
are silenced by the heavy darkness that will fall over them like a blanket.
The low hum of the scattered rocks will cease as darkness falls,
and with the darkness, the beautiful, calm, and silent darkness,
everything will heal, the earth will come back together where it has been torn apart,
the sky will lose the brown haze that has choked it for so long,
and the air, the beautiful, essential air, will return to how it was when it was born, and be crisp, cool, sweet, and clear.
All that is not wanted will go, and go silently, until all that is left becomes one, one with the world, the planet, the quiet and forever dark sky.
The sun will set, and then all will be silent, silent and asleep.
We will go softly, and calmly without making noise, and simply cease to exist,
just like all other things unwanted.
When all has rested, it will rise again, like a phoenix from his ashes. The snow will fall and the rivers will flow from the mountains to the seas, and the trees will whisper in the wind. The stars will return to the sky and then the sun will sing its beautiful song, and time will arise, and begin again. -
Sunflower Newsletter: September 2018
Issue #254 – September 2018
As school starts back up, please support our Peace Literacy Initiative, which provides free curriculum for teachers and students on living peacefully at school and at home. Your support makes a difference! Perspectives
- Nuclear Abolition: The Road from Armageddon to Transformation by David Krieger
- 2018 Nagasaki Peace Declaration by Tomihisa Taue
- Two Minutes to Midnight by Setsuko Thurlow
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
- U.S. Government Updating Nuclear Disaster Plans
Nuclear Disarmament
- California Leads the Way in Support of Nuclear Disarmament
- Pro-Disarmament Activists Make Arguments in Court
War and Peace
- U.S. and North Korea Disagree on What Comes First
- Netanyahu, at Israeli Nuclear Facility, Threatens Iran
Nuclear Insanity
- Department of Energy Tries to Gut Oversight at Nuclear Weapons Facilities
Resources
- The Nuclear Warheads 20 Miles from Seattle
- Nuclear Weapons Expert Describes New Nuclear Arms Race
Foundation Activities
- Evening for Peace to Honor Current Nobel Peace Laureate
- Sadako Peace Day on August 6
- Women Waging Peace
- Peace Literacy Workshop in Maine
Take Action
- BNP Paribas Is Banking on the Bomb
Quotes
Perspectives
Nuclear Abolition: The Road from Armageddon to Transformation
Nuclear weapons pose a grave threat to the future of civilization. As long as we allow these weapons to exist, we flirt with the catastrophe that they will be used, whether intentionally or accidentally. Meanwhile, nuclear weapons skew social priorities, create imbalances of power, and heighten geopolitical tension. Diplomacy has brought some noteworthy steps in curbing risks and proliferation, but progress has been uneven and tenuous. The ultimate aim of abolishing these weapons from the face of the earth—the “zero option”—faces formidable challenges of ignorance, apathy, and fatigue. Yet, the total abolition of nuclear weapons is essential for a Great Transition to a future rooted in respect for life, global solidarity, and ecological resilience. This will require an emboldened disarmament movement working synergistically with kindred movements, such as those fighting for peace, environmental sustainability, and economic justice, in pursuit of the shared goal of systemic change.
To read more, click here.
2018 Nagasaki Peace Declaration
It was on this day 73 years ago, at 11:02 a.m. on August 9. The explosion of a single atomic bomb in the blue summer sky reduced the city of Nagasaki to a horrific state. Humans, animals, plants, trees and all other forms of life were scorched to ashes. Countless corpses lay scattered all around the annihilated streets. The corpses of people who had exhausted themselves searching for water bobbed up and down in the rivers, drifting until they reached the estuaries. 150,000 people were killed or wounded and those who somehow managed to survive suffered severe mental and physical wounds. To this day they continue to be afflicted by the aftereffects of radiation exposure.
Atomic bombs are cruel weapons that mercilessly take away from humans the dignity to live in a humane manner.
To read more, click here.
Two Minutes to Midnight
Despite an initial de-escalation in the nuclear confrontation between the United States and North Korea, the world is still at the greatest risk of a nuclear catastrophe since the Cuban missile crisis. With an erratic American president in control of the U.S. nuclear button, the Doomsday Clock stands at 2 minutes to midnight.
One year ago, on July 7, 2017 at the United Nations, 122 countries took a bold, historic step when the delegates voted to adopt the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. I intuitively shared my euphoria with the spirits of those massacred indiscriminately in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 72 years before, to whom we made a vow that their deaths would not be in vain, that we would commit our lives to ensure that their suffering would not be repeated.
To read more, click here.
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
U.S. Government Updating Nuclear Disaster Plans
Citing concerns over North Korea, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency is updating disaster plans to account for large nuclear detonations over the 60 largest U.S. cities. “We are looking at 100 kiloton to 1,000 kiloton detonations,” chief of FEMA’s chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear branch, Luis Garcia, said.
Current FEMA guidance considers the likelihood of nuclear detonations between 1 and 10 kilotons, which was considered more likely in the aftermath of 9/11, when concerns about terrorist groups using an improvised nuclear device were high.
Dan Vergano, “The U.S. Government Is Updating its Nuclear Disaster Plans and they Are Truly Terrifying,” BuzzFeed News, August 24, 2018.
Nuclear Disarmament
California Leads the Way in Support of Nuclear Disarmament
In August, the California State Assembly and State Senate passed Assembly Joint Resolution 33, which calls on the federal government to embrace the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, make nuclear disarmament the centerpiece of national security policy, and spearhead a global effort to prevent nuclear war.
NAPF Deputy Director Rick Wayman testified at the State Capitol on August 14 in support of the resolution. He said, “Right now, we have a federal government that is choosing to spend over $100,000 per minute for the next 30 years on nuclear weapons upgrades. But it’s not just dollars that we’re squandering. Nuclear weapons are, simply put, indiscriminate mass killing devices. Any use would be illegitimate and wholly unacceptable.”
“California Leads the Way in Support of Nuclear Disarmament,” Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, August 28, 2018.
Pro-Disarmament Activists Make Arguments in Court
On August 2, 2018, a group of seven activists known as the Kings Bay Plowshares appeared in U.S. Federal Court in Brunswick, Georgia to argue that all charges against them be dropped. The peace activists set out six reasons why the charges of conspiracy, trespass, and two counts of felony damage to property should be dismissed.
They were arrested on April 4 after entering Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in St. Mary’s, Georgia. Carrying hammers and baby bottles of their own blood, the seven attempted to deface weapons of mass destruction. They hoped to call attention to the ways in which nuclear weapons kill every day, by their mere existence and maintenance.
Bill Quigley, “Truth on Trial,” The Nuclear Resister, August 5, 2018.
War and Peace
U.S. and North Korea Disagree on What Comes First
U.S. President Donald Trump has decried North Korea’s lack of progress in getting rid of its nuclear arsenal. Following the Singapore Summit in June between Trump and Kim Jong-un, the U.S. began demanding that North Korea dismantle most of its nuclear arsenal.
However, Trump apparently told Kim at the meeting in Singapore that he would soon sign a declaration putting an end to the decades-old Korean War. Trump is believed to have made the same promise at the beginning of June during a meeting with Kim Yong Chol in Washington. The impasse over who will make the first move seems to be preventing further progress from being made.
Alex Ward, “Exclusive: Trump Promised Kim Jong-un He’d Sign an Agreement to End the Korean War,” Vox, August 29, 2018.
Netanyahu, at Israeli Nuclear Facility, Threatens Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chose Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility, where Israel’s nuclear weapons arsenal was developed, to send a message to Iran. Netanyahu said, “Those who threaten to wipe us out put themselves in a similar danger, and in any event will not achieve their goal.” He continued, “Our enemies know very well what Israel is capable of doing. They are familiar with our policy. Whoever tries to hurt us – we hurt them.”
Israel maintains a posture of “strategic ambiguity,” and has never publicly admitted that it possesses nuclear weapons. However, the country is widely known to possess an estimated 80 nuclear weapons.
Alexander Fulbright, “At Nuclear Facility, Netanyahu Lobs Stark Warning at Iran,” Times of Israel, August 29, 2018.
Nuclear Insanity
Department of Energy Tries to Gut Oversight at Nuclear Weapons Facilities
Watchdog groups from across the U.S. nuclear weapons complex have pushed back against a new Department of Energy (DOE) order that severely constrains the oversight capacity of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB).
Members of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, a national network of organizations that addresses nuclear weapons production and waste cleanup issues, hail the work of the DNFSB as a critical guard against DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration efforts to cut corners on safety.
“Watchdog Groups Oppose DOE Attempt to Limit Oversight, Endanger Safety at Nuclear Facilities,” Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, August 27, 2018.
Resources
The Nuclear Warheads 20 Miles from Seattle
The Seattle Times has published a lengthy article about the estimated 540 nuclear warheads based at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor, just 20 miles from Seattle, Washington. The article also examines the priorities of activists and explores why more young people have not become involved in the local campaign.
To read the full article, click here.
Nuclear Weapons Expert Describes New Nuclear Arms Race
Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, was featured in a recent Washington Post video and story about the new nuclear arms race.
To watch and read, click here.
Foundation Activities
Evening for Peace to Honor Current Nobel Peace Laureate
On October 21, 2018, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will honor the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and Beatrice Fihn, ICAN’s Executive Director, at the Foundation’s 35th Annual Evening for Peace.
ICAN was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to bring about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was adopted at the United Nations in July of last year.
The event will take place in Santa Barbara, California. For more information about tickets and sponsorship opportunities, click here or call the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation at +1 805-965-3443.
Sadako Peace Day
On August 6, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation held its 24th annual Sadako Peace Day commemoration at La Casa de Maria in Montecito, California. This was the first public event at La Casa de Maria since the catastrophic mudslides that devastated the retreat center and many other places in Montecito. Twenty-three lives were lost in the disaster. We reflected on the local situation, in addition to remembering the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and all innocent victims of war.
Photos, audio, and written transcripts of the event are available online. Click here to learn more.
Women Waging Peace
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has launched a new online campaign highlighting the outstanding work of women for peace and nuclear disarmament. Though progress is made every day, women’s voices are still often ignored, their efforts stonewalled and their wisdom overlooked regarding issues of peace and security, national defense, and nuclear disarmament.
Our first profile features Ray Acheson, Director of Reaching Critical Will. She is a fierce advocate and leading expert on nuclear disarmament and issues
of gender hierarchy relating to peace, justice and nuclear weapons.Click here to read our interview with Ray.
Peace Literacy Workshop in Maine
From August 5-10, NAPF Peace Literacy Director Paul K. Chappell held a workshop entitled “Peace Literacy Skills and Leadership.” The workshop took place in Standish, Maine, on the campus of St. Joseph’s College, and was sponsored by Unity of Greater Portland, Maine. Over 30 activists, veterans, clergy, educators, and concerned citizens participated.
One workshop participant, Stephanie Plourde, said, “I have already used the workshop worksheets in a discussion with my son about mass shooters. The discussion, specifically about unmet/trauma-tangled needs, led us to look at other behaviors we are faced with and ask some thoughtful questions.”
To read more about the Peace Literacy summer workshop, click here.
Take Action
BNP Paribas Is Banking on the Bomb
BNP Paribas is a French bank, with operations in more than 70 countries. BNP Paribas recognizes that nuclear weapons are a problem, and even has a policy saying that the bank “does not wish to be involved in the provision of financial products and services or investments in companies involved in the manufacture, trade or storage of “controversial weapons”, or any other activity involving controversial weapons.”
Yet BNP Paribas still provides over $8 billion in loans and other financial services that support the production of nuclear weapons. That’s because their policy is leaky and full of convenient loopholes, such as the fact that the policy does not apply to companies that contribute to nuclear weapon programs only in NATO Member States. But it doesn’t matter which country has them. Every nuclear weapon is designed to cause catastrophic harm.
Together with our ICAN partner organizations around the world, led by PAX in the Netherlands, we are calling on BNP Paribas to stop investing in nuclear weapons. Click here to learn more and join this global action.
Quotes
“An alert and knowledgeable public can contribute greatly to convincing world leaders that a much better and safer world can be achieved by doing away with all weapons of mass destruction.”
— Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary-General and 2001 Nobel Peace Laureate. This quote appears in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, which is available to purchase in the NAPF Peace Store.
“The United States should lead a global effort at nuclear disarmament consistent with our vital interests and the cause of peace.”
— Sen. John McCain, who died on August 25, 2018. This quote was from a speech that he gave while running for President in 2008. Many of his votes in the U.S. Senate did not reflect this rhetoric.
“If we do not change course quickly, we will inevitably encounter an incident where that first domino is tipped—triggering a sequence of unstoppable events that will mark the end of our time on this tiny planet.”
— Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the sixth United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, whose term ended on September 1, 2018. Click here for his full article in The Economist.
Editorial Team
Katie Conover
David Krieger
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman -
Testimony in Support of California Assembly Joint Resolution 33
I’d like to begin by thanking my Assemblymember, Monique Limon, for introducing this important resolution.My name is Rick Wayman. I’m the Deputy Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, a non-profit organization headquartered in Santa Barbara. On behalf of our 80,000 members worldwide, including over 10,000 here in California, I thank you for the opportunity to speak here today.
Last year, I had the privilege of participating in the negotiations at the United Nations for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. As a partner organization of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, we share in the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded for our work on this groundbreaking treaty.
Right now, we have a federal government that is choosing to spend over $100,000 per minute for the next 30 years on nuclear weapons upgrades. But it’s not just dollars that we’re squandering. Nuclear weapons are, simply put, indiscriminate mass killing devices. Any use would be illegitimate and wholly unacceptable.
California has a long and proud history of setting positive legislative trends and kick-starting the process of change nationwide. That is why AJR 33 is so important today.
This resolution lays out some of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences that could occur should nuclear weapons be used again. I have worked closely with people around the world deeply impacted by nuclear weapons development, testing, and use. Every one of them tells me the same thing: we must put an end to nuclear weapons so that no one ever suffers this same fate.
The Assembly and Senate of the State of California now have a unique opportunity to contribute to this noble goal.
For 50 years, the United States has been a part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This treaty has been remarkably successful at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons to additional countries. But it has failed to compel the nuclear-armed nations to fulfill their obligation to negotiate in good faith for an end to the nuclear arms race and for nuclear disarmament.
The 122 nations that voted in favor of adopting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons last year at the United Nations were complying with their obligation to act. The US was shamefully hostile to this process. The vast majority of the world’s countries are moving forward to outlaw and stigmatize nuclear weapons possession, and the US is being left behind. This emerging legal norm against nuclear weapons will only get stronger. California, followed by the entire United States, must get on the right side of history. But more importantly, we must do everything in our power to eliminate nuclear weapons before they eliminate us.
Thank you.
Rick Wayman delivered these opening remarks at a hearing at the California State Capitol on August 14, 2018.