Author: Mike Ryan

Bush-Appointed Judge Dismisses Nuclear Zero Lawsuit; Marshall Islands to Appeal

by David Krieger

On April 24, 2014, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), a Pacific Island country of 70,000 inhabitants, took bold action on nuclear disarmament. It brought lawsuits at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the world’s highest court, against the nine nuclear-armed countries, accusing them of violating their obligations under international law to negotiate in good faith to end the nuclear arms race and for total nuclear disarmament. Because of the importance of the US as a nuclear power and the fact that it does not accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ, the Marshall Islands at the same time brought a similar lawsuit against the US in US federal district court in Northern California.

In the US case, rather than engaging in the case in good faith, the US government responded by filing a motion to dismiss the case on jurisdictional grounds. On February 3, 2015, George W. Bush appointee Judge Jeffrey White granted the US motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that the RMI, although a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), lacked standing to bring the case and that the lawsuit is barred by the political question doctrine.

To read more, click here.

Nuclear Nations in the Dock

by Sue Wareham

A little-known court case initiated by an inconspicuous Pacific Island state might not seem very newsworthy, but when there’s a David and Goliath element involving some of the world’s most powerful nations, with implications for Australia, we should take notice.

For Australia, this is anything but a quaint and esoteric legal exercise, and we are anything but an innocent bystander.  Successive Australian governments pay lip service to the goal of a nuclear weapons free world, while simultaneously giving support to US nuclear weapons, under the extraordinarily foolish notion that they protect us. Goliath, with his genocidal weapons, has our unbridled loyalty and complicity. We are in fact part of the problem.

To read more, click here.

Remember Your Humanity

by John Scales Avery

This year, 2015, marks the 60th anniversary of the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, which contains the following words: “There lies before us, if we choose, continual progress in happiness, knowledge and wisdom. Shall we, instead, choose death, because we cannot forget our quarrels? Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way lies open to a new Paradise. If you cannot, there lies before you the risk of universal death.”

[The elimination of nuclear weapons] is a life-or-death question. We can see this most clearly when we look far ahead. Suppose that each year there is a certain finite chance of a nuclear catastrophe, let us say 2 percent. Then in a century the chance of survival will be 13.5 percent, and in two centuries, 1.8 percent, in three centuries, 0.25 percent, in 4 centuries, there would only be a 0.034 percent chance of survival and so on. Over many centuries, the chance of survival would shrink almost to zero. Thus by looking at the long-term future, we can clearly see that if nuclear weapons are not entirely eliminated, civilization will not survive.

To read more, click here.

Foreign Minister Tony de Brum Addresses Marshallese Parliament

On February 23, Tony de Brum, Foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands, delivered a speech to the Nitijela (parliament) about the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits. Mr. de Brum explained many of the key issues in the ruling granting the U.S. government’s Motion to Dismiss and responded to the recent statement by the U.S. embassy in the Marshall Islands.

Importantly, Foreign Minister de Brum made it clear that the Marshall Islands was disappointed in the ruling in U.S. Federal District Court and plans to appeal to a higher court. He stated, “Nuclear weapons are not our friend, nor the friend of the U.S. or any other country. Rather, these weapons are the enemy of all humankind. That is why we will stand up for what we believe in, and we will be appealing the Court’s dismissal of the lawsuit to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the next step in the American judicial process.”

“Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Speaks Out on Dismissal of Lawsuit and Plans to Appeal,” Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, February 24, 2015.

The Marshall Islands is “In to Win” Nuclear Disarmament Case

Laurie Ashton, Lead Counsel for the Marshall Islands in the Nuclear Zero Lawsuit against the United States in U.S. Federal District Court, has indicated that the Marshall Islands is willing to go as far as possible to win the case.

Ashton said, “I think the Marshall Islands are among the bravest people, certainly among the people I know, in terms of siding against nuclear weapons and some of that comes from their tragic and horrible experience with the United States testing there…. it takes a great deal of determination and courage to bring lawsuits against what some people believe are the biggest and strongest countries on the planet, the nuclear-armed countries.

Sally Round, “Marshalls ‘in to win’ nuclear disarmament case,” Radio New Zealand International, February 11, 2015.

Nuclear Zero Profiles

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has launched a series of profiles featuring people from the Marshall Islands who have been significantly impacted by U.S. nuclear weapon tests.

Profiles have already been published of John Anjain, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, Lijon Eknilang, Jeban Riklon, Rokko Langinbelik and Tony de Brum.

We encourage you to share these profiles with your friends and colleagues through social media.

More Bucks for the Bang

The United States is now paying 500% more per nuclear warhead, on average, than it did in 1985. While the total number of U.S. nuclear warheads has declined from 23,368 in 1985 to 7,300 in 2015, the large infrastructure and bureaucracy remain in place. The average annual cost per warhead in 1985 was $354,000, compared to $1.8 million annually per warhead today.

These costs will rise even further as the U.S. continues to design and build new nuclear warheads, delivery vehicles and production facilities that will allow it to retain nuclear weapons for many decades to come.

Robert Alvarez, “More Bucks for the Bang,” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, February 23, 2015.

Over 10 Percent Increase for Nuclear Weapons in Budget Request

The Obama administration has requested a 10.5% increase, to $8.85 billion, in the Fiscal Year 2016 budget request for the nuclear weapon programs of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The budget increase was requested to accommodate the United States’ 30-year nuclear weapon modernization plan. In contrast, funding for cleaning up radioactive contamination remains the same as previous years, even as the estimated cost for cleaning up this contamination rises. Similarly, the budget request contains only $48 million for dismantlement of retired nuclear warheads.

“DOE Nuclear Weapons Budget Up 10%, Equals Cold War Record,” Nuclear Watch New Mexico, February 11, 2015.

U.S. Missile Officer Ran Violent Street Gang

A U.S. Air Force nuclear missileer stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, was tried for a plethora of crimes committed while leading a violent street gang. Capt. Leon Brown IV was eventually convicted of “two counts of sexual assault of a child younger than 16; distribution of marijuana and psilocybin; use of psilocybin; willful dereliction of duty; conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman; pandering; unlawful entry; and four specifications of communicating threats.” He was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison and dishonorably discharged.

Kristin Davis, “AF: Missileer Who Ran ‘Violent Street Gang’ Gets 25 Years,” Air Force Times, February 2, 2015.

Prescribed Burn Canceled at Rocky Flats Plutonium Site

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has canceled a prescribed burn at the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge due to public opposition. From 1952-89, the United States produced plutonium cores for nuclear weapons at Rocky Flats. The site was raided by the FBI in 1989 and was shut down due to extreme environmental contamination.

Activists argue that a prescribed burn would cause plutonium particles to be released into the air, carried by the wind and, ultimately, inhaled by people. Plutonium is extremely harmful to humans, even in minute quantities.

LeRoy Moore, “Burn Canceled; What’s Next?,” Boulder Daily Camera, February 20, 2015.

Iran Nuclear Negotiations Progress

Following another round of high-level negotiations, both sides are mulling over a proposal that would see Iran’s nuclear production severely limited for 10 years, with another 5 years of diminished restrictions. The United States has insisted that Iran’s breakout capacity be constrained for “double-digit years.” The speed at which Iran might make a nuclear bomb is a paramount U.S. interest, one that forms the crux of these negotiations. With the March 31 deadline approaching, both sides are keenly aware that a framework for the final June 30 deadline is essential for a permanent deal.

Michael Gordon and David Sanger, “Negotiators Weigh Plan to Phase Out Nuclear Limits on Iran,” The New York Times, February 23, 2015.

Latin American and Caribbean Countries Commit to Austrian Pledge

At the third annual summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), all 33 heads of state restated their commitment to a world without nuclear weapons. They also gave their unanimous support to the Austrian Pledge to address the “legal gap” between the commitment to nuclear disarmament and its legal manifestations. According to Daniel Högsta of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, “The Austrian Pledge is a rallying call for states to demand action to fill an unacceptable legal gap. The momentum generated by the humanitarian initiative is paving the way for the commencement of a process to ban nuclear weapons. CELAC states have added their voices to the call. We expect other regions to do the same.”

“33 Latin American and Caribbean States Endorse Austrian Pledge and Call for Negotiations on a Ban Treaty,” International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, January 30, 2015.

Fiji Compensates Nuclear Test Victims as UK Stalls

The Fijian government recently compensated the remaining survivors of British nuclear tests done on Christmas Island in 1957-58. The payments came after decades of campaigning by veterans and their children for recognition of the serious health problems they suffered. After waiting for British compensation to no avail, the Fijian prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, said,  “The Pacific nation could wait no longer.” The personnel known to have suffered from conditions such as cancer, leukemia and other blood disorders were each given the equivalent of $4,788 U.S. dollars in payment for their suffering.

“Fiji Compensates Its Veterans of British Nuclear Tests in the Pacific,” Agence France Presse, January 30, 2015.

Recommended Reading on the Dangerous Situation in Ukraine

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has compiled a short list of recommended reading about the current dangerous situation in Ukraine. The list includes articles by Andy Lichterman of Western States Legal Foundation, Martin Hellman of Stanford University and Robert Parry, an author and investigative journalist.

To see the list of recommended reading, click here.

This Month in Nuclear Threat History

History chronicles many instances when humans have been threatened by nuclear weapons. In this article, Jeffrey Mason outlines some of the most serious threats that have taken place in the month of March, including the March 10, 1956 crash  of a U.S. Air Force B-47 bomber, carrying two capsules of payload pits for nuclear warheads. The bomber was lost at sea while flying from MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, to a NATO base in Morocco.

To read Mason’s full article, click here.

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

SGI Peace Proposal

Daisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International, has published his 2015 Peace Proposal. Regarding the abolition of nuclear weapons, a consistent theme of Ikeda’s proposals, he applauds the fact that, in October 2014, a total of 155 countries and territories signed the Joint Statement on the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons. Over 80% of UN member states have now clearly stated that nuclear weapons should be never used under any circumstances.

Ikeda asserts that, while the gulf between the nuclear-weapon states and those calling for nuclear abolition appears great, there is common ground in the desire to avoid the horrific outcome of any use of nuclear weapons. He urges heads of government to attend the 2015 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference and calls on them to voice there the pledges of their governments to eliminate the danger posed by nuclear weapons.

To read a full copy of the 2015 Peace Proposal, click here.

Nuclear Disarmament: The Road Ahead

The International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms has published a new paper entitled “Nuclear Disarmament: The Road Ahead.” The paper recommends that states seek agreement on commencement of negotiations on a comprehensive convention prohibiting and eliminating nuclear weapons at the upcoming Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference and beyond. It explains the mandate for such negotiations arising out of General Assembly resolutions, the NPT, and the 1996 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice,  as well as the illegality of nuclear weapons under international humanitarian law.

To read a copy of the paper, click here.

14th Annual Kelly Lecture Features Dr. Helen Caldicott

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s 14th Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future will feature Dr. Helen Caldicott, an Australian physician and renowned anti-nuclear advocate. Her lecture, entitled “Preserving Humanity’s Future,” will take place on March 5, 2015 at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, California.

Tickets start at $10 and are on sale at the Lobero Theatre box office online or by phone at (805) 963-0761.

Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest Now Underway

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s annual Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest is now underway. The contest is open to people of all ages around the world. Contestants must make a video of 90 seconds or less on the topic “The Imperative of Reaching Nuclear Zero: The Marshall Islands Stands Up for All Humanity.”

Entries are due by April 1, and the top videos will receive cash prizes. For more information and a complete set of rules, click here. You can also “like” the contest’s Facebook page and see the videos as contestants post them.

New Book by NAPF President David Krieger

Wake Up! is the latest poetry book by David Krieger, in which he continues on his path of writing piercing and thought-provoking peace poetry. His poems are often poems of remembrance, as well as warnings about the dangers of the nuclear age. Wake Up! is divided into six sections: Truth Is Beauty; War; Remembering Bush II; Global Hiroshima; Peace; Portraits; and Imperfection.

The book has received much praise. Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote, “There is haunting beauty and truth in this poetry.” Doug Rawlings, poet and Vietnam War veteran, said of Wake Up! that “…it reads like a series of eloquent telegrams sent directly to the heart of a culture, ours…”  Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet and author of A Coney Island of the Mind, wrote:  “Wake Up! is accessible and moving writing, setting itself against the dominant murderous culture of our time. Every poem hits home.”

Click here to order a copy of the book.

From Peace Leaders to Peace Heroes

When Paul K. Chappell, Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, visited the Dayton International Peace Museum in Dayton, Ohio, for a week’s worth of events, the museum made a request. Could Paul put down his thoughts about peace heroes that they could use in the spring campaign for their first annual peace heroes walk?

Paul wrote a 2,500 word essay entitled “The Little Book of Peace Heroes,” which is published on the museum’s website and will soon be available as a pamphlet to be distributed nationwide to schools and concerned organizations.

To read more about Paul’s recent trip to Ohio, click here.

“It is time for States, and all those of us in a position to influence them, to act with urgency and determination to bring the era of nuclear weapons to an end.”

— Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, in a speech to diplomats in Geneva.

“The human failing I would most like to correct is aggression. It may have had survival advantage in caveman days, to get more food, territory or a partner with whom to reproduce, but now it threatens to destroy us all.”

— Physicist Stephen Hawking.

“It is my firm belief that the infinite and uncontrollable fury of nuclear weapons should never be held in the hands of any mere mortal ever again, for any reason.”

— Mikhail Gorbachev, former President of the USSR and 1990 Nobel Peace Laureate. This quote is featured in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, available from the NAPF Peace Store.

“The experience of the Bravo explosion on March 1st, 1954 was a jolt on my soul that never left me.”

— Tony de Brum, Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, describing his memory of the U.S. Castle Bravo nuclear test, the largest ever conducted by the United States.

Shervin Ghaffari
David Krieger
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman

The 2015 State of the Union Address: A Major Omission

by David Krieger

When President Obama first took office he was deeply concerned about nuclear disarmament. We might well ask not only what happened to “America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,” but what happened to President Obama’s commitment?

Mr. President, we live in an unpredictable world, but it is predictable based on history that nuclear weapons and human fallibility are a dangerous and highly flammable mix. Nuclear weapons, including our own, threaten all Americans and all humanity. Don’t give up on the essential quest for a Nuclear Zero world, which you seemed so eager to achieve upon assuming office.

To read more, click here.

Three Minutes to Midnight

by Bob Dodge

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has just announced its latest nuclear Doomsday Clock moving ahead the minute hand to three minutes till midnight. The clock represents the count down to zero in minutes to nuclear apocalypse – midnight. This significant move of TWO minutes is the 22nd time since its inception in 1947 that the time has been changed.

In moving the hand to 3 minutes to midnight, Kennette Benedict the Executive Director of the Bulletin, identified in her comments: “the probability of global catastrophe is very high”… “the choice is ours and the clock is ticking”…”we feel the need to warn the world” …”the decision was based on a very strong feeling of urgency”. She spoke to the dangers of both nuclear weapons and climate change saying, “they are both very difficult and we are ignoring them” and emphasized “this is about doomsday, this is about the end of civilization as we know it”.

To read more, click here.

The Marshall Islands Versus the World’s Nuclear Weapons States

by Peter Weiss

Last April, in an extraordinary and commendable act of chutzpah, RMI sued all nine states currently possessing nuclear weapons – the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, France, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea – accusing them of violating their duty to negotiate in good faith for the elimination of those horrific weapons.

One effect of the RMI initiative is to throw a spotlight on the policies of the nuclear weapons states, which claim to be committed to a nuclear weapons-free world while showing not the slightest willingness to reach that goal. Reduction, which can go on forever, is fundamentally different from elimination, which reaches an end point. The legal obligation to conclude negotiations for complete nuclear disarmament is not met by shrinking a nation’s nuclear arsenal from 600 to 300 weapons, as France has done, nor by the agreement between the United States and Russia to reduce the stockpile of deployed long-range nuclear warheads each to 1,550 by 2018, as was done in the New START Treaty negotiated in 2010.

To read more, click here.

Nuclear Zero Lawsuits Featured on Australian Morning News

A story about the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits aired on “Sunrise,” Australia’s largest morning TV show. Dr. Keith Suter, Foreign Editor for the program, discussed the lawsuits and the important issues that the Marshall Islands is raising.

To see many of the media stories published since the Marshall Islands filed the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits in April 2014, click here.

“Decades Since U.S. Nuclear Tests,” Sunrise, January 18, 2015.

Oral Arguments in U.S. Federal District Court Lawsuit

On January 16, Judge Jeffrey White heard oral arguments in the lawsuit filed by the Marshall Islands against the United States in U.S. Federal District Court. The hearing focused on the U.S. Motion to Dismiss.

Laurie Ashton, representing the Marshall Islands from the firm Keller Rohrback, said at the hearing that there is “an increased risk of nuclear detonation every time the U.S. refuses to negotiate disarmament.”

Prior to the hearing, Judge White issued a tentative ruling granting the Motion to Dismiss. However, he has taken the matter under advisement after the oral arguments and has not yet delivered a final ruling.

Katherine Proctor, “Marshall Islands, Feds Argue Disarmament,” Courthouse News Service, January 16, 2015.

Nuclear Zero Profiles

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has launched a series of profiles featuring people from the Marshall Islands who have been significantly impacted by U.S. nuclear weapon tests. A new profile will be published each Friday for the next few weeks on the NAPF Facebook page.

Profiles have already been published of John Anjain, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner and Lijon Eknilang.

Air Force Piles on Requests

The United States is preparing to develop and build a new generation of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) for the Air Force. ICBMs are the land-based leg of the “nuclear triad,” which many experts believe to be unnecessary and highly dangerous.

The Air Force’s ICBM force is largely designed to be a sponge to absorb part of a massive hypothetical Cold War-style Soviet nuclear attack. “An adversary would have to fire hundreds, if not thousands, of missiles to eliminate that leg of the triad,” said Kingston Reif of the Arms Control Association. The only potential adversary capable of doing so is Russia.

Dave Majumdar, “$348 Billion in Nukes Ain’t Enough. The Air Force Wants New ICBMs Too,” The Daily Beast, January 28, 2015.

Doomsday Planes to Be Updated

The United States will update its four E-4B flying command posts that would be used by its leaders to manage military operations in a nuclear war. The planes will receive communications upgrades to enhance their ‘connectivity’ during a nuclear conflict.

Currently, at least one of the four “doomsday planes” is kept on alert at all times. The planes are capable of staying airborne as long as a week with aerial refueling.  The on-board equipment is hardened against nuclear effects. In a nuclear crisis, the heavily modified Boeing 747s could each carry a crew of over 100 specialists attempting to manage the conflict.

Loren Thompson, “A Doomsday Plane Reminder: Nuclear Weapons Haven’t Gone Away,” Forbes, January 13, 2015.

Congressional Budget Office Estimates Nuclear Modernization Costs

The Congressional Budget Office has released a new report that estimates the U.S. will spend $348 billion on nuclear weapons over the next 10 years, and possibly $1 trillion over the next 30 years. Planned spending includes rebuilding all three legs of the nuclear “triad” and their associated warheads.

Although Congress mandated reductions in planned military spending and President Obama’s military advisors have determined that the U.S. has more nuclear weapons than it needs for national security, the current spending plans would allow the U.S. to deploy far more weapons than deemed “necessary.”

Kingston Reif, “CBO: Nuclear Weapons Still Expensive,” Arms Control Association, January 22, 2015.

U.S. Rejects North Korean Offer to Suspend Nuclear Tests

On January 10, North Korea offered to suspend its nuclear tests in exchange for the U.S. cancelling its annual military drills with South Korea. The U.S. almost immediately rejected the offer, calling it a veiled threat that inappropriately linked nuclear tests and the U.S.-South Korea military drills that have been carried out for decades.

“By refusing to accept our proposal…the United States has shown once again that they will continue to increase attack military capabilities in South Korea while requesting us not to have our own national defence capabilities. This is absolutely unacceptable and cannot be justified by anything,” said An Myong Hun, North Korea’s Deputy UN Ambassador.

Michelle Nichols, “North Korea Offers to Meet U.S. on Rejected Nuclear Test Proposal,” Reuters, January 13, 2015.

Russia Ends Cooperative Threat Reduction Program

Russian officials informed their U.S. counterparts that they will no longer be seeking the United States’ help in securing Russia’s massive weapons-grade uranium stockpile. In accordance with deals struck between the two powers following the Cold War, the Untied States was helping Russia protect its HEU stockpile from finding its way onto the black market.

Since the cooperative agreement began two decades ago, U.S. experts have helped destroy hundreds of weapons and nuclear-powered submarines, pay workers’ salaries, install security measures at myriad facilities containing weapons material across Russia and the former Soviet Union, and conduct training programs for their personnel.

Bryan Bender, “Russia Ends US Nuclear Security Alliance,” The Boston Globe, January 19, 2015.

President Obama Continues to Seek Iranian Nuclear Deal

In an interview with Fareed Zakaria on CNN, President Obama said that he continues to seek a good deal with Iran on its nuclear program. Referring to the desire of some members of Congress to implement additional sanctions against Iran at this time, Obama said, “For us to undermine diplomacy at this critical time for no good reason is a mistake and that what we need to do is to finish up this round of negotiations, put the pressure on Iran to say yes to what the international community is calling for.”

President Obama continued, “I’ve said before that we will take no deal over a bad deal….Why would we reject [a good] deal and prefer a potential military option that would be less effective in constraining Iran’s nuclear program and would have extraordinary ramifications at a time when we’ve already got too many conflicts in the Middle East?”

“Obama: Netanyahu’s Visit Too Close to Election for Meeting,” Fareed Zakaria GPS, January 28, 2015.

The Chaplain Who Blessed the Hiroshima Bombers

Sixty-nine years ago, as a Catholic Air Force chaplain, Father George Zabelka blessed the men who dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over the next twenty years, he gradually came to believe that he had been terribly wrong, that he had denied the very foundations of his faith by lending moral and religious support to the bombing. Zabelka, who died in 1992, gave a speech on the 40th anniversary of the bombings. He said:

“The destruction of civilians in war was always forbidden by the Church, and if a soldier came to me and asked if he could put a bullet through a child’s head, I would have told him, absolutely not. That would be mortally sinful.  But in 1945 Tinian Island was the largest airfield in the world. Three planes a minute could take off from it around the clock. Many of these planes went to Japan with the express purpose of killing not one child or one civilian but of slaughtering hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands of children and civilians – and I said nothing.”

To read Zabelka’s full speech, click here.

This Month in Nuclear Threat History

History chronicles many instances when humans have been threatened by nuclear weapons. In this article, Jeffrey Mason outlines some of the most serious threats that have taken place in the month of February, including the February 13, 1950 crash of a U.S. bomber that was simulating a nuclear attack against San Francisco.

To read Mason’s full article, click here.

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

The World’s Nuclear Weapons in Graphic Form

The Nagasaki Council for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, (PCU-NC) in cooperation with the Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (RECNA), Nagasaki University, have produced a poster about the number and type of nuclear warheads in the world.

To view and download a copy of the poster, click here.

Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest Now Underway

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s annual Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest is now underway. The contest is open to people of all ages around the world. Contestants must make a video of 90 seconds or less on the topic “The Imperative of Reaching Nuclear Zero: The Marshall Islands Stands Up for All Humanity.”

Entries are due by April 1, and the top videos will receive cash prizes. For more information and a complete set of rules, click here. You can also “like” the contest’s Facebook page and see the videos as contestants post them.

14th Annual Kelly Lecture Features Dr. Helen Caldicott

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s 14th Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future will feature Dr. Helen Caldicott, an Australian physician and renowned anti-nuclear advocate. Her lecture, entitled “Preserving Humanity’s Future,” will take place on March 5, 2015, at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, California.

Tickets start at $10 and are on sale at the Lobero Theatre box office online or by phone at (805) 963-0761.

The Dynamics of Possible Nuclear Extinction

The Helen Caldicott Foundation for a Nuclear Free Future will hold a two-day symposium at the New York Academy of Medicine on February 28 – March 1, 2015. The symposium will address the dynamics of possible nuclear extinction.

NAPF President David Krieger is among a distinguished group of panelists for this event. In last month’s edition of the Sunflower, we indicated that the symposium is free. This was an error; there is a modest cost associated with the event. For more information and to register, click here.

This event will be live-streamed. Check the link above for updates on the exact details of the live-streaming.

New Book by NAPF President David Krieger

Wake Up! is the latest poetry book by David Krieger, in which he continues on his path of writing piercing and thought-provoking peace poetry. His poems are often poems of remembrance, as well as warnings about the dangers of the nuclear age. Wake Up! is divided into six sections: Truth Is Beauty; War; Remembering Bush II; Global Hiroshima; Peace; Portraits; and Imperfection.

The book has received much praise. Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote, “There is haunting beauty and truth in this poetry.” Doug Rawlings, poet and Vietnam War veteran said of Wake Up! that “…it reads like a series of eloquent telegrams sent directly to the heart of a culture, ours…”  Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet and author of A Coney Island of the Mind, wrote:  “Wake Up! is accessible and moving writing, setting itself against the dominant murderous culture of our time. Every poem hits home.”

Click here to order a copy of the book. NAPF is offering a 20% discount if you order by March 1.

“There are a lot of hard decisions we’ve got to make out there, but this isn’t one of them. We want them (our children and grandchildren) to win: 100 to nothing, not 51 to 49. We can afford this, and it’s desperately needed so the United States Air Force continues to be what it always has been – the force that allows alternatives and options for our president to defend America.”

— Maj. Gen. Garrett Harencak, Air Force assistant chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, arguing for a massive budget to build new nuclear weapons and delivery vehicles.

“Many people feel powerless and suffer in cynicism, selfishness, and apathy. There is a cure: when individuals commit to caring for others with kindness and compassion, they change and they are able to make changes for peace in the world.”

— An excerpt from the statement “Living Peace,” issued at the conclusion of the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates.

“In an all-out nuclear war, more destructive power than in all of World War II would be unleashed every second during the long afternoon it would take for all the missiles and bombs to fall. A World War II every second – more people killed in the first few hours than all the wars of history put together. The survivors, if any, would live in despair amid the poisoned ruins of a civilization that had committed suicide.”

— Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States. The U.S. observes Presidents Day on February 16, 2015. This quote is featured in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, available from the NAPF Peace Store.

“Nuclear deterrence and the threat of mutually assured destruction cannot be the basis for an ethics of…peaceful coexistence among peoples and states.”

— Pope Francis, in a message to the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons.

Shervin Ghaffari
David Krieger
Kate Mazzera
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman

The Nuclear Zero Lawsuits

by David Krieger

The Nuclear Zero lawsuits, initiated by the Marshall Islands, are about the law, but they are about much more than the law.  They are also about saving humanity from its most destructive capabilities.  They are about saving humanity from itself and about preserving civilization for future generations.

Nuclear weapons do not so much threaten our amazing planet itself, as they threaten the future of humanity and all the creatures, which are subject, for better or worse, to our stewardship.  Over geological time with the passing of hundreds of thousands of years, the Earth will recover from the worst we can do to it.  It is ourselves and civilization that we put at risk with our nuclear arsenals.

To read more, click here.

This Generation Will Ban Nuclear Weapons

by Jen Maman

Participants in a Civil Society Forum organized by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) before the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impacts of Nuclear Weapons called on governments to urgently start negotiating a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. The US and other nuclear-armed states may remain strongly opposed, but they can no longer ignore the emerging momentum to jump-start the efforts to reduce nuclear dangers so the world can live safely.

A powerful video shown at the conference by ICAN on behalf of civil society concluded: “Every generation has a chance to change the world. This generation will ban nuclear weapons.”

To read more, click here.

Pope Breaks Ground in Seeking Abolition of Nuclear Weapons

by Douglas Roche

Pope Francis, who has already broken new ground in his outreach to a suffering humanity, has put the weight of the Catholic Church behind a new humanitarian movement to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

In his message, delivered by Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, a leading Holy See diplomat, Pope Francis stripped away any lingering moral acceptance of the military doctrine of nuclear deterrence: “Nuclear deterrence and the threat of mutually assured destruction cannot be the basis for an ethics of fraternity and peaceful coexistence.”

To read more, click here.

A Former Ground Zero Goes to Court Against the World’s Nuclear Arsenals

The New York Times published a substantial article about the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits in its Sunday, December 28 edition. The article opens by describing the experiences of Tony de Brum, now the Foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands, as he witnessed many U.S. nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands as a child.

Explaining the Marshall Islands’ reasoning for pursuing the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits, Marlise Simons writes, “By turning to the world’s highest tribunal, a civil court that addresses disputes between nations, he [Mr. de Brum] wants to use his own land’s painful history to rekindle global concern about the nuclear arms race.”

Marlise Simons, “A Former Ground Zero Goes to Court Against the World’s Nuclear Arsenals,” The New York Times, December 28, 2014.

Five Million Signatures in Support of Nuclear Zero

In a remarkable show of strength and unity, the Youth Division of Soka Gakkai in Japan presented to Tony de Brum, Foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands, more than 5,000,000 signatures in support of the Nuclear Zero campaign. The presentation took place in Vienna at the Civil Society Forum sponsored by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).

Soka Gakkai Youth Leader, Taro Hashimoto, stated, “We are deeply grateful to the efforts of many youth members and their friends who have helped us gather millions of signatures endorsing the Nuclear Zero campaign…Soka Gakkai International President, Daisaku Ikeda, has repeatedly called for a world youth summit for nuclear abolition. We look forward to connecting with young people around the world committed to abolishing nuclear weapons and making sure that the voices of those who will shoulder the future will be heard by the international community.”

The petition is still open for signatures at www.nuclearzero.org.

“Five Million Voices for Nuclear Zero,” Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, December 17, 2014.

Opinion Column on Lawsuits in the Boston Globe

Boston Globe columnist James Carroll has published an article about the Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Zero Lawsuits. In a piece that was published in the Globe‘s January 5 edition, Carroll wrote, “One of the smallest nations on the planet, yet speaking with the unrivaled moral authority that comes of having been blasted and contaminated, is demanding that the new nuclear threshold not be crossed. The Marshall Islands pose, once again, a challenge to the conscience of humankind.”

James Carroll, “Tiny Pacific Nation Aims to Stop New Nuclear Arms Race,” Boston Globe, January 5, 2015.

Hearing in U.S. Court Scheduled for January 16

A hearing is scheduled in U.S. Federal District Court on January 16 on the U.S. Motion to Dismiss in the Nuclear Zero lawsuit filed by the Marshall Islands. The hearing will take place at 9:00 a.m. at the Oakland Courthouse, Courtroom 5, Second Floor, 1301 Clay St., in Oakland, California.

We will update the NAPF Facebook and Twitter page as soon as we hear any news about the Motion to Dismiss. You can read all of the relevant court documents in the case at this link.

Video and Transcripts of Marshall Islands Events in Vienna

In December, numerous events took place in Vienna relating to the Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Zero Lawsuits. Video and written transcripts of two of the events are below:

Public Forum on the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits: Video 1, Video 2, Transcript of Tony de Brum’s speech, Transcript of David Krieger’s speech.

Sean MacBride Peace Prize Ceremony: Video, Transcript of Tony de Brum’s speech.

U.S. Government Deems Cleanup Too Expensive

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed court documents indicating that cleanup deadlines imposed by the state of Washington at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation are too costly and should be rejected. According to the government, the cleanup deadlines at the United States’ most polluted nuclear weapons production site would cost an additional $18 billion over the next 14 years. For decades, Hanford produced plutonium for nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government is on track to spend $1 trillion over the next 30 years to modernize its nuclear weapons and delivery systems.

“Feds: Nuke Site Cleanup Request is Too Expensive,” Associated Press, December 9, 2014.

Throwing Good Billions After Bad

In a recent report on MSNBC, Rachel Maddow reported on U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s plan to spend billions of dollars to upgrade nuclear weapon systems, “because there’s nothing like pouring good billions after bad billions to fix a disastrously nonsensical and dangerous system.”

Click the link below to watch Maddow’s full report.

The Rachel Maddow Show, “New Pentagon Head Faces Nuclear Crisis, Wars and More,” MSNBC, December 2, 2014.

Russia Says It Has a Right to Put Nuclear Weapons in Crimea

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has asserted his country’s “right” to deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea. He said, “In accordance with international law, Russia has every reason to dispose of its nuclear arsenal … to suit its interests and international legal obligations.”

Alexander Golts, a Russian defense and political analyst, said that there is no military reason for Russia to deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea. Golts said, “Lavrov has brought up this nuclear weapons issue to demonstrate that the Kremlin considers Crimea such an inalienable part of Russia that it may choose to do with it whatever it wants, including the deployment of nukes.”

Russia, along with the other eight nuclear-armed nations, is obligated under international law to end the nuclear arms race and negotiate in good faith for nuclear disarmament.

Sergei Loiko, “Russia Says It Has a Right to Put Nuclear Weapons in Crimea,” Los Angeles Times, December 15, 2014.

French Polynesia to Sue France Over Nuclear Tests

The French Polynesia Assembly is preparing to sue the French government for nearly $1 billion in compensation for damage caused to the islands by nuclear weapons tests.

The Tahoera’a Huiraatira party committee, acting independently of Polynesian President Edouard Fritch, seeks $930 million for environmental damage caused by 210 French nuclear tests conducted from 1966 to 1996 off secluded atolls in the South Pacific.

Rose Troup Buchanan, “South Pacific Islands Prepare to Sue French Government for $1 Billion Over Nuclear Tests,” The Independent, November 24, 2014.

North Korea Threatens Fourth Nuclear Test

Reacting to “political provocation” from the United Nations, North Korean officials said that the country had no option but to consider an additional nuclear test so that their “war deterrent will be strengthened infinitely in the face of the United States’ plot for armed interference and invasion.” North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests since 2006, all of which were factors in the UN committee vote urging the Security Council to refer North Korean leaders to the International Criminal Court.

Choe Sang-Hun, “North Korea Threatens to Conduct Nuclear Test,” The New York Times, Nov. 20, 2014.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu Speaks About Nuclear Weapons

NAPF Advisor Archbishop Desmond Tutu sent a video message of support to the ICAN Civil Society Forum in Vienna.

Archbishop Tutu said, “Although I could not be with you in Vienna for this important gathering, rest assured that I am right by your side in this noble effort to free the world from nuclear arms. Our task, of course, is not an easy one. But nor was ending Apartheid in South Africa. Through perseverance, conviction and determination, we defeated the forces of injustice and hatred. We won because we stood on the right side of history; we stood for a just and moral cause. And you, too, stand on the right side of history.”

Click here to watch the full video.

This Month in Nuclear Threat History

History chronicles many instances when humans have been threatened by nuclear weapons. In this article, Jeffrey Mason outlines some of the most serious threats that have taken place in the month of January, including U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles announcing in 1954 the U.S. policy of massive nuclear retaliation “in response to communist aggression anywhere in the world…applied at places and with means of [our] own choosing.”

To read Mason’s full article, click here.

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

New From Easton Studio Press

Easton Studio Press, publisher of the first four books by NAPF Peace Leadership Director Paul K. Chappell, will publish Chappell’s fifth book, “The Cosmic Ocean,” in 2015. You can learn more about Chappell’s first four books (Will War Ever End?; The End of War; Peaceful Revolution; and The Art of Waging Peace) at this link.

Prospecta Press, part of Easton Studio Press, has also just published a new book by Lionel Delevingne entitled “To the Village Square.” The author stated, “This book is about power. Not just nuclear power but, as I have witnessed, the power of community to force action and make a change.”

Prospecta Press is offering Sunflower readers a special offer of 25% off plus free shipping on Delevingne’s book. Click here for more information.

NAPF Peace Leadership Program: 2014 Highlights and 2015 Preview

As part of a busy year with more than 50 separate events, the NAPF Peace Leadership Program in 2014 expanded globally, across the country, and into the American heartland, with special keynotes, trainings, and lectures that brought new inspiration to high school and college students, veterans, activists, college professors, and concerned citizens.

Plans are underway for an even busier 2015. NAPF Peace Leadership Director Paul K. Chappell will be returning to the Dayton International Peace Museum for a number of events. Museum co-founder Christine Dull said, “Paul Chappell is a prophet for our times. Would that all thoughtful young people could experience his wisdom, whether from his interactive talks or his beautifully expressed books. Through his fine mind and great heart, Paul shows us that peacemaking requires as much discipline as war, but the motivation is the opposite. It comes from the recognition that we are all one human family.”

To read the full article about the NAPF Peace Leadership Program, click here.

14th Annual Kelly Lecture Features Dr. Helen Caldicott

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s 14th Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future will feature Dr. Helen Caldicott, an Australian physician and renowned anti-nuclear advocate. Her lecture, entitled “Preserving Humanity’s Future,” will take place on March 5, 2015, at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, California.

Tickets start at $10 and will go on sale soon at the Lobero Theatre box office. For more information, call (805) 965-3443.

The Dynamics of Possible Nuclear Extinction

The Helen Caldicott Foundation for a Nuclear Free Future will hold a two-day symposium at the New York Academy of Medicine on February 28 – March 1, 2015. The symposium will address the dynamics of possible nuclear extinction.

NAPF President David Krieger is among a distinguished group of panelists for this event, which is open to the public. For more information and to pre-register online, click here.

“Law stands on hollow ground where a solid moral conviction is absent….a gap in law is often just a mirror through which we are impelled to gaze into our own ambivalent souls. And so it is the case with nuclear weapons.”

— Nobuo Hayashi of the University of Oslo, speaking at the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons. Click here to read his speech.

“It underscores the senselessness of pouring funds into modernizing the means for our mutual destruction while we are failing to meet the challenges posed by poverty, climate change, extremism and the destabilizing accumulation of conventional arms.”

— UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a message to the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons. Click here to read his full message.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

— Martin Luther King, Jr. This quote is featured in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, available from the NAPF Peace Store.

David Krieger
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman

Peace Leadership

by David Krieger

We live in a time of war and in a world that sacrifices its children at the altar of violence.

President Eisenhower warned against the “military-industrial complex.”  He might well have added, “military-industrial-academic-congressional complex.”  All are implicated in the obscene sums spent on war and its preparation.

There are children growing up today who have never known peace.  Can you imagine what this must be like?

To read more, click here.

How We Learned to Stop Playing With Blocks and Ban Nuclear Weapons

by Ray Acheson

It is the responsibility of all NPT states parties to pursue effective measures for nuclear disarmament. Yet supporters of the step-by-step or building blocks approach seem unwilling to put these “blocks” in place themselves. Some of them host US nuclear weapons on their soil, without acknowledging their presence. Most of these states include nuclear weapons in their security doctrines via NATO, which has not taken a collective decision to reduce the role of this weapon of mass destruction in its military doctrine.

While the nuclear-armed states and their allies resist negotiations on the comprehensive elimination of nuclear weapons, the rest of the world can begin to establish the framework for this by developing a clear legal standard prohibiting these weapons for all. This will take courage. But it is a logical, feasible, achievable, and above all, effective measure for nuclear disarmament.

To read more, click here.

Sean MacBride Peace Prize to the People and Government of the Marshall Islands

The International Peace Bureau (IPB), the 1910 Nobel Peace Laureate, will present its annual Sean MacBride Peace Prize to the people and government of the Marshall Islands. The award ceremony will take place on December 5 in Vienna, Austria. Foreign Minister Tony de Brum will accept the award on behalf of the Marshall Islands. IPB chose the Marshall Islands for this year’s award because of its courageous legal actions against the world’s nine nuclear-armed nations.

The event will take place on Friday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m. at the Vienna University of Technology. The event is free and open to the public.

Click here to download a flyer for the event.

Next Steps in International Court of Justice Lawsuits

The Republic of the Marshall Islands, together with its international legal team, is hard at work on the next phase of the lawsuits before the International Court of Justice in the Hague. The United Kingdom, India and Pakistan are the three nuclear-armed nations that accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the court. Those three cases are moving forward. The other six nuclear-armed nations (United States, Russia, France, China, Israel and North Korea) do not recognize the jurisdiction of the court and are not required to have the case against them heard, although they have been invited to do so.

The next phase of the ICJ cases is “memorials,” which are in-depth arguments about the issues. The Marshall Islands will submit its memorial against Pakistan in December, against India in January, and against the United Kingdom in March. Each sued party will then have six months to reply to the memorial.

To stay up to date on the Nuclear Zero lawsuits, visit www.nuclearzero.org regularly.

Open Letter in Support of the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits

In an open letter to the people and government of the Marshall Islands, 82 advocates of disarmament and human rights from 22 nations, including two Nobel Peace Laureates, endorsed the federal lawsuit and a parallel suit the Marshall Islands have filed in the World Court against all nine nuclear weapons nations.

“You, and any governments that choose to join you, are acting on behalf of all the 7 billion people who now live on Earth and on behalf of the generations yet unborn who could never be born if nuclear weapons are ever used in large numbers,” read the letter.

“Win or lose in the coming legal arguments, what you, and any who join you, will do has the deepest moral significance. …All people and all governments that have the welfare and survival of humanity and the planet at heart must support you wholeheartedly.”

Bob Egelko, “Marshall Islands’ Nuke Suit Against U.S. Gets Nobel Winners’ Support,” SF Gate, October 16, 2014.

Which U.S. President Cut the Most Nuclear Weapons?

According to a new report by Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists, President George W. Bush cut the largest percentage of the U.S. nuclear arsenal of any U.S. president. During his two terms, he cut the nation’s arsenal in half. His father, President George H.W. Bush, while serving a single term, came in a close second with reductions of 41 percent. Together, Mr. Kristensen noted, the two men cut “a staggering 14,801 warheads from the stockpile.”

In contrast, President Obama has made only modest cuts to the U.S. nuclear arsenal and plans to implement major upgrades to its nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles. The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, a Washington-based network of organizations (including the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation), recently condemned the administration’s plans as “the largest expansion of funding on nuclear weapons since the fall of the Soviet Union.”

William J. Broad, “Which President Cut the Most Nukes?” The New York Times, November 1, 2014.

Catholic Bishop: Do Not Modernize Nuclear Arsenal

Bishop Timothy Pates, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, has written a letter to U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz urging the United States not to move forward with its plan to modernize its nuclear forces.

Bishop Pates wrote, “The seeming indefinite reliance of the United States on a policy of nuclear deterrence, especially one that includes significant new investments in nuclear weapons, undermines President Obama’s stated goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. Excessive spending on nuclear weapons also undermines long-term initiatives to promote human security.”

He also noted that the Catholic Church has called for a global ban on nuclear weapons since 1963, a goal reiterated by Pope Francis this year.

“Bishop Pates to Energy Secretary : Plan to Upgrade Nuclear Forces Undermines Quest for Disarmament,” U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, October 30, 2014.

Lawsuit Spotlights U.S. Charities that Fund Israel’s Nuclear Weapons Program

A federal lawsuit seeks immediate release of a closely held government report about how American branches of Israeli charitable and educational institutes fund secret nuclear weapons research and development programs.

The Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy filed suit for the report in the DC District Court as part of a public-interest drive to obtain long overdue enforcement of the Symington and Glenn Amendments to the Foreign Assistance Act.  The laws prohibit U.S. foreign aid to nuclear weapons states such as Israel that are not signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

“Lawsuit Spotlights U.S. Charities that Fund Israel’s Secret Nuclear Weapons Program,” PR Newswire, October 28, 2014.

155 Nations Sign Statement on Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons

At the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, 155 nations signed on to the Joint Statement on the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons, representing about 80% of the world’s countries.

The statement reads in part, “It is in the interest of the very survival of humanity that nuclear weapons are never used again…. The only way to guarantee that nuclear weapons will never be used again is through their total elimination.”

The statement also cited the third conference on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons scheduled for December in Vienna and urged states with or without nuclear arsenals to take part. “We firmly believe that it is in the interests of all States to participate in that Conference,” it said.

“More Countries Back U.N. Statement on Nuclear Disarmament,” Kyodo News, October 20, 2014.

British Study Reveals High Birth Defect Rate

A peer-reviewed study by Dr. Christopher Busby, a University of Liverpool Fellow, has shown that British soldiers exposed to radiation during the 1950s were ten times more likely to bear children with defects. Veterans’ grandchildren are eight times more likely to be born with defects as well, and are twice as likely to develop childhood cancer. The Ministry of Defense has claimed otherwise in the past, noting “no statistical significance” in the existence of birth defects among veterans’ children compared to the greater population.

Susie Boniface, “Britain’s Nuclear Test Veterans Are the Victims of a Genetic Curse, New Research Reveals,” Mirror, October 18, 2014.

Weapons Companies’ Profits Soar Along with Global Conflict

Stocks of many major U.S. weapon manufacturers are trading at record prices, as conflicts around the world lead to an ever-increasing demand. Investors see rising sales for makers of missiles, drones and other weapons as the U.S. hits Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq, said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Chicago-based BMO Private Bank.

Lockheed Martin, the world’s biggest “defense” company, reached an all-time high stock price of $180.74 on September 19, when Northrop and Raytheon also set records. General Dynamics, the parent company of Maine shipbuilder Bath Iron Works, traded at $129.45 on that day, up from $87.74 a year ago. That quartet of companies and Chicago-based Boeing accounted for nearly $105 billion in federal contract orders last year.

Richard Clough, “U.S. Defense Industry’s Profits Soaring Along With Global Tensions,” Bloomberg News, September 25, 2014.

This Month in Nuclear Threat History

History chronicles many instances when humans have been threatened by nuclear weapons. In this article, Jeffrey Mason outlines some of the most serious threats that have taken place in the month of November, including the “Training Tape Incident” in which the U.S. mistakenly believed it was under attack from Soviet nuclear missiles.

To read Mason’s full article, click here.

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

Third Edition of Speaking of Peace

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has published the third edition of Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action. The book, edited by NAPF President David Krieger, contains hundreds of inspirational quotes from throughout history.

The quotes are divided into ten chapters: Lessons of History; War; Peace; Nuclear Weapons / Nuclear War; Earth Citizenship; Human Spirit; Commitment to Life; Individual Power; Individual Responsibility; and Hope.

To order a copy of the new edition of Speaking of Peace from the NAPF Peace Store, click here.

UN General Assembly’s First Committee

Reaching Critical Will, a project of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, maintains a comprehensive record of statements and votes made at the UN General Assembly’s First Committee on Disarmament and International Security.

Click here to read countries’ statements, review voting records on disarmament-related resolutions and read analysis by leading voices in civil society.

ICAN Civil Society Forum

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has announced a Civil Society Forum to take place in Vienna, Austria on December 6-7. The forum will take place in advance of a government conference on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, also in Vienna.

Representatives of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, along with many other campaigners, activists, experts, public figures and survivors, will gather to learn and to teach, to energize and be energized, to demonstrate our unity and to demand the end of the era of nuclear weapons. Over a packed but fun-filled two days, we will engage in discussions with the best and brightest voices in the humanitarian disarmament field, hear testimonies from inspirational individuals who know the meaning of courage, develop our campaigning and advocacy skills and, of course, get up to speed on the ins and outs of the humanitarian imperative to ban nuclear weapons.

To learn more about the Civil Society Forum and to register, click here.

31st Annual Evening for Peace

On November 16, 2014, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will host its 31st Annual Evening for Peace. This year’s Distinguished Peace Leader is Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the social justice organization CODEPINK and the international human rights organization, Global Exchange.

Medea Benjamin has been on the front lines for thirty years, shining light on the struggles of the world’s innocent and poor. She has written, “We have to build a movement that takes on the arrogance of power, the tyranny of greed, the politics of hypocrisy, the idolatry of national security, the cancer of hatred, racism, sexism, the hysteria of nationalism, the sin of torture, the crisis of the environment, the madness of war, and turn that all into a culture, a country, that shows love, compassion, caring for the planet, and with that, we have to lift the voices of the peacemakers.”

For more information about the Evening for Peace, click here or contact the Foundation at (805) 965-3443.

Peace Leadership in Maine

“The most important work in the world,” is how Tilla Durr, the daughter of famed civil rights activists Clifford and Virginia Durr, described the work of NAPF Peace Leadership Director Paul K. Chappell during his recent visit to Maine. Durr attended both the two-day Peace Leadership Training in Bridgton, Maine, and Paul’s lecture at the University of New England (UNE) Center for Global Humanities in Portland, Maine.

“Paul does not just leave his audience with an intellectual understanding of the anatomy of aggression and the art of waging peace, but teaches us to see conflict as opportunity,” Durr commented about the training and the UNE lecture. “There was not a single person who attended who was not profoundly affected.”

To read more about Paul Chappell’s recent trip to Maine, click here.

NAPF Activities in Vienna

In addition to participating in the ICAN Civil Society Forum in Vienna (see Resources, above), David Krieger, Rick Wayman and Alice Slater of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will be involved in many other activities in Vienna, Austria, in early December.

On December 5, NAPF is co-sponsoring a public forum with the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA) about the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits. The forum will feature Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Tony de Brum, NAPF President David Krieger, Phon van den Biesen of IALANA, and Marylia Kelley of Tri-Valley CAREs.

On December 8 and 9, the NAPF representatives will attend the Third Conference on the Humanitarian Impacts of Nuclear Weapons, hosted by the Foreign Ministry of Austria. Around 150 countries are expected to attend the conference.

“A debate on the renewal of the MDA would be used by some as an opportunity to raise wider questions concerning the possible renewal of the nuclear deterrent … and our obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.”

— A 2004 internal document from the UK Ministry of Defense, explaining why the Mutual Defense Agreement (MDA) between the United States and the United Kingdom continues to be renewed in secret every 10 years.

“Peace with a club in hand is war.”

— Portugese Proverb. This quote is featured in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, available from the NAPF Peace Store.

Christian Hatchett
David Krieger
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman