Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Author: NAPF Press Office

  • U.S. Schedules Yet Another Controversial Minuteman III Test

    For Immediate Release

    Contact:
    Sandy Jones or Rick Wayman
    (805) 965-3443 or (805) 696-5159
    sjones@napf.org
    rwayman@napf.org

    U.S. Schedules Yet Another Controversial Minuteman III Missile Test
    With the NPT Conference wrapping up, timing of this missile test sends a very wrong message

    May 19, 2015 – Santa Barbara, CA – The U.S. is set to launch a Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

    The test launch comes three days before the end of the 2015 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference held in New York City at the United Nations.  The purpose of this conference, held every five years and attended by the vast majority of the world’s nations as well as hundreds of NGOs from around the globe, is to assess and improve the implementation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) – the only binding commitment to nuclear disarmament in a multilateral treaty that exists. The hope is that the conference will produce concrete, actionable movement toward global nuclear disarmament.

    At this year’s conference, dozens of nations strongly called for the United States and other nuclear-armed nations to take their nuclear weapons off high-alert status and to more urgently pursue negotiations for nuclear disarmament. Rather than heeding this reasonable call, the U.S. has chosen this time to test a high-alert land-based missile.

    Rick Wayman, Director of Programs and Operations at the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), commented, “Conducting a nuclear missile test, particularly at this time, sends a clear signal to the international community that the United States believes it can continue to possess nuclear weapons indefinitely and with impunity.”

    The Air Force Global Strike Command stated in their release that the ICBM test launch program is to validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapon system. However, the timing of the test launch sends a clear message to the world that the U.S. continues to rely on these weapons in its military policy.

    David Krieger, President of NAPF, contends, “The officials at Vandenberg say the purpose of the test is to ‘validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapons system.’ This means the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of a weapons system capable of destroying civilization and the human species. Instead of launching missiles, the United States should be leading negotiations to rid the world of these weapons of mass annihilation.”

    The 2010 NPT Review Conference produced an Action Plan that was, at that time, agreed to by all States Parties. Included in this plan was a promise from the U.S. and other nuclear weapon states to “consider the legitimate interest of non-nuclear weapon States in further reducing the operational status of nuclear weapons systems in ways that promote international stability and security.”

    Krieger further commented, “Clearly, this test launch of a Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile must be viewed as a blatant failure on the part of the U.S. to reduce the operational status of its nuclear weapon systems. The test further undermines international stability, and U.S. nuclear policy continues to threaten the security of American citizens and people throughout the world.”

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    For further information, contact Rick Wayman at rwayman@napf.org or call (805) 696-5159.

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation – NAPF’s mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders.  Founded in 1982, the Foundation is comprised of individuals and organizations worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations.  For more information, visit www.wagingpeace.org.

  • Marshall Islands to U.S. – Keep Your NPT Promises

    Update: Marshall Islands to U.S. – Keep Your NPT Promises
    As the NPT Review Conference approaches, the Marshall Islands take the next step

    April 9, 2015 – The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) filed its Court ordered Mediation Questionnaire today in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, taking the next step in the appeal of the Nuclear Zero Lawsuit.

    The lawsuit, brought by the RMI against the U.S., claims the U.S. is in breach of its legal obligations under Article VI of the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to pursue negotiations in good faith for an end to the nuclear arms race and for nuclear disarmament. The U.S. has refused to negotiate and is instead modernizing its nuclear arsenal.

    The case was dismissed on jurisdictional grounds on February 3, 2015 by the U.S. Federal District Court for the Northern District of California, before the U.S. filed an Answer or submitted any evidence, and without any analysis of the merits of the claims.

    In the Mediation Questionnaire, the RMI cites a statement made by the U.S. Embassy in the Marshall Islands on February 5, 2015 which asserted that “the U.S. commitment to achieving the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons is unassailable.” Taking the Embassy’s statement at face value, the RMI goes on to say, “If the U.S. were willing to demonstrate that commitment by calling for and convening negotiations for cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament under the NPT (which is the very relief sought by the Marshall Islands), then this case could have strong potential for a successful mediation.”

    David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and consultant to the RMI in their case, commented, “The RMI has set forth a means by which mediation could be successful. If the U.S. were acting responsibly, they’d simply do what they promised to do 45 years ago when the NPT entered into force – fulfill their obligation to negotiate in good faith for an end to the nuclear arms race and for nuclear disarmament. It’s ironic that while the U.S. is focusing world attention on the progress being made on nonproliferation with Iran, there has been zero progress on initiating negotiations for cessation of the nuclear arms race or nuclear disarmament.”

    With the filing of this Mediation Questionnaire coming just two weeks prior to the 2015 NPT Review Conference to be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, there will likely be heightened attention paid by those attending the conference to the status of the Marshall Islands lawsuits. This year’s Review Conference will mark the 20-year anniversary of the NPT’s indefinite extension agreed to in 1995.

    Click here to read the Mediation Questionnaire in its entirety. For more information about the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits, visit nuclearzero.org.

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    Note to editor: to arrange interviews with David Krieger (President of NAPF) or Laurie Ashton (head of RMI legal team for U.S. case), please call Sandy Jones or Rick Wayman at (805) 965-3443 or (805) 696-5159.

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation was founded in 1982. Its mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders. The Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations and is comprised of individuals and groups worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age.

  • The Marshall Islands Will Not Back Down

    Contact:
    Sandy Jones or Rick Wayman
    (805) 965-3443 / (805) 696-5159
    sjones@napf.org / rwayman@napf.org

    The Marshall Islands Will Not Back Down
    The Marshall Islands appeals dismissal of lawsuit against United States

    April 2, 2015 – The lawsuit brought by the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) against the United States is not going away anytime soon. While the case was dismissed on February 3, 2015 by the U.S. Federal District Court for the Northern District of California, this small island nation today took the important step of formally filing its Notice of Appeal.

    The lawsuit, referred to as the Nuclear Zero lawsuit, claims the U.S. is in breach of its legal obligations under Article VI of the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to pursue negotiations in good faith for an end to the nuclear arms race and for nuclear disarmament.  This is especially important as there is a growing awareness in the world that the continued possession and modernization of nuclear arsenals constitutes a clear and continuing threat to our planet. This threat is now magnified by the deteriorating relationships between Russia and the U.S., which between them control over 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons.

    Earlier this year, U.S. Federal District Court dismissed the case on the jurisdictional grounds of standing and political question doctrine without getting to the merits of the case. Laurie Ashton, lead attorney for the RMI in the U.S. case, expressed strong disagreement with the court’s ruling, saying, “We believe the District Court erred in dismissing the case. The Marshall Islands, like every party to the NPT, is entitled to the United States’ fulfillment of its NPT promise – negotiations for nuclear disarmament. Further, the U.S. President does not enjoy exclusive purview to determine the U.S. breach of its treaty obligations. Instead, the judiciary has an obligation to rule in this treaty dispute.”

    Marshall Islanders suffered catastrophic and irreparable damages to their people and homeland when the U.S. conducted 67 nuclear tests on their territory between 1946 and 1958. These tests had the equivalent power of exploding 1.6 Hiroshima bombs daily for 12 years. The devastating impact of these nuclear detonations to health and well-being of the Marshall Islanders and to their land continues to this day.

    David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and consultant to the RMI in the case, made the following statement. “Knowing how high the stakes are, the Marshall Islands will not give up. They are a resilient and heroic people who have taken bold action against the nuclear giants of the world. They will continue to struggle on behalf of all humanity until the nuclear-armed nations have fulfilled their obligations to abolish every last one of their nuclear weapons.”

    RMI Foreign Minister Tony de Brum said of the appeal, “We are in this for the long haul. We remain steadfast in our belief that nuclear weapons benefit no one and that what is right for humankind will prevail. We place great importance in and hold high respect for the American judicial process and will pursue justice in that spirit, using every available legal avenue to see that Nuclear Zero is achieved in my lifetime.”

    For more information about the Nuclear Zero lawsuits, visit nuclearzero.org. To read the Notice of Appeal, click here.

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    Note to editor: to arrange interviews with David Krieger (President of NAPF) or Laurie Ashton (head of RMI legal team for U.S. case), please call Sandy Jones or Rick Wayman at (805) 965-3443 or (805) 696-5159.

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation was founded in 1982. Its mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders. The Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations and is comprised of individuals and groups worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age.

  • Marshall Islands’ Foreign Minister Speaks Out on Dismissal of Lawsuit and Plans to Appeal

    On February 3, 2015, the U.S. Federal District Court granted the U.S. government’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the Marshall Islands. The lawsuit sought to hold the U.S. to its legal obligations to pursue negotiations in good faith for an end to the nuclear arms race and for nuclear disarmament.

    The Court dismissed the case on the jurisdictional grounds of standing and political question doctrine without getting to the merits of the case. On February 6, 2015, the U.S. Embassy in Majuro issued a statement welcoming the Court’s decision. On February 23, 2015, Foreign Minister Tony de Brum, of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), delivered a speech to the RMI parliament in which he explained some of the key issues in the ruling and also responded to the U.S. Embassy’s statement.

    De Brum made it clear that the RMI was disappointed by the Court’s decision and plans to appeal it 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.”

    De Brum explained that the U.S. did not argue the case on the merits, but rather sought dismissal on jurisdictional grounds, claiming that the RMI did not have standing to bring the lawsuit and that the case was subject to the political question doctrine.

    With regard to standing, de Brum said that as a party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), the RMI does have standing to bring this case against other NPT parties that are not fulfilling their obligations, including the U.S. He argued that the Court’s decision creates precedent that parties to treaties with the U.S. do not have legal recourse in U.S. courts.

    Regarding the political question doctrine, the Court held that it was up to the Executive and not the Court to fulfill (or, implicitly, decide not to fulfill) its legal obligations to negotiate in good faith for nuclear disarmament. The Court’s ruling would leave the disarmament obligation in the hands of the branch of government that has failed to fulfill the U.S. obligation for 45 years.

    The U.S. Embassy in the Marshall Islands cited President Obama’s vision of a world without nuclear weapons. De Brum agreed, “The RMI welcomes this reassertion of President Obama’s vision. We share this vision. That is why we implore the U.S. to honor its binding NPT Article VI obligations, namely negotiations in good faith relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament.”

    David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), a consultant to the RMI in its lawsuits, stated, “It’s encouraging to hear the resolve of the Marshall Islands in Minister de Brum’s remarks. This tiny Pacific Island nation is taking a stand for all humanity. They are bold and courageous, and they know they are right in pressing the nuclear-armed countries to fulfill their legal obligations. I admire the persistence and spirit of the people of the Marshall Islands.”

    The RMI also remains engaged in the three lawsuits for which there is compulsory jurisdiction at the International Court of Justice – those against India, Pakistan and the UK. To learn more about the Nuclear Zero lawsuits, go to nuclearzero.org.

    To read the full statement by Minister de Brum, click here.

    Note to editor: to arrange interviews with David Krieger (President of NAPF) or Laurie Ashton (head of RMI legal team for U.S. case), please call Sandy Jones or Rick Wayman at (805) 965-3443.

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation was founded in 1982. Its mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders. The Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations and is comprised of individuals and groups worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age.

  • Dr. Helen Caldicott Delivers 2015 Kelly Lecture

    Helen CaldicottThe Nuclear Age Peace Foundation held its 14th Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future with Helen Caldicott speaking on “Preserving the Future.” Dr. Caldicott, named by the Smithsonian as one of the most influential women of the 20th century, is a prominent and influential speaker on nuclear weapons and the fate of the Earth. She has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Linus Pauling, himself a two-time Nobel Laureate.

    The Kelly Lecture Series annually presents a distinguished individual who speaks on exploring humanity’s present circumstances and ways by which we can shape a more promising future for our planet and its inhabitants.

    The lecture took place on March 5, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, California. You can watch a video of the lecture at this link.

    Thanks to our sponsors for this event:

    The Santa Barbara Foundation
    Terry and Mary Kelly
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    Dr. Jimmy and Diane Hara
    Steve Daniels and Kitty Glanz
    Glenn Griffith and Carrie Cooper
    Lessie Nixon Schontzler and Gordon Schontzler
    Rick Carter Photography

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  • Laurie Ashton, counsel for the RMI’s Nuclear Zero Lawsuit speaks on Radio New Zealand International

    Laurie Ashton, counsel for the RMI’s Nuclear Zero Lawsuit speaks about Judge White’s dismissal of the case in U.S. Federal Court. Hear the interview here:

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/20166728

  • U.S. Judge Dismisses Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Zero Lawsuit

    February 6, 2015 – On Tuesday, February 3, 2015, U.S. Federal Court Judge Jeffrey White dismissed the U.S. Nuclear Zero Lawsuit.

    The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) filed the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits against all nine nuclear-armed nations in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and separately against the United States in U.S. Federal District Court. The lawsuits call upon these nations to fulfill their legal obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and customary international law to negotiate in good faith to end the nuclear arms race and for total nuclear disarmament.

    Judge White granted the U.S. government’s motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that the RMI, although a party to the NPT, lacked standing to bring the case. White also ruled that the lawsuit is barred by the political question doctrine.

    The Marshall Islands, a former U.S. territory in the northern Pacific, was the ground zero for 67 U.S. nuclear tests between 1946 and 1958 and suffered the equivalent of 1.6 Hiroshima bombs daily for 12 years. The lawsuit, which the RMI plans to appeal, does not seek compensation, but rather, a court order requiring the U.S. to enter negotiations for nuclear disarmament.

    Laurie Ashton, counsel for the RMI, respectfully expressed disappointment with the Court’s ruling, saying, “The next step is an appeal of the Court’s Order to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. As the RMI continues to pursue legal remedies to enforce the most important clause of the NPT, we implore the U.S. to honor its binding Article VI obligations, and call for and pursue the negotiations that have never begun—namely negotiations in good faith relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament.”

    David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and consultant to the RMI noted, “The Court’s decision on this is akin to turning the matter over to the foxes to guard the nuclear henhouse. This will cause many national leaders to reconsider the value of entering into treaties with the U.S.”

    The RMI remains engaged in the three lawsuits for which there is compulsory jurisdiction at the ICJ – those against India, Pakistan and the UK. To learn more about the Nuclear Zero lawsuits, go to nuclearzero.org.

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    Note to editor: to arrange interviews with David Krieger or Laurie Ashton, please call Sandy Jones or Carol Warner at (805) 965-3443. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation was founded in 1982. Its mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders. The Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations and is comprised of individuals and groups worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age.

     

     

     

  • Five Million Voices for Nuclear Zero

    For Immediate Release
    Contact:
    Sandy Jones
    (805) 965-3443
    sjones@napf.org

    5,000,000 Voices for Nuclear Zero
    Soka Gakkai Youth in Japan gathers 5 million signatures in support of Nuclear Zero

    Vienna, Austria – December 2014 –– 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).

    The Nuclear Zero petition is part of a global campaign calling for a world free of nuclear weapons. The petition states, “To protect humanity’s future, we support the Marshall Islands, a small island nation that is courageously seeking to enforce the Nuclear Zero promise – a world free of nuclear weapons.” The petition goes on to call upon the nuclear-armed nations to fulfill their moral and legal obligations to begin negotiations for complete nuclear disarmament. To sign the petition and learn about the campaign, visit nuclearzero.org.

    fivemillionSoka Gakkai Youth in Japan is comprised mainly of young men and women in their 20s and 30s. It is an arm of Soka Gakkai International (SGI), a grassroots Buddhist association with 12 million members around the globe who promote the longstanding tradition of Buddhist humanism. 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 signatures were collected throughout Japan from July to October 2014 in conjunction with meetings in which members heard the experiences of the hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

    Upon receiving the signatures, Tony de Brum said, “I am deeply moved to receive this kind of support from the people of Japan. I know the people of the Marshall Islands will be as well. Our country has suffered terrible devastation from the nuclear weapons testing conducted in and around our islands from 1946 until 1958.” He went on to say, “All we ask is that the nuclear-armed nations fulfill their obligations to begin negotiations for nuclear disarmament. This is the only way we can ensure that no other country will suffer as we have. These signatures give me renewed faith that change is possible.”

    David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, a consultant to the Marshall Islands in their efforts to reach Nuclear Zero, commented, “It is this younger generation that is breaking the bonds of complacency which have been such a serious obstacle to change in the world. They give me hope that people throughout the world will now demand of their leaders the right to live in a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons.”

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    For further information, or if you would like to interview David Krieger or a representative of Soka Gakkai, contact Rick Wayman at rwayman@napf.org or call (805) 696-5159.

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation – NAPF’s mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders.  Founded in 1982, the Foundation is comprised of individuals and organizations worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations.  For more information, visit wagingpeace.org or nuclearzero.org.

  • Greenpeace Champions the Marshall Islands

    For Immediate Release

    Contact:
    Sandy Jones
    (805) 965-3443
    sjones@napf.org

    Greenpeace champions the Marshall Islands
    Declares zero the only safe number of nuclear weapons on the planet

    Santa Barbara – Greenpeace, the most inclusive, people-powered collective movement in the world, is lending its strong support to the Marshall Islands and the Nuclear Zero lawsuits. In doing so, they are sending a clear message to the world that it is long past time for the nuclear Goliaths to begin negotiations for nuclear disarmament.

    greenpeace_hiresKumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International said, “We stand with the people of the Marshall Islands in their fight to rid the world of nuclear weapons. Having seen their land, sea and people poisoned by radiation, they are now taking to task the nine nuclear-armed nations for failing to eliminate this danger which threatens humanity at large.” He continued, “Greenpeace salutes their struggle and joins them in declaring that Zero is the only safe number of nuclear weapons on the planet.”

    “We are thrilled to have Greenpeace on board in this unprecedented effort,” said Rick Wayman, Director of Programs at the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. “Their commitment to peaceful solutions and a better world could not be stronger, their bandwidth is huge and their ability to communicate creatively is unparalleled. Having their support will mean a great deal to the Marshall Islanders in their efforts to bring the nuclear-armed nations to the negotiating table.”

    The Marshall Islands is a small island nation in the Pacific whose people have suffered greatly as a result of U.S. atmospheric and underwater nuclear tests in the 1940s and 1950s. Led by Foreign Minister Tony de Brum, this courageous nation is now at the forefront of activism for nuclear abolition. “After seeing what mere testing can do to human beings, it makes sense for the Marshallese people to implore the nuclear weapons nations to begin the hard task of disarmament. All we ask is that this terrible threat be removed from our world,” said Mr. de Brum.

    On April 24, 2014, The Marshall Islands filed unprecedented lawsuits in the International Court of Justice and U.S. Federal Court to hold the nine nuclear-armed nations accountable for flagrant violations of international law with respect to their nuclear disarmament obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and customary international law. The lawsuits do not seek monetary reparations. Rather, they seek a judicial order to require the nuclear-armed countries to cease modernizing their nuclear arsenals and to commence negotiations for complete nuclear disarmament.

    In a strong show of unity and strength, Mr. Naidoo has added his name to an open letter of support for the Marshall Islands lawsuits. The letter states, in part, “In taking this action, you [the Marshall Islands] and any governments that choose to join you, are acting on behalf of all the seven 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.” In addition to Mr. Naidoo, the letter is signed by Nobel Peace Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mairead Maguire, Oscar Arias, Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, and Adolpho Pérez Esquivel and some 80 other peace and social justice leaders from more than 25 countries around the world. To read the letter in its entirety, go to www.wagingpeace.org/rmi-open-letter.

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has supported the Marshall Islands and their bold initiative since the project’s inception, serving as their strategic consultant while also assembling and coordinating a coalition of U.S. and international experts providing legal counsel to the Marshall Islands.

    “The Marshall Islands has given humanity a wake-up call. Each of us has a choice. We can wake up, or we can continue our complacent slumber,” said David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Founation. “The safety and security of every inhabitant of the planet, now and in the future, is at stake.”

    Anyone wishing to support the Marshall Islanders can do so by signing the #NuclearZero petition calling on nuclear weapons nations to urgently fulfill their moral duty and legal obligation to begin negotiations for complete nuclear disarmament. Visit www.nuclearzero.org.

    You can read the Greenpeace blog, Marshall Islands takes on the nuclear-armed states, for all our sakes at bit.ly/gp-zero. Follow the Nuclear Zero lawsuits on Facebook and Twitter, and follow Greenpeace on Facebook and Twitter.

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    For further information, or if you would like to arrange interviews, contact Rick Wayman at rwayman@napf.org or call (805) 696-5159.

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation – NAPF’s mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders.  Founded in 1982, the Foundation is comprised of individuals and organizations worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations.  For more information, visit www.wagingpeace.org.

  • Marshall Islands’ Lawsuits Gain Momentous Support

    For Immediate Release
    Contact:     
    Sandy Jones
    (805) 965-3443
    sjones@napf.org

    Marshall Islands’ Lawsuits Gain Momentous Support
    Leaders from 22 Nations Offer Support for Humanity in Open Letter

    Santa Barbara – Some 73 civil society leaders from 22 countries around the world have lent their support to the people and government of the Marshall Islands and the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits.

    On April 24, 2014, The Marshall Islands (RMI) filed unprecedented lawsuits in the International
    Court of Justice and U.S. Federal Court to hold the nine nuclear-armed nations accountable
    for flagrant violations of international law with respect to their nuclear disarmament obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and customary international law.

    In a strong show of unity and encouragement, Nobel Peace Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mairead Maguire, founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, Helen Caldicott and many other peace and social justice leaders have signed an open letter stating, “In taking this action, you, and any governments that choose to join you, are acting on behalf of all the seven 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.”

    The letter goes on to say, “Win or lose in the coming legal arguments, what you, and any who join you, will do has the deepest moral significance, going far beyond the specific interests
    of any country or government and beyond the usual calculations of national self-interest.”

    David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and a consultant to the Marshall Islands on the legal and moral issues of the case, commented, “The Marshall Islanders are unselfishly acting for the good of all humanity. This small island nation is the true David standing up to the nine nuclear Goliaths. The Marshallese people have suffered irreparable damage from the U.S. nuclear testing program. Yet this lawsuit does not seek monetary reparations. Rather, it seeks the fulfillment of promises made for negotiations for the total elimination of nuclear weapons so that no other nation will suffer as they have. The courage of this small island nation is remarkable.”

    The open letter was presented in Parliament by Marshall Islands’ Foreign Minister Tony de Brum on the last day of their 2014 session. To read the letter in its entirety, go to wagingpeace.org/rmi-open-letter. To find out more about the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits, visit nuclearzero.org.

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    For further information, or if you would like to interview David Krieger, contact Rick Wayman at rwayman@napf.org or call (805) 696-5159.

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation – NAPF’s mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders.  Founded in 1982, the Foundation is comprised of individuals and organizations worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations.  For more information, visit www.wagingpeace.org.