Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Author: NAPF Press Office

  • Foundation Announces 2014 Peace Poetry Award Winners

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    CONTACT: Carol Warner, Poetry Award Coordinator
    (805) 965-3443
    cwarner@napf.org

    Santa Barbara, CA (October 15, 2014) – The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of its Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards. Since 1995, the Foundation has encouraged poets to explore and illuminate positive visions of peace and the human spirit through these Awards. The poetry awards are offered in three categories: Adult; Youth (13 to 18); and Children (12 and under).

    In the Adult category, Devreaux Baker, from Mendocino, California, was awarded the $1,000 First Place Prize for her poem “In the Year of the Drone.” Ms. Baker has published three books of poetry, with a fourth to be published in January 2015. She has taught poetry workshops in France, Mexico and the United States; and Poetry in the Schools through the California Poets In Schools Program. Her awards include the 2011 PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Poetry Award, the Hawaii Council on Humanities International Poetry Prize, and the Women’s Global Leadership Poetry Award.

    The First Place Prize of $200 in the Youth (13 to 18) category was awarded to Sophia Marusic for her poem “Vietnam: January 28, 1973.” Ms. Marusic lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and is a sophomore at John Burroughs School. She is the art editor of her school literary magazine and is a member of the St. Louis Poetry Center.

    An Honorable Mention in the Youth (13 to 18) category was awarded to Alice Yanhong Lu for her poem “Free.” Ms. Lu lives in North Potomac, Maryland, and attends the University of Maryland, College Park.

    In the Children (12 and under) category, the First Place Prize of $200 was awarded to Leila Metres for her poem “Soil Soul.” Leila lives in University Heights Ohio, where she is home schooled.

    The Peace Poetry Awards are named for the late Barbara Mandigo Kelly, a poet, pianist and peace advocate.

    Two anthologies of winning poems in the annual Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards have been published. The first anthology, The Poetry of Peace, was published by Capra Press in 2003. The second anthology, Never Enough Flowers: The Poetry of Peace II, was published by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in 2012. The winning poems since 1995 are also available to read at http://www.peacecontests.org/poetry/winners.pdf.

    For more information, including the 2015 Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards Guidelines, please visit the Foundation’s website at http://www.peacecontests.org/poetry/index.php or contact the Foundation at (805) 965-3443.

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    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan international organization with consultative status to the United Nations. For 32 years, the Foundation’s mission has been to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons, and to empower peace leaders.

  • U.S. Schedules Minuteman III Missile Test: Timing is Everything

    For Immediate Release

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

    Santa Barbara – The U.S. is set to launch a Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The launch is scheduled to take place in the early morning hours of Tuesday, September 23.

    The launch comes at a time of heightened tension between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine and NATO expansion. It also comes two days after the International Day of Peace (Sept. 21) and three days before the official UN Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (Sept. 26). Clearly this timing is meant to send a message and it is not a message of peace.

    Though the Air Force Global Strike Command contends that the ICBM test launch program is to validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapon system, this test is yet another example of the continuation of decades of psychological and physical terror the U.S. has imposed upon the people of the Marshall Islands.

    Between the years of 1946 and 1958, the United States tested 67 nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands resulting in immeasurable suffering and emotional physical trauma to the islanders. In April of this year, the Marshall Islands filed the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits against the U.S. and the eight other nuclear-armed nations, challenging them to fulfill their moral and legal obligations to begin negotiations to reach nuclear zero. For more information on the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits visit nuclearzero.org.

    David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) and a consultant to the Marshall Islands on the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits, commented, “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. The Air Force is only doing its job: practicing for the destruction of the human species. Instead of launching missiles we should be leading negotiations to rid the world of weapons of mass annihilation.”

    Further, Rick Wayman, Director of Peace Operations at NAPF stated, “That the U.S. has chosen this week to test – at a time of heightened tensions with Russia and the one day of the year dedicated to the total abolition of nuclear weapons – says it all. Instead of taking seriously its international legal obligations to negotiate for nuclear disarmament, the U.S. seems content to engage in a tit-for-tat nuclear arms race with Russia. This Minuteman III test is nothing more than the flexing of a horribly dangerous, unusable and totally unnecessary muscle.”

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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.

  • Nuclear Savage: A Free Film Screening

    For Immediate Release

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

    Nuclear Savage: A Free Film Screening
    Learn the ugly truth about Project 4.1

    Santa Barbara – The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) is hosting a free screening of the 90-minute documentary, Nuclear Savage. The event will take place at 6:30 pm on Thursday, September 25, one day before the International Day to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. It will be screened at the Faulkner Gallery at the Santa Barbara Central Library (40 E. Anapamu Street).

    Nuclear Savage tells the searing story of the people of Rongelap in the Marshall Islands who, were exposed to radiation from dozens of U.S. nuclear weapon tests detonated between 1947 and 1962, including the massive Castle Bravo test that was over 1,000 times more powerful than the bomb exploded over Hiroshima. After failing to evacuate the Islanders for two days after Bravo, the U. S. government returned them to their atoll just three short years later to serve in a secret U.S. government experiment called Project 4.1 to see how residents of the Marshall Islands would respond long-term to a highly radioactive environment.

    Although commissioned by PBS and advertised for broadcast by network affiliates, the film has been abruptly pulled before each scheduled airing and has never been shown on U.S. television. Nuclear Savage has won numerous awards at film festivals around the world and has been shown frequently on Marshall Islands television.

    After the screening, a short Q and A session will be held with David Krieger, President of NAPF and Rick Wayman, NAPF’s Director of Peace Operations. They will also provide information on the Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Zero Lawsuits against the nine nuclear-armed countries. The event is free and open to the public.

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    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.

  • Legal Sparring Continues in Nuclear Zero Lawsuit

    Nuclear Zero LawsuitsOn September 8, the U.S. continued to argue its position to dismiss the Nuclear Zero Lawsuit filed on April 24 by the Republic of the Marshall Islands in U.S. Federal District Court.

    This reply comes in response to the Marshall Islands Opposition filed one month ago in which the RMI contends, among other points that:

    • While the Non-Proliferation Treaty is in effect and the U.S. is a party to it, there is no choice but for the U.S. to comply with it.
    • The courts determine compliance with the law, not the Executive.
    • The U.S. Constitution says “ALL” treaties are the supreme law of this nation. Not just some treaties, or ones the current President prefers at any particular time.
    • The NPT is a treaty, and under the plain language of our Constitution, the federal courts are charged with interpreting it, and resolving disputes involving it, such as this dispute.

    Essentially the U.S, in its reply to the RMI’s Opposition, continues to seek a dismissal of the case on jurisdictional grounds to avoid having the case heard on its merits. David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, commented, “This reply from the U.S. government is more of the same. Clearly they do not want to risk having the case heard on its merits. Yet, doing so would benefit every citizen of the U.S. and the world. Nuclear weapons threaten us all.”

    Importantly, the U.S. reply does not dispute that Article VI of the NPT comprises an international legal obligation to begin negotiations for nuclear disarmament. Rather, it argues that the U.S. courts are not the right place to enforce this obligation. Taking this argument to its logical conclusion, one would come away with the notion that the Executive Branch of the U.S. government should be allowed to police itself when it comes to deciding if they are acting lawfully and in good faith.

    Further, the reply argues “… that an attempt to resolve the matter would express a lack of respect due to the political branches and risk conflicting and potentially embarrassing pronouncements by various branches…” Whether or not the claims made against the U.S. might prove an embarrassment to the Executive Branch has no place in this argument and should be of zero legal consequence in U.S. Federal court.

    The simple fact remains that the Executive Branch is not participating in any negotiations on ending the nuclear arms race or nuclear disarmament. At the same time, it continues to spend billions of dollars modernizing its nuclear arsenal. It is not, of its own volition, fulfilling its Article VI obligations and requires intervention of the court.

    Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Tony de Brum said, “I remain hopeful that the U.S. Federal Court will recognize that the U.S. must meet their legal and moral obligations if we are to leave the world a safer place for all of humanity.”

    The U.S. reply is available online here.

    The court has scheduled a hearing on the U.S. Motion to Dismiss in October, 2014. Visit  nuclearzero.org for the latest updates.

  • The Marshall Islands Will Not Give Up

    For Immediate Release

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

    The Marshall Islands will not give up
    The Marshall Islands files Opposition to U.S. motion to dismiss Nuclear Zero lawsuit.

    Santa Barbara –The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) continued its efforts to compel the United States government to comply with its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), asking a Federal Court judge to reject the U.S. government’s claim that the treaty cannot be enforced.

    On April 24, 2014, the Marshall Islands filed a lawsuit in U.S. Federal Court, alleging the United States has violated its moral and legal obligations under the NPT by refusing to negotiate in good faith toward complete nuclear disarmament.

    On July 21, the U.S. responded to these allegations by filing a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the issue of U.S. compliance with the treaty is not subject to the Court’s jurisdiction. The U.S. position fundamentally asks the Court to look the other way or, otherwise interpreted, takes the position that the U.S. is above the law.

    Yesterday, the RMI filed an Opposition to the U.S. motion to dismiss, explaining why the Court cannot and should not look the other way.

    “If the United States’ position is that in treaty disputes ‘might makes right,’ then I ask you, what does it mean—really—when a nation enters into a treaty with the United States?” said Laurie Ashton, attorney with the law firm Keller Rohrback LLP who serves as lead council for the Marshall Islands. “And what does the United States’ position say about its attempts to enforce other treaties, such as the Chemical Weapons Convention (recently against Syria), or, even more recently, the United States’ allegation that Russia is in breach of certain cruise missile test bans?”

    The Opposition filed by the Marshall Islands explains, among other points:

    • The Marshall Islands is not asking the Court to decide whether the United States should enter into the NPT, or whether the NPT is a good or a bad treaty for the United States. Instead, the Marshall Islands makes the legally grounded argument that while the Non-Proliferation Treaty is in effect and the U.S. is a party to it, there is no choice but for the U.S. to comply with it.
    • Prior rulings in U.S. courts make it clear that it is the courts that determine compliance with the law, not the Executive.
    • The U.S. Constitution says “ALL” treaties are the supreme law of this nation. Not just some treaties, or the treaties the current President happens to prefer at any particular time.
    • The NPT is a treaty, and under the plain language of our Constitution, the federal courts are charged with interpreting it, and resolving disputes involving it, such as this dispute.

    “The U.S. position in this suit has very poor implications for treaty enforcement—and those implications affect us all,” said Ashton.

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) is a consultant to the Marshall Islands on the legal and moral issues involved in bringing this case.

    David Krieger, President of NAPF, commented, “The Marshall Islands is a small, gutsy country. It is not a country that will be bullied, nor is it one that will give up. It knows what is at stake with nuclear weapons and is fighting in the courtroom for humanity’s survival. The people of the Marshall Islands deserve our support and appreciation for taking this fight into U.S. Federal Court and to the International Court of Justice, the highest court in the world. In similar lawsuits filed in the International Court of Justice, the RMI has sued all nine nuclear-armed countries for breaching their nuclear disarmament obligations.”

    The RMI was used as the testing ground for 67 nuclear tests conducted by the United States from 1946 to 1958. These tests – equivalent to 1.7 Hiroshima bombs being exploded daily for 12 years – resulted in lasting health and environmental problems for the Marshall Islanders. The RMI Nuclear Zero lawsuit against the U.S. seeks no compensation, but rather, seeks action to commence and conclude negotiations for complete nuclear disarmament by 2020, thus ending the nuclear weapons threat for all humanity, now and in the future.

    Tony de Brum, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Marshall Islands, emphasizes that the Marshallese people “have suffered the catastrophic and irreparable damage of these weapons, and we vow to fight so that no one else on earth will ever again experience these atrocities.”

    To read the Opposition in its entirety, visit www.wagingpeace.org/documents/rmi-response.pdf. For the latest updates on the Nuclear Zero lawsuit, visit www.nuclearzero.org.

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    For further information, or if you would like to interview David Krieger or Laurie Ashton, 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.

  • U.S. Moves to Dismiss Marshall Islands Lawsuit

    For Immediate Release

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

    U.S. Moves to Dismiss Marshall Islands Lawsuit

    On July 21, 2014, the United States filed a motion to dismiss the Nuclear Zero lawsuit that was filed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) on April 24, 2014 in U.S. Federal Court.

    The tiny Pacific nation of the Marshall Islands filed a lawsuit against the United States, claiming that the U.S. has breached its obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) by continuing to modernize its nuclear arsenal and by failing to pursue negotiations in good faith on nuclear disarmament. The RMI requested that the Court declare the United States in breach of its Treaty obligations and order the U.S. to call for and convene, within one year from the Court’s judgment, negotiations on nuclear disarmament.

    The RMI was used as the testing ground for 67 nuclear tests conducted by the United States from 1946 to 1958. These tests resulted in lasting health and environmental problems for the Marshall Islanders. The RMI lawsuit against the U.S. seeks no compensation, but rather, seeks to end the nuclear weapons threat, not only for itself, but for all humanity, now and in the future.

    The U.S., in its move to dismiss the RMI lawsuit, does not argue that the U.S. is in compliance with its NPT disarmament obligations. Instead, it argues in a variety of ways that its non-compliance with these obligations is, essentially, justifiable, and not subject to the court’s jurisdiction.

    Laurie Ashton, lead attorney representing the RMI, states, “The U.S. government assumes, as it must at this stage in the case, that the U.S. is in breach of its promises under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.  Nonetheless, the U.S. government argues that there is no legal remedy for those breaches—either because the breaches cause no harm or because the breaches raise only political issues, or because the Marshall Islands waited too long to complain in court about the breaches.  These disappointing arguments hammer at the very foundation of every treaty to which the U.S. is a party, and the courts should reject them.”

    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) is a consultant to the Marshall Islands on the legal and moral issues involved in bringing this case. David Krieger, President of NAPF, upon hearing of the motion to dismiss the case by the U.S. responded, “The U.S. government is sending a terrible message to the world – that is, that U.S. courts are an improper venue for resolving disputes with other countries on U.S. treaty obligations. The U.S. is, in effect, saying that whatever breaches it commits are all right if it says so. That is bad for the law, bad for relations among nations, bad for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament – and not only bad, but extremely dangerous for U.S. citizens and all humanity.”

    Krieger continued, “In 2009, President Obama shared his vision for the world, saying, ‘So today, I state clearly and with conviction America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.’ This lawsuit provides the perfect opportunity for President Obama to move his vision forward. Yet, rather than seizing that opportunity, the U.S. government is seeking dismissal without a full and fair hearing on the merits of the case.”

    In similar lawsuits filed in the International Court of Justice, the RMI has sued all nine nuclear-armed countries for breaching their nuclear disarmament obligations. In the case against the U.S., the RMI legal counsel has one month to respond to the U.S. government’s motion to dismiss.

    To read the Motion to Dismiss in its entirety, visit www.wagingpeace.org/documents/motion_to_dismiss.pdf. For the latest updates on the Nuclear Zero lawsuit, visit www.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.

  • Sadako Peace Day: Reflecting on the Past to Assure a More Peaceful Future

    For Immediate Release

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

    Hiroshima survivor Kikuko OtakeSanta Barbara, CA – The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) will host the 20th Annual Sadako Peace Day to remember the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and all innocent victims of war. The event will be held Wednesday, August 6, from 6:00-7:00 p.m., under the oaks and sycamores in the Sadako Peace Garden at La Casa de Maria Retreat Center, 800 El Bosque Road, in Montecito.

    There will be poetry, music and reflections commemorating the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl from Hiroshima who died of radiation-induced leukemia as a result of the atomic bombing. Japanese legend holds that one’s wish will be granted upon folding 1,000 paper cranes. Sadako set out to fold those 1,000 paper cranes. On one she wrote, “I will write peace on your wings, and you will fly all over the world.” Sadly, Sadako died without regaining her health. Students in Japan were so moved by her story that they began folding paper cranes, too. Today the paper crane is an international symbol of peace and a statue of Sadako now stands in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

    The event is a time to reflect on the past in hopes of building a more peaceful future. This year’s keynote speaker will be Mr. Rob Laney, Vice Chair of NAPF and a strong and vocal advocate of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons as required by international law. There will also be a paper crane folding workshop by Peace Crane Project and refreshments after the ceremony. The event is free and open to the public.

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    The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’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.

  • U.S. Conference of Mayors Adopts Bold Resolution on Nuclear Disarmament

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

    U.S. Conference of Mayors Adopts Bold Resolution Calling for Constructive Good
    Faith U.S. Participation in International Nuclear Disarmament Forums; Commends Marshall Islands for bringing lawsuits against U.S. and 8 other Nuclear-Armed States

    Santa Barbara, CA – The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM), a non-partisan association of America’s big cities, on June 23, 2014 unanimously adopted a sweeping new resolution Calling for Constructive Good Faith U.S. Participation in International Nuclear Disarmament Forums at its 82nd annual meeting in Dallas, Texas. According to USCM President Kevin Johnson, Mayor of Sacramento, California, “These resolutions, once adopted, become official USCM policy.”

    The resolution notes that on April 24, 2014, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) filed landmark cases in the International Court of Justice against all nine nuclear-armed nations, claiming that they failed to comply with their obligations under the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and customary international law to pursue negotiations for the global elimination of nuclear weapons. They also filed a companion case in U.S. Federal District Court.

    In its resolution, the USCM “commends the Marshall Islands for calling to the world’s attention the failure of the nine nuclear-armed states to comply with their international obligations and calls on the U.S. to respond constructively and in good faith to the lawsuits brought by the RMI.”

    The resolution states that “the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands continue to suffer from the health and environmental impacts of 67 above-ground nuclear weapons test explosions conducted by the U.S. in their islands between 1946 and 1958, the equivalent of 1.6 Hiroshima-sized bombs detonated daily for 12 years.”

    Upon hearing news of the USCM resolution, RMI foreign minister Tony de Brum stated, “We appreciate very much the US Conference of Mayors supporting our modest efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons.  This endorsement is acknowledged with deep gratitude on behalf of the Government and the People of the Marshall Islands, and most especially those who have lost loved ones in the mad race for nuclear superiority, and those who continue to suffer the scourge of nuclear weapons testing in our homeland.”

    The U.S. based Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a consultant to the Marshall Islands on the lawsuits. David Krieger, President of the Foundation, stated, “It is extremely reaffirming that the U.S. Conference of Mayors is supporting the Marshall Islands in its legal cases against the nine nuclear-armed nations. Their resolution reflects an understanding that every city in the world is a potential target for the devastation that would be wrought by the use of nuclear weapons.”

    Krieger continued, “We hope the U.S. government will take to heart this resolution and use this as an opportunity to move forward in fulfilling its legal and moral obligations to achieve nuclear disarmament.”

    Over the past three years there has been a new round of nuclear disarmament initiatives by governments not possessing nuclear weapons, both within and outside the United Nations. Yet the U.S. has been notably absent from this process. The USCM resolution calls on the U.S. administration to participate constructively in negotiations to achieve a nuclear weapons free world, noting that “forty-four years after the NPT entered into force, an estimated 16,400 nuclear weapons, most held by the U.S. and Russia, pose an intolerable threat to humanity, and there are no disarmament negotiations on the horizon.”

    Further, the resolution states that “The U.S. and the eight other nuclear-armed states are investing an estimated $100 billion annually to maintain and modernize their nuclear arsenals while actively planning to deploy nuclear weapons for the foreseeable future.”  The resolution “calls on the President and Congress to reduce nuclear weapons spending to the minimum necessary to assure the safety and security of the existing weapons as they await disablement and dismantlement, and to redirect those funds to meet the urgent needs of cities.”

    The complete Mayors Resolution can be found at: www.wagingpeace.org/mayors-resolution/

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    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 recognize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age.

  • Ally Nation Sues United States for Nuclear Treaty Violations

    For Immediate Release

    Contact: Shineh Rhee
    Phone: 646-477-5790
    Email: srhee@fenton.com

    Ally Nation Sues United States for Nuclear Treaty Violations

    Republic of Marshall Islands’ Historic Legal Action, backed by Nobel Laureates, Says U.S. Fails to Keep Commitments

    April 24, 2014 –San Francisco, CA — The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) today filed an unprecedented lawsuit in the U.S. Federal District Court in San Francisco to hold the United States government accountable for its flagrant violations of the international nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

    The small island nation, once used as a testing ground for nuclear bombs, says the United States has repeatedly broken its promise to pursue the abolition of nuclear weapons. Article VI of the 1968  Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) requires the U.S. to pursue negotiations “in good faith” for an end to the nuclear arms race “at an early date” and for nuclear disarmament.

    “The failure of the United States to uphold important commitments and respect the law makes the world a more dangerous place,” said Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a vocal backer of the lawsuit. “President Obama has said that ridding the world of these devastating weapons is a fundamental moral issue of our time. It is time for the United States to show true leadership by keeping the promises set forth in the Non-Proliferation Treaty.”

    The Nuclear Zero lawsuit (titled for the NPT promise of a world with zero nuclear weapons) filed today charges the United States with clearly violating its legal obligations by spending outrageous sums of money to enhance its nuclear arsenal and by failing to make real progress in nuclear disarmament.  The U.S. plans to spend an estimated $1 trillion on nuclear weapons in the next three decades and currently possesses nearly half of the world’s 17,300 warheads.

    The Marshall Islands does not seek compensation with the lawsuit. Rather, it seeks declaratory and injunctive relief requiring the United States to comply with its commitments under the treaty and begin clear action towards the agreed upon promises.

    The United States conducted 67 nuclear weapons tests in the Marshall Islands from 1946 to1958 and the health and environmental effects still plague the Marshall Islanders today. The 1954 “Castle Bravo” nuclear test was the largest the U.S. ever conducted – estimated to be 1,000 times more powerful than the bomb that destroyed the city of Hiroshima.

    “Our people have suffered the catastrophic and irreparable damage of these weapons, and we vow to fight so that no one else on earth will ever again experience these atrocities,” said Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Tony de Brum. “The continued existence of nuclear weapons and the terrible risk they pose to the world threatens us all.”

    World leaders, international organizations, world-class experts and Nobel Peace Laureates have declared strong support for the lawsuit and denounced nuclear weapons as immoral (see list on the website). The lawsuits are also supported by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), a U.S.-based civil society organization consulting with the Marshall Islands and its pro bono legal team.

    “Nuclear weapons threaten everyone and everything we love and treasure. They threaten civilization and the human species. After 46 years with no negotiations in sight, it is time to end this madness,” said David Krieger, president of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. “ The Marshall Islands is saying enough is enough. It is taking a bold and courageous stand on behalf of all humanity, and we at the Foundation are proud to stand by their side.”

    The lawsuit filed today in U.S. Federal District Court in San Francisco is accompanied by related lawsuits brought in the International Court of Justice in The Hague against all nine nuclear weapons states: United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea.

    To learn more about the Nuclear Zero Lawsuits, please go to www.nuclearzero.org.

  • Pacific Nation Challenges Nine Nuclear-Armed States in Lawsuits before the World Court

    For Immediate Release

    Contact: Shineh Rhee
    Phone: 646-477-5790
    Email: srhee@fenton.com

    Pacific Nation Challenges Nine Nuclear-Armed States
    in Lawsuits before the World Court

    Republic of Marshall Islands’ Historic Lawsuits Charge the U.S., Russia, UK, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea with Breaches of International Law

    April 24, 2014 –The Hague, Netherlands — The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) today filed unprecedented lawsuits in the International Court of Justice to hold the nine nuclear-armed states accountable for flagrant violations of international law with respect to their nuclear disarmament obligations under the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and customary international law.

    The small island nation, which was used for 12 years as a testing ground for nuclear bombs by the United States, says the five original nuclear weapon states – U.S., Russia, UK, France and China – are continuously breaching their legal obligations under the treaty. The lawsuits also contend that all nine nuclear-armed nations are violating customary international law.

    Article VI of the NPT requires states to pursue negotiations “in good faith” on cessation of the nuclear arms race “at an early date” and nuclear disarmament. The five original nuclear weapon states are parties to the treaty but continue to ignore their obligations. The four newer nuclear-armed states – Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea – are not parties to the treaty but are bound by these nuclear disarmament provisions under customary international law.

    “Our people have suffered the catastrophic and irreparable damage of these weapons, and we vow to fight so that no one else on earth will ever again experience these atrocities,” said Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Tony de Brum. “The continued existence of nuclear weapons and the terrible risk they pose to the world threaten us all.”

    “The failure of these nuclear-armed countries to uphold important commitments and respect the law makes the world a more dangerous place,” said Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a vocal backer of the lawsuits. “We must ask why these leaders continue to break their promises and put their citizens and the world at risk of horrific devastation. This is one of the most fundamental moral and legal questions of our time.”

    These lawsuits detail the states’ offenses in continuing to modernize their arsenals while failing to negotiate nuclear disarmament. The nuclear-armed states are projected to spend $1 trillion on their arsenals in the next decade.

    The Marshall Islands does not seek compensation with these lawsuits. Rather, it seeks declaratory and injunctive relief requiring the nine nuclear-armed states to comply with their obligations.

    “In 1996, the World Court unanimously held, ‘There exists an obligation to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control.’ The nuclear-armed states have chosen to ignore this ever since and in these cases the Marshall Islands requests the Court to tell them in no uncertain terms that they need to fully meet international obligations,” said Phon van den Biesen, who is heading up the RMI’s international legal team with Tony de Brum.

    Three of the nine states, the UK, India, and Pakistan, accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the World Court when the opposing state equally has done so, as has the Marshall Islands. As to the other six states, the RMI is calling on them to accept the jurisdiction of the Court for this particular case and explain to the Court their positions regarding the nuclear disarmament obligations.

    The United States conducted 67 nuclear weapon tests in the Marshall Islands from 1946 to1958, and the health and environmental effects still plague the Marshall Islanders today. The power of the 1954 “Castle Bravo” nuclear test was 1,000 times greater than the bomb that destroyed the city of Hiroshima.

    World leaders, international non-governmental organizations, world-class experts and Nobel Peace Laureates have declared strong support for these lawsuits and have denounced nuclear weapons as immoral (see list on the website). The lawsuits are also supported by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), a U.S.-based civil society organization consulting with the Marshall Islands and its international pro bono legal team.

    “Nuclear weapons threaten everyone and everything we love and treasure. They threaten civilization and the human species. After 46 years with no negotiations in sight, it is time to end this madness,” said David Krieger, president of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. “The Marshall Islands is saying enough is enough. It is taking a bold and courageous stand on behalf of all humanity, and we at the Foundation are proud to stand by their side.”

    The lawsuits filed today in the International Court of Justice in The Hague are accompanied by a related lawsuit brought in U.S. Federal District Court in San Francisco against the United States.

    To learn more about these lawsuits please go to www.nuclearzero.org.

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    The international legal team contact information is as follows:

    • Tony A. de Brum, Co-Agent, Foreign Minister of the RMI
    • Phon van den Biesen, Co-Agent, Attorney at Law at Van den Biesen Kloostra Advocaten, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, http://vdbkadvocaten.eu/en/phon-van-den-biesen-en/, +31652061266
    • Laurie Ashton, Esq., Counsel, Keller Rohrback L.L.P., United States, www.KRComplexLit.com, +1 805.284.6820
    • Nicholas Grief, Counsel, Doughty Street Chambers, London, and Professor of Law, University of Kent, UK, www.doughtystreet.co.uk, +44 7891 460157
    • John Burroughs, Esq., Counsel, Executive Director, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy, New York City, UN Office of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms, www.lcnp.org, +1 917.439.4585; +1 212.818.1861
    • David Krieger, J.D., Ph.D., Consultant, President of Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Santa Barbara, California, United States, www.wagingpeace.org, +1 805.965.3443; +1 805.450.4083