Category: Sunflower

Three Beliefs Guiding NAPF’s Work

by David Krieger

Three beliefs have guided, motivated and propelled the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) from its creation in 1982 to the present.

First, peace is an imperative of the Nuclear Age. Second, nuclear weapons must be abolished before they abolish us. Third, change will come about by extraordinary ordinary people leading their leaders to choose peace and a world free of nuclear weapons.

The Foundation’s work is aimed at changing the world, person by person, community by community, and nation by nation. Our work is a matter of the heart, of doing the right thing for the children of the world and all generations to follow.

To read more, click here.

Welcome to the New Age of Nuclear Instability

by Rachel Bronson

The Trump administration has dismissed the INF as irrelevant because Russia has abrogated its commitment to it by developing a treaty-busting cruise missile of its own. The Russians, for their part, claim that it is the United States that started this race to the bottom by announcing its withdrawal from the Antiballistic Missile treaty in 2001 and building missile defense systems near Russia’s borders. Regardless, it should be kept in place.

The turn away from arms control agreements is not happening in a vacuum. The National Nuclear Security Administration, the part of the Department of Energy that oversees weapons production, announced this week that it has begun production of a new low-yield nuclear weapon that is about one-third as powerful as the bomb used on Hiroshima. These bombs are considered by some “small enough to use.” It could be ready for deployment by the end of the year.

To read the full op-ed in The New York Times, click here.

The World Is Two Minutes from Doom

by Jerry Brown and William Perry

We have to go back 66 years, to 1953, to find a time of equal danger: The Soviet Union had just tested a hydrogen bomb. Eastern Europe was in the iron grip of the Soviet Union. There was danger of a military conflict erupting in Berlin. And U.S. troops in West Germany, fully expecting an invasion, were preparing to use tactical nuclear weapons against the invaders.

In 2018, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists experts equated the nuclear danger to that dangerous time in the Cold War, setting the clock to two minutes to midnight. We have kept it there this year.

To read the full op-ed at CNN, click here.

Trashing Treaties: It’s Not Just Trump

by Rick Wayman

There is no shortage of critics who have pointed out President Donald Trump’s monumental strategic mistake in unilaterally withdrawing the United States from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. It is indeed a blunder of the highest degree that not only makes the Trump administration look incompetent and foolish, but also puts the United States’ European allies and all of us at greater risk of nuclear catastrophe.

President Trump has chosen to surround himself with dangerous advisors who, in defiance of President Reagan’s vision, choose to put all humanity at risk by pursuing a perpetual nuclear arms race. It’s not too late to reverse this trend, but the clock is ticking.

To read more, click here.

Senator Warren and Representative Smith Seek to Establish “No First Use” Policy

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) have introduced bills in the Senate and House of Representatives that seek to establish that the policy of the United States is to not use nuclear weapons first under any circumstances.

The United States explicitly retains the option to be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict, even in response to a non-nuclear attack. The No First Use Act would codify what most Americans already believe—that the United States should never initiate a nuclear war.

“Chairman Smith, Senator Warren Introduce Bill Establishing ‘No First Use’ Policy for Nuclear Weapons,” House Armed Services Committee, January 30, 2019.

Senator Markey and Representative Lieu Introduce Bill to Eliminate President’s Sole Authority to Launch Nuclear Weapons First

Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) have reintroduced bills in the Senate and House of Representatives to prevent the president from launching a nuclear first strike without congressional approval.

Rep. Lieu said, “We introduced this bill under the Obama Administration but Trump’s Presidency has highlighted just how scary it is that any president has the authority to launch a nuke without Congressional consultation. I believed in 2016 what I still believe now: launching a weapon that has the power to instantly kill millions of people is an obvious act of war. Regardless of who sits in the Oval Office, Congress has the constitutional duty to decide when a nuclear first strike is warranted. As we’re now coming to realize, we could be one tweet that insults the president away from catastrophe.”

“Rep. Lieu and Sen. Markey Reintroduce Bill to Limit President’s Ability to Launch Nuclear First Strike,” Congressman Ted Lieu, January 29, 2019.

Senators Seek to Prevent a Nuclear Arms Race in 2019

Ten senators have introduced legislation that would pull the United States and Russia back from the brink of a 21st Century nuclear arms race. The bill is a response to the Trump administration’s suspension of the INF Treaty.

The Prevention of Arms Race Act of 2019 prohibits funding for the procurement, flight-testing, or deployment of a U.S. ground-launched or ballistic missile – with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers – until the Trump Administration provides a report that meets numerous specific conditions.

“Merkley, Senators Introduce Bill to Prevent Nuclear Arms Race,” Senator Jeff Merkley, January 31, 2019.

U.S. Suspends INF Treaty; Russia Follows Suit

On February 1, the Trump administration announced that it would be suspending the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, effective February 2. This crucial treaty required the United States and the former Soviet Union (now Russia) to eliminate all nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers.

Since July 2014, the U.S. has alleged that Russia was in violation of its INF Treaty obligation not to “possess, produce, or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile having a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers” or “to possess or produce launchers of such missiles.” In late November 2017, a senior U.S. national security official stated that the Novator 9M729, a land-based cruise missile, was the weapon that the United States believed violates the INF Treaty.

For its part, Russia alleges that the U.S. has violated the INF Treaty by deploying a component of a missile defense system — the Mark 41 Vertical Launch System — that is capable of launching offensive missiles. It also claims that the U.S. has used prohibited missiles in defense tests and that some U.S. armed drones are effectively unlawful cruise missiles.

“Trump Withdraws U.S. from INF Treaty,” Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, February 1, 2019.

U.S. and Russia Plan ICBM Test Launches

Just days after President Donald Trump suspended U.S. obligations under the INF Treaty, the United States and Russia both plan to conduct test launches of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.

Rick Wayman, Deputy Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, said, “While ICBMs would not have violated the INF Treaty, it is alarming that this extraordinary tension is coming to a head with major nuclear-capable missile tests just hours or days apart.”

He continued, “The Air Force always seeks to explain away ICBM tests as routine and disconnected from current geopolitical events. But there is nothing routine about rehearsing the annihilation of millions of people. President Trump’s reckless decision to torch the INF Treaty has put us all at even higher risk of nuclear catastrophe, and the United States’ ongoing testing of ICBMs must be viewed in this light.”

Janene Scully, “Vandenberg AFB to Conduct Minuteman III Missile Test Launch,” Noozhawk, February 4, 2019.

France Conducts Full-Scale Nuclear Attack Rehearsal

France has conducted an 11-hour mission to fully rehearse a nuclear weapons attack using its Rafale warplane. During the mission, France fired a missile from the aircraft, either with a mock nuclear warhead or no warhead at all.

France possesses approximately 300 nuclear weapons.

John Irish and Sophie Louet, “France Carries Out Rare Simulation of Nuclear Deterrent Strike,” Reuters, February 5, 2019.

More Countries Sign and Ratify Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Momentum has continued into 2019 towards entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. So far this year, Cambodia signed the treaty, and St. Lucia and El Salvador deposited their instruments of ratification. In addition, the parliaments of South Africa and Panama have approved ratification of the treaty, and are expected to officially ratify soon.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will enter into force 90 days after the 50th country ratifies it. Currently there are 70 signatories and 21 ratifications.

To see the full list of which countries have signed on, click here.

Trump Administration Releases Missile Defense Review

The Trump Administration has released a long-delayed Missile Defense Review. The document calls for a significant increase in investment for missile defense, including space-based sensors and lasers.

The document also explicitly rejects the possibility of limiting missile defenses in the future. President George W. Bush unilaterally withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002, which removed limits that were placed on the program.

Paul Sonne, “Pentagon Seeks to Expand Scope and Sophistication of U.S. Missile Defenses,” Washington Post, January 16, 2019.

U.S. Nuclear Weapons to Cost Half a Trillion Over Next Ten Years

The Congressional Budget Office has released a new report that calculates U.S. spending on nuclear weapons over the next ten years will be between $494 billion and $559 billion. This is a major increase of $94 billion (23%) above the ten-year projection for 2017-26.

The increase from the 2017 to the 2019 reports is due to several factors. The report captures two additional years in the late-2020s when nuclear weapons “modernization” will be in full swing. It also calculates the costs of some of the additions from the Trump administration’s 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, and identifies increases in the projected costs of some programs.

To read the full report from the Congressional Budget Office, click here.

Mourning Armageddon: Music Video Shot in Russian Nuclear Bunker

As one of over a million people in Hawai’i who were told on January 13, 2018 that they were about to be hit by a nuclear missile, renowned Hawai’i artist Makana said, “Waking to an alert of a nuclear attack in Hawai’i got me thinking. Why is this even a possibility?”

When Makana found out that the U.S. and Russia possess over 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons, he was inspired to travel to Russia.
Makana was the first American ever to descend into Russian nuclear fallout shelter Bunker 703, and he was inspired to improvise a song on the spot.

To watch this powerful music video, click here.

Sole Authority: 2019 Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has launched its 2019 Swackhamer Disarmament Video Contest. This year’s contest asks entrants to grapple with a very timely issue. The President of the United States currently has the sole authority to initiate a nuclear attack at any time for any reason, or no reason at all.

Contestants will make videos of three minutes or less about whether or not they think this policy is a good idea. If not, why not? Should it be changed? What should U.S. policy be instead?

The contest has three cash prizes and is open to people of all ages around the world. Videos must be submitted by April 1. For more information, click here.

NAPF Now Hiring 2019 Summer Interns

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is offering four paid summer internship positions in 2019 at its Santa Barbara office. Interns must have a demonstrated interest in gaining hands-on experience working with a non-profit educational and advocacy organization. Applications for these positions must be received by March 1, 2019.

For Summer 2019, we are hiring for four specific internship roles: Research and Writing Intern; Fundraising and Development Intern; Communications Intern; and Peace Literacy Intern.

For more information on each of these four roles, as well as application requirements, click here.

Women Waging Peace

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s online campaign, Women Waging Peace, highlights the outstanding work of women for peace and nuclear disarmament. Though progress is made every day, women’s voices are still often ignored, their efforts stonewalled and their wisdom overlooked regarding issues of peace and security, national defense, and nuclear disarmament.

Our sixth profile features Dr. Helen Caldicott. She is a physician and former Harvard University professor of pediatrics, has written seven books, co-founded Physicians for Social Responsibility, founded Women’s Action for Nuclear Disarmament, and is the President of the Helen Caldicott Foundation for a Nuclear Free Future.

Click here to read our interview with Helen Caldicott.

The other women leaders profiled in this series thus far are Ray Acheson, Cynthia Lazaroff, Makoma Lekalakala, Christine Ahn, and Bonnie Jenkins. Click here to see the full Women Waging Peace series.

Letter in the Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times published a letter to the editor by NAPF Deputy Director Rick Wayman on February 5. The letter was in response to a story about President Trump’s recent suspension of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

Wayman wrote, “Ending the nuclear arms race and putting an end to the nuclear age need not be a partisan issue. After all, the freshly discarded INF Treaty was negotiated by President Reagan, who famously said, ‘Why wait until the end of the [20th] century for a world free of nuclear weapons?’ Trump has surrounded himself with dangerous advisors who, in defiance of Reagan’s vision, put humanity at risk by pursuing a perpetual nuclear arms race. It’s not too late to reverse this trend, but the clock is ticking.”

To read the full letter in the LA Times, click here.

“Nuclear weapons are the enemy of humanity. Indeed, they’re not weapons at all. They’re some species of biological time bombs whose effects transcend time and space, poisoning the Earth and its inhabitants for generations to come.”

— General George Lee Butler, former commander in chief of United States Strategic Command, the entity in charge of the United States’ nuclear weapons. This quote appears in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, which is available to purchase in the NAPF Peace Store.

“Two nuclear armed countries should not even think of a war; not even a Cold War because it could worsen any time. The only way is bilateral talks. Two nuclear armed countries at war is like a suicide.”

— Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, speaking about the need for Pakistan and India to achieve peace.

“We appeal to you and the Government to work with allies and to engage would-be adversaries to formulate security arrangements that do not rely on the threat of nuclear annihilation. As a North Atlantic Treaty Organization member, it is Canada’s prerogative to raise such issues within the alliance.”

— Canadian Council of Churches, in a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

David Krieger
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman

Prospects for Denuclearization

by David Krieger

After the Singapore Summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump, Trump was very upbeat about the denuclearization of North Korea. On June 12, 2018, Trump said in a CNN interview, “He’s denuking the whole place and he’s going to start very quickly. I think he’s going to start now.” Seriously?

For Trump to believe that Kim would bend to Trump’s will and denuclearize, Trump would have to be either a fool or an extreme narcissist. Unfortunately, he appears to be both and seems intent on proving this over and over again. Another example is his pulling out of and violating the Iran agreement negotiated with Iran by the U.S., UK, France, Russia, China and Germany. Fortunately, none of the other parties to the agreement has joined the U.S. in pulling out.

To read more, click here.

How Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons Changed the World

by Ray Acheson

On the one-year anniversary of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons’ adoption, there is time for celebration but not self-congratulation. Just like the critics warned, this treaty has not magically eliminated nuclear weapons. But we always knew it would be difficult to eliminate nuclear weapons, and, after just one year, the treaty is showing results.

To those who say the nuclear ban is not effective, or that it has had a negative impact on international relations, I say, this treaty is what we make of it. It was an honest effort to change the world, but it is up to all of us who truly desire the abolition of nuclear weapons, who want to see a safer, more secure world based on equity and respect, to take this treaty and make it work for us.

To read more, click here.

Sixty-Five Years Post-Ceasefire, U.S. Must Build Trust to End Korean War

by Christine Ahn

July 27 marked the 65th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement when the U.S., North Korea and China signed a ceasefire to halt three years of brutal fighting which claimed 4 million lives. When the military commanders laid down their weapons, they promised to return within 90 days to negotiate a peace agreement to end the Korean War.

Sixty-five years later, after two historic summits between the two Koreas at Panmunjom and between North Korea and the United States in Singapore, we are the closest ever to seeing a peace process that will yield that long-awaited peace agreement.

To read more, click here.

U.S. ICBM Self-Destructs Over Pacific Ocean

In the early morning hours of July 31, the United States conducted a test of a Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). The missile suffered an “anomaly” during its flight, and the crew sent a command for the missile to self-destruct over the Pacific Ocean.

In its recent talks with North Korea, the U.S. has repeatedly insisted that North Korea immediately cease all missile testing, including ICBMs. Rick Wayman, NAPF’s Deputy Director, said, “The hypocrisy [of U.S. missile testing] is nothing new, but what stands out with this test is the potential for blowing up the peace process underway with North Korea.”

Janene Scully, “Minuteman III Missile Test Launch from Vandenberg AFB Ends in Failure,” Noozhawk, July 31, 2018.

Trump and Bolton Threaten Iran with Nuclear Attack

U.S. President Donald Trump and National Security Adviser John Bolton both issued thinly veiled threats of nuclear attack against Iran. In an all-caps tweet sent late on a Sunday night, President Trump wrote, “Never, ever threaten the United States again or you will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before.”

John Bolton said, “President Trump told me that if Iran does anything at all to the negative, they will pay a price like few countries have ever paid before.”

August 6 and 9 mark the 73rd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed tens of thousands of civilians instantly.

Andrew Buncombe, “John Bolton Doubles Down on Trump’s Iran Threat to Inflict ‘a Price Few Countries Have Ever Paid‘,” The Independent, July 23, 2018.

More Countries Ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Uruguay, and New Zealand ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in July 2018. This brings the total number of ratifications thus far to 14. The treaty will enter into force 90 days after the 50th country ratifies the treaty.

Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Uruguay are all part of the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which established Latin America and the Caribbean as a nuclear weapon-free zone in 1968. New Zealand has been a leader on nuclear disarmament for decades, including a 1987 law establishing itself as a nuclear-free zone.

To stay up to date on the TPNW ratification process, click here.

Protestors Face Years in Prison for Bold Anti-Nuclear Action

On April 4, 2018, seven activists with Kings Bay Plowshares secretly entered Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia, one of the largest nuclear submarine bases in the world. They were armed with hammers, crime scene tape, baby bottles containing their own blood, and an indictment charging the U.S. government for crimes against peace. Their goal was to symbolically disarm the nuclear weapons at the base, which is home to at least six nuclear ballistic missile submarines.

The activists were on the base for a couple of hours prior to being detected by guards. They face years in prison for their action to expose the United States’ ongoing possession, deployment, and threats to use nuclear weapons.

“Kings Bay Plowshares: Meet Two of the Seven Activists Who Secretly Entered a Nuclear Submarine Base,” Democracy Now, July 23, 2018.

Trump and Putin Meet in Helsinki

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Helsinki on July 12. The majority of the meeting was private, with only the two presidents and their interpreters in the room. Details of what was discussed continue to be scarce.

Prior to the meeting, when asked about possible outcomes of the summit, Trump said, “What would be the ultimate? Let’s see. No more nuclear weapons anywhere in the world, no more wars, no more problems, no more conflicts. … That would be my ultimate.”

It remains unclear whether common sense arms control measures, such as extending the New START treaty, were discussed.

John Bowden, “Trump: ‘Ultimate Deal’ with Putin Would Be ‘No More Nuclear Weapons’,” The Hill, July 12, 2018.

U.S. and North Korea Disagree on When to End the Korean War

The United States is at odds with North and South Korea over the timing of declaring an end to the Korean War. Sixty-five years ago, hostilities were ended through an Armistice Agreement, or cease fire, rather than a peace treaty.

North and South Korea believe that it is urgent to complete a peace treaty at an early date, while the United States prefers to wait until after North Korea has abandoned its nuclear arsenal.

Josh Smith, “When to End the War? North Korea, U.S. at Odds Over Path to Peace,” Reuters, July 25, 2018.

Journalist Ejected from Trump-Putin Press Conference

Sam Husseini, a reporter for The Nation and Senior Analyst with the Institute for Public Accuracy, was forcibly removed from Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s press conference in Helsinki on July 12. Husseini was holding a piece of paper on which was written “Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty.”

Husseini explained that his intention was to get the attention of Trump or Putin so that they would call on him during the press conference. After spending hours in a Finnish detention facility, Husseini was released without charge. Shortly after his release, The Nation published his article, “I Came as a Journalist to Ask Important Questions.”

“Meet the Reporter Dragged from Trump-Putin Press Conference for Trying to Ask About Nuclear Treaty,” Democracy Now, July 17, 2018.

Department of Energy Security Experts Lose Plutonium

In March 2017, two security experts from the Idaho National Laboratory drove to San Antonio, Texas, to retrieve dangerous nuclear materials from a laboratory. They brought plastic-covered disks of plutonium and cesium to calibrate their radiation detectors at the laboratory site.

However, when they stopped to sleep at a hotel during the trip, they left the plutonium and cesium in their rental car in the parking lot. Sometime during the night, the car window was smashed and the radioactive materials were stolen. To date, the materials have not been found.

Patrick Malone, “Plutonium Is Missing, but the Government Says Nothing,” Center for Public Integrity, July 16, 2018.

The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki

A new book has been published about the life of Sadako Sasaki, the young girl who was exposed to radiation from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima at the age of two and developed leukemia and died at the age of 12. Sadako is well known throughout Japan and beyond as the courageous girl who folded 1,000 paper cranes, while hospitalized, in the hope of regaining her health.

The book, “The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki,” was written by Sue DiCicco and Masahiro Sasaki. DiCicco is the founder of the Peace Crane Project and Sasaki is the older brother of Sadako. The book is short and easy to read, and carries an important message about one of many innocent victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. It is an inspiring book appropriate for teenage and adult readers. It also includes instructions on how to fold paper cranes.

Sue DiCicco will be teaching how to fold paper cranes and will sign books at NAPF’s Sadako Peace Day commemoration on August 6 at La Casa de Maria in Santa Barbara.

The book will be released on September 21, and is available now to pre-order.

Essay Contest about Hiroshima Play

The Japanese newspaper The Mainichi is holding a new international essay contest on the theme of the play “The Face of Jizo.” It is considered a theatrical masterpiece of postwar Japan. After reading the accounts of several hundred atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima, Hisashi Inoue decided to write the play not as a tragedy, but as a comedy, in order to convey the horror of the atomic bomb to as many people as possible.

The full script of the four-act play will be made available on The Mainichi website from Aug. 6 through Oct. 31. The essays on the play must be no more than 1,000 words in English, and from readers between the ages of 13 and 23. The essays can be submitted to jizo@mainichi.co.jp. The deadline for submitting the essays is October 31, 2018.

Poll: Vast Majority of Europeans Reject Nuclear Weapons on their Territory

A new YouGov polling commissioned by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has found an overwhelming rejection of nuclear weapons in the four European Union countries that host U.S. nuclear weapons: Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy. In each country, an overwhelming majority of people surveyed were in favor of removing the weapons from their soil, and for their countries to sign the Treaty that bans them outright.

To see the poll results, click here.

Evening for Peace to Honor Current Nobel Peace Laureate

On October 21, 2018, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will honor the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and Beatrice Fihn, ICAN’s Executive Director, at the 35th Annual Evening for Peace.

ICAN was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to bring about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was adopted at the United Nations in July of last year.

The event will take place in Santa Barbara, California. For more information about tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please call the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation at +1 805-965-3443.

Sadako Peace Day on August 6

On August 6, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will hold its 24th annual Sadako Peace Day commemoration at La Casa de Maria in Montecito, California. This will be one of the first public events at La Casa de Maria since the catastrophic mudslides that devastated the retreat center and many other places in Montecito. Twenty-three lives were lost in the disaster. This year, we will reflect on the local situation in addition to remembering the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and all innocent victims of war.

The event, featuring music, poetry, and reflection, will take place from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. It is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

New NAPF Annual Report Now Available

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has published its latest annual report with the title “We Can Change the World.” The report highlights the Foundation’s key achievements in 2017.

From our global work as part of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and the negotiations for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, to the impressive foothold our Peace Literacy initiative has taken in communities around the United States and Canada, there is much momentum for NAPF to build on for the future.

The annual report also features an article about our Director of Programs, Rick Wayman, meeting Pope Francis last November, and an interview with one of our outstanding 2017 summer interns, Megan Cox.

To download a copy of our annual report, click here.

Peace Literacy: Professional Development both Practical and Visionary

Now an international movement, the skillset of Peace Literacy is both practical and visionary. It was created by Paul K. Chappell, NAPF Peace Literacy Director, a multi-racial West Point graduate, former army captain and Iraq war veteran who grew up in a violent household and struggled with trauma throughout his school years. Growing up as a racial outcast in Alabama, the son of a half black and half white father and a Korean mother, Chappell has worked through the trauma of racism and mistrust to construct a new paradigm for a peaceful world.

In a world where so many proposed solutions merely address surface symptoms, Peace Literacy teaches us how to create solutions that heal the root causes of our human problems. “The wellbeing of our communities and the world will depend on humanity moving from preliteracy in peace to Peace Literacy, and every bit helps.”

To read more about the professional development that NAPF’s Peace Literacy initiative offers to educators, click here.

War Should Be an Impeachable Offense

Representatives Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and Walter Jones (D-NC) have introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would define presidential wars not declared by Congress as impeachable “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Rep. Gabbard said, “For decades, Congress has ceded its Constitutional responsibility of deciding whether or not to declare war, to the President. As a result, we have found ourselves in a state of perpetual war, without a declaration of war by Congress and without input from the American people. Since 9/11 alone, our country has spent trillions of dollars on interventionist regime change wars, costing the lives of many Americans, taking a toll on our veterans, and causing people in our communities to struggle and suffer due to a lack of resources. Our bipartisan resolution aims to end presidential wars, and hold Congress accountable so it does its job in making the serious and costly decision about whether or not to send our nation’s sons and daughters to war.”

Click here to ask your representative to sign on to this important new bill.

“What the Hiroshima survivors are telling us is that no one else should ever go through the experience they suffered. An atomic bombing creates a living hell on Earth where the living envy the dead.”

— Tadatoshi Akiba, former mayor of Hiroshima. This quote appears in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, which is available to purchase in the NAPF Peace Store.

“The ultimate human rights issue is whether we all get incinerated by nuclear weapons.”

— Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), commenting as he signed the ICAN Parliamentary Pledge to support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

“As long as Israel has nuclear weapons, other countries in the region will try to acquire them as well, and they will get them sooner or later. The only way to prevent that from happening is to denuclearize the entire Middle East from weapons of mass destruction, including Israel.”

— Jamal Zahalka, a member of the Israeli Knesset, speaking before a vote in Israel’s parliament calling for international monitoring of Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility.

David Krieger
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman