MARCH-APRIL 2008 DISARM
UPDATE
FOCUS ISSUE: NO NEW NUKES!
SEND COMMENTS TO THE DoE BY APRIL 10
And read the March international WILPF Peace and Security Working Group newsletter with more news from
Sections on disarmament and human rights actions and concerns
APRIL CALENDAR
(March calendar appears below)
April 1: DARPA develops remote controlled insects and its not April Fools! Reportedly the bugs would be used for spying and possibly as "bio-weapons" carrying disease. In fact the story showed up on Truth Out March 30 so it is not just a black April Fools joke. What will those juvenile delinquents at DARPA think of next -- and what is the definition of evil?
April 11-13: Join other WILPFers in Omaha, the most dangerous place on earth. WILPF is co-sponsoring the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space international conference there at the home of Stratcom, command center for both nuclear war and satellite directed warfare and spy systems.
April 12: Space Law or Space Warfare? -- A workshop at the Global Network conference organized by WILPF DISARM.. Rhianna Tyson, formerly with Reaching Critical Will, will present and Carol Urner, co-chair of WILPF DISARM! Dismantle the War Economy, will moderate. (Rhianna is now with the Global Security Institute, with a website also worth visiting for those of us working on nuclear weapons abolition. WILPF works closely with GSI internationally, and is an active participant in the GSI Middle Powers Initiative.)
April 13-16: Lobby Congress with the experts on nuclear weapons abolition, stopping Complex Transformation and the RRW, cleaning up existing nuclear waste sites, and saying no to nuclear power. Join ANA D.C. days with the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. You'll help educate Congress and at the same time learn a lot you can take back to your own community, state and Congressional District. If it is too late for you to come this year, begin planning for next year! Three DISARM team members will be there, but many more members could effectively participate in this experience with Alliance for Nulear Accountability.
April 15: Nationwide Tax Day! Philadelphia, St. Louis and Tucson Branches are all planning events this year. Check the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee Tax Day event register to see what others are doing and register your own event.
April 16-20: Alliance for Nuclear Accountability Planning Retreat. WILPF DISARM is applying for membership in this alliance, which includes "watch dog" organizations at U.S. nuclear waste and weapons production sites as well as NGOs like WAND, Peace Action, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and FCNL. Visit the ANA home page for more information. We believe WILPF, with our Reaching Critical Will and contacts with UN disarmament negotiators and staff in New York and Geneva, can make postive contributions to this already effective alliance.
MARCH CALENDAR
March 5: Columbia as a proposed case study for UNSCRes 1325. WILPF sponsored side event at the Commission on the Status of Women. For more information on the CSW and NGO events go to WILPF Peace Women.
March 6: Women, War and Budgeting for Peace. The US WILPF DISARM committee helped Peace Women arrange this CSW side event. WILPF member Mary Beth Sullivan (Outreach Coordinator for Global Network) and Frida Berrigan (now with the New America Foundation) presented on the astronomical costs of global military budgets (U.S. is responsible for as much as half!) and the urgent need for conversion to peace economies. Eva (? from Swedish WILPF) commented and shared from her own experiences working on demilitarization. Sam Cook of Peace Women outlined the importance and relevance of UNSCRes 1325 and Ray Acheson spoke briefly about Reaching Critical Will. Kerstin Grebach, our WILPF international co-President moderated the panel. Watch for a fuller report and a video recording. We thought it was a WOW!
March 6: Read Carol Urner's WILPF blog submitted today on WILPF visits to Congress by herself, Ellen Barfield and Tzili Mor. Major emphasis was on presenting the WILPF shadow report on the Child Soldier Protocol to key legislative staff. They also delivered Gaza and Peace is Possible post cards from Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri and New Jersey Branch members.
March 13: Winter Soldier testimonies organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War.
March 13: Read AHR/Human RIghts committee update on the Child Soldier protocol shadow report, submitted today. This WILPF initiative has given us and all organizations working on counter-recruitment and "truth in recruiting" a great new tool for work with Congress and other NGOs to eliminate aggressive military recuiting among children. Read the 13 questions to the U.S. from the UN CRC committee (3 to 11 are raised in the WILPF report) which must be answered by March 31. Read the WILPF shadow report and note the 30 NGOs which endorsed it. Watch for more on DISARM and AHR/Human Rights committee web pages. We've already begun contacting COngress and the other NGOs. There is important follow-up action all of us can take! Senator Feinstein's aide suggests Californians send their evidence on aggressive military recruiting of minors to her local offices. He suggested a possible Senate hearing. Are there other Senate offices that might do the same?
March 14: Last day to register for ANA D.C. days at the reduced rate $100. If you missed it register now for $125 and join three members of the DISARM leadership team April 13-16. Lobby Congress with the experts on nuclear weapons abolition, stopping Complex Transformation and the RRW, cleaning up existing nuclear waste sites, and saying no to nuclear power. You'll help educate Congress and learn a lot yourself at the same time.
March 15: And time grows short to register for the Global Network international conference in Omaha April 11 to 13. Omaha is home to U.S. Strat Com, Most dangerous Place on Earth. Nuclear strikes are planned there and wars reliant on space technology are plotted and launched from Omaha. Think Shock and Awe, but also realize that most equipment used in Afghanistan and Iraq from missiles to unmanned drones to the "computerized" combat soldier is guided from Strat Com. WILPF is co-sponsoring the conference and presenting a workshop on Space Law or Space Warfare with Rhianna Tyson and Jennifer Nordstrom, both formerly with WILPF Reaching Critical Will. U.S. WILPF members are known to be coming from California, Maine, Missouri, Oregon New York and Washington D.C. Leaders of the U.S. peace movement from UFPJ,AFSC, Code Pink, WRL, FOR, PEP, Bite the Bullet and others will be there. Other activists are coming from India, Romania, the Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Britain, Australia, Canada and elsewhere. Join us if you can or watch for reports on WILPF and Global Network web sites.
March 19: Five years of Iraq occupation since Shock and Awe. Many WILPF Branches and members participate in some of the over 1000 demonstrations in all 50 states. Some members arrested in acdts of disobedience. Go to UFPJ site for reports and photos..
March 24: Death of 4000th U.S soldier announced. Many WILPF Branches and members participate in vigils across the nation.
March 25: Department of Energy public hearing on Complex Transformation in Washington D.C. Ellen Barfield and Ellen Thomas of WILPF DISARM leadership team attended to submit the WILPF statement calling for progress toward abolition of nuclear weapons. WILPF calls for compliance with the NPT and the Thirteen Practical Steps rather than this multi-billion dollar restructuring of the production complex in order to build a new generation of nuclear warheads. Ellen Thomas video taped the hearings and we hope to make it available on DVD to those who are interested.A news story on the hearings and FCNL statement is here.
