MAY-JUNE 2008 DISARM
UPDATE
FOCUS ISSUES: PLAN FOR HIROSHIMA-NAGASAKI WEEK
We are in the process of gathering resources for Hiroshima-Nagasaki week events and for educating our communities on possibilities for abolition of nuclear weapons. Send ideas and copies of your own resources to the DISARM committee for sharing with other Branches. In the meantime, WILPF Reaching Critical Will has rich resources on work toward nuclear weapons abolition in the U.N. For information on needed changes in U.S. nuclear weapons policy you can go to Alliance for Nuclear Accountability (which WILPF is now joining) and down load the fact sheet on Nuclear Weapons Policy. It outlines what are basically WILPF positions, including support of the 13 practical steps, Woolsey's H.Res 68 and Feinstein's S 1914. You could use this sheet as a hand out or adapt it for your own flier.
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
MAY CALENDAR
May 1: Register for the 30th U.S. WILPF Triennial Congress! Download the registration form here. It should reach Ellen Schwartz by May 16 or late fees will apply. Congress information is on the WILPF web
April 28- May 9: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Prep Com in Geneva. Go to Reaching Critical Will (RCW) for background on the 2008 NPT. Read the News in Review, edited by Ray Acheson of RCW for day-by-day analysis of the proceedings by NGO representatives present. Read the statements of your own and other government representatives. And read the statements of NGO Representatives presented to the NPT conference. We can be proud of WILPF input. Regina Hagen (German WILPF) spoke on space weaponization and nuclear weapons, Ray Acheson (Canada and RCW staff) spoke on Gender and Nuclear Disarmament and Susi Snyder (USA), our Secretary General, gave the NGO recommendations for next steps toward abolition of nuclear weapons.
May 4-6: Ellen Thomas of DISARM! Dismantle the War Economy attends the Save Article 9 conference in Tokyo. The U.S. Administration and some Japanese corporate interests are now pushing for removal of Article 9 (which prohibits militarization) from the constitution. Japanese citizens have responded with a campaign to place the equivalent of Article 9 in every constitution, thus putting an end to war. (In WILPF we believe global compliance with the UN charter, which 193 nations have ratified, should achieve that goal.) Watch the UPDATE for Ellen's report back and for access to her vidoes and photos.
May 10: Report on UN World Space Week October 4 to 10 is now published, and includes many reports from WILPF and the Global Network on Keep Space for Peace Week events. In fact, WILPF and GN reports dominate the U.S. section. (The report is over 400 megabytes, so download only if you have a newer model fast computer.We will try to have some available at the WILPF Congress in DesMoines.) UN World Space Week was established by the General Assembly to honor both the launchng of Sputnik in 1957, and the 1967 Outer Space Treaty which seeks to ensure the peaceful uses of outer space for the benefit of all humankind. It is now co-sponsored, however, by aerospace corporations (this year United Technologies,ATK and SAIC) and the Space Foundation which also promote space militarization. In 2006 and 2007 the U.S. DISARM! Dismantle the War Economy Committee submitted reports for possible publication on behalf of WILPF and all organizations participating in Keep Space for Peace Week. We hoped to emphasize the need to end space militarization. This year Keep Space for Peace reports are printed in the publication, including many reports from WILPF in the U.S., and also from Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and Norway.
May 19-22: WILPF lobby days in Congress. Carol Urner invites others to join her in visiting Congressional offices. She will be emphasizing nuclear issues and budgeting for peace but is happy to accompany WILPF members lobbying on other issues. In February Tzili Mor, of the Advancng Human Rights Committee (AHR/CEDAW)Jean Verthei, joined Carol and Ellen Barfield of DISARM to meet with key Congressional staff on aggressive military recruitment of school children (see Carol's blog). In March Ellen Thomas joined Carol and Ellen B. to lobby on nuclear weapons issues with Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. Next time y'all come!
May 22: Jean Verthein and Ellen Barfield of DISARM expect to be in Geneva along with Corinne Tyris of AHR/CEDAW. Representatives of about 18 U.S. government agencies (including Department of Defense, State Department and Homeland Security)will be answering questions posed by the commmittee on The Rights of the Child, some of them based on a shadow report submitted by WILPF. WILPF brought evidence, gathered by 30 cooperating organizations, on aggressive U.S. military recruiting of school children and other evidences of noncompliance with the Child Soldier protocol ratified by this Administration. Background information is on the AHR/CEDAW web pages. Read the thirteen questions the committee on the CRC has asked the U.S. to answer.
JUNE CALENDAR
June 25-29: 30th U.S. Triennial WILPF Congress in DesMoines, Iowa. Read all about it and see you there!
