But the path to a final decision on the admissibility of the 2007-08 “confessions” to FBI  interrogators who came to Guantánamo as “clean teams” (totally different from CIA interrogators, the government maintains) is far from straightforward.

One defendant, Ammar al-Baluchi, already successfully convinced the previous 9/11 judge that his FBI testimony could not be used at trial. The prosecutors in the 9/11 case have appealed this ruling in the Court of Military Commissions Review (CMCR). The three judges who heard arguments on the issue are expected to render their decision sometime this summer. Whatever the CMCR judges decide, the decision will likely be appealed to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, and possibly to the Supreme Court.

While it does not establish a legal precedent in the 9/11 military commission, it is significant that in 2023, the judge in the case of U.S. v. Abd al Rahim al Nashiri, the man accused of plotting the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole, ruled his FBI confession was inadmissible. In 2025, the CMCR upheld the ruling, affirming that his “confession” was legally “tainted” and rendered  “involuntary” by the brutal torture Mr. al Nashiri endured at CIA “black sites” prior to the FBI interrogation.

The current 9/11 judge says he intends to issue a ruling on the confessions of three of the 9/11 defendants – Khalid Sheik Mohammed (the 9/11 “mastermind), Walid bin Attash, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi – by August. He will need to rule on each defendant separately, as they each had different experiences of CIA torture and of their later transition to Guantánamo. Mr. al-Hawsawi, for example, was for a period of time detained at Guantánamo when the CIA was still using it as a “black site.” His attorney argued forcefully that there was no way his client could ever experience any interrogation at Guantánamo as anything other than a continuation of CIA interrogation, that could lead at any time to renewed torture; in other words, he was programmed to tell the FBI agents “what they wanted to hear.”

Attorneys for all three defendants argued that their clients were not given a Miranda warning, notifying them of their right to remain silent, their right to have an attorney present, and the fact that anything they said could be used against them in court of law. Mr. Mohammed, in fact, asked if he could have an attorney and was falsely told that he was not yet charged with any crime, despite that fact that the FBI agents were brought to Guantánamo explicitly to obtain confessions to be presented at trial.

Further muddying the water, two years ago, in a surprising revelation in the 9/11 pre-trial hearings, veteran FBI analyst Kimberly Waltz testified that during the Obama Administration, when moving the 9/11 trial to Federal District Court in New York was being contemplated, the Justice Department decided it would not try to use the FBI “confessions” evidence in court. This was later confirmed by former federal prosecutor Adam S. Hickey.

There is no current litigation concerning the FBI interrogations of the fifth 9/11 defendant, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, because his case was severed following a ruling by the previous 9/11 judge that he was mentally incapable of participating in his own defense as a result of PTSD and a delusional disorder that developed following his torture in the CIA “black sites.”

 Should the current 9/11 judge find any of the defendants’ statements to the FBI admissible, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi’s defense attorney’s will be allowed to call witnesses and present additional arguments in the 9/11 pre-hearings. They are currently blocked from filing new motions in the military commissions until there is a final decision about the legality of the pre-trial agreements they signed in 2024, which were subsequently retracted by then Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin.

The one certainty about the prospects for a trial of the 9/11 accused, is that it will not start on January 11, 2027, as the prosecuting attorneys have requested.

The post As the 25th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks Approaches, the Prospects for a Trial in the Guantánamo Military Commissions Remain Uncertain appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

On Monday, April 20th, 150 veterans and military family members held an act of civil disobedience peacefully protesting, in the Cannon Building rotunda, Washington D.C.  Their demand was an end to the immoral Iran war and its funding.

The Veterans, wearing their fatigues, held a moving flag-folding ceremony in memory of the 13 service members killed while a bugler played taps.   Each person held a red tulip in remembrance of the Iranians killed by U.S. airstrikes.  The red tulip is an Iranian cultural symbol of mourning and sacrifice.  Following the ceremony, there was a demand that House Speaker Johnson meet with them to accept the folded flag and to   pledge a halt to war funding.

After Capitol Police issued a dispersal order, approximately 67 veterans and military family members refused this order; they were then zip-tied and arrested, including several disabled veterans.  As people were arrested, their tulips dropped to the floor, enveloping the scene with the sadness of death. Veterans and military families know all too well the devastating costs of war.

Among those arrested were Mike Prysner, an Iraq War veteran, and Executive Director of the Center on Conscience and War.  Mike stated: “The war I was sent to senselessly claimed the lives of thousands of Americans and a million Iraqis.  Like the other veterans here with me today, I have spent the last two decades wishing I could turn back the hands of time and refuse to go.” “Service members have that chance right now.  Conscientious Objection is your legal right, and we have professional counselors who will fight to ensure you are approved and kept from deployment.”  The Center on Conscience and War is asking all military members opposed to the Iran war to call its hotline (877) NO-2-WARS for free, professional counseling.

The protest was the work of a coalition of veteran groups:  About Face, Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Common Defense, Center on Conscience and War, Fayetteville Resistance Coalition, and 50501 Vets.  Please click on the organizations to learn more about what they do and how you can join in the effort!

The post Veterans, Military Family Members Zip-Tied & Arrested Demanding “End War on Iran” appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

In The Life Work of Jesse Jackson, Michael K. Smith writes, “His Rainbow Coalition spanned the whole of society: farmers, white unionists, feminists, Hispanics, students, environmentalists, and a full 95% of black people…. He called for a freeze on nuclear weapons, large cuts in Pentagon spending, withdrawal of U.S. troops from Europe, the elimination of first-strike MX, Cruise, and Trident D-5 missiles, as well as the canceling of Reagan’s first-strike enabling Star Wars delusion. Alone among [Presidential] candidates, he held that Palestinians were a people deserving of national rights and a homeland.”

In his preface to a stunning collection of black and white photographs, photos from the edge 27 – JESSE JACKSON, PRESENTE!, labor photographer David Bacon writes, “He didn’t come just for labor, of course.  He came for the students, battling the University of California to keep affirmative action.  He walked with the women at the head of the National March to Fight the Radical Right.  And amidst it all, I sometimes found a man lost in his thoughts, perhaps grateful for a moment out of the crowd. You were there for us, Jesse.”

From an international perspective, in As War Tensions Rise, Jackson’s Call for Peace and Justice Endures, Dr. Ghassan Shahrour writes, “Rev. Jesse Jackson, who passed away on February 17, 2026, leaves behind a legacy that extends far beyond the civil-rights milestones that first defined his public life…. Equally defining, though less widely acknowledged, was Jackson’s unwavering commitment to peace and disarmament. From the 1980s onward, he emerged as one of the most consistent American voices urging an end to the nuclear arms race. He warned that humanity could not survive a world governed by fear, militarization, and the unchecked spread of weapons…. Jackson’s voice reminds us that human security begins with justice, not armament…. As we reflect on his passing, one truth stands out: the most faithful tribute to his legacy is to resist the normalization of war and the quiet expansion of armament, and to defend justice wherever it is threatened.”

As Bishop William J. Barber II writes in  Jesse Jackson: Prophet of America’s Possibility, “Jesse showed us how moral leadership can rally a fusion coalition that isn’t possible when we do politics as usual…. Jesse’s mantra was “Keep hope alive,” but he knew hope was not just wishful thinking. Real hope isn’t passive. It comes from deep faith and moral commitment, when people can no longer accept the way things are and set out to change them. That’s when hope is born, nurtured, and grown. And that’s where Jesse chose to be his whole life long.” Barber concludes,

“May we all take up his hope for the America that has never yet been but nevertheless must be.”

Jesse Jackson presente!

The post “A Mighty Lion has Fallen” appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

On the 24th anniversary of the opening of Guantánamo, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows (a founding member of UFPJ) issued a statement on Guantánamo’s legacy: “On January 11, 2002,  the first ’War on Terror’ detainees arrived at Camp X-Ray. Unnamed and unknown, these twenty men in orange jumpsuits ushered in an era of extraordinary rendition, terror jingoism, and a lack of accountability that continues to this day.”

Their statement continues, “When men in blindfolds arrived at the Guantánamo Naval base, they found themselves in a jurisdictional no man’s land. 24 years later, the world remains blind to the situation of the 15 men who remain at Guantánamo, and the history of how we got here. Furthermore, the five men alleged to have planned and supported the 9/11 attacks have yet to be held legally accountable. Indeed, the Guantánamo Military Commission has not even set a trial date. . . .   America has institutionalized a politics of fear. Just as our nation was scared into compliance in the aftermath of 9/11, we are being frightened into numbness now.”

Since February 2025, over 700 immigrants – most of them transported from the United States – have been temporarily detained at  Guantánamo’s Migrant Operations Center or  at Camp 6, part of the military detention facility. Read Peaceful Tomorrows’ full statement HERE.

 An outpouring of anger, frustration, and sadness has marked this year’s shameful anniversary. A statement from 115 U.S.-based organizations committed to human rights and the rule of law (including UFPJ, and our member organization, September 11^th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, FCNL, CPDCS, and PANYS) calls for:

1) Transferring without delay the six men who are not charged with a crime.

2) Ending the failed military commissions and resolving pending cases.

3) Permanently closing the Guantánamo military detention facility, without repurposing it for any future detention regime.

4) Holding perpetrators of U.S. crimes accountable; and

5) Providing redress to those whose fundamental human rights the U.S. has violated.

The 24th anniversary of Guantánamo’s opening also saw worldwide protests.

Only fifteen “war on terror” prisoners remain of the approximately 780 Muslim men and boys the Bush Administration sent to the Guantánamo military detention facility after 9/11. That is because over 97% of the detainees were never charged. Instead, they were “rendered” yet again to various countries around the world without their input or consent.

Life after Guantánamo is filled with challenges, as these former detainees make clear. Mansoor Adayfi organized and supports the Guantanamo Survivors Fund, which recognizes how, after suffering years of torture and imprisonment without charge, former detainees have been transferred to countries far from their families, where they are stigmatized, receive little or no assistance, and have no legal status or permit to work. The Guantanamo Survivors Funds supports men working to rebuild their lives. Read Mansoor Adayfi’s book, Don’t Forget Us Here, where he shares with great insight and empathy a narrative of fighting for hope and survival in unimaginable circumstances.

Another former detainee, Mohamedou Ould Slahi, discussed his current situation with Nael Georges, Middle East and North Africa Programme Coordinator at PEN International. Slahi ends with a powerful message to U.S. citizens: “Readers should know that law and democracy are valid and useful, and that despising democracy and human rights is invalid and inadmissible. Why am I saying that? Because the US said it would be torturing me until I confessed, then it would take me to court and prosecute me. I was sent to be tortured in Jordan, Afghanistan and Guantanamo, and yet it [the US] was unable to bring me before the court. The US did all that so it could collect proof of violence and sentence me in court. The United States failed. Why? Because a state of law is the only one that is valid.”

Is the United States TODAY a state of law? If we reflect on the 24 years of the Guantánamo Detention Facility and the former detainees’ messages, we must conclude otherwise.

The post The Shameful 24th Anniversary of the Opening of the Military Detention Facility on the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

The United States is now planning to establish an infrastructure capable of producing at least 80 plutonium pits for nuclear weapons per year. The project is well described and criticized in a comprehensive report released in May by the Union of Concerned Scientists. In the current approach, facilities would be located at Los Alamos National Laboratory, in New Mexico, and the Savannah River Site, in South Carolina. In a settlement of a lawsuit brought by activist groups (see video), the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) agreed to conduct programmatic environment review of this major project. This summer the NNSA accepted public comments on the scope of the review.

Many NGOs submitted comments, including the groups that brought the lawsuit resulting in the review: Savannah River Site Watch of Columbia, SC; Nuclear Watch New Mexico of Santa Fe, NM; Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment (CAREs), based in Livermore, CA; and the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition of coastal Georgia. Other submissions included one from Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy and Western States Legal Foundation. Their comment focused on the nuclear disarmament obligation under Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and argued that the NNSA must consider a true no-action alternative of no pit production.

According to the comment: “If the United States and other nuclear-armed states, in particular China and Russia, in accordance with Article VI take a negotiated path to the global elimination of nuclear weapons in the foreseeable future, there will be no need, perceived or real, for plutonium pit production. While the current international landscape is not conducive to that enterprise, it should not be assumed that pit production will take place over the next several decades. The negotiation of the abolition of nuclear arms is a legal obligation of extraordinary practical and moral importance. The [Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS)] should not assume non-compliance with the obligation.”

The comment also observed: “Additionally, a sometimes overlooked element of Article VI is cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date. Production of pits for new-design warheads on a new delivery system, the Sentinel ICBM, and on submarine-based ballistic missiles, has aspects of nuclear arms racing, both in reality and, importantly, as it is perceived by rival nuclear-armed states. If the W87-1 serves to enable MIRVing [placement of multiple warheads] of the Sentinel ICBM, it would contribute to quantitative arms racing; MIRVing also would be destabilizing. Moreover, according to the Department of Defense, the Sentinel ICBM will have enhanced capabilities and thus its development and deployment amounts to qualitative arms racing. It also appears that the W93 warhead for submarine-based missiles will add some military capability ….”

It concluded: “The PEIS should not rule out the possibility that nuclear arms racing will cease and nuclear disarmament will be implemented in accordance with NPT Article VI …. Failing to consider a true no-action alternative would have that effect.”

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photo: the Nagasaki Peace Statue

 August 6th and 9th marked the 80th anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To commemorate this historic milestone, solemn official commemorations with thousands of governmental and nongovernmental representatives from around the world in attendance were held in each of the two cities, presided over by their respective mayors. There were also large international conferences that took place in multiple venues organized by Gensuikyo (the World Conference Against A and H Bombs), Mayors for Peace, and others.

While it would be nearly impossible to summarize the many talks, meetings, and events that took place, a number of common themes emerged. First and foremost, there was an emphasis on recognizing the hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors), whose average age is now over 86 years, by listening to and preserving their personal testimonies for future generations. In particular, the hibakusha were appreciated for their contribution to preventing another nuclear weapon use by painfully sharing their horrific experiences of the bombings, so that “no one else should ever again suffer as we have.” For  their efforts, Nihon Hidankyo, the association of Japanese a-bomb survivors, received the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

There was a palpable level of concern about rising tensions among nuclear-armed states, renewed arms racing, and the growing dangers of a nuclear confrontation, with particular reference to threats by the Russian government, and the U.S. and Israeli bombings of Iran’s nuclear facilities. There were strong denunciations of the Israeli government’s genocidal war on Gaza, and it was particularly poignant to hear some of the hibakusha compare photos of bombed-out Gaza bombings with their own recollections of the aftermath of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Many presentations underscored the urgent need for new thinking, in an increasingly unstable world, to end states’ increasing reliance on the doctrine of “nuclear deterrence” as the basis for national security. As stated in the World Conference Against A and H Bombs International Declaration: “‛Nuclear deterrence’ is a policy based on the premise of a catastrophic outcome from a nuclear attack, far greater than the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and is absolutely unacceptable from a humanitarian and moral standpoint.”

It was noted that this year also marks the 80^th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations, “to end the scourge of war,” and calls were made to “uphold the UN Charter, oppose aggression, war, and military buildups, and work in solidarity with various movements seeking peace and disarmament to develop a global movement toward a ‘nuclear weapon-free, peaceful and just world’.”

Finally, since Japan is the only country that has (so far) experienced a nuclear weapons attack, the Japanese government was called upon to reaffirm the three non-nuclear principles in its Constitution –  not producing, possessing or allowing nuclear weapons in the nation.

The Japanese government was also called upon to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) or at least to send an observer to the TPNW’s first Review Conference next year.

Being in Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the annual August commemorations of the U.S. atomic bombings is an emotional experience. For those attending for the first time, imagining and trying to come to grips with the reality of those bombings can be overwhelming. Nick Rabb, a board member of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament, and Common Security, writes about his experience at Testimony of the Hibakusha of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: No More Nuclear Weapons – They have been telling their stories for nearly 80 years. It’s about time more of us listen.

 Read the World Conference Against A and H Bombs Declaration of the 2025 International Meeting here.

Read about the Mayors for Peace 2025 General Conference in Nagasaki here.

Read the 2025 Hiroshima Peace Declaration, delivered by Mayor Kazumi Matsui on August 6 here.

Read the 2025 Nagasaki Peace Declaration, delivered by Mayor Shinro Suzuki on August 9 here.

As Mayor Suzuki concluded: “I hereby declare that in order to make Nagasaki the last atomic bombing site now and forever, we will go hand-in-hand with global citizens and devote our utmost efforts towards the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of everlasting world peace.”

Quoting the late Senji Yamaguchi, the first hibakusha to describe the horrific scene of the bombing to the United Nations General Assembly in 1982, Mayor Suzuki demanded, “No more Hiroshimas. No more Nagasakis. No more war. No more hibakusha.”

The post “No more Hiroshimas. No more Nagasakis. No more war. No more hibakusha” appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

As recognized in the 1945 Constitution of UNESCO, “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.” In 1955, Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russel declared, “We appeal, as human beings, to human beings: Remember your humanity, and forget the rest.” It is incumbent on each of us to contribute in some way to the construction of the defenses of peace. Here are some opportunities for engagement and education in the coming weeks. 

Organizational sign-on opportunity through August 1: Sign your group onto the “HumanRaceNotArmsRace” statement from Civil Society organizations here. “We must demand disarmament, prevent further proliferation, and ensure today’s conflicts do not become tomorrow’s nuclear catastrophe.”

Find an event near you: Physicians for Social Responsibility compiles an annual list of Hiroshima-Nagasaki commemorations. Click here to find your community and attend an event to commemorate 80 years since these immoral nuclear weapons were used in war. Click here to submit a local event to be included in the calendar and map.

Fold a paper crane for peace: Fold a paper crane and join in the annual #CranesforOurFuture campaign between August 6 – 9. #CranesForOurFuture is a joint project of the Hiroshima Prefecture, Nagasaki Prefecture, Nuclear Threat Initiative, and Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace.

Back from the Brink is mobilizing around two flagship congressional resolutions this August as we mark the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago:

H.Res.317 – Urging the United States to lead the world back from the brink of nuclear war and halt and reverse the nuclear arms race

S.Res.323 – Urging the United States to lead a global effort to halt and reverse the nuclear arms race

These congressional resolutions are the current focus of Back From the Brink’s national campaign along with continuing efforts to secure adoption of local resolutions — and they will be at the heart of commemorations organized by Back from the Brink hubs across the country.

Here are one-click tools to make it easy to act and share:

Support H.Res. 317

Support S.Res. 323

Educational Materials to Read, Watch, and Share

Nobel Laureate Assembly Declaration for the Prevention of Nuclear War – July 16, 2025; 100 Nobel Laureate signatories to date. “We ask that [global leaders] each be guided by the words of Nobel Laureates Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein: “We appeal as human beings to human beings: remember your humanity, and forget the rest.” Our survival and the survival of future generations are at stake.”

A new nuclear arms race, by Lawrence Wittner, posted on July 13, 2025, by beyondnuclearinternational

U.S. Mayors Renew Their Call for the U.S. to Lead the World Back From the Nuclear Brink, by Jacqueline Cabasso, published July 1, 2025, by Inter Press New Service Agency

Video: Why Should You Care? Nagasaki Mr. Taniguchi, by Shizumi Manale, 2017. Powerful personal testimony of Nagasaki A-bomb survivor, Sumiteru Taniguchi, recorded the year he died. According to the filmmaker, “This documentary captures the devastating reality of war—scenes so painful, they may make you want to look away. Some moments may be difficult to watch, leaving a lasting impression on both your eyes and your heart. And yet—We believe that true peace can only begin with knowing. That is why we created this film.”

 Social media: For those who want to participate in the shared hashtag campaign #HumanRaceNotArmsRace please use that hashtag in public/ social media promotions.

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From April 28 – May 9, 2025, states parties to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) met at United Nations headquarters in New York City for the third Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meeting for the 2026 NPT Review Conference. The NPT represents the only binding commitment to the goal of disarmament by the five original nuclear-armed States – the U.S., UK, USSR/Russia, France, and China. In Article VI, all States pledged “to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament.” All NPT members aside from the five acknowledged nuclear-armed states are obligated not to acquire nuclear weapons. The NPT entered into force in 1970. In 1995, it was extended indefinitely, with a Review Conference to be held every five years, and PrepComs to be held in between. Every country in the world is a party to the NPT with five exceptions: India, Israel, Pakistan, and North Korea (all nuclear-armed), and South Sudan.

While the nuclear-armed states continued to give lip-service to the “ultimate” goal of elimination, their failure to demonstrate good faith progress on implementation of the disarmament obligation, and the Russian Federation’s repeated nuclear threats in its war on Ukraine hung over the conference like a dark cloud.

As Ambassador Alexander Kmentt of Austria, a global leader on nuclear disarmament,  declared in his opening statement: “We meet at a profoundly concerning juncture for the international community and for international peace and security. Beyond the many well-known and growing challenges in the nuclear field and to the NPT, the very principle of multilateralism is increasingly at stake. International law and the UN Charter face unprecedented strain. The most egregious breach is Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, marked by countless violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and unacceptable nuclear threats. Elsewhere, international law, IHL and human rights are also disregarded, while some actors appear to question and challenge the UN system as a whole…..

We are approaching this Preparatory Committee and next year’s Review Conference very much with this in mind. First, we must safeguard the multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation regime and the NPT in particular. Nuclear weapons remain as one of the most pressing global and truly existential threats facing the entire international community and only multilateral cooperation grounded in international law can address them. Secondly, a business as usual approach to the NPT is insufficient. Nuclear risks are too high and so are the risks for the NPT regime. We must spare no effort to address these challenges, push for the full implementation of the Treaty and preserve its integrity. Geopolitical tensions cannot be an excuse for inaction, they make progress all the more imperative…..

All nuclear weapon states bear a particular duty and responsibility toward the entire international community to reduce and eliminate nuclear risks and to avoid any actions that exacerbate nuclear risks. The obvious gold standard of nuclear risk reduction is the elimination of nuclear weapons.”

For the most part, government representatives restated their well-trodden positions –  the non-nuclear states decrying the lack of progress on disarmament and the nuclear-armed states claiming that “conditions” are not ripe for disarmament. Other frequently stated concerns were the treaty’s lack of universality, and fears of proliferation of nuclear weapons to additional countries. But the one thing almost all countries agreed on – even while recognizing the dangers of nuclear power plants being weaponized for the first time by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, and the realities of nuclear disasters like Fukushima – was the over-the-top promotion of “peaceful” nuclear technology as the solution to most of humanity’s problems. Article IV of the NPT guarantees the “inalienable right of all the Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination.” Elevating and enhancing this provision is particularly dangerous at a time when a nuclear “renaissance’ is being disingenuously promoted as a solution to climate change.

While the tone of the proceedings was mostly civil, it was marked by occasional outbursts and disruptions, such as when the representative of the Russian Federation called Ukrainian President Zelensky a Nazi and the representatives from the European Union countries walked out. The Trump administration didn’t seem to be paying much attention to this PrepCom; the head of its delegation, a previously unknown State Department lifer, basically restated the positions put forth by his predecessors during the Biden Administration.

In the end, for reasons obscured by a closed door session, the NPT PrepCom was unable to reach agreement on substantive Recommendations for the NPT Review Conference or procedural recommendations for Strengthening the Review Process, agreeing only to the date and venue for next year’s Review Conference (April 27 – May 22, 2026 in New York) and nominating its President (Vietnam).

In contrast, there was a robust civil society presence on the margins of the PrepCom, with many educational side events, and a session of the PrepCom itself dedicated to presentations from civil society organizations. This year there were 21 such presentations, including by Nihon Hidankyo, the association of Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bomb survivors and recipient of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize; the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; the Fiji Nuclear Victims and Families Association; the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons; International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War; Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament; Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea; Western States Legal Foundation; and Youth Fusion, the youth network of Abolition 2000.

For a detailed account of the 2025 NPT PrepCom, read Reaching Critical Will’s NPT News in Review.

About Abolition 2000

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was a brief period of optimism about the possibility of nuclear disarmament. The Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons was established at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference with the launch of an appeal to the NPT States Parties (Abolition 2000 Founding Statement) calling on them to “Initiate immediately and conclude negotiations on a nuclear weapons abolition convention that requires the phased elimination of all nuclear weapons within a timebound framework, with provisions for effective verification and enforcement,” and to undertake a number of other practical measures to end the nuclear arms race, prevent nuclear war, and support the global elimination of nuclear weapons. It also recognizes “the inextricable link between the ‘peaceful’ and warlike uses of nuclear technologies and the threat to future generations inherent in creation and use of long-lived radioactive materials.”

At its 1997 meeting in Te Ao Maohi (French Occupied Polynesia), Abolition 2000 adopted a supplement to its Founding Statement. The Moorea Declaration recognizes that “Colonised and indigenous peoples have, in the large part, borne the brunt of this nuclear devastation – from the mining of uranium and the testing of nuclear weapons on indigenous peoples land, to the dumping, storage and transport of plutonium and nuclear wastes, and the theft of land for nuclear infrastructure.”

Some of the calls in the Abolition 2000 Founding Statement have been achieved, such as the 1996 International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion affirming the illegality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons, the establishment of additional nuclear-weapon-free zones, and the establishment of an international energy agency to promote and support the development of sustainable and environmentally safe energy source (IRENA). Others have yet to be realized.

A lot has changed since 1995, but Abolition 2000 is still here and celebrated its 30^th anniversary during the 2025 NPT PrepCom.

 Abolition 2000 at the 2025 NPT PrepCom: Lighting the Way to Peace!

Abolition 2000 celebrated its 30^th anniversary during the NPT PrepCom, with several events. On April 30, Abolition 2000 live-streamed an interview from the UN, with co-founders, Jackie Cabasso and Alyn Ware, who were interviewed remotely by members of Youth Fusion, Camilla Braito and Ayleen Roy. Watch the recording of Abolition 2000 Live From the UN here.

On May 6, Abolition 2000  held an interactive side event, On our 30^th Anniversary, Past Lessons; New Realities, inviting civil society observers to the NPT PrepCom to reflect on the large shifts in global politics, including

the abrupt and long-term changes brought on by the Trump administration and their effects on nuclear weapons policies; Russia’s nuclear sharing with Belarus; recent open discussion of an independent European nuclear force backed by French and UK nuclear weapons; and the potential for new nuclear states in Northeast Asia.

To celebrate its 30^th birthday, Abolition 2000 held a 30th Anniversary Celebration: Lighting the Way to Peace! on the evening of May 7 – coinciding with the 201^st anniversary of Beethoven’s “Ode to Peace” (from his Ninth Symphony). The event took place in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, across the street from the UN. It was a joyful, intergenerational celebration honoring the longevity of our movement and engaging local allies and musicians. The centerpiece of the party was an impressive display of 2000 tea candles arranged in the shape of a giant international peace symbol. The Raging Grannies led community singing and birthday cake was shared. The in-person event was accompanied by a social media campaign, 2000 Candles for Abolition, organized by Youth Fusion. Sally Jones of Peace Action New York State shared a wonderful photo album from the event, which you can view here.

The Abolition 2000 network is open to individuals and organizations to join. By the year 2000, over 2000 organizations had joined.

Join Youth Fusion here. Sign up for Youth Fusion’s newsletter here.

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In his prophetic speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” delivered on April 4, 1967, exactly one year before his tragic and untimely assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. declared: “I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values…. we must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”

The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival has picked up Dr. King’s unfinished work weaving the interlocking injustices of systemic racism, systemic poverty, environmental devastation, militarism and the war economy and a distorted moral narrative of Christian nationalism that blames poor people for their own poverty, into one “moral fusion” campaign.

Groups in Oakland, CA have been doing public participatory readings annually, since 2003. This year, standing in the bright sun at the amphitheater in front of Oakland City Hall, a group of activists, including members of the Bay Area Poor Peoples Campaign, gathered once again to read “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.” As one of the organizers said: “We have now been doing these annual readings in Oakland under five U.S. administrations! And each year something new stands out that is directly relevant to the moment we’re in. This year was no different. Dr. King truly was a prophet who continues to teach and inspire us 57 years later.”

In Los Angeles, CA, twenty people gathered at Alexandria House to read Dr. King’s speech. Although most in attendance were not familiar with the history of the Vietnam war, the present-day resonance was clear to all. Several people were so moved by his words that they broke down and cried. One of the readers put it this way: “The beauty and power of the words of Dr. King, along with the harmony of the voices reading, was a gift to my spirit. So grateful to have been present.”

A statewide online reading, organized by the California Poor People’s Campaign took place on April 9.

This was the fourth year that North Carolina Poor People’s Campaign folks did online readings of the speech. Nearly 50 people volunteered to participate in the readings. There were readers from the mountains to the coast and every area in the state was represented. Over 100 people joined Zoom to hear the reading of the speech. Watch the recording here.

United for Peace & Justice is proud to be a mobilizing partner with the Poor People’s Campaign. We have prepared a tool kit, updated annually, with everything you need to organize a reading in your community. Consider organizing a reading for next April 4 (or sooner; you don’t have to wait!)

The post MLK’s “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” – Now More Than Ever appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

There is a robust civil society presence on the margins of the NPT meetings. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was a brief period of optimism about the possibility of nuclear disarmament. The Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons was founded during the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference, with the launch of an appeal to the NPT States Parties calling on them to commence negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention (treaty) and to undertake a number of other measures to end the nuclear arms race, prevent nuclear war, and support the global elimination of nuclear weapons.

The Abolition 2000 Network is open to individuals and organizations to join. By the year 2000, over 2000 organizations had joined.

A lot has changed since 1995, but Abolition 2000 is still here and will be celebrating its 30th anniversary during the 2025 NPT PrepCom.

Abolition 2000 Live from the NPT Prep Com (virtual). On Wednesday, April 30, from 1:30 – 2:15 pm EDT, Abolition 2000 presenters, speaking from the United Nations, will give a short update on the deliberations – the good, the bad and the ugly – plus the main civil society proposals that are gaining traction at the PrepCom. As this will be on Zoom, the audience will be able to ask questions through the question box and chat box. Register here.

On Tuesday, May 6, Abolition 2000 be holding an interactive side event, Abolition 2000: On our 30th Anniversary, Past Lessons; New Realities, from 3:30 – 5:30 pm in Conference Room A of the UN. If you’re attending the PrepCom, please join us and share your reflections.

Abolition 2000 30th Anniversary Celebration: Lighting the Way to Peace! To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Abolition 2000 is planning a joyful, intergenerational anniversary celebration in New York on May 7 – coinciding with the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s “Ode to Peace.” Plans are in motion for a musical performance and community gathering at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, across the street from the UN. This event will honor the longevity of our movement and engage local allies, musicians, and friends. It will feature 2000 LED tea candles (flameless) arranged in the shape of the international peace symbol. Please join us if you’re in NYC!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! If you can help with set up, we’ll be meeting at 4:00 pm to lay out the tea candles. Contact Jackie Cabasso at wslf(at)earthlink.net

If you can’t join in person, look for #2000Candles and #4NuclearFreeFuture in your social media.

2000 Candles for Abolition Social Media Campaign. With renewed leadership and growing momentum, Youth Fusion, the youth network of Abolition 2000, is launching a global social media campaign: 2000 Candles for Abolition, a call to remembrance and resistance for Abolition 2000’s 30th anniversary. Please join!

“Every flame we light is a step toward a world where no generation must fear the horror of nuclear weapons.”

How to Participate

Take a selfie holding a candle

1. Post on social media
2. Use the hashtag #youthFusionForNoNukes
3. Share your reflections: what concerns you most about nuclear weapons? What in the world do you love enough to protect from destruction?

Join: youth-fusion.org/join

Subscribe: youth-fusion.org/newsletter

Hashtag: #YouthFusionForNoNukes

United for Peace & Justice is proud to be an affiliated network with Abolition 2000.

The post Abolition 2000 – Live From the NPT PrepCom appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.