Ominously, all the nuclear-armed nations are engaged in a new nuclear arms race. Despite their animosities toward each other, they are united in opposition to the new Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW or Ban Treaty), and the original nuclear-armed states are continuing to ignore their obligations under the 1970 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to end the arms race at an early date and to negotiate “in good faith” the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Following the sudden end of the Cold War, after decades of difficulty in focusing attention on the crucial need for nuclear abolition, there are signs of a developing global nuclear abolition movement to respond to these dangers.

These include the July 2017 vote in the United Nations by 122 countries to adopt the Ban Treaty and the Nobel Peace Prize award to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons; the Don’t Bank on the Bomb Campaign; nonviolent direct acts of resistance such as the Memorial Day protest at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts and the April Kings Bay Plowshares Action; and unanimous adoption by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, in June, of a sweeping Mayors for Peace resolution “Calling on the Administration and Congress to Step Back From the Brink and Exercise Global Leadership in Preventing Nuclear War.”

Since 2006 UFPJ has declared August Nuclear Free Future Month.  Let’s keep the momentum going!

Take action! August 6^th and 9^th will mark the 73^rd anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Rallies, marches, vigils and nonviolent direct actions are planned across the country and around the world. Click here to find an action near you. Click here to find more actions, listed by date. Join any and all of these actions that you can! 

Enroll your Mayor in Mayors for Peace! Mayors for Peace, founded in 1982 by the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is working for a world without nuclear weapons and safe and resilient cities as essential measures for the realization of lasting world peace. Mayors for Peace has grown to 7,632 cities in 163 countries, with 213 U.S. members, representing in total over one billion people. Mayors for Peace aims to reach 10,000 members by 2020, the 75^th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Click here to find out if your Mayor is a member of Mayors for Peace. Click here to find out how to enroll your Mayor.

During the 1980’s, fear of nuclear war was by far the most visible issue of concern to the American public and people around the world.  Yet following the end of the Cold War, nuclear weapons fell off the public’s radar screen. It was almost as if the planet itself breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, deeply embedded in the military-industrial complex, military planners and scientists at the nuclear weapons labs conjured up new justifications to sustain the nuclear weapons enterprise. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1991 Colin Powell, then-Chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, declared: “We no longer have the luxury of having a [specific] threat to plan for. What we plan for is that we’re a superpower. We are the major player on the world stage with responsibilities… [and] interests around the world.”

At its first national assembly in 2003, United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) adopted a proposal put forward by Abolition 2000 member groups, to make nuclear abolition “a” priority. The proposal was adopted without much discussion or understanding. At the time we were focused on ending the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and nuclear weapons were seen by many as a peripheral issue. Over the years, nuclear weapons have moved from the periphery to the center of anti-war concerns and UFPJ’s work.

Today, nearly 15,000 nuclear weapons, most an order of magnitude more powerful than the U.S. atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki— 92% held by the United States and Russia, continue to pose an intolerable threat to humanity.  All of the nuclear-armed states are upgrading their nuclear arsenals, and the dangers of wars among them are growing.

On January 25, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the hands of its symbolic Doomsday Clock 30 seconds closer to the end of humanity. It is now set at two minutes to midnight—as close as it’s ever been set since its inception in 1947. In moving the clock 30 seconds closer to the hour of the apocalypse, the Bulletin cited “the failure of President Trump and other world leaders to deal with looming threats of nuclear war and climate change”, and declared, “the world is as threatening as it has been since World War II.”

 We stand at a nuclear crossroads, in a sharply divided world. Last July the majority of the world’s countries voted to adopt a historic treaty to prohibit the possession, development, testing, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons. While the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) represents the total repudiation of nuclear weapons by most of the states that don’t possess them, the U.S. and the eight other nuclear-armed states, along with Japan, Australia, South Korea and all but one of the 28 NATO member states (The Netherlands) – all countries under the U.S. nuclear umbrella, boycotted the negotiations. (Click here for more information about the TPNW.)

We must keep both realities – the promise of the Ban Treaty and growing dangers of nuclear war – fully in mind as we urgently work for a world without nuclear weapons.

In June, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, (USCM), unanimously adopted a sweeping Mayors for Peace resolution “Calling on the Administration and Congress to Step Back From the Brink and Exercise Global Leadership in Preventing Nuclear War.” The resolution rejected the general hysteria that followed Trump’s meetings with Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin.

 Make no mistake. Donald Trump is a dangerous unhinged megalomaniac, unfit for office, who is taking a wrecking ball to the domestic and international orders – to the detriment of millions of ordinary people. Yet, the hysteria following his meetings with Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin is truly frightening. Media pundits and Congressional leaders from both parties would apparently rather remain poised for nuclear war than risk talking with “the enemy”.

The USCM resolution also “urges the United States government to reverse its stance and to embrace the TPNW as a welcome step towards negotiation of a comprehensive agreement on the achievement and permanent maintenance of a world free of nuclear arms”, and “calls on the President and Congress to reverse federal spending priorities and to redirect funds currently allocated to nuclear weapons and unwarranted military spending to support safe and resilient cities….”, along with other measures.

Click here to read the complete text of the USCM resolution. This resolution is designed to be used by a number of campaigns currently underway, including Back from the Brink, Divest From the War Machine, and the Treaty Compliance Campaign. Circulate it widely as an educational and advocacy tool. Quote it in op-eds and letters to the editor. Send it to your Congressional representatives. Consider asking your City Council to endorse the resolution. For more information contact Mayors for Peace North American Coordinator, Jackie Cabasso at wslf(at)earthink.net.

The post IT’S NUCLEAR FREE FUTURE MONTH: PROTEST AND SURVIVE! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Right now, Trump has the power to start a nuclear catastrophe as quickly as he can send a tweet. Luckily, many people are working to change that, and two members of Congress, Rep. Ted Lieu and Sen. Ed Markey, have proposed urgent legislation to prevent the U.S. president from starting a nuclear war without a declaration of war by Congress.

Trump has threatened nuclear war and nuclear expansion repeatedly during and since his campaign. He has also proven that he has no idea what he is talking about when it comes to nuclear policy and that he is making an extremely deadly potential danger even worse. This situation also exposes the fact that the problem isn’t just Trump, it’s a fatal flaw in the design of the system meant to prevent nuclear war and it must be changed. No one person, no President, should have the ability to trigger a nuclear war!

Join the growing movement working to prevent nuclear catastrophe!

Sign the petition demanding that Congress keep us safe by making it illegal for President Trump, or any successor, to start a nuclear war!

We’re partnering with some new and longtime allies to have an impact that the peace movement hasn’t seen in a while. Collaborators include American Friends Service Committee, Arms Control Association, Council for a Livable World, CREDO, Daily Kos, Global Zero, Just Foreign Policy, Peace Action, Ploughshares Fund, Progressive Congress Action Fund, Public Citizen, RootsAction.org, Union of Concerned Scientists, Watchdog.net, Win Without War, and Women’s Action for New Directions.

An overwhelming number of signatures are coming in. Altogether over 415,000 people have already signed! Let’s get to half a million!! This can only happen through many organizations coming together to show our combined strength!

Don’t wait– add your name to the petition to keep Trump’s Twitter fingers off the nuclear button!

Support UFPJ’s sustained efforts to promote nuclear abolition and redefine security.

Learn more about the Nuclear Disarmament/Redefining Security Working Group, UFPJ’s oldest working group, established at our 2003 National Assembly.

The post Stop Trump from Starting Nuclear War- Sign the Movement-wide Petition! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

If you don’t know about the historic Treaty of Tlatelolco that’s entering its 50th year, you should. It established a nuclear weapon free zone in Latin America and the Caribbean. It was a precursor to and inspiration for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Join us in saying: “Congratulations on 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Tlatelolco, Nuclear Free Zone. May it spread to the whole earth!” Add your name here.

For half a century, the Treaty of Tlatelolco has immeasurably increased the security of the countries in the zone, their neighbors, the United States and Canada, and the world, by erecting a strong barrier to the spread of nuclear weapons. This achievement deserves major recognition and as part of her participation in the celebrations, Jackie will be delivering a petition to the Foreign Ministers of the Latin American and Caribbean States, to thank our Latin American neighbors for their sustained leadership and encouraging them to help spread the charge of the Treaty of Tlatelolco to the whole world, making our entire planet a nuclear free zone.

Add your name to the petition to be delivered on February 14 in Mexico City.

In dangerous times as these, when the top players in our political system are making threats to our neighbors, hanging up the phone on allies, and touting walls and militarism, it is important that we take diplomacy into our own hands and strengthen our bonds with our neighbors around the world who also seek peace. We hope that Jackie’s visit to Mexico City will deepen our relationships and solidarity with our partners in Latin America and with Latinos living in the US.

Click here to sign now.

This project was initiated by our close partners at Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy and World Beyond War. The petition will be delivered in person in Mexico City on February 14, 2017, by Jackie Cabasso, Executive Director of Western States Legal Foundation. Jackie is also a founder of Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons, which was recently nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and serves as the North American Coordinator for Mayors for Peace. In 2003, Jackie established UFPJ’s Nuclear Disarmament/Redefining Security working group, which addresses nuclear disarmament in the context of demilitarization, war prevention, and justice. It is UFPJ’s longest running working group.

If you appreciate UFPJ’s continued efforts to build a world free from nuclear weapons, please make a monthly contribution of $5 to support this work.

The post Sign to Support the Treaty of Tlatelolco, Nuclear Free Zone! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Voting, alone, will not pull us out of the fire. We need to work together to strengthen the peace movement to resolve the challenges of our time and secure a promising future.

Here are some of our current campaigns and resources that we hope you will review and share with others who love and crave peace:

Sign Our Petition for Obama to Bring All Troops Home from Afghanistan

Listen to Our Expert Panel on “The Imperative of Nuclear Disarmament and New Priorities in an Increasingly Dangerous World”

Participate in Nuclear Free Future Month in August

Plug in to Peace and Justice Actions and Organizing at the Presidential Conventions

Lastly, thank you for taking action in your community to further our common cause.

If you appreciate our work to stop war and end racism, please show it by making a monthly contribution of $5 to United for Peace and Justice.

Every bit you give will go directly to covering our operating costs and increasing our capacity to drive out the three evils of society, which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. identified as poverty, racism, and war.

We’re in this struggle together and together we will win.

Follow United for Peace and Justice on
Web | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The post It’s No Time for Peace Organizing to Slow Down! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Chain Reaction encourages all sorts of creative nonviolent events and actions to protest nuclear weapons activities or to celebrate nuclear disarmament initiatives. This might include protest activities at nuclear weapons facilities, corporations that make nuclear weapons or banks that invest in them, or celebrations in cities that have declared themselves nuclear-free. Regular nuclear disarmament actions can be incorporated in Chain Reaction: vigils, petitions, film screenings, seminars, exhibitions, tree-plantings, commemorations of peace days, demonstrations and other nonviolent actions.

Visit Chain Reaction 2016 for ideas and to find out when and where activities are being planned.

• Click here to post your group’s actions to UFPJ’s event calendar.
• RSVP for our 7/20 briefing call: The Imperative of Nuclear Disarmament and New Priorities in an Increasingly Dangerous World.

• Please support UFPJ’s work for a nuclear free future by making a donation now.

The post August is “Nuclear-Free Future Month” appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

www.mayorsforpeace.org                                                            www.2020visioncampaign,org

For immediate release: June 28, 2016

Contact: Jackie Cabasso, Mayors for Peace North American Coordinator, (510) 306-0119; wslf@earthlink.net

U.S. Conference of Mayors Unanimously Adopts Resolution “Calling on the Next U.S. President to Pursue Diplomacy with Other Nuclear-Armed States; Participate in Negotiations for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons; Cut Nuclear Weapons Spending and Redirect Funds to Meet the Needs of Cities”

Sponsors include NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie and Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola 

Indianapolis – At the close of its 84^rd Annual Meeting yesterday, the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), for the 11^th consecutive year, adopted a strong resolution in support of Mayors for Peace, warning that “the nuclear-armed countries are edging ever closer to direct military confrontation in conflict zones around the world,” and calling on the next President of the United States “to pursue new diplomatic initiatives to lower tensions with Russia and China and to dramatically reduce U.S. and Russian nuclear stockpiles.”

Cautioning that “more than 15,000 nuclear weapons, most orders of magnitude more powerful than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs, 94% held by the United States and Russia, continue to pose an intolerable threat to cities and humanity,” and that “the largest NATO war games in decades, involving 14,000 U.S. troops, and activation of U.S. missile defenses in Eastern Europe are fueling growing tensions between nuclear-armed giants,” the USCM “calls on the next President of the United States, in good faith, to participate in or initiate… multilateral negotiations for the elimination of nuclear weapons as required by the 1970 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.”

The resolution commends President Obama for visiting Hiroshima and concluding negotiations with Iran, but notes that “the Obama Administration has laid the groundwork for the United States to spend one trillion dollars over the next three decades to maintain and modernize its nuclear bombs and warheads, production facilities, delivery systems, and command and control,” and that “federal funds are desperately needed in our communities to build affordable housing, create jobs with livable wages, improve public transit, and develop sustainable energy sources.” The USCM “calls on the next President and Congress of the United States 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 address the urgent needs of cities and rebuild our nation’s crumbling infrastructure.”

The USCM also “commends Mayor Denise Simmons and the Cambridge City Council for demonstrating bold leadership at the municipal level by unanimously deciding on April 2, 2016, to divest their one-billion-dollar city pension fund from all companies involved in production of nuclear weapons systems and in entities investing in such companies,” and “congratulates Des Moines and its Mayor T.M. Franklin Cownie on Des Moines’ appointment as Lead City for the U.S. section of Mayors for Peace.”

Mayors for Peace, an international organization, founded in 1982 and led by the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, aims through its 2020 Vision Campaign to achieve the global elimination of nuclear weapons by 2020. Mayors for Peace membership has grown by more than ten fold since 2003, as of June 1, 2016 counting 7,063 cities in 161 countries and regions including 207 U.S. members, representing some one billion people, one-seventh of the world’s population. On June 22 in Des Moines, Mayor Frank Cownie formally agreed to serve as Lead City for the U.S. section of Mayors for Peace.

Addressing the USCM International Affairs Committee on June 25, Mr. Yasuyoshi Komizo, Secretary-General of Mayors for Peace, explained:

“One common challenge we face is that many countries continue to maintain that their national security depends on nuclear deterrence. Yet nuclear deterrence is based on mutual distrust and attempts to maintain peace through the threat of indiscriminate mass killings. Such a system cannot be sustainable. We must also note that nuclear weapons cannot offer any effective solutions to the global security challenges of the 21^st century. They also consume budgetary and technological resources needed for economic development, including the welfare of the world’s cities.”

The USCM is the nonpartisan association of American cities with populations over 30,000. Resolutions adopted at annual meetings become its official policy. This year, for the first time, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser added their names as co-sponsors of the Mayors for Peace resolution.

The full text of the resolution and list of 23 sponsors is posted at http://wslfweb.org/docs/MfP-USCM-res2016.pdf

Official version:  http://usmayors.org/resolutions/84th_Conference/proposedcommittee-review.asp?committee=International Affairs

The 2016 Mayors for Peace USCM resolution was sponsored by: 

M. Franklin Cownie, Mayor of Des Moines, Iowa

Nan Whaley, Mayor of Dayton, Ohio

Joy Cooper, Mayor of Hallandale Beach, Florida

John Dickert, Mayor of Racine, Wisconsin

Roy Buol, Mayor of Dubuque, Iowa

Mark Stodola, Mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas

Marcus Muhammad, Mayor of Benton Harbor, Michigan

Alex Morse, Mayor of Holyoke, Massachusettes

Kitty Piercy, Mayor of Eugene, Oregon

Chris Koos, Mayor of Normal, Illinois

Laurel Lunt Prussing, Mayor of Urbana, Illinois

Salvatore J. Panto, Jr., Mayor of Easton, Pennsylvania

Geraldine Muoio, Mayor of West Palm Beach, Florida

Frank Ortis, Mayor of Pembroke Pines, Florida

Ardell F. Brede, Mayor of Rochester, Minnesota

Muriel Bowser, Mayor of the District of Columbia

Christopher L. Cabaldon, Mayor of West Sacramento, California

Miguel A. Pulido, Mayor of Santa Ana, California

Charlie Hales, Mayor of Portland, Oregon

Patrick L. Wojahn, Mayor of College Park, Maryland

Paul Soglin, Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin

Denny Doyle, Mayor of Beaverton, Oregon

Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City, New York

# # #

The post US Conference of Mayors Unanimously Adopt Resolution to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons & Redirect Spending to Meet Human Needs appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Supporting the Iran Deal

As you know, we are working hard to support the Iran deal. Here are some actionable things you can do to support the cause:

• Listen to streaming audio of our August 12th live national conference call on the Iran deal, with Phyllis Bennis, Tyler Cullis and Lara Friedman. The call was well attended with nearly 150 activists from around the country. Now it’s posted for you to listen to and share.
• Sign our joint petition to Congress, supporting the Iran deal.
• Check out our Iran resources page, with useful articles about what will happen and why urgent action is needed around the nuclear deal.
• Your Congressional Representative and Senators are home this month. Set up appointments at their local offices, deliver letters or petitions, or conduct a vigil with a few friends.

August wass Nuclear Free Future Month

Last month marked the 70th anniversaries of the United States’ atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Remember that for all of August we  commemorated Nuclear Free Future Month, as we do annually.

So far, this year, activists like you have entered 200 events from around the globe into our calendar. Just because August is over does not mean that your organizing efforts should slow down. We need nuclear abolition, now! Find out about and instantly post your events at nuclearfreefuture.org.

Take Action on the Manhattan Project National Park!

Tell the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reject efforts by pro-nuke fanatics to weaken radiation standards, here.

Click here to tell the Department of Energy and the National Park Service that the new Manhattan Project National Park must include the perspective of the victims of the U.S. atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, and the continuing legacy of the Manhattan Project.

Submit to Our Newsletter

UFPJ is still accepting submissions for the relaunch of our newsletter, which will reach 10’s of thousands of activists, organizers, and supporters of peace and justice around the country and other parts of the world. Would your organization like to be featured?

Click here to find out what kinds of stories we’re looking to share and the basic criteria we’ve established, so that all of our member groups can be featured.

We are excited about starting our Newsletter again to feature the hard work of UFPJ’s hundreds of member groups. We all know that local activism can feel lonely, and we are not always aware that we are all part of a larger movement, all working toward the greater goal of peace and justice and a better tomorrow. Peace groups are persevering all across the country. We want to hear from you and get the news out about your work!

Announcing Annals of Nuclear Resistance

In honor of Peace and Planet Summer and Nuclear Free Future Month, UFPJ Coordinating Committee member, Thea Paneth has launched a blog to recall and tell the storied resistance to nuclear weapons and power.

Annals of Nuclear Resistance is collecting and posting the stories, photographs, educational materials, and creative works to tell the history and to be inspired anew to take action for abolition of nuclear weapons and to shut down nuclear power plants. This project will be updated through September 26, 2015 – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

You can view the blog here: http//nuclear-resistance.blogspot.com/

All we are saying is give peace a chance! If you appreciate receiving timely action alerts like this, please make a donation to UFPJ so that we can continue to keep our member groups and dedicated activists linked together for effective action and impact.

The post UFPJ Update: Supporting the Iran Deal & Working Beyond the Bomb appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Sign up for our Thunderclap!

If you’re coming to New York, there’s still time to register for the April 24-25 international conference with its spectacular line up of plenary speakers and 44 workshops. On Sunday April 26, join the Interfaith Convocation, and then hit the streets for a mass rally, march and festival, and launch of the “Global Wave”. Look for the UFPJ banner!

And if you can, please sign up to volunteer!

Share this video right now, to help promote the mobilization.

If you can’t come to New York there are several ways you can participate!

• Sign up for our Thunderclap! Like Peace & Planet on Facebook, and follow Peace & Planet on Twitter. Post some tweets in the next couple days, tagging @PeaceAndPlanet (we’re using #NoNukes #70Years #NPTRevCon #ConnectingTheStruggles), and please also tag three of your friends or followers to make sure that our Thunderclap goes out on Friday the 24th!!
• Sign the Peace & Planet petition. Your signatures will be added to more than 7 million signatures from Japan that will be presented to United Nations and NPT officials during the April 26 peace festival.
• Add your group’s name to the list of more than 300 endorsing organizations.
• Watch the conference plenary sessions. They will be livestreamed, so you can even watch from home!
• Wave goodbye to nuclear weapons wherever you are! The “Global Wave” will be launched at the April 26 rally in New York, with participants symbolically waving goodbye to nuclear weapons. The Global Wave will travel west, by time zone, with public events scheduled in Papeete, Manila, Amman, Bethlehem, Stockholm, Paris, London, Sao Paulo and points in-between, arriving back at the UN for the opening of the NPT Review Conference on April 27.

LAST CALL FOR PEACE & PLANET!

All we are saying, is give peace a chance! If you appreciate receiving timely action alerts like this, please make a donation to UFPJ so that we can continue to keep our member groups and dedicated activists linked together for effective action and impact!

The post All Aboard for Peace & Planet! April 24-26 appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Israeli and US threats of war on Iran are being justified in the name of preventing nuclear weapons proliferation in the Middle East. Yet, the International Atomic Energy Agency and US National Intelligence Estimates have repeatedly concluded that Iran has no nuclear weapons and has made no decision to build them.  In fact, it is nuclear-armed Israel and the US that are responsible for the presence and proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region, in total disregard for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and thirty years of United Nations resolutions calling for the establishment of a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East.

Whether or not one agrees with Iran’s interpretation of its rights under the NPT, this is a matter to be resolved by diplomacy, not war.  Unilateral threat or use of military force against Iran, including covert force, would be a violation of International Law and of the U.N. Charter. We want no part of another illegal war in the Middle East.

Yet, the United States has just set back prospects for a very significant diplomatic breakthrough. The May 2010 5-year Review Conference of the NPT called for a UN-sponsored conference in 2012 to establish a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, to be attended by all States in the region. The proposed Conference, to be co-sponsored by the US, Britain and Russia, and facilitated by Finland, was set to take place in mid-December, in Helsinki.

 As summarized by the British American Security Information Council: “[A November 23] announcement by the US claimed that the conference could not be convened, blaming ‘present conditions in the Middle East’ and the lack of agreement over the ‘conditions for a conference’. The US announcement called on states ‘to take a fresh look at the obstacles’, placing its support clearly in the Israeli camp that the conference needs a ‘broad agenda that covers regional security’. It pointedly gives little hope that the conference will be convened anytime soon, and leads some analysts to conclude that this is actually a cancellation rather than a postponement. The UK calls for the conference to be convened as soon as possible in 2013, and Moscow deplores the fact that not all Middle East nations have agreed to attend the conference and said that the conference must happen before April 2013, the date of the next NPT Preparatory Committee.”*

The United States’ lack of good faith support for this conference is unacceptable and a cause of deep concern. The Helsinki Conference provides an opportunity for a Middle East without nuclear weapons. It can lead to further discussions for securing a lasting peace in the Middle East.

In response to the postponement of the Conference, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared: “I wish to reaffirm the collective responsibility of the conveners to make every effort to convene the conference, as mandated. I will continue to work with them on that basis. I fully support the proposal by the facilitator to conduct multilateral consultations in the shortest possible time which will allow the conference to be convened at the earliest opportunity in 2013.”

We agree with the Secretary-General, who concluded: “I also appeal to [all States in the region] to seize this rare opportunity to initiate a process that entails direct engagement on security issues – a critical shortcoming at the moment – and follow-on steps leading to achieving the complete elimination of all weapons of mass destruction in the region, nuclear, chemical and biological and their delivery systems.”

Tell the President and Congress to stop threatening and start talking! Click here to sign the Open Letter to President Obama and the U.S. Congress, calling on them “to actively, and visibly, support the Helsinki Conference for a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction.” We are seeking as many organizational and individual signatures as possible – please help us spread the word! We are planning to “deliver” and publicize this letter in mid-December, around the time the Helsinki Conference was to have been held.

United for Peace and Justice believes that the problem of nuclear weapons in the Middle East must be solved regionally, as well as globally.  We support the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction in parallel with a global call for immediate negotiations to abolish all nuclear weapons.

In Struggle,

Jackie Cabasso

Please support this important work by making a generous donation to United for Peace and Justice. Click here to donate.

*Click here for a compilation of news stories and commentaries on cancellation/postponement of the Helsinki 2012 Conference on a Nuclear and other WMD Free Zone in the Middle East

The post Tell the President and Congress to “take ‘all options are on the table’ off the table”! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Israeli and U.S. threats of war on Iran are being justified in the name of preventing nuclear weapons proliferation in the Middle East. Yet, the

International Atomic Energy Agency and U.S. National Intelligence Estimates have repeatedly concluded that Iran has no nuclear weapons and has made no decision to build them.  In fact, it is nuclear-armed Israel and the U.S. that are responsible for the presence and proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region, in total disregard for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and thirty years of United Nations resolutions calling for the establishment of a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East.

Whether or not one agrees with Iran’s interpretation of its rights under the NPT, this is a matter to be resolved by diplomacy, not war.  Unilateral threat or use of military force against Iran, including covert force, would be a violation of International Law and of the U.N. Charter. We want no part of another illegal war in the Middle East.

A very significant opportunity for a diplomatic breakthrough is on the horizon. The May 2010 5-year review meeting of the NPT called for a UN-sponsored conference in 2012 to establish a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, to be attended by all States in the region. The proposed Conference is scheduled for mid- December, in Helsinki, Finland.

The United States’ lack of visibility in promoting this conference is unacceptable and a cause of deep concern. The Helsinki Conference provides an opportunity for a Middle East without nuclear weapons. It can lead to further discussions for securing a lasting peace in the Middle East.

Tell the President and Congress to stop threatening and start talking!  Click here to sign the Open Letter to President Obama and the U.S. Congress, calling on them “to actively, and visibly, support the Helsinki Conference for a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction.” We are seeking as many organizational and individual signatures as possible – please help us spread the word! We are planning to “deliver” and publicize this letter the first week of December.

United for Peace and Justice believes that the problem of nuclear weapons in the Middle East must be solved regionally, as well as globally.  We support the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction in parallel with a global call for immediate negotiations to abolish all nuclear weapons.

Please support this important work by making a generous donation to United for Peace and Justice. Click here to donate.

The post Open Letter to President Obama and the U.S. Congress appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.