nuclear Archives - United For Peace and Justice

IT’S NUCLEAR FREE FUTURE MONTH: PROTEST AND SURVIVE!

UFPJ web — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 20:07:23 +0000

From the Korean Peninsula, to the South China Sea, to the Middle East and South Asia, all the nuclear-armed states are engaged in unpredictable conflicts that could catastrophically escalate out of control. Tensions between the United States and Russia have risen to levels not seen since the Cold War, with the two nuclear giants confronting each other in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and Syria and an accelerated tempo of military exercises and war games, both conventional and nuclear, on both sides. Risky close encounters between Russian and U.S./NATO forces have increased dramatically in the Baltic region and Syria.

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.

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Congratulations to ICAN for Earning Nobel Peace Prize

admin — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 23:24:14 +0000

The 2017 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons [ICAN] went to the right campaign at the right moment!

As the dangers of nuclear escalation rise to levels not seen in decades, we are greatly heartened by this validation of organizing by civil society that placed humanitarian concerns above “national security,” culminating with the adoption, on July 7, of the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty. The Treaty prohibits the possession, development, testing, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons. It will enter into force when 50 countries have signed and ratified it. While binding only on those countries that join, the Ban Treaty will give new momentum to disarmament movements in the nuclear-armed states and their allies, and will help to stigmatize and delegitimize nuclear weapons and the increasingly unstable doctrine of deterrence.

United for Peace and Justice stands with ICAN and will redouble our efforts to reach that great day for humanity and the planet when the most terrifying and destructive of all weapons will finally be abolished, despite the recalcitrance of the U.S. and the rest of the “nuclear club.”

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[LISTEN] National No to NATO, No to War! Briefing Call with European Allies

admin — Fri, 05 May 2017 19:09:56 +0000

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a dangerous, aggressive and outdated alliance with its roots in the cold war. NATO is an imperial and nuclear force. It’s expansion to Russia’s borders, in violation of an agreement between President Bush and Gorbachev is the primary cause of current U.S.-Russian tensions.

Today, US troops and their NATO allies regularly play “war games” along the Russian border, which are experienced as military provocations. One small accident or miscalculation there could lead to the war we all fear.

NATO and the US have waged war together in Serbia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya and today, the U.S., Britain, France and Turkey – all members of the NATO alliance are at war in Syria. President Trump’s erratic stance on NATO has caused further tensions and great unease across an already volatile Europe. The coercive push from United States for European countries to increase their military budgets at the expense of public programs is intensifying existing social pressures emanating from austerity, wealth disparity, war-refugee migration, and aggressive nationalism.

Today, NATO is more likely to start an international nuclear catastrophe than prevent one, which is why NATO must be stopped!

Last year’s summit and counter-summit were held in Warsaw. This year, the meetings will be in Brussels, Belgium, the capitol of the European Union.

Donald Trump will be making the NATO summit his first trip to Europe and thousands of Europeans and international partners are organizing a mass demonstration to let Trump know that he is not welcome outside of the United States.

Join us to hear from UFPJ’s partners and lead organizers of the struggle against NATO, militarism, and US bases in Europe. Learn about how we can support their demands in our communities. Link with our international peace movement allies to say “No to War, No to NATO!”

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Featured Panelists


Reiner Braun Berlin Germany No-to-NATO / No-to War Network, no-to-nato.org Co-Chair of International Peace Bureau, ipb.org	Ludo De Brabander Gent, Belgium No-to-NATO Brussels Counter-Summit Organizer,stopnato2017.org Organizer for Vrede, vrede.be	Ann Wright Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Col. US Army (Retired) – Worked for NATO subcommand, Allied Forces Central Europe Veterans for Peace, veteransforpeace.org	Joseph Gerson Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA Director of American Friends Service Committee’s Peace and Economic Security Program, afsc.org Co-Coordinator of Peace & Planet, peaceandplanet.org

SUPPORT OUR INTERNATIONAL PEACE MOVEMENT ALLIES—

SIGN THEIR CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS!

PLEASE HELP US CONTINUE OUR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZING TO STOP ENDLESS WARS AND FUND HUMAN NEEDS BY MAKING A DONATION TODAY.

Check out these related videos:

UFPJ Allies @ No To NATO Counter-summit March in Warsaw
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UFPJ No to NATO – No to War Panel at 2016 Left Forum

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Standing Up to Nuclear Threats is Our Job

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 22:20:32 +0000

Last week, the majority of the world’s nations voted in the UN General Assembly to conduct negotiations in 2017 on a treaty to outlaw nuclear weapons, an historic development. Nuclear-armed nations: the U.S., Russia, Britain and France vociferously opposed the resolution, and all indications are that the nuclear weapon states will not participate in the negotiations.

UFPJ is committed to supporting this UN-based nuclear disarmament effort led by non-nuclear nations, and to defeating president-elect Trump’s ill-advised tweet to “greatly strengthen and expand” the U.S. nuclear arsenal. During the Presidential campaign, candidate Trump’s rhetoric on nuclear weapons was all over the place, indicating his profound ignorance. While his encouraging-sounding noises about improving relations with Russia were cause for cautious optimism, we didn’t know what to expect. His recent nominations and comments are an alarming indication.

As President Obama prepares to leave office, the United States is poised to spend one trillion dollars over the next 30 years to modernize its nuclear bombs and warheads, the submarines, missiles and bombers needed to deliver them, and the infrastructure to sustain the nuclear enterprise indefinitely. And the dangers of wars among nuclear-armed states are growing.

UFPJ’s Nuclear Disarmament/Redefining Security Working Group is our oldest working group. Established at our 2003 National Assembly, this group has held monthly conference calls for 13 years!. It is the only formation we know of that explicitly places the imperative of nuclear disarmament in a broader peace and justice context, while promoting a new paradigm based on universal human and ecological – instead of “national” – security. We hope you will support UFPJ’s sustained efforts to promote nuclear weapons abolition and redefine security.

Each August since 2006 UFPJ has promoted “Nuclear-Free-Future Month” to coordinate education and action promoting the abolition of nuclear weapons and energy. This year’s activities included an information-packed briefing call, “The Imperative of Nuclear Disarmament & New Priorities in an Increasingly Dangerous World”.

When Obama became the first sitting U.S. President to announce plans to visit Hiroshima, UFPJ delivered a letter signed by 1,500 individuals insisting that he back up his disarmament rhetoric with meaningful action, and that he meet with survivors of the atomic bombs dropped by the U.S. on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Obama did ultimately speak with two hibakusha (A-bomb survivors), but he did not respond to our call to back up his disarmament rhetoric with bold action. Tragically, President Obama’s words in Hiroshima are contradicted by his dismal record on nuclear disarmament. As President-elect Trump prepares to take office, the stakes have never been higher! Please give as generously as you can.

With our international partners, including Abolition 2000 and Mayors for Peace, UFPJ will continue in 2017 to sound the alarm about increasing nuclear dangers, and to raise awareness about the growing global demand for nuclear abolition. We’re counting on your support.

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Join UFPJ Allies at the World Social Forum in Montreal Aug. 9-14

admin — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 17:13:31 +0000

It’s hard to believe that the World Social Forum is already well underway in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It seems like just yesterday that UFPJ was on some of the earliest North American outreach calls with the organizers.

This week, there are hundreds of workshops and actions going on around the city, which is hosting thousands of participants. Some of them are being co-hosted by close UFPJ allies and partners. These include the workshops on nuclear disarmament and organizing against militarism being held by Peace and Planet, like:

There’s also a chance to meet with members of Iraqi civil society, some of whom have partnered with us in opposition to the US invasion and occupation of their country at Baghdad Cafè with the Iraqi Social Forum.

United for Peace and Justice’s co-convener, Terry Rockefeller- a representative of Sept. 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows-, will also be on a panel with members of the Iraqi Social Forum at International Solidarity with the Iraqi Protests and with People’s Civil Struggle in Middle-East Against Fundamentalism, Sectarianism and Authoritarianism. Daesh (IS) is not the only threat!

We hope those of you in Montreal will be able to connect with our allies at these enriching events and that your discussions will influence the direction and power of our future organizing for peace and justice.

If your organization is hosting an event at the Social Forum, please let us know at info.ufpj[at]gmail.com.

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Send a Letter to the Editor on Obama’s Visit to Hiroshima

admin — Fri, 27 May 2016 22:19:03 +0000

Thanks again for signing our letter to President Obama, calling on him to make his visit to Hiroshima a meaningful step toward the elimination of nuclear weapons. We delivered the letter, with nearly 1500 signatures, before Obama spoke in Hiroshima. Right up until the last moment there was media speculation that the President would not meet with hibakusha and would not make a major speech.

We’re very pleased that President Obama went to Hiroshima. We’re glad that he toured the A-bomb museum in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and laid a wreath at the cenotaph. And we’re very glad that he heeded our call to meet with hibakusha. Obama gave an emotional, rhetorically-soaring anti-war speech, reaffirming his commitment to pursue a world without nuclear weapons – albeit with the caveat “We may not realize this goal in my lifetime.” While the President did not offer an apology for the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki he did hint at one, stating: “We’re not bound by genetic code to repeat the mistakes of the past.”

President Obama pulled off a magnificent symbolic act as the first sitting U.S. President to visit Hiroshima. But to quote a famous old advertising line, “Where’s the beef?” Obama did not respond to our call to back up his disarmament rhetoric with bold action. Tragically, President Obama’s words in Hiroshima are contradicted by his dismal record on nuclear disarmament. His administration has reduced the nuclear stockpile less than any post-Cold War presidency, and has laid the ground-work to spend $1 trillion over the next three decades to upgrade the U.S. nuclear arsenal. And the Obama Administration’s aggressive policies toward Russia and China are fueling growing tensions between nuclear-armed giants.

But Obama’s visit to Hiroshima has generated a level media attention to the dangers of nuclear weapons not seen for years. Let’s take full advantage of this media interest! I encourage you to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper commenting on the President’s visit to Hiroshima and what he didn’t say. You can draw on the letter we sent to President Obama, and I’ve also written a sample letter to the editor that you can modify. Please let us know if your letter is published by sending a note to info.ufpj@gmail.com. Many thanks for taking action!

For peace and justice in a nuclear free world,

Jackie Cabasso
National Co-convener, UFPJ
(Executive Director, Western States Legal Foundation}

Sample letter to the editor [162 words]

President Obama pulled off an historic symbolic act as the first sitting U.S. President to visit Hiroshima. But to quote a famous advertising line, “Where’s the beef?” President Obama’s words in Hiroshima are contradicted by his dismal record on nuclear disarmament. His administration has reduced the nuclear stockpile less than any post-Cold War presidency, and has laid the groundwork to spend $1 trillion over the next three decades to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal. His administration’s aggressive policies toward Russia and China are fueling growing tensions between nuclear-armed giants. Actions speak louder than words. President Obama should initiate a process to negotiate in good faith the early elimination of nuclear weapons, as required by the 1970 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. As a concrete interim step he should dramatically reduce the U.S. nuclear arsenal and urge Russia to do the same. And he should cancel the $1 trillion, 30-year program to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal and redirect those funds to meet human needs.

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UFPJ Delivers Letter w/ 1,500 Signatures to POTUS Ahead of Hiroshima Visit

admin — Thu, 26 May 2016 19:29:25 +0000

Click here for a PDF copy of the Press Release: https://www.unitedforpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/UFPJ-Press-Release-5_26-Obama-in-Hiroshima.pdf

Click here for a PDF copy of the Signed Letter to President Obama: https://www.unitedforpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/UFPJ-Letter-to-President-of-USA-Barack-Obama-re-Hiroshima-and-Nuclear-Disarmament.pdf

For Immediate Release

Contact: Matt De Vlieger

Phone: (917) 410-0119

Website: www.unitedforpeace.org

Email: info.ufpj@gmail.com

Twitter: @unitedforpeace

Actions Speak Louder than Words: Obama Must Meet With A-Bomb Survivors & Cancel $1 Trillion for New Nukes

Nat’l Peace Network Delivers Letter With 1,500 Signatures to White House

TODAY, ahead of his trip to Hiroshima, United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) is delivering a letter to President Obama. Since Saturday, 1,500 activists across the country have signed on to the letter urging the President to go to Hiroshima, but not empty-handed. The signers demand that the President meet with hibakusha (A-bomb survivors), terminate plans to spend $1 TRILLION on new nuclear weapons over the next three decades and initiate a process to negotiate the elimination of nuclear weapons as required by the 1970 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

“Despite committing the U.S. to “seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,” Obama’s record on nuclear disarmament is dismal, having supported spending $1 trillion over the next 3 decades to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal,” said Jackie Cabasso, Director of Western States Legal Foundation and Co-Convener of UFPJ.

“We don’t know exactly what Obama will say or do in Hiroshima, but we know what he should do. And while it’s unlikely that the President will act on our demands, it’s very important that we make them, and that he hear them from as many people as possible.”

Here’s a link to a PDF version of UFPJ’s letter to the President:

https://www.unitedforpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/UFPJ-Letter-to-President-of-USA-Barack-Obama-re-Hiroshima-and-Nuclear-Disarmament.pdf

The letter can still be signed here: https://www.unitedforpeace.org/2016/05/21/petition-obama-nuclear-abolition-hiroshima/

Jackie Cabasso and Joseph Gerson are available for interviews and to provide expert information and opinions. Their bios can be found below.

Jackie Cabasso, Executive Director of Western States Legal Foundation & Co-Convener of UFPJ

Jackie Cabasso is an advocate and organizer for nuclear disarmament, non-violence, and environmental protection. Her work encompasses local and international grassroots organizing and activism, including nonviolent direct action; advocacy; and research and analysis published in numerous articles and books. Since 1984 she’s served as E.D. of Western States Legal Foundation (WSLF). She’s a founder of Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons and U.S. coordinator for Mayors for Peace.

Jackie’s extended bio can be found here: http://www.wslfweb.org/aboutwslf.htm

Joseph Gerson, Director of American Friends Service Committee’s Peace and Economic Security Program
Joseph Gerson serves as AFSC’s disarmament coordinator and as director of the Peace and Economic Security Program. He has worked with AFSC since 1976 and plays a leading role in building collaborations among U.S., Asian, and European peace and nuclear weapons abolition movements. His work focuses on challenging and overcoming U.S. global hegemony, including its preparations for and threats to initiate nuclear war and its military domination of the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

Joseph’s extended bio can be found here: http://www.afsc.org/media-kit/bios/joseph-gerson

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UPDATE: August Is For Action!

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 15:36:24 +0000

United For Peace and Justice is taking part in Peace and Planet Summer by participating in commemorations of the 70th anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and supporting the Iran Nuclear Accords. We’re also re-launching the UFPJ newsletter, which we’re inviting you to be a part of. Please read more about each of these endeavors in our brief below.

August is Nuclear Free Future Month

Please post your event or action in support of the abolition of all nuclear weapons on our international events calendar at nuclearfreefuture.org.

Find an event near you, using our search function. Commemorations of all kinds will be taking place around the world throughout the month of August. Over 50 events have already been posted and we’re looking forward to seeing yours added to the list.

Sign and Share Our Petition to Support the Iran Deal and Prevent War

Finally, the Administration has come up with a diplomatic solution that will strengthen international oversight to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program remains peaceful.

Meanwhile, many members of Congress would rather use sanctions and threats of war to deal with Iran’s nuclear program, instead of international cooperation. UFPJ has joined together with leading anti-war/peace and justice groups to sponsor a petition calling on Congress to uphold the deal that was struck with Iran and to respect diplomacy. Please sign and share the petition, which has already gathered over 220,000 signatures.

Submit Your Event or Story to Our Newsletter

We know that peace groups are persevering all across the country. We want to hear from you and spread news of your work.

It’s been awhile since we’ve had a newsletter and we’re looking to get one up and running again featuring the hard work of UFPJ’s hundreds of member groups around the country.

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!

Make Sure Your Organization’s Leadership is Getting Our Messages

In the twelve years since UFPJ was founded in 2003, groups have changed and re-formed, and leadership has transitioned. Some of the contact information we have for your group may be outdated.

Please help us by affirming your group’s membership, updating your contact information, and signing up for email action alerts like this one. We want to help everyone in our coalition stay connected. You can sign up instantly on this form.

Thank you for taking the time to hear from us. Now, tell us about what you’re up to!

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.

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PETITION: Act Now to Save Iran Deal!

admin — Sat, 18 Jul 2015 18:13:25 +0000

United for Peace and Justice welcomes the completion of the historic international agreement with Iran, which limits its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions and the ending of its isolation. After years of futile, horrific wars, we join with peace-loving people around the world in embracing this diplomatic achievement.

Click here to sign the petition to uphold the Iran Deal! http://www.stopwarwithiran.com?source=ufpj

The long months of arduous negotiations attests to the difficulty of achieving compromise among adversaries. But at the end of this process, nobody has been killed, no communities have been obliterated, nor have billions of dollars been squandered on instruments of death. The lesson is clear. When the political will is there, diplomacy can succeed. United for Peace Justice views this agreement as the beginning, not the end of a path to peace. Iran’s potential capacity to develop nuclear weapons in the future has been understandably perceived as threatening. But much more immediately threatening are the existing arsenals of the nuclear-armed states: the U.S., Russia, Britain, China, France, Israel, India, Pakistan,and North Korea. We believe that the survival of humanity require new commitments to eliminate them all.For the immediate future, we recognize that irresponsible voices in Congress will do everything possible to kill the agreement with Iran. United for Peace and Justice is joining together with other national organizations in a Stop the Iran War Coalition to build a firewall of support for this deal. This will be an ongoing effort that will extend over the coming months.For now you can help by signing and circulating this petition. http://www.stopwarwithiran.com?source=ufpj

To assist in our ongoing Congressional campaign, please send a quick email with your name, and Congressional district to Rustiandgael@unitedforpeace.org

Our years of protest have helped to bring this historic deal to completion. Let’s make sure it passes.

Click here to sign the petition.

Click here to sign up for UFPJ Action Alerts.

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.

Thank you.

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Sign the Peace & Planet Petition for Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

admin — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 14:13:34 +0000

2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the United States atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It also marks 45 years since the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) entered into force, obligating all States parties to undertake good faith negotiations for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Instead, the world’s nuclear-armed nations are spending over $100 billion per year to maintain and modernize their nuclear arsenals. The danger of wars among nuclear-armed States is growing, and with it the threat of unimaginable death and suffering.

From April 27 – May 22, 2015 representatives of the 189 members of the NPT, including the original nuclear-armed States (the U.S., Russia, the U.K, France, and China) will come together at the United Nations in New York City to review the Treaty’s operation. The recent Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons set up the potential for a direct challenge to the nuclear-armed States: States not possessing nuclear weapons will be demanding a new diplomatic process to achieve nuclear disarmament. It is long past time for the world’s governments to implement the global obligation to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world.

In a demonstration of their determination to build a fair, democratic, ecologically sustainable, and peaceful future, people will gather in New York City and around the world for international days of action April 24 – 26, 2015.

We call upon the parties to the NPT to use the 2015 Review Conference to immediately, without delay, develop a timetable to ban and eliminate all nuclear weapons.

We call upon the four states outside the Treaty that have nuclear arms, India, Israel, North Korea, and Pakistan, to join this process, immediately and without delay.

We are at a crucial juncture, a time when the unresolved tensions of a deeply inequitable society, great power ambitions, and the destructive effects of an unsustainable economic system are exploding into overlapping crises.

Yes to a Nuclear-Free World! Yes to Nonviolence! Yes to Economic Justice and Environmental Sustainability! Yes to Peace!!

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