"Nuclear weapons and human beings cannot co-exist." Nihon Hidankyo, recipient, 2024 Nobel Peace Prize
#HumanRaceNotArmsRace As we approach the 80th commemorations of the United States atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, authoritarian nationalists now hold state power in seven of the nine nuclear-armed states. The growing dangers of wars among nuclear armed states are palpable and intolerable. As the 2024 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Nihon Hidankyo, the organization of Japanese atomic bomb survivors, has warned: "Nuclear weapons and human beings cannot co-exist." Nuclear weapons must be eliminated before they eliminate us. 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." It is incumbent on each of us to contribute to this project. Opportunities for engagement and education in the coming weeks follow. Read more.
Webinar Recording: Nuclear Weapons in a Time of Crisis; Why Local Actions Matter, July 14, 2025 As global tensions rise and nuclear risks grow, it's more important than ever for local communities to engage in the movement for nuclear disarmament. On July 14, 2025,Western States Legal Foundation Executive Director and UFPJ National Co-convener Jackie Cabasso joined New Hampshire Peace Action to explore the current state of nuclear weapons policy, the urgent need for action, and how local advocacy efforts — like those supported byMayors for Peace and the Back from the Brink campaign -- are making a difference. Jackie provided a timely update on the global nuclear landscape, then shifted to a conversation about why grassroots organizing matters and how individuals and communities can get involved. Watch the webinar recording.
Recording: Congressional Special Order Hour on the Urgency of Nuclear Dangers and the Need for U.S. Leadership in Disarmament Diplomacy "I rise today to address one of the most serious issues of our time, the risk of conflict with nuclear weapons. It is a threat that challenges our conscience. It is a threat not just for Americans, but for all humanity. And it is a threat not just to humans, but to all species of life on our planet." So began Rep. Jim McGovern, MA, introducing an extraordinary Congressional Special Order Hour on July 23. "July 16 marked the 80th anniversary of the Trinity test, the first detonation of a nuclear weapon in New Mexico.... We will commemorate the first use of a nuclear weapon in a conflict.... the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, on August 6.... and the second, the bombing of Nagasaki, on August 9. Let us pray that Nagasaki will be the last." Reps. Bill Foster, Jill Tokuda, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Mark Takano followed with impassioned appeals. Watch here.
Veterans for Peace 40-Day Fast for Gaza Veterans for Peace and alliesfasted for Gaza for 40 days in front of the US Mission to the UN. It was a motley crew of angels including veterans from Vietnam, Iraq and other wars. One had just been hospitalized for side effects of fasting. Another had arrived from the Global March to Gaza. Another was writing a thesis on starvation as a weapon of war. Many stopped to express solidarity and 792 people joined the fast from around the country. Their demands: Resume humanitarian aid and stop arming Israel NOW! On June 30th, the last day, 29 were arrested for blocking traffic with a die-in in front of the Israeli Mission. Mike Ferner threw cow blood on the U.S. Mission saying, "It's about time the U.S. Government show some of the blood on its hands that it is shedding all over the world."
As Its Actions Further Erode International Law, Israel's Isolation Increases Martin Shaw writes in New Lines Magazine that "the dam of interpretive genocide denial has well and truly broken." Governments that long have provided support and diplomatic cover for the Israeli government are breaking with past positions. President Macron has announcedthat France will recognize Palestine as a state, putting pressure on the UK to follow suit. But as Shaw emphasizes, criticism of genocide is not enough: "the point is to stop it." At the July Hague Group Emergency Conference, 13 governments announced measures to this end,from prevention of arms shipments to support for international investigations and enforcement "to ensure justice for victims of international crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory." An international NGO coalition,Friends of the Hague Group, has been launched to support this initiative.
European Court Rules on Russian Government Human Rights Violations in Ukraine: UFPJ Ukraine Resources On July 9, the European Court of Human Rights issued a judgment in a case brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands concerning actions by the Russian Government. The Court found "a picture of interconnected practices of manifestly unlawful conduct by agents of the respondent State [the Russian Federation] on a massive scale." Violations included arbitrary detentions of civilians, forced labor, torture, use of rape as a weapon of war, summary executions and indiscriminate military attacks. The Court also concluded that Malaysian Airlines flight MH-17 had been shot down by a Russian- crewed missile system, and that the Russian government had failed to comply with obligations to cooperate with investigation of the crash. Find links to the Court's press release and information about the judgment here, and moreUFPJ Ukraine resources here.
Open Letter to World Leaders from Jailed Russian Dissidents On July 9, political prisoners jailed by the government of the Russian Federation issued an open letter appealing for international support. The signers ranged from young anarchists and anti-war activists to former public officials. "The concepts of justice and fairness are absent in Russia today; anyone who dares to think critically can end up behind bars. Repressive legislation aimed at eliminating any dissent has been consistently tightened since 2012. From 2018 to 2022, at least 50 repressive laws were adopted, and since February 24, 2022 - over 60 more," they wrote. Convictions for political crimes often carry sentences of 10 years or more. The dissidents appealed to media, governments, and the public to highlight their plight, and to work to create the conditions for their release.Read the open letter here.
Fifth Judge Assigned to Guantanamo Military Commission Case Against the Men Accused of Planning and Supporting the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks As the case against the five 9/11 defendants has fractured into three separate legal proceedings, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Schrama has been named the fifth presiding judge in the pre-trial hearings, on-going since May of 2012. Three of the 9/11 defendants continue to pursue pre-trial agreements following a DC Circuit Court 2-to-1 ruling that the former Sec. of Defense, Lloyd Austin lawfully withdrew from the agreements. The dissenting judge said the government had not met the legal bar for a federal court to overturn the prior rulings of four military judges. The three defendants will seek to appeal to the full bench of DC Circuit Court judges. In proceedings at Guantanamo, the previous judge ruled that the government could not use "confessions" a fourth defendant made to the FBI; the government is appealing the ruling to a higher military court. The fifth defendant was severed from the case after being found mentally incompetent to participate in his defense. Photograph: United States Air Force
Petition: Reclaim the UN Charter's Purpose 80 Years On In response to mounting concerns about the state of our world, multilateralism, and the United Nations, former senior UN officials and international civil servants from around the world issued a statement, on June 26, 2025: "UN CHARTER AT 80: A CALL TO RECLAIM ITS PURPOSE." It states, "This anniversary calls for reckoning, not ritual. We call for moral clarity. A return to the Charter's values--peace, development, human rights, rule of law, and faith in human dignity. A renewed commitment to truth over lies, integrity over corruption, solidarity over silence.... Young people deserve our action, not our apologies. This is our moment to act. If we fail, the legacy we leave will be one of abandonment, not courage." The Call is now open for the signatures of all concerned world citizens. Please add your name here.
"Death by denial of healthcare;" Moral Monday Rolls Through the South In a dozen locations across the South, on July 14, 2025, Moral Monday coalitions, including state-based Poor People's Campaigns, launched a movement "that refuses to accept the lies about policies that will kill people in our communities" ,as Bishop William J. Barber II put it. A multitude of faith leaders and activists rallied at Senate offices in 12 southern states to raise awareness of the harms coming to poor and low-wage people and "to educate folks about what is coming because of the Big, Ugly Bill that just passed Congress," Bishop Barber wrote. "We must organize the pain that policy produces and refuse to accept unnecessary death." Read more.
International Court of Justice Affirms Global Legal Obligations on Climate Change In a landmark decision delivered on July 23, 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) outlined a comprehensive set of stringent legal obligations requiring States to exercise due diligence to ensure climate protection, undertake enhanced action to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and strengthen international cooperation to protect the climate. The ICJ also affirmed legal obligations requiring the States most responsible for Greenhouse Gas emissions to provide reparations to States most impacted by climate change, particularly developing countries. In delivering the opinion, the ICJ President, Judge Iwasawa Yuji, noted that the questions posed to the court by the General Assembly concerned "an existential problem of planetary proportions that imperils all forms of life and the very health of our planet." Read more. Photograph: Jeroen Bouman - Courtesy of the ICJ.
Webinar Recording: "The Folly of Atomic Power in the Age of Climate Change," June 26, 2025 Advocates of nuclear power argue that climate change mitigation is a reason to build a new generation of nuclear power plants, which they claim will provide safe, clean, and cheap electricity. This webinar featured Dr. M.V. Ramana, author of Nuclear is Not the Solution: The Folly of Atomic Power in the Age of Climate Change. He discussed industry claims that, this time, they will be able to build safe, reliable nuclear plants that can generate electricity at competitive prices, and the political and economic alliances that have kept the nuclear industry afloat despite nearly seven decades of unfulfilled promises. The webinar was presented by the Coordinating Committees of the Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons and United for Peace and Justice. Watch the webinar here; it begins at the 1:15 minute mark.
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As we approach the 80
As global tensions rise and nuclear risks grow, it's more important than ever for local communities to engage in the movement for nuclear disarmament. On July 14, 2025, 
"I rise today to address one of the most serious issues of our time, the risk of conflict with nuclear weapons. It is a threat that challenges our conscience. It is a threat not just for Americans, but for all humanity. And it is a threat not just to humans, but to all species of life on our planet." So began Rep. Jim McGovern, MA, introducing an extraordinary Congressional Special Order Hour on July 23. "July 16 marked the 80th anniversary of the Trinity test, the first detonation of a nuclear weapon in New Mexico.... We will commemorate the first use of a nuclear weapon in a conflict.... the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, on August 6.... and the second, the bombing of Nagasaki, on August 9. Let us pray that Nagasaki will be the last." Reps. Bill Foster, Jill Tokuda, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Mark Takano followed with impassioned appeals. 
Veterans for Peace and allies 
Martin Shaw 
In June, UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine Francesca Albanese issued an in-depth report, 
On July 9, the European Court of Human Rights issued a judgment in a case brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands concerning actions by the Russian Government. The Court found "a picture of interconnected practices of manifestly unlawful conduct by agents of the respondent State [the Russian Federation] on a massive scale." Violations included arbitrary detentions of civilians, forced labor, torture, use of rape as a weapon of war, summary executions and indiscriminate military attacks. The Court also concluded that Malaysian Airlines flight MH-17 had been shot down by a Russian- crewed missile system, and that the Russian government had failed to comply with obligations to cooperate with investigation of the crash. Find links to 
On July 9, political prisoners jailed by the government of the Russian Federation issued an open letter appealing for international support. The signers ranged from young anarchists and anti-war activists to former public officials. "The concepts of justice and fairness are absent in Russia today; anyone who dares to think critically can end up behind bars. Repressive legislation aimed at eliminating any dissent has been consistently tightened since 2012. From 2018 to 2022, at least 50 repressive laws were adopted, and since February 24, 2022 - over 60 more," they wrote. Convictions for political crimes often carry sentences of 10 years or more. The dissidents appealed to media, governments, and the public to highlight their plight, and to work to create the conditions for their release.
As the case against the five 9/11 defendants has fractured into three separate legal proceedings, 
In response to mounting concerns about the state of our world, multilateralism, and the United Nations, former senior UN officials and international civil servants from around the world issued a statement, on June 26, 2025: 
In a dozen locations across the South, on July 14, 2025, Moral Monday coalitions, including 
In a 
Advocates of nuclear power argue that climate change mitigation is a reason to build a new generation of nuclear power plants, which they claim will provide safe, clean, and cheap electricity. This webinar featured Dr. M.V. Ramana, author of Nuclear is Not the Solution: The Folly of Atomic Power in the Age of Climate Change. He discussed industry claims that, this time, they will be able to build safe, reliable nuclear plants that can generate electricity at competitive prices, and the political and economic alliances that have kept the nuclear industry afloat despite nearly seven decades of unfulfilled promises. The webinar was presented by the Coordinating Committees of the