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Growing worldwide anti nuclear movement

Is there a new anti-nuclear movement growing? RABBLE CA, BY  CELYN DUFAY  AUGUST 6, 2013 It has been 68 years since America’s nuclear attacks on Japan, and world leaders are still discussing nuclear arms reduction and disarmament to be achieved “someday.”

But unprepared to sit and wait while thousands of nuclear weapons remain on full alert, citizens are organizing on every continent to demand their governments establish a convention banning nuclear weapons.

Positive signs of the renewed interest in the reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons have been emerging in recent years: from Obama’s goal of achieving a nuclear weapons free world, and the negotiation of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia, to the recent support of 389 Members of the European Parliament for the Global Zero Action Plan, which calls for the phased and verified elimination of all nuclear weapons.

Importantly, we are also witnessing a rise in popular mobilization across the globe, by populations calling for the prohibition and elimination of all nuclear weapons around the world.

Throughout Nuclear Abolition Week 2013, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) had campaigners spread across 25 countries, on every continent, calling upon national governments to work together to ban and eliminate all nuclear weapons.

Through organized press conferences, exhibitions, round table discussions, meetings with government officials, and other activities, organizers brought this important topic to the political agenda. The popular response to these initiatives was tremendous: over 5000 people from 126 countries have now signed ICAN’s online petition calling for a negotiated nuclear weapons ban.

Here in Canada, Ceasefire.ca has been supporting ICAN with its “Louder Than the Bomb” campaign, by collecting signatures from citizens, coast to coast, to petition the Government of Canada to work with the international community to establish a nuclear weapons ban……

According to recent assessments, the overwhelming majority of the world’s population and national governments support a ban on nuclear weapons and efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament. An international poll conducted in 26 countries found that 78 percent of people support a treaty that would outlaw and eliminate nuclear weapons.

Similarly, 151 of 195 UN member nations have a stated policy supporting a ban on nuclear weapons. Only 22 nations in the world are opposed to a ban on nuclear weapons, nearly all of whom are members or allies of NATO or the EU…….

To advocate for the peaceful disarmament of nuclear weapons from inside NATO would strengthen international peace movements and restore Canada’s clout as an international leader in peace and prosperity.

Citizens of the world therefore, must mobilise in support of ICAN and other peace movements to encourage substantive action by their governments to ban nuclear weapons now.  http://rabble.ca/news/2013/08/there-new-anti-nuclear-movement-growing

August 7, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, opposition to nuclear