JULY-AUGUST 2008 DISARM UPDATE
FOCUS ISSUE: HIROSHIMA-NAGASAKI DAYS
AND NUCLEAR FREE FUTURE MONTH
And read the May international WILPF Peace and Security Working Group newsletter with more news from
Sections on disarmament and human rights actions and concerns
Check back with DISARM UPDATE often. It is continually updating.
JULY CALENDAR
(Also see August Calendar, below, with more program resources, information and ideas)
July 1: Diplomacy may be working with Iran! Iranian Foreign Minister signals possible acceptance of latest six-nation proposal to resolve the current crisis according to today's National Security newsletter from NTI.
July 1: Representative Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) says no chance for a U.S.-India nuclear power deal in 2008
according to the NTO Global Security Newswire.
July 1: Des Moines WILPF sends us a copy of the blog referred to by Fran Korten, founder of the magazine YES!, in her stirring key note speech at the Congress. Representative Gary Ackerman is also author of a bill calling for what amounts to a blockade on Iran -- which could be interpreted as an act of war. It already has 222 co-sponosrs! Our good friends Kucinich, Lee, Woolsey and Watson have not co-sponsored it, but many other progressives have done so! Our Congressional delegations are now on their July recess, and it is very important to contact them and urge House members to vote against H Con Res. 362 and Senators to reject S Res 580. Go to Library of Congress: Thomas enter the bill numbers as written here to see co-sponsors, text and other information.
July 2: Read the friendly column on our Iowa WILPF Congress in the DesMoine Register. Thanks to the wonderful work of the DesMoines Branch and the good spirit of members determined to work through our problems together and keep moving forward, many of us thought it the "best WILPF Congress ever!"
July 3: Sign the petition now to Stop Missile Defense Bases in the Czech Republic. WILPF DISARM is supporting this world-wide nonviolent effort which is an outgrowth of the April international Global Nework conference held in Omaha, home of the U.S. Strategic Command -- the most dangerous place on earth. Explore the Czech web site about this spreading non-violent movement. Go to the Global Network website to read about the world-wide fast to stop the U.S. base, rejected by 70% of the Czech people. Three members of our DISARM leadership team were among those participating in the fast.
July 4: Working for PAROS. a UN Treaty on Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space Read the WILPF fact sheet on PAROS and share it widely, including with your Congressional delegation. How bette celebrate the 4th of July than working for PAROS and peace in space?
July 5: The United Nations Report on the UN World Space Week in 2007 is now available for purchase from the United Nations book stores. Over 50 reports of Keep Space for Peace events are included and many are from our own WILPF Branches in the United States as well as from WILPF events in Australia, Germany, Norway, WILPF in Geneva and in the UK. You can also download the report from the web, but do so only if you have a new computer that can handle a document with 400 megabytes. You will find it here at 2007 UN World Space Week.
AUGUST CALENDAR
August 1 to 31: Nuclear Free Future Month.
August 6: Hiroshima Day commemorations and actions around the U.S.A., in Japan and around the world. Resources from WILPF are available in the Focus Issue.
August 9: Nagasaki Day memorials and actions.
