Monday, September 28, 2009

A message from Queen Noor


What an exciting week! Last Thursday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for the elimination of all nuclear weapons. Her Majesty Queen Noor was at the meeting representing Global Zero and the millions around the world who believe that when it comes to nuclear weapons, one is one too many.

I had a chance to talk to Queen Noor as she left the special meeting. Her excitement was contagious. She told me we had to seize this historic moment while we have the momentum and get people around the world to join the movement for global zero. I captured the moment in a video message for you! To watch Queen Noor's video and invite your friends to join you in supporting Global Zero, click on the link below:

http://www.globalzero.org/en/qn-taf

Getting to zero will be a long process, but Presidents Obama and Medvedev have made it clear that they are really committed to it, and other leaders are joining their effort. To make sure these commitments turn into action, we must build an unprecedented global movement, and keep reminding our leaders, at every chance we get, that we expect them to stay strong and keep working towards a world free of nuclear weapons.

The Security Council's resolution means that leaders recognize that whatever stability nuclear arsenals may have provided during the Cold War is now outweighed by the growing risks of proliferation and nuclear terrorism, and the only way to eliminate the nuclear threat is to eliminate all nuclear weapons.

Those 15 votes cast yesterday could mean the beginning of the end of nuclear weapons. The movement we're building will be a strong base of support for the courageous leaders who take the bold actions needed to turn the vision of global zero into a reality. We cannot do it without you, so please invite everyone you know to join us.

http://www.globalzero.org/en/qn-taf

Thanks a lot!

Galit Gun
Global Zero Campaign Director





Friday, September 25, 2009

Security Council Adopts Nuclear Arms Measure
PITTSBURGH — President Obama moved Thursday to tighten the noose around Iran, North Korea and other nations that have exploited gaping loopholes in the patchwork of global nuclear regulations. He pushed through a new United Nations Security Council resolution that would, if enforced, make it more difficult to turn peaceful nuclear programs into weapons projects.


Video
Report on Security Council
Neal MacFarquhar, the United Nations bureau chief for The New York Times, talks about Thursday's special Security Council session on nuclear arms presided over by President Obama.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Obama makes nuclear bid before G20 talks


From
September 24, 2009

President Obama will launch an ambitious bid for global nuclear disarmament at the UN today before world leaders head to Pittsburgh for further discussions at the G20.

Mr Obama will become the first US president to chair a United Nations Security Council meeting as he tries to reinvigorate the stagnant nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Part of the plan appears to be setting out a strategy to deal with states which leave or violate the pact.




"Real Change is Possible"




In this morning's speech to the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama covered a range of topics—all under the umbrella of his desire for leaders to recognize the "common future" of a world in which "the interests of peoples and nations are shared."

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2009 AT 1:23 PM
"Real Change is Possible"





New York Times
Obama Addresses U.N. General Assembly

In a sweeping speech to the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama sought to clearly delineate differences between his administration and that of former President George W. Bush.



Wednesday, September 23, 2009

When Peace Comes To The World


Somebody cared enough to
mark the spot-
The spot where crumpled on the filthy walk,
he would have heard the Metra
dinging south -
in fading consciousness, a final toll
matter-of-factly echoing the shots.

She (surmising tearful friend, or mother)
or, sadder yet, a he- a little brother-
designed a tender, tawdry monument-
wilting lily and a small white bear
tied - eye level- to a metal fence-
the 2100 block near Dominicks.

How is it that one person’s youthful crime:
to tread on common ground fictively claimed
as purview of some other wary youths-
who look and act exactly like their foes-
should prescribe his brutal, public death?

The drive that pushed our species to survive,
no doubt supported once by reasoned choice:
to stand our tiny patch of sun-scorched earth
is self destructive in the world wide web.

Could we, in our integral self appraisal
accept the concept of a global face?
And that, perhaps, South Shore is like a
mirror
Reflecting facets of the human race.

We really are connected: ill or good,

world peace must issue from our neighborhood.


Chicago,

Mary Steenson

http://zoradesign.blogspot.com/2007/01/starting-over.html


Saturday, September 12, 2009

U.S. proposes nuclear resolution at UN


UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The United States circulated a draft U.N. resolution Friday calling for stepped up efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons which it hopes will be adopted by world leaders at a meeting later this month chaired by President Barack Obama.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/news/20090912p2g00m0in008000c.html


Thursday, September 10, 2009

What we've been up to...

Dear Friends,

When we launched Global Zero last December, even the most optimistic among us could not have imagined how far we'd come in just eight months. We wanted to share with you some of the highlights of the Global Zero campaign so far. To see what we've done, look at pictures, videos, and new ways to get involved, just scroll down or click on the link below:

http://www.globalzero.org/en/report-back

We've come a long way but much remains to be done. We're in this for the long haul-and we need you with us all the way to the finish line.

Thank you for being part of the solution.

Galit, Cristina, Nate, Jessica, Caitlin, Volha, Ameer, Mohamed and the entire Global Zero team

------------------------------------------------------

A Snowball of positive media coverage

We've generated extensive worldwide media coverage -- over 1500 news stories in more than 70 countries in print and online outlets, and television appearances by Global Zero leaders on CNN International, PBS's Charlie Rose, BBC TV, Al Jazeera, Australian Broadcasting Network, Canada Today, NHK Japan, Phoenix TV (Hong Kong), Xinhua News Agency, CNBC, MSNBC, Reuters and Russia Today, among others. Click here for more.

Queen Noor

Queen Noor will only knight Stephen after he signs the Global Zero declaration. (6:21)



Global Zero Grassroots Action

Achieving global zero will require an unprecedented worldwide grassroots campaign. Global Zero is involving citizens in innovative ways and providing the support they need to educate and organize their communities, workplaces and schools.

We partnered with Avaaz.org at key global decision-making moments. When President Obama gave his historic speech in Prague and called on other nations to join him in working towards a nuclear-free world, Avaaz members in France sent 23,000 emails to President Sarkozy urging him to participate in multi-lateral negotiations for global zero. This July, before the Obama/Medvedev Summit, over 100, 000 people from every country in the world signed the Global Zero declaration in just three days. This kind of growth can only be achieved if all of us take a minute to tell our friends and family about Global Zero. If you haven't done so, please use our simple tool to invite your friends and family to join our cause.



We are also providing a new generation with advocacy and media trainings from top practitioners and the opportunity to become Global Zero campus leaders. The leadership training enables outstanding young leaders to educate and organize others in their schools and build the foundation for a massive global grassroots campaign for zero.

To start a Global Zero chapter, organize or attend a Global Zero event in your city or town, or find out ways to be more involved with the campaign, click here.




Educating the public

We know that achieving Global Zero will also require educating the global public about the nuclear threat and why eliminating nuclear weapons is the only answer. In the past six months, Global Zero leaders have spread the message to students in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, with more events planned worldwide in the next six months.

We have also developed a state of the art interactive online video. If you haven't seen the Global Zero interactive maps, please click below:








Saturday, September 5, 2009

Australia, Japan in nuclear rift


AUSTRALIA and Japan are at loggerheads over the use of nuclear weapons in war, with Japan - the only country to have suffered atomic attack - determined that they should remain a broad-based deterrent.
DANIEL FLITTON
September 4, 2009

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Celebrating International Day of Peace !


New York Peace Film Festival and Interborough Repertory Theater presents:
Celebrating International Day of Peace !
“Hibakusha Outcry” Reading Series 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009 @ 7:00pm~9:30pm
Film “Twice Bombed, Twice Survived (Nijuuhibaku)” (English subtitle: 60min)

Tanka Reading (English & Japanese) by Chad Diehl
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 @ 7:00pm~9:30pm
Staged Reading "Atomic Field"(『原子野』)(in Japanese)
Written by Kenneth Robbins / Translation by Akira Wakabayashi
Directed by Sonoko Kawahara
with
Akira Takayama*, Masayasu Nakanishi*, Mami Kimura, Asuka Morinaga
*Actors Appear Courtesy of Actors Equity Association
FREE ADMISSION
IRT (Interborough Repertory Theater)
154 Christopher Street, Suite 3B, New York, NY 10014

Reservations:

For more information: www.nypeacefilmfest.com

Check out our YouTube & MySpace page
www.YouTube.com/NewYorkPeaceFilmFest
www.MySpace.com/newyorkpeacefilmfestival

We're also on twitter
http://twitter.com/NYPeaceFilmFest

… and look us up on Facebook!

UN Disarmament conference marks 64th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima



6 August 2009

The Conference on Disarmament today marked the sixty-fourth anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

The President of the Conference, Ambassador Caroline Millar of Australia,drew attention to the fact that today was the sixty-fourth anniversary of thedropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. This was a sober reminder toall of the destruction and devastation of nuclear weapons and of thecompelling importance of the Conference resuming its work on nuclear disarmament.

Japan said that this day, together with the 9 of August for Nagasaki, was aday to remember the tragedies so that they could renew theirdetermination to work towards a world free of nuclear weapons. Japan alsonoted that this year there had been a number of encouraging statementsand initiatives towards this goal.


http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/07A35D59ED66219BC125760A002D18DE?OpenDocument