Latin America takes path to peace
Published on February, 17 2015
By Carol Urner for Disarm/End Wars
January ended on a hopeful note for both abolition of nuclear weapons and ending war. The 33 nations of Latin America and the Caribbean reaffirmed their commitment to their region as a zone of peace and committed themselves to support a treaty banning nuclear weapons as proposed in Vienna in December. Read an assessment of the CELAC declaration here.
But February opened on a sour note. President Obama submitted the largest US base military budget in history to Congress on February 2. But in the spring months ahead will be many more opportunities to promote our goals. Join us and work on what you most care about.
This month closes February 28 with a challenging forum (live streamed), in which WILPF is deeply involved, on Possible Nuclear Extinction of the Human Race.
But we cannot allow human extinction. It is now 70 years since the ending of World War II and the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We say we have the power as women to STOP WAR and eliminate nuclear weapons. Let’s use it now!
Join a massive mobilization to shut down Creech AFB and militarized drones on March 4-6 as Helen Jaccard outlines in her entry. Continue building our movement to end wars with Spring Rising March 18-21.
And begin preparing now for April and May with our Centennial Year Congress (April 22-25), our international conference (April 27-29) in The Hague, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference (April 27 to May 22) and Alliance for Nuclear Accountability D.C. Days May 17 to 20. Check our Disarm/ End Wars spring calendar below for more information. We will also be working with Congress on Norton’s bill to abolish nuclear weapons. Send your own ideas and questions for the months ahead to carol.disarm@gmail.com and to et@prop1.org .
March 11: Fukushima Day. No more nuclear power, nuclear waste or uranium mining.
April 15: US Income taxes due. WILPFers hold creative demonstrations at Post Offices with strong support from United For Peace and Justice and the international Global Day of Action on Military Spending. We will prepare materials specific to WILPF and nuclear weapons abolition.
April 22-25: WILPF Centennial Congress in The Hague: Six members of Disarm/End Wars Committee in the official ten member delegation will be available for report back to US Branches. April 27-28: International NGO conference which the same six members will be attending in The Hague and be available for report backs.
April 24-26: Peace and Planet Mobilization for a Nuclear-Free and Just and Sustainable World. March, festival and two day conference on nuclear weapons abolition in New York City before the NPT meetings.
April 27-May 22: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Meetings
Photo: Delegates at the third annual summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), issued a declaration fully supporting the outcomes of the Third International Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons in Vienna. Photo courtesy of International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
