campaign · 2 lives of millions. our movement has been remarkable ... forward with our campaigning...
TRANSCRIPT
THE MAGAZINE OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
Campaign for Nuclear
Disarmament,
162 Holloway Rd,
London N7 8DQ
020 7700 2393
www.cnduk.org
JANUARY 2018
CND
campaign
THE history of CND is the history ofpost-World War II, told from theside of those fighting for humanity
against the horror of war. It is the story ofordinary people’s struggles to shape a worldwithout nuclear weapons and war, based onlegality and morality; to make ourgovernments responsive and accountableover our right to stay alive, our right tobreathe air free of radioactive pollution, ourright to say no to the indiscriminate killingof other peoples. CND has been mostsuccessful and effective when it has relateddirectly to people’s most pressing concerns– linking our issues to the reality of what is
going on in the world. Nuclear weapons arenot the preserve of technological or militaryexperts, in some specialist niche that isn’trelevant to ordinary mortals. Nuclearweapons are the concern of us all, for inthem humankind has created somethingthat could end our very existence – andgovernments will only shift on nuclearweapons policy when enough of us demandchange.For sixty years, we have inspired, led and
organised – and no doubt infuriated andannoyed! – many hundreds of thousands ofpeople, and have contributed to changes inpolitics and society that have shaped the
CND General Secretary Kate Hudson looks back at our history,as CND prepares to mark our 60th anniversary.
61958–2018
Campaign
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lives of millions. Ourmovement has been remarkablefor its flexibility and dynamism,embracing methods as diverseas vigils, lobbying, massdemonstrations, non-violentdirect action, human chains,peace camps, die-ins, theatre,leafletting, petitioning, streetstalls, and many others besides!We have opposed all
nuclear weapons from Polaristo Trident and before andbeyond; we have campaignedagainst wars where nuclearweapons may be used andagainst illegal wars that destroythe framework of internationallaw; against weapons in space,NATO, remote killing withdrones; nuclear power, nuclearwaste transportation; themilitarisation of Europe, the useof radioactive ‘depleted’uranium in conventionalweapons; the waste of spendingon arms and much more. From our founding
conference, we have fought
both for Britain ‘to renounceunconditionally’ the use orproduction of nuclear weapons,and for it to use the ‘utmostendeavour’ to bring about theend of all nuclear weaponsglobally. These have been ourcentral aims throughout; indeedthe last decade has been domin -ated by our work to preventTrident replacement and securea global nuclear weapons bantreaty. Of course, 2017 broughta major advance for us, with theagreement of the UN’s Treatyon the Prohibition of NuclearWeapons, despite theincreasingly tense globalpolitical situation. But as we goforward with our campaigninginto 2018, the crucial – but verydifficult – task will be to get ourgovernment on board with theTreaty. And that means winningthe Labour Party to support ittoo – we may well see our Vice-President Jeremy Corbyn in 10Downing Street. As ever, the struggle for
global abolition is inseparablylinked with the campaign toscrap Trident – British nukeswill have to go if we are to signthe Treaty. So as we mark our60th anniversary, let’s recommitto the cause of peace and to anuclear weapons-free world.
nwww.cnduk.org/CNDat60for more information on whatCND has planned for ouranniversary, including an eventat AWE Aldermaston.
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or visit .thephone.coop/cnd
Groups SpotlightThis month: Chester CND
Chester CND undertook afantastic initiative inDecember by placing a halfpage advert in their localpaper highlighting theUN’s global ban treaty andthe Nobel Peace Prizebeing awarded to ICAN.The cost of the advert wascovered by an appeal toour local supporters.
If you have more greatideas to help the groupshare the anti-nuclearmessage, they would beglad to hear from you.
If you’re a CND member inChester or interested ingetting more involved withthe group’s activities, getin touch today! n [email protected]
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January 2017
IN JULY 2016,WestminsterMPs voted overwhelmingly toreplace the UK’s Trident
nuclear weapons system. Thereare many reasons why UKpoliticians voted in favour. Onefactor, often overlooked, wasthe influence wielded by thecompanies involved inmanufacturing and maintainingthe nuclear weapons and thesubmarines that carry them.Military budgets fluctuate but
nuclear weapons-related workprovides corporations with asteady, long-term source ofrevenue. BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Babcock Internationaland the companies that managethe Atomic Weapons Establish -ment – Lockheed Martin,Jacobs Engineering and Serco –all have a vested interest inreplacing Trident.A key means of influence for
such companies, as documentedby Campaign Against ArmsTrade, is the ‘revolving door’between the Ministry ofDefence (MoD) and the privatesector. Thousands of seniormilitary officers and formerMoD officials have taken upemployment with arms
companies over the last twodecades. These individualstake with them an insideunder standing of the MoD,plus established relationshipswith key decision-makers.Their opinions on militarymatters continue to carryweight and are often reportedby the media.While the merits of Trident
were being debated, BAE,Babcock, Lockheed, Jacobs andSerco each employedindividuals who had previouslyworked for the UK govern -ment or the military in seniorroles connected to Trident.Some of these prominentindividuals made publicstatements in support ofreplacement at key pointsbefore the 2016 vote.An open letter to Scotland’s
first minister, published aheadof Scotland’s 2014independence referendum,warned that a ‘dark shadow’would be cast over Scotland’sinternational relations andthousands of jobs would belost if an independent Scotlandchose to remove nuclearweapons from the country. The
Influencing the Trident debateWriter and activist Linda Pearson examines therole of arms companies in influencing policymaking on nuclear weapons.
letter was signed by several ex-military chiefs, including threeformer First Sea Lords with linksto the arms industry.Another open letter was
addressed to incoming UKPrime Minister David Cameronin 2015, arguing that it would be‘irresponsible folly to abandonBritain’s own independentdeterrent’. Signatories to thisletter included former chiefscientific advisor to the Ministryof Defence, Sir Keith O’Nions,who was on an advisory boardfor Serco, and former secretaryof state for defence, LordHutton, who has been employedby Lockheed as a consultantsince 2014.In a time of austerity and war
weariness, Trident replace mentwas a hard sell. But the vocalsupport of prominent formergovernment and military leadersarguably helped to shape thedebate around replacement andsecure an outcome that willboost the profits of armscompanies at the expense ofBritish taxpayers.Instead of funding socially
useful projects, we are nowcommitted to funding weaponswhich cannot actually defend usfrom the most pressing threatsto our security, namely climatechange, cyber warfare andterrorism.
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What’s on
Rhyl Peace FestivalJanuary 12th-14thSt Mary's Church, 119Wellington Road, Rhyl LL18 1LEnSee: facebook.com/RhylPeoplesAssembly/ for more info.
Living in InterestingTimes: London CNDconferenceJanuary 13th, 12 noon-5pmSOAS, Thornhaugh Street,London WC1H 0XG. nContact [email protected] phone 020 7607 2302 formore information.
Leicester CND meetingJanuary 15th, 7pm.Methodist Church Rooms, 10ABishops Street, Leicester.nContact 0116 225 0133 oremail [email protected] more information.
Manchester CND AGMJanuary 17th, 6:30pm-8pmManchester Central Library cafe,St Peters Square, City CentreM2 5PD. nFor more information [email protected]
Yorkshire CND AGMJanuary 18th, 6:30pmYorkshire CND office, 2Ashgrove, Bradford BD7 [email protected] or 01274 730795 for more info.
Preston & South RibbleCND launch January 22nd, 6:30pm.nFor more information [email protected].
Greater Manchester &District CND AGMJanuary 27th, 11am-1pmBridge 5 Mill, Ancoats, 22A
Beswick St, Manchester M4 7HRnFor more information [email protected]
North West Labour CNDrelaunch meetingJanuary 27th, 2pm-3:30pmBridge 5 Mill, Ancoats, 22ABeswick St, Manchester M4 7HRnFor more information [email protected]
Merseyside CND AGMFebruary 7th, 4pmMerseyside CND Office, 151Dale St, Liverpool L2 2AH
Peace Camps
Aldermaston Women’sPeace CampSecond weekend of everymonth. nTel: 07946 [email protected]@Peace_women_AWE
nContact 0151 229 5282 formore information.
‘Shadow World’ filmshowing – OswestryFebruary 27th, 7:30pm,Kinokulture Cinema, 9 ArthurStreet, Oswestry, ShropshireSY11 1JN. A film about theglobal arms trade, followed by aQ&A session with AndrewFeinstein, Executive Director ofCorruption Watch UK.nBook your tickets atkinokulture.org.uk
Remember Fukushima Commemorate the nuclear disaster VigilMarch 9th, 5:30pm-7:30pmOutside the Japanese Embassy, 101 Piccadilly, London.
March and rallyMarch 11th, assemble 12 noonOutside the Japanese Embassy, 101 Piccadilly, London.
Public meetingMarch 14th, 7pm-9pmPortcullis House, Houses ofParliament, Westminster.
n For more information about all of these events, seerememberfukushima.org
Faslane Peace CampPermanent. A814, Shandon, Helensburgh, Dumbartonshire G84 8NT.nTel 01436 [email protected]
Menwith Hill vigil Every Tuesday 6-7.30pm. nFor more info contactSarah – 01765 600928 [email protected]
NO NUCLEAR