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From: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com (abolition-usa-digest)
To: abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com
Subject: abolition-usa-digest V1 #13
Reply-To: abolition-usa-digest
Sender: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com
Errors-To: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com
Precedence: bulk
abolition-usa-digest Thursday, August 27 1998 Volume 01 : Number 013
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 14:37:56 -0400
From: ASlater <aslater@gracelinks.org>
Subject: (abolition-usa) ACTION ALERT/MANDELA'S VISIT
Dear Abolitionists,
Earlier I posted a message that Nelson Mandela is expected in New York
during the General Assembly. We have also learned that he may be
addressing the Congress. WE NEED TO GET LOTS OF LETTERS TO HIM URGING THAT
HE SPEAK OUT FORCEFULLY FOR NUCLEAR ABOLITION. Mandela is the only world
leader on the stage today who can command the attention of the US media and
the public. If he comes to the US, it is critical that he speak out in
favor of nuclear abolition to gain the public's ear.
Please send a copy of your letter to Mandela to the NY Mission and DC
Embassy.(addresses below) and post your letter to the caucus so we can keep
track. My letter follows this message. Many thanks. Alice Slater
Write to:
Nelson Mandela
Private Bag x1000
Pretoria, 0001
South Africa
Thank him for South Africa's leadership role in the New Agenda Coalition
and urge him to speak out on the need to begin negotiations now on a treaty
to eliminate nuclear weapons.
Please fax or mail copies to:
Ambassador Khiphsuizi Jele
Permanent Mission of South Africa to the UN
333 East 38th St.
New York, NY 10016
212-692-2498(fax)
Ambassador Franklin A. Sonn
Embassy of South Africa
3051 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
202-265-1607(fax)
August 26, 1998
President Nelson Mandela
Private Bag x1000
0001 Pretoria
South Africa
Dear President Mandela,
I am writing to thank you for the leadership and support given to the New
Agenda Coalition by South Africa. It is essential that the nuclear weapons
states move swiftly towards nuclear abolition before too many other
countries go nuclear.
I have learned that you are expected in New York to address the UN General
Assembly, and to Washington DC to address the US Congress. As the only
world leader today with the moral authority to command the attention of the
US media and the respect of the US public, I urge you to speak out
strongly, while you are in America, in favor of immediate steps for nuclear
abolition and for negotiations to begin immediately on a treaty to
eliminate the nuclear scourge.
My organization is a member of Abolition 2000, a burgeoning global network
of over 1100 NGOs working for the elimination of nuclear weapons. An
Abolition 2000 Working Group of scientists, international lawyers, and
policy makers produced a Model Nuclear Weapons Convention which has been
submitted to the UN as an official document by Costa Rica. The Model
Convention lays out a roadmap to nuclear disarmament with adequate controls
and verification. For those who say this is an impractical task, please
let them know that it is impractical, immoral, and dangerous for the elite
club of nuclear weapons states to cling to their nuclear arsenals. South
Africa led the way by giving up their nuclear weapons. Other states must
follow.
We are now organizing a US Nuclear Abolition Campaign. Unfortunately,
these issues are hardly ever covered in our media. Indeed, there has been
no mention of the New Agenda Coalition in the US media. Please speak out
forcefully on this issue during your visit. It will be an enormous help
to those of us in the US who are trying to capture public attention and
create the political will to end the toxic legacy of the nuclear age.
With much gratitude for your leadership and support.
Sincerely,
Alice Slater
cc: Ambassador Khiphusizi Jele, South African Mission, NY
Ambassador Franklin Sonn, Embassy of South Africa, Wash. DC
Alice Slater
Global Resource Action Center for the Environment
15 East 26 St.
New York, NY 10010
212-726-9161(tel)
212-726-9160(fax)
GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000: A Global Network for the Elimination
of Nuclear Weapons
- -
To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com"
with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message.
For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send
"help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 23:28:30 -0700
From: "Peter Coombes" <pcoombes@web.net>
Subject: (abolition-usa) Dancing for the media
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
- ------=_NextPart_000_0164_01BDD149.8E9FD860
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Dear Friend,
On July 26 I gave a speech to about 300 people here in Vancouver at the =
Community Development Institute=92s Conference. I was asked to reflect =
on the past ten years of work as a peace activist. You may find my =
comments of interest, especially since I take a critical look at our =
constant need and desire to act for the mainstream media. (I=92ve made a =
few editorial changes since it=92s presentation). I hope you find it of =
interest.
Peter Coombes, President
End the Arms Race
info@peacewire.org=20
www.peacewire.org
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflections on a decade of activism
As a peace activists I=92ve spent the past ten years reacting to =
international events. Over the past ten years the fear of nuclear =
annihilation has receded and interest in the peace movement has dwindled =
to a bare-bones group of workers around the world. In that time:
a.. Gorbachev came to power, and from the start he began easing =
tensions between East and West.=20
b.. Then there was the collapse of the Soviet Empire and ultimately =
an end to the Cold War.
c.. Then there was the Gulf War
d.. Followed by Gulf War II
e.. We had French nuclear testing.
f.. And now India and Pakistan have entered the nuclear Weapons =
Club.=20
As peace workers we=92ve been in full retreat since the late 1980s.=20
The loss of interest in issues of nuclear disarmament and militarism =
since then has meant for the movement and its organizations:
a.. The hemorrhaging of volunteers to the environmental movement and =
now to the anti-globalization movement.
b.. Decreased revenue.
c.. Disintegrating Coalitions
d.. And thousands of groups have literally disappeared while larger =
groups outside of peace groups have almost completely ignored peace and =
disarmament issues.
Yet, these experiences are not unique to the peace movement. But likely =
we=92ve felt it harder than anyone else has -- mostly because we were so =
high in the mid-1980s we had a long way to fall.=20
Just imagine, in Vancouver, we had a rally in 1986 with over 100,000 =
people walking for nuclear disarmament. No one has been able to do it =
since, no one has even tried. But, just two years later in 1988, the =
number of peace walkers had already dropped and it continued to drop =
until we decided to cancel it in 1993. But even then it was attracting =
about 10,000 people. But we were into the numbers game with the media. =
They considered the Walk a failure because it was only attracting 10,000 =
people. Yet, no one else could consistently, year-after-year, attract =
the same numbers.
The media has probably been our biggest downfall. The peace movement =
made a fatal error -- we relied on the media to cover the story, or at =
least to cover the issues. We expected media bias and often we worked =
hard to overcome it, we even expected an ideological battles with the =
media owners. But there was one thing we did not expect.
But, before I continue, let me go back a few steps. My impression is =
that the experience of the peace movement is not unique to the 1900s. In =
the early part of this century we witnessed the struggle of workers =
forming independent trade unions. Women fought for the right of =
citizenship and the vote. In the 1950s the Black Civil rights movement =
came to the forefront, then the anti-Vietnam war protests, by the 1970s =
the women=92s movement was in full stride again, then came the peace and =
environmental movements, and today we have the anti-globalization =
movement.
All of these movements have had their ups-and downs, their successes and =
failures. And their successes didn=92t always coincide with their peaks =
of popular support. Trade unionism was on the rise in the 1920s, =
thousands of workers were trying to form their own unions, and many more =
were trying to unite to form the "One Big Union". Yet activists in the =
1920s faced some of the most fierce social battles of the century =96 =
the military with tanks and machine guns were often called upon to crush =
union activities. Private police here in Canada used intimidation and =
violence to undermine their work.=20
More than we can imagine, the battles of unionists, feminists, civil =
rights workers and peace activists of the early 1900s to the 1950s set =
the stage for those of us who have been working for progressive social =
change in the 1980s and 1990s.
They achieved some of the major victories =96 women and blacks gained =
the vote but more importantly they were recognized as citizens. Workers =
succeeded in forming national and international unions to improve the =
plight of millions. And there are many more successes.
But unfortunately they also lost some major battles and likely the =
single most important battle lost was over the media. By the end of =
World War II, every independent progressive newspaper in Canada was =
either burned, vandalized, shut-down or politically discredited.
In the 1950s anyone actively and politically left of the Liberal Party =
of Canada was essentially purged from every major institution in Canada =
and the US =96 they were purged from the military, CBC, NFB, and from =
all government postings.
But I didn=92t come here to give any of you a history lesson. Let=92s =
face it, ten years is not a long time.
We have to remember to put things in a longer perspective if we truly =
want to understand where we=92re at and where we are going.
This century has truly been the "Best of times and the Worst of Times".=20
We=92ve made great strides in progressive social change =96 a coal miner =
in Glace Bay on Cape Breton Island in 1901 was equal to the horses that =
were driven down under ground to work their lives in the dark. (The =
horses were treated better then the men and their families.) Women, =
Blacks and Coal Miners were chattel. Those attitudes have dramatically =
changed.
But history hasn=92t been moving along in a straight progressive path. =
It=92s also been an incredibly horrible century. We=92ve built the =
largest military systems in history. Our economy is based on militarism. =
The global environment is in danger of collapse. Two thirds of the =
world=92s population continues to live in absolute poverty. Iraqis, =
Aboriginal people, East Timoreese, Vancouver=92s Downtown Eastsiders and =
Third Worlders are today=92s chattel.=20
Over the past ten years the peace movement has been in decline.=20
Yet, behind the scenes, we=92ve have had some of our most successful =
advances. Nuclear weapons are essentially discredited. And how many of =
you know that the World Court just two years ago gave the opinion that =
nuclear weapons are generally illegal?
But the threat of nuclear warfare is greater today than it was in the =
1980s. Even the threat of limited nuclear war is a reality that we may =
face in the near future. And generally militarism is on the rise.
All of this leads me to my main point. The failure of peace activists in =
the 1980s was to build a populous anti-nuclear weapon movement. This was =
at the expense of building strong foundations of support for =
anti-militarism =96 foundations that would not crumble when the media =
got tired of us.
Earlier I said that we failed because we relied too much on the media. =
As a movement what we failed to understand was the blatant shallowness =
of our media.=20
I remember calling a journalist here in Vancouver, who I know is on the =
progressive side of the fence, to tell him about the next Walk for =
Peace. He immediately reacted with "OH can=92t you guys find something =
better to do, I=92m bored." That comment tells me more about the system =
than the person. Over 20,000 people came to the Walk for Peace that =
year, yet the Vancouver media portrayed it as a failure and the Canadian =
media ignored it. Why? Because they were bored.
Once the media got tired of the peace movement they dropped us like a =
hot potato. The issues didn=92t go away, in fact they are in many was =
worse.
Around the world we spent enormous energy organizing rallies and other =
media events throughout the 1980s. Millions and millions of people =
participated yet the impact of those events is at best minimal.
The Berlin wall fell because thousands of Germans wanted it to come down =
and they started ripping it down by hand, and they acted as if it were =
already gone even before it was. These people didn=92t go out and start =
tearing down the wall in order to get media attention. They did it =
because it was the right thing to do at the right time.
Apartheid came tumbling down because people worked for decades to get =
rid of it, and they began en masse to ignore or undermine its insidious =
rules. The people in power couldn=92t keep it together. And the media =
had little to do with it. In fact the media more often the not =
obstructed the anti-apartheid movement.
I strongly believe that each of our movements will have their great =
moments of success. But there are no quick fixes. It took decades to =
build unions, and decades to get rid of apartheid, the fight for equal =
rights for women and Blacks is centuries old and continues. For Third =
Worlders, colonialism has merely changed its face.=20
We have to work hard. But you=92ll end up spinning your wheels if you =
spend too much time trying to inform, appease and lobby the media and =
government. And you=92ll be (excuse the expression), you=92ll be pissing =
in the wind if you act out of frustration and play games for the media.
Getting media attention will not change the world.=20
Getting thousands or even millions of people actively supporting you =
will change the world, then the media will have no choice but to come =
out and watch.=20
And when we, the people, make our great leaps of progress the elite will =
rewrite history to show that it was actually they who wanted to improve =
the lives of women, blacks and workers, and it was they who wanted to =
end the Cold War and abolish apartheid.
We will all have to do the right thing (and that does not mean dancing =
for the media) and each of us will have to learn to recognize when the =
time is right.
As an example, I strongly believe that in the next five or ten years the =
peace movement is about to make some of its greatest advances. No, we =
likely will not end all war. But we=92ll take a few strides in that =
direction. The time is right, we=92ve been doing the work, people are on =
our side, and the right actions are already in our hands. Our position =
is now the common wisdom of the day. Thus, one small stride will be the =
abolition of nuclear weapons.
- ------=_NextPart_000_0164_01BDD149.8E9FD860
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=3DGENERATOR>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Dear Friend,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>On July 26 I gave a speech =
to about 300=20
people here in Vancouver at the Community Development Institute’s=20
Conference. I was asked to reflect on the past ten years of work as a =
peace=20
activist. You may find my comments of interest, especially since I take =
a=20
critical look at our constant need and desire to act for the mainstream =
media.=20
(I’ve made a few editorial changes since it’s =
presentation). I=20
hope you find it of interest.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Peter Coombes, =
President</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>End the Arms =
Race</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><A href=3D"mailto:info@peacewire.org ">info@peacewire.org =
</A></DIV>
<DIV><A href=3D"http://www.peacewire.org">www.peacewire.org</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000=20
size=3D2>----------------------------------------------------------------=
- --------</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Reflections on a decade of =
activism</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>As a peace activists =
I’ve spent=20
the past ten years reacting to international events. Over the past ten =
years the=20
fear of nuclear annihilation has receded and interest in the peace =
movement has=20
dwindled to a bare-bones group of workers around the world. In that=20
time:</FONT></DIV>
<UL>
<LI><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Gorbachev came to =
power, and from the=20
start he began easing tensions between East and West. </FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Then there was the =
collapse of the=20
Soviet Empire and ultimately an end to the Cold War.</FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Then there was the Gulf =
War</FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Followed by Gulf War =
II</FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>We had French nuclear=20
testing.</FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>And now India and =
Pakistan have=20
entered the nuclear Weapons Club. </FONT></LI></UL>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>As peace workers =
we’ve been in=20
full retreat since the late 1980s. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>The loss of interest in =
issues of=20
nuclear disarmament and militarism since then has meant for the movement =
and its=20
organizations:</FONT></DIV>
<UL>
<LI><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>The hemorrhaging of =
volunteers to the=20
environmental movement and now to the anti-globalization=20
movement.</FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Decreased =
revenue.</FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Disintegrating =
Coalitions</FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>And thousands of groups =
have=20
literally disappeared while larger groups outside of peace groups =
have=20
almost completely ignored peace and disarmament =
issues.</FONT></LI></UL>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Yet, these experiences are =
not unique to=20
the peace movement. But likely we’ve felt it harder than anyone =
else has=20
- -- mostly because we were so high in the mid-1980s we had a long way to =
fall.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Just imagine, in =
Vancouver, we had a=20
rally in 1986 with over 100,000 people walking for nuclear disarmament. =
No one=20
has been able to do it since, no one has even tried. But, just two years =
later=20
in 1988, the number of peace walkers had already dropped and it =
continued to=20
drop until we decided to cancel it in 1993. But even then it was =
attracting=20
about 10,000 people. But we were into the numbers game with the media. =
They=20
considered the Walk a failure because it was only attracting 10,000 =
people. Yet,=20
no one else could consistently, year-after-year, attract the same=20
numbers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>The media has probably =
been our biggest=20
downfall. The peace movement made a fatal error -- we relied on the =
media to=20
cover the story, or at least to cover the issues. We expected media bias =
and=20
often we worked hard to overcome it, we even expected an ideological =
battles=20
with the media owners. But there was one thing we did not =
expect.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>But, before I continue, =
let me go back a=20
few steps. My impression is that the experience of the peace movement is =
not=20
unique to the 1900s. In the early part of this century we witnessed the =
struggle=20
of workers forming independent trade unions. Women fought for the right =
of=20
citizenship and the vote. In the 1950s the Black Civil rights movement =
came to=20
the forefront, then the anti-Vietnam war protests, by the 1970s the=20
women’s movement was in full stride again, then came the peace and =
environmental movements, and today we have the anti-globalization=20
movement.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>All of these movements =
have had their=20
ups-and downs, their successes and failures. And their successes =
didn’t=20
always coincide with their peaks of popular support. Trade unionism was =
on the=20
rise in the 1920s, thousands of workers were trying to form their own =
unions,=20
and many more were trying to unite to form the "One Big =
Union". Yet=20
activists in the 1920s faced some of the most fierce social battles of =
the=20
century – the military with tanks and machine guns were often =
called upon=20
to crush union activities. Private police here in Canada used =
intimidation and=20
violence to undermine their work. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>More than we can imagine, =
the battles of=20
unionists, feminists, civil rights workers and peace activists of the =
early=20
1900s to the 1950s set the stage for those of us who have been working =
for=20
progressive social change in the 1980s and 1990s.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>They achieved some of the =
major=20
victories – women and blacks gained the vote but more importantly =
they=20
were recognized as citizens. Workers succeeded in forming national and=20
international unions to improve the plight of millions. And there are =
many more=20
successes.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>But unfortunately they =
also lost some=20
major battles and likely the single most important battle lost was over =
the=20
media. By the end of World War II, every independent progressive =
newspaper in=20
Canada was either burned, vandalized, shut-down or politically=20
discredited.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>In the 1950s anyone =
actively and=20
politically left of the Liberal Party of Canada was essentially purged =
from=20
every major institution in Canada and the US – they were purged =
from the=20
military, CBC, NFB, and from all government postings.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>But I didn’t come =
here to give any=20
of you a history lesson. Let’s face it, ten years is not a long=20
time.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>We have to remember to put =
things in a=20
longer perspective if we truly want to understand where we’re at =
and where=20
we are going.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>This century has truly =
been the=20
"Best of times and the Worst of Times". </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>We’ve made great =
strides in=20
progressive social change – a coal miner in Glace Bay on Cape =
Breton=20
Island in 1901 was equal to the horses that were driven down under =
ground to=20
work their lives in the dark. (The horses were treated better then the =
men and=20
their families.) Women, Blacks and Coal Miners were chattel. Those =
attitudes=20
have dramatically changed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>But history hasn’t =
been moving=20
along in a straight progressive path. It’s also been an incredibly =
horrible century. We’ve built the largest military systems in =
history. Our=20
economy is based on militarism. The global environment is in danger of =
collapse.=20
Two thirds of the world’s population continues to live in absolute =
poverty. Iraqis, Aboriginal people, East Timoreese, Vancouver’s =
Downtown=20
Eastsiders and Third Worlders are today’s chattel. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Over the past ten years =
the peace=20
movement has been in decline. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Yet, behind the scenes, =
we’ve have=20
had some of our most successful advances. Nuclear weapons are =
essentially=20
discredited. And how many of you know that the World Court just two =
years ago=20
gave the opinion that nuclear weapons are generally =
illegal?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>But the threat of nuclear =
warfare is=20
greater today than it was in the 1980s. Even the threat of limited =
nuclear war=20
is a reality that we may face in the near future. And generally =
militarism is on=20
the rise.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>All of this leads me to my =
main point.=20
The failure of peace activists in the 1980s was to build a populous =
anti-nuclear=20
weapon movement. This was at the expense of building strong foundations =
of=20
support for anti-militarism – foundations that would not crumble =
when the=20
media got tired of us.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Earlier I said that we =
failed because we=20
relied too much on the media. As a movement what we failed to understand =
was the=20
blatant shallowness of our media. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>I remember calling a =
journalist here in=20
Vancouver, who I know is on the progressive side of the fence, to tell =
him about=20
the next Walk for Peace. He immediately reacted with "OH =
can’t you=20
guys find something better to do, I’m bored." That comment =
tells me=20
more about the system than the person. Over 20,000 people came to the =
Walk for=20
Peace that year, yet the Vancouver media portrayed it as a failure and =
the=20
Canadian media ignored it. Why? Because they were bored.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Once the media got tired =
of the peace=20
movement they dropped us like a hot potato. The issues didn’t go =
away, in=20
fact they are in many was worse.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Around the world we spent =
enormous=20
energy organizing rallies and other media events throughout the 1980s. =
Millions=20
and millions of people participated yet the impact of those events is at =
best=20
minimal.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>The Berlin wall fell =
because thousands=20
of Germans wanted it to come down and they started ripping it down by =
hand, and=20
they acted as if it were already gone even before it was. These people=20
didn’t go out and start tearing down the wall in order to get =
media=20
attention. They did it because it was the right thing to do at the right =
time.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Apartheid came tumbling =
down because=20
people worked for decades to get rid of it, and they began en masse to =
ignore or=20
undermine its insidious rules. The people in power couldn’t keep =
it=20
together. And the media had little to do with it. In fact the media more =
often=20
the not obstructed the anti-apartheid movement.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>I strongly believe that =
each of our=20
movements will have their great moments of success. But there are no =
quick=20
fixes. It took decades to build unions, and decades to get rid of =
apartheid, the=20
fight for equal rights for women and Blacks is centuries old and =
continues. For=20
Third Worlders, colonialism has merely changed its face. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>We have to work hard. But =
you’ll=20
end up spinning your wheels if you spend too much time trying to inform, =
appease=20
and lobby the media and government. And you’ll be (excuse the =
expression),=20
you’ll be pissing in the wind if you act out of frustration and =
play games=20
for the media.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Getting media attention =
will not change=20
the world. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>Getting thousands or even =
millions of=20
people actively supporting you will change the world, then the media =
will have=20
no choice but to come out and watch. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>And when we, the people, =
make our great=20
leaps of progress the elite will rewrite history to show that it was =
actually=20
they who wanted to improve the lives of women, blacks and workers, and =
it was=20
they who wanted to end the Cold War and abolish apartheid.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>We will all have to do the =
right thing=20
(and that does not mean dancing for the media) and each of us will have =
to learn=20
to recognize when the time is right.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"" size=3D3>As an example, I strongly =
believe that=20
in the next five or ten years the peace movement is about to make some =
of its=20
greatest advances. No, we likely will not end all war. But we’ll =
take a=20
few strides in that direction. The time is right, we’ve been doing =
the=20
work, people are on our side, and the right actions are already in our =
hands.=20
Our position is now the common wisdom of the day. Thus, one small stride =
will be=20
the abolition of nuclear weapons.</FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 10:32:24 -0700
From: Shundahai Network <shundahai@shundahai.org>
Subject: (abolition-usa) "Bagpipe" Subcritical Announcement
Hello Friends,
Yesterday the Department of Energy conducted the first "signal dry run" for
the subcritical nuclear weapons test "Bagpipe" at the U-1a underground
center on the Nevada Test Site.
There is another "signal dry run" scheduled this afternoon at 2pm pacific
standard time. It seems that they will do daily dry runs. When they begin
to do daily "Mandatory" Dry runs, we will be getting closer to the
explosion date.
This morning some friends caught the end of a local TV news program doing a
story on the U-1a complex and they mentioned "2 weeks from now" Some people
believe they were talking about the test. We have a call into the TV
station and a call into D.O.E.
If it is two weeks from now that would put it on September 11. We are
certainly not ready to confirm this date now, but we will have a better
feeling for it next week. There is still some speculation that the test
could be delayed until toward the end of September.
Two weeks ago there was an interview with Derrick Scammel, DOE
spokesperson, and he said the DOE was prepared to do three tests before the
end of the year. We are not certain weather that means fiscal year or
calendar year.
We will start holding demonstrations and possibly daily vigils here in Las
Vegas beginning with a kick off demo at the Federal Building on Sept 8th.
and actions at the test site before the test. (Email us or call us at (702)
647-3095 for more information about these actions)
In the Bay Area: there will be a
Vigil at Livermore 4 PM to 6 PM the evening before the test.
and
Demonstrate at Bechtel HQ in San Francisco at NOON the day of the test.
Bechtel manages the test site for DOE, and is located at 50 Beale St. (near
the Embarcadero BART station).
For more info please call or email Marylia Kelly at Tri-Valley CAREs
<www.igc.org/tvc/> marylia@igc.org (925) 443-7148 - is our phone
If any one else is planning actions or public events around the subcritical
please let us know. If any body has any ideas for strategies to stop these
tests please let us know. Is there any way that we can file for an
injunction without taking a lot of time or resources of which we have
almost neither.
We will post an update on Monday and probably do bi-weekly updates from now
on.
In the meantime...
Please call the Department of Energy and the White House and your
Congressional representatives and demand:
"DON'T BY HYPOCRITICAL! STOP THE SUBCRITICAL!"
*The subcritical nuclear weapons test be canceled!
*Stop all new and modified nuclear weapons development.
*Close down the Nevada Test Site and all nuclear weapons development
facilities except for programs based disarmament.
*Begin immediate clean up and containment of the nuclear nightmare caused
by the U.S. Nuclear Weapons program.
President Bill Clinton, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington DC 20001, (202)
456-1111
Secretary of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave, Washington DC, 20585 (202)
586-5230
State Senators and Representatives (202) 224-3121 (Congressional switchboard)
Thank you. Peace Out! Reinard
PS. Thank you to all of the activists with For Mother Earth and TP2000 for
the incredibly inspiring actions and powerful work that you have been doing
in Europe over these past few months. I hope that we can carry some of your
energy into our own actions in the U.S.
***************************************************************
SHUNDAHAI NETWORK
"Peace and Harmony with all Creation"
*Breaking the Nuclear Chain*
5007 Elmhurst Ln., Las Vegas, NV 89108-1304
ph(702)647-3095 Fax: (702)647-9385 Email: shundahai@shundahai.org
http://www.shundahai.org
Shundahai Network is proud to be part of:
Healing Global Wounds Alliance, a multi-cultural alliance to
foster sustainable living and break the nuclear chain; and
Abolition 2000: A Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
****************************************************************
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 11:11:14 -0700
From: Shundahai Network <shundahai@shundahai.org>
Subject: (abolition-usa) "Bagpipe": some background info
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO EXPLODE NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTS ON SACRED
WESTERN SHOSHONE LAND!
NEVADA ACTIVISTS DECLARE, "DON'T BE HYPOCRITICAL - STOP THE SUBCRITICAL!"
NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTIONS PLANNED.
(Call to U.S. activists and affinity groups: Come join us in Nevada for one
or more of the following actions in September and October. We need people
experienced in nonviolent direct action to participate in and help us with
these upcoming actions. For more information please contact Reinard at
shundahai@shundahai.org or (702) 647-3095))
The Department of Energy has announced plans to conduct a subcritical
nuclear weapons test, code named "Bagpipe", and perhaps two more by the end
of September.
"Bag pipe" would explode plutonium by high powered conventional chemical
explosives, 980 feet underground at the LYNER (Low Yield Nuclear
Experiments Research, also called U-1a) facility at the Nevada Test Site
(NTS). This test will be conducted by Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratories based in California.
These tests should really be called "hypocritical." They clearly violate
the spirit of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) signed in September
1996, by President Clinton. The CTBT commits the U.S. "not to carry out any
nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion..." DOE claims
these experiments are permissible because the CTBT does not define "nuclear
weapon" test. These tests make global adoption of the CTBT less likely by
encouraging other nations to copy the U.S. decision to continue testing and
update their nuclear arsenals.
These tests especially contradict the condemnation expressed by the U.S.
government against India and Pakistan for conducting their own series of
nuclear weapons tests earlier this year.
The subcritical tests are part of a massive "Stockpile Stewardship and
Management" program, intended to maintain and expand U.S. nuclear weapons
capabilities well into the next century. During the next decade, taxpayers
will spend more than $40 billion for the program, an annual rate higher
than the Cold War average. Thus, it is fair to say these tests are intended
to signal to the rest of the world an unflagging U.S. commitment to nuclear
weapons as the ultimate "big stick."
Last year, in the U.S. 44 members of Congress, including key California
Representatives, urged President Clinton not to go ahead with the tests. At
the grassroots level, protesters gathered in California, Nevada, Texas,
New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C. and elsewhere around the country to
demand the cancelation of this testing program. Shundahai network is one of
39 groups from across the nation who have sued the DOE charging the agency
failed to conduct an adequate environmental analysis of the Stockpile
Stewardship and Management Plan, including the subcritical tests.
Join with Shundahai Network and many other outraged organizations on
September 8th and throughout the month of September to demand that these
tests are canceled and that the U.S. begin immediate negotiations with the
other nuclear powers on total nuclear abolition.
Action for Nuclear Abolition! a project of Shundahai Network, is a campaign
to provide quick and effective networking, information sharing, and
coordinated actions to raise public awareness and apply political pressure
to U.S. nuclear policies. Focusing on nuclear weapons testing and
development as well as nuclear waste production and dumping, our public
meetings, educational materials, nonviolent direct actions and media
development work will help build the momentum to shut down the Nevada Test
Site and halt the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Dump.
Our Spring 1999 Campaign will build on the momentum and creative energy of
our fall 1998 actions to stop the subcritical nuclear weapons tests at the
Nevada Test Site. During the fall we will hold nonviolent direct actions
and press conferences at an air force base, a Federal Court House,
Department of Energy Yucca Mountain Project Office, and the Nevada Test Site.
For more information please contact us at (702) 647-3095
Email: shundahai@shundahai.org Web: http://www.shundahai.org
Please write or call the Department of Energy and the White House and your
Congressional representatives and demand:
*The subcritical nuclear weapons test be canceled!
*Stop all new and modified nuclear weapons development.
*Close down the Nevada Test Site and all nuclear weapons development
facilities except for programs based disarmament.
*Begin immediate clean up and containment of the nuclear nightmare caused
by the U.S. Nuclear Weapons program.
President Bill Clinton, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington DC 20001, (202)
456-1111
Secretary of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave, Washington DC, 20585 (202)
586-5230
State Senators and Representatives (202) 224-3121 (Congressional switchboard)
Join the international movement to stop these U.S. tests and demand that
all the nuclear powers begin the process of immediate disarmament.
><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><>< ><><
Action for Nuclear Abolition! Fall 1999 campaign
Action for Nuclear Abolition! a project of Shundahai Network combines
education and nonviolent direct action. We are planning a renewed local
campaign this fall to bring attention to and help solve pressing issues
concerning nuclear weapons and waste! The events planned will build on the
immense success of past Action for Nuclear Abolition! campaigns.
September 8: Nonviolent Direct Action to Stop U.S. Nuclear Weapons Testing
Program. "Don't Be Hypocritical, Stop the Subcritical!"
A demonstration will be held at the Las Vegas Foley Federal Building
followed by a nonviolent direct action at an appropriate Federal
installation to protest and raise public pressure to cancel the scheduled
explosion of at least two more subcritical nuclear weapons tests at NTS in
the fall. Through our media development work and public outreach we will
put pressure on Nevada's Senators to join with other congressional
representatives demanding a cancellation of U.S. nuclear weapons programs.
September 29: Las Vegas Benefit Concert to raise money and awareness for
the Action for Nuclear Abolition! Campaign (stay tuned for more details)
September 30: "Nevada is Not A Wasteland Day!", Nonviolent Action and Press
Conference on Nuclear Waste issues
This action will mark the first Anniversary of the official "Nevada is Not
A Wasteland Day!" proclaimed by Governor Miller last year. We will hold a
press conference to report on the national grassroots efforts to stop
dangerous nuclear waste transportation and dumping and to announce our new
strategies to stop current low-level nuclear waste dumping at NTS and halt
the plans to dump high-level nuclear waste on Western Shoshone Land. This
Press conference will be held in conjunction with a nonviolent direct
action to protest the Department of Energy's current nuclear waste policies.
October 1: Nellis Air Force Base Nuclear Weapons Citizen Inspection Team,
Nonviolent Direct Action and Press Conference
This action will be one of many Citizen Inspection Team actions occurring
simultaneously around the world. The Citizen Inspection Teams will make
their way into nuclear weapons installations to inspect nuclear weapons
first strike systems and present this documentation to the public. In Las
Vegas we will try to inspect Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas which
handles one of the largest stockpiles of nuclear bombs in the U.S. We will
hold a press conference to announce our findings.
All of these actions and events will be made even stronger by our team of
organizers and media spokespeople spreading the word through the internet,
newsletters, and networking with other organizations around the world.
***************************************************************
SHUNDAHAI NETWORK
"Peace and Harmony with all Creation"
*Breaking the Nuclear Chain*
5007 Elmhurst Ln., Las Vegas, NV 89108-1304
ph(702)647-3095 Fax: (702)647-9385 Email: shundahai@shundahai.org
http://www.shundahai.org
Shundahai Network is proud to be part of:
Healing Global Wounds Alliance, a multi-cultural alliance to
foster sustainable living and break the nuclear chain; and
Abolition 2000: A Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
****************************************************************
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------------------------------
End of abolition-usa-digest V1 #13
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