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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 #293 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 Wednesday, April 19 2000 Volume 01 : Number 293 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 13:54:56 -0700 From: "David Crockett Williams" <gear2000@lightspeed.net> Subject: (abolition-usa) DOE & Earth Day Expansion Call: "Earth Month" and "A Year for The Earth 2000-2001" For Immediate Release (Dear Editor), Monday, April 17, 2000 Contact: David Crockett Williams 661-822-3309 Call for Earth Day Expansion: "Earth Month" and "A Year for The Earth" The U.S. Department of Energy has agreed to my request, in respect of Earth Day 2000 and its call for "Clean Energy Now!", to extend the public comments deadline on its new Stategic Plan draft until April 24th. Details are at http://www.egroups.com/group/strategic-plan To further the Earth Day Network's efforts to "Make Every Day Earth Day" as a way to awaken public activism for timely amelioration of today's critical environmental problems and for the cause of global peace, the Taos, NM, annual April 22nd new Earth Day event, organized by the Global Peace Walk Project, is initiating a call for expanding the original goals of Earth Day with "A Year for The Earth 2000-2001" campaign to inaugurate an annual "Earth Month" from the Spring Equinox of March 21st to April 22, 2001. We hope everyone who has embraced the vision of Earth Day will in their own ways make the most of this campaign by applying a deeper understanding of the Earth Day 2000 "Clean Energy Now!" message by releasing their own minds and, as Global Peace Walk initiator Reverend Yusen Yamato says in his zen-speak way, to let the "dust out". In his letter of support for this spiritual walk across America to bring out "Global Peace Now!" as a universal human resolve, Earth Day Network's national coordinator Chris Curtis says, "Supporting the work of the Global Peace Walk 2000 and its Earth Day celebration is vitally important. I strongly encourage your organization to actively participate in planning and funding activities associated with this educational, action-oriented effort". Everyone should be proud of how Senator Gaylord Nelson's call for a national "Environmental Teach-In" on April 22, 1970, has been so well implemented by the Earth Day Network for over thirty years since the "natural" Earth Day idea itself was presented by John McConnell, at the San Francisco UNESCO Conference on the Environment in November 1969, as an annual Spring Equinox event to unite people of all faiths to solve environmental problems that have by today reached global emergency proportions. On the phone Saturday, McConnell shared his disappointment that the value of his initially proposed symbolic annual date for Earth Day as the Spring Equinox, originally accepted by the United Nations, has been largely overlooked but he expressed respect for the work of the April 22nd Earth Day Network. This proposal for "A Year for The Earth 2000-2001" (April 22, 2000 to April 22, 2001), and an annual "Earth Month" starting next year, includes the suggestion that event organizers opt for whatever date(s) make the most sense to them to celebrate Earth Day, even "Every Day as Earth Day". Global Peace Walk 2000 will conduct a ceremony to mark the midpoint of this Year for The Earth, in New York City before arriving at the United Nations, walking from San Francisco since January 15th, for the UN 55th anniversary October 24th to help inaugurate this UN Year and Decade of "Creating a Culture of Peace for the 21st Century". We hope that Denis Hayes, John McConnell, and Gaylord Nelson and all Earth Day Networks will participate, and support Global Peace Walk 2000 carrying these messages across country to Washington DC and to the United Nations. Happy Earth Day to You, Happy Earth Day to you..... "Living on The Globe with All Our Friends" "Natural Earth Day" site: http://www.earthsite.org "New Earth Day" (Network) site: http://www.earthday.net Global Peace Walk site: http://www.globalpeacenow.org "I am glad to offer my support for 'Global Peace Now!', as an initiative that all earthlings can support and to add An Agenda For Peace to those messages that will allow Global Peace Walk 2000 to find resonance with the many hearts it will touch as it proceeds upon its journey...an agenda we must all adopt if we are to create a world in the next century that we can be proud to live in", says 1970's Philadelphia Earth Day organizer Ira Einhorn in his letter/message of support for Global Peace Walk 2000. For The Global Peace Walk Project and "Global Peace Now!", David Crockett Williams, C.L.U. General Agency Services gear2000@lightspeed.net http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/genagency.html Global Peace Walk 2000 http://www.globalpeacenow.org http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/gpw.html Updates/Voicemail 415-267-1877 Global Emergency Alert Response http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000 Science & Technology in Society and Public Policy list http://www.egroups.com/group/dcwilliams Nuclear Disarmament & Economic Conversion Act http://www.PetitionOnline.com/prop1/petition.html USCampaign gear2000@onemain.com DCWilliams for President, Leonard Peltier for VP http://www.egroups.com/group/williams-peltier Easy way to email Media and Government http://congress.nw.dc.us/wnd An Agenda for Peace, by Ira Einhorn, '70's Earth Day PA organizer http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/agenda.html The Vision of Paradise on Earth, by DC Williams http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/vision.html A Free Service: Money by Email https://secure.paypal.com/refer/pal=gear2000%40lightspeed.net - - 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: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 14:02:55 -0700 From: "David Crockett Williams" <gear2000@lightspeed.net> Subject: (abolition-usa) DOE & Earth Day Expansion Call: "Earth Month" and "A Year for The Earth 2000-2001" For Immediate Release (Dear Editor), Monday, April 17, 2000 Contact: David Crockett Williams 661-822-3309 Call for Earth Day Expansion: "Earth Month" and "A Year for The Earth" The U.S. Department of Energy has agreed to my request, in respect of Earth Day 2000 and its call for "Clean Energy Now!", to extend the public comments deadline on its new Stategic Plan draft until April 24th. Details are at http://www.egroups.com/group/strategic-plan To further the Earth Day Network's efforts to "Make Every Day Earth Day" as a way to awaken public activism for timely amelioration of today's critical environmental problems and for the cause of global peace, the Taos, NM, annual April 22nd new Earth Day event, organized by the Global Peace Walk Project, is initiating a call for expanding the original goals of Earth Day with "A Year for The Earth 2000-2001" campaign to inaugurate an annual "Earth Month" from the Spring Equinox of March 21st to April 22, 2001. We hope everyone who has embraced the vision of Earth Day will in their own ways make the most of this campaign by applying a deeper understanding of the Earth Day 2000 "Clean Energy Now!" message by releasing their own minds and, as Global Peace Walk initiator Reverend Yusen Yamato says in his zen-speak way, to let the "dust out". In his letter of support for this spiritual walk across America to bring out "Global Peace Now!" as a universal human resolve, Earth Day Network's national coordinator Chris Curtis says, "Supporting the work of the Global Peace Walk 2000 and its Earth Day celebration is vitally important. I strongly encourage your organization to actively participate in planning and funding activities associated with this educational, action-oriented effort". Everyone should be proud of how Senator Gaylord Nelson's call for a national "Environmental Teach-In" on April 22, 1970, has been so well implemented by the Earth Day Network for over thirty years since the "natural" Earth Day idea itself was presented by John McConnell, at the San Francisco UNESCO Conference on the Environment in November 1969, as an annual Spring Equinox event to unite people of all faiths to solve environmental problems that have by today reached global emergency proportions. On the phone Saturday, McConnell shared his disappointment that the value of his initially proposed symbolic annual date for Earth Day as the Spring Equinox, originally accepted by the United Nations, has been largely overlooked but he expressed respect for the work of the April 22nd Earth Day Network. This proposal for "A Year for The Earth 2000-2001" (April 22, 2000 to April 22, 2001), and an annual "Earth Month" starting next year, includes the suggestion that event organizers opt for whatever date(s) make the most sense to them to celebrate Earth Day, even "Every Day as Earth Day". Global Peace Walk 2000 will conduct a ceremony to mark the midpoint of this Year for The Earth, in New York City before arriving at the United Nations, walking from San Francisco since January 15th, for the UN 55th anniversary October 24th to help inaugurate this UN Year and Decade of "Creating a Culture of Peace for the 21st Century". We hope that Denis Hayes, John McConnell, and Gaylord Nelson and all Earth Day Networks will participate, and support Global Peace Walk 2000 carrying these messages across country to Washington DC and to the United Nations. Happy Earth Day to You, Happy Earth Day to you..... "Living on The Globe with All Our Friends" "Natural Earth Day" site: http://www.earthsite.org "New Earth Day" (Network) site: http://www.earthday.net Global Peace Walk site: http://www.globalpeacenow.org "I am glad to offer my support for 'Global Peace Now!', as an initiative that all earthlings can support and to add An Agenda For Peace to those messages that will allow Global Peace Walk 2000 to find resonance with the many hearts it will touch as it proceeds upon its journey...an agenda we must all adopt if we are to create a world in the next century that we can be proud to live in", says 1970's Philadelphia Earth Day organizer Ira Einhorn in his letter/message of support for Global Peace Walk 2000. For The Global Peace Walk Project and "Global Peace Now!", David Crockett Williams, C.L.U. General Agency Services gear2000@lightspeed.net http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/genagency.html Global Peace Walk 2000 http://www.globalpeacenow.org http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/gpw.html Updates/Voicemail 415-267-1877 Global Emergency Alert Response http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000 Science & Technology in Society and Public Policy list http://www.egroups.com/group/dcwilliams Nuclear Disarmament & Economic Conversion Act http://www.PetitionOnline.com/prop1/petition.html USCampaign gear2000@onemain.com DCWilliams for President, Leonard Peltier for VP http://www.egroups.com/group/williams-peltier Easy way to email Media and Government http://congress.nw.dc.us/wnd An Agenda for Peace, by Ira Einhorn, '70's Earth Day PA organizer http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/agenda.html The Vision of Paradise on Earth, by DC Williams http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/vision.html A Free Service: Money by Email https://secure.paypal.com/refer/pal=gear2000%40lightspeed.net - - 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: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 07:00:18 -0400 From: Ellen Thomas <prop1@prop1.org> Subject: (abolition-usa) NucNews 00/04/18 - Archives updated to 4/10/00 - --=====================_43257595==_.ALT Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" House and Senate are not in session, so no hearings this week. NucNews Archives, April 1 to 10, 2000, were updated yesterday. ___________________________________________________ NucNews Archives: http://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm Today's Newspapers: http://prop1.org/nucnews/links.htm Submit Letter/Notice/Article: mailto:prop1@prop1.org (NucNews-Editor) About NucNews: http://prop1.org/nucnews/nucnews.htm E-Mail Archive: http://www.onelist.com/archive/NucNews Subscribe: mailto:prop1@prop1.org (NucNews-Subscribe) Here are excellent e-mail news resources (free, by subscription, for educational purposes, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107.): DOE Watch - doewatch@onelist.com | http://members.aol.com/doewatch Downwinders - downwinders@onelist.com | http://downwinders@onelist.com EnviroNews - environews@envirolink.org|http://www.envirolink.org/environews Planet Ark - mailto:anna@planetark.org|http://www.planetark.org/news/ Radbull (Radiation Bulletin for Activists) - mailto:rogerh@energy-net.org Distributed without payment for research and educational purposes only, by subscription, and archived for the use of all, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107. - --=====================_43257595==_.ALT Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" <html><div>House and Senate are not in session, so no hearings this week.</div> <div>NucNews Archives, April 1 to 10, 2000, were updated yesterday.</div> ___________________________________________________ NucNews Archives: <a href="http://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm" eudora="autourl">http://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm</a> Today's Newspapers: <a href="http://prop1.org/nucnews/links.htm" eudora="autourl">http://prop1.org/nucnews/links.htm</a> Submit Letter/Notice/Article: <a href="mailto:prop1@prop1.org" eudora="autourl">mailto:prop1@prop1.org</a> (NucNews-Editor) About NucNews: <a href="http://prop1.org/nucnews/nucnews.htm" eudora="autourl">http://prop1.org/nucnews/nucnews.htm</a> E-Mail Archive: <a href="http://www.onelist.com/archive/NucNews" eudora="autourl">http://www.onelist.com/archive/NucNews</a> Subscribe: <a href="mailto:prop1@prop1.org" eudora="autourl">mailto:prop1@prop1.org</a> (NucNews-Subscribe) Here are excellent e-mail news resources (free, by subscription, for educational purposes, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107.): DOE Watch - doewatch@onelist.com | <a href="http://members.aol.com/doewatch" eudora="autourl">http://members.aol.com/doewatch</a> Downwinders - downwinders@onelist.com | <a href="http://downwinders@onelist.com/" eudora="autourl">http://downwinders@onelist.com</a> EnviroNews - environews@envirolink.org|http://www.envirolink.org/environews Planet Ark - <a href="mailto:anna@planetark.org%7Chttp:%2F%2Fwww.planetark.org%2Fnews%2F" eudora="autourl">mailto:anna@planetark.org|</a><a href="mailto:anna@planetark.org%7Chttp:%2F%2Fwww.planetark.org%2Fnews%2F" eudora="autourl">http://www.planetark.org/news/</a> Radbull (Radiation Bulletin for Activists) - <a href="mailto:rogerh@energy-net.org" eudora="autourl">mailto:rogerh@energy-net.org </a> Distributed without payment for research and educational purposes only, by subscription, and archived for the use of all, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107. </html> - --=====================_43257595==_.ALT-- - - 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, 19 Apr 2000 15:05:45 +1000 From: FoE Sydney - Nuclear Campaign <nonukes@foesyd.org.au> Subject: (abolition-usa) WRITE YOUR GOVT NOW - 5 DAYS TO NPT REVIEW CONFERENCE PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE FAR AND WIDE Dear All who get this message, This message may seem impersonal but it is important, it is not trying to get you to buy something, and it affects the future of the whole planet - or more accurately whether or not there will BE a future. It tells you how you can help get rid of nuclear weapons on the eve of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty review in New York, April 24- May 19th. There are now less than five days to the start of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference, depending exactly what time- zone you are in. It is essential that every government on the planet hears from its citizens that they think it is of overwhelming importance to get rid of nuclear weapons, as Article VI of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) obliges the nuclear weapons states to do. If progress - significant progress - toward that goal does not start happening soon, there is a profound danger that the stagnation that currently exists in the movement toward the elimination of nuclear weapons may be converted into movement in the opposite direction - toward a dangerous nuclear arms race, as UN secretary- General Kofi Annan has warned. Article VI of the NPT, actually legally obliges the nuclear weapons powers to negotiate to eliminate their nuclear arsenals 'at an early date'. Like the rest of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, article VI has been in force since 1970. It is now central to a treaty that has been signed by every nation except India, Pakistan, Israel and Cuba. One would have thought that 30 years was getting a bit long for 'at an early date'. Resolutions in the Canadian, New Zealand, and Australian parliaments in the last month or so have urged the weapons states to abide by their Article VI obligations. Further resolutions are before the German parliament and the European Parliament. 374 international NGOs have signed a letter that has been faxed and mailed to all NPT signatories plus india Pakistan and Israel, asking for the fulfilment of article VI. The ratification of the START-II agreement by the Russian parliament is a hopeful sign that movement is possible, but is subject to many conditions that have not been met. You are very much urged to write to your government, preferably to your foreign minister, and to urge them to place as much pressure on the nuclear weapons states to move as quickly as possible toward the fulfillment of their 'Article VI obligations', which are to get rid of nuclear weapons. I am enclosing three sample letters that you can use as the basis for what you write: One general one, One to the Russian government, and one to the Australian government. The one to the Australian government can be adapted for use by other US allies. I am also attatching a notice put out earlier urging people to tell their governments that 'times up' for nuclear weapons. You don't need to use these letters word for word - in fact it is best to put it as much as possible in your own words, and best to write by hand. (If your government has voted in the past in favour of anti- nuclear weapons resolutions such as the 'New Agenda' resolution in the UN, they also need to know that you support them in that.) Do please take this seriously and write to your government immediately, whether you are living in a nuclear weapons state (US, UK, France, China, Russia, ), in the rest of the world, or in India, Pakistan and Israel. BELOW IS HOW TO FAX, FAX NUMBERS, THEN THE SAMPLE LETTERS. HOW TO FAX, FAX NUMBERS OF SOME FOREIGN MINISTERS A URL where the fax numbers of every head of state and foreign minister in the world is listed plus lots of information is this: Http://www.abolition2000.org. It also has a (very) short sample letter. (Another URL that has the fax numbers of heads of state, foreign ministers and UN missions and also has lots of information on the NPT Review is: Http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org ) Some of the relevant fax numbers are listed below. If your country is not on this list, you can find your foreign minister or head of state on one of the two URLs above. (The + in front stands for whatever your countrys ISD access code may be. You only really need it if you are faxing some other country. I hope however, that people may like not only to fax their own foreign minister but also those of Russia and the US.) Some of these numbers may have changed. If any of them don't work, let me know at <nonukes@foesyd.org.au> and check the number on the URL or with your own telephone system. If you are in the US, President Clintons fax number is 1-202-456-2461 If you are in Australia, foreign minister Alexander Downers fax number is 61-2-6273-4112. Prime Minister Howards fax number is 61-2-6273-4100 If you are in Russia, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov's fax number is +7-095-244-3276 or +7-095-244-2203. (You need to be persistent with these numbers) The general Kremlin fax number is +7-095-205-4330. (This is the slowest fax in the universe) If you are in France, your foreign ministers fax number is +33-1-45-51-60-12, Jacques Chirac's fax number is +33-1-47-42-24-65. If you are in the UK, Tony Blairs fax number is +44-171-925-0918. The Foreign Minister, Robin Cook's fax number is: +44-171-270-2144 If you are in Germany, the Chancellors fax number is: +49-228-56-2357, or +49-30-4000-2357 Foreign Minister Joschka Fischers number is any of these: 49-228-168-6662, 49-30-20186-252, +49-228-1734-02, +49-30-201-8619-24 Here are the fax numbers of some foreign ministers only: If you are in Canada, your foreign ministers fax number is: +1-613-996-3546. If you are in Japan, you need to fax +81-3-3581-9675 If you are in Italy please fax 39-6-628-6210, or 39-6-3222-850 or 39-6-3222-734 If you are in Hungary, please fax your foreign minister on +36-1-356-3801 If you are in Korea, try your minister of foreign affairs on +82-2-724-8291, +82-2-739-5370 If you are in Brazil, your foreign ministers fax should be +55-61-226-1762 If you are in Mexico, try +52-6-782-4109 If you are in Greece try 30-1-645-0094 (or 0095) If you are in Thailand, try +66-2-225-6155, or 66-2-226-1374 SAMPLE LETTERS (1) General Sample Letter SAMPLE LETTER FOR EVERYONE TO SEND TO PRESIDENTS/PRIME MINISTERS/FOREIGN MINISTERS RE: NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY REVIEW CONFERENCE APRIL 24-MAY 19 2000 - - GETTING RID OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO: PRESIDENT, PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER, Your Excellency, [0r] Dear President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, I am writing to urge [your/our] government to take a strong position at the upcoming Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in New York April 24 to May 19, 2000, and to urge [your/our] head of state or of government to attend this meeting. It is vital that the governments of all nations do their utmost to pressure the nuclear weapons states, especially the US and Russia, to do more to fulfill their obligations under Article VI of the NPT, and negotiate their nuclear weapons stockpiles down to zero. The International Court of Justice reaffirmed in 1996, in a unanimous advisory opinion that this is indeed a legal obligation. The nuclear weapons states are currently making very little movement toward fulfilling this obligation. Instead there have been many developments in the opposite direction. The US Senate has failed to ratify the CTBT,(Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) and the US is contemplating the deployment of a Ballistic Missile Defence System in violation of the 1972 ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile) treaty. Talks between the US and Russia to make cuts in nuclear weapons are stalled, as is implementation of START II. Russia has changed its previous policy of 'no first use' of nuclear weapons to one that mirrors those of the western states. The recent ratification of START-II by the Russian duma, though welcome, has many conditions attatched to it which are not likely to be satisfied soon by the US, and if the US deploys a 'National Missile Defence' (NMD) system, the Russians say they will not be bound by any arms limitation treaties. Both the US and Russia continue to conduct 'subcritical' nuclear tests. China is modernizing its nuclear arsenal, and India and Pakistan have openly tested nuclear weapons. Israel, in spite of a recent debate in the Knessett, refuses to acknowledge its nuclear capabilities but may have as many as 400 weapons. On the other hand, the non nuclear weapons states with a few notable exceptions, have adhered to their side of the bargain, while the NPT has become nearly universal. A successful outcome at the coming NPT Review Conference, would explicitly commit parties under Article VI to the elimination of nuclear weapons at an early date, and a global regime banning nuclear weapons, and would outline the process for that to occur. It is important that your government and every government, use its position to push the nuclear weapon states and particularly the US and Russia, to fulfill Article VI during the coming review conference. In particular, they must be pressed to proceed further to the implementation of START-II and toward START-III immediately. A key preliminary step in this direction that would reduce the danger of purely accidental war and improve the climate for further steps, would be the removal from alert status of warheads, and the abandonment of'launch on warning' postures. This should be followed by the verifiable physical removal of warheads from delivery vehicles. It is especially vital that [your/our] [head of government/head of state] be present at the proceedings of this review conference, and speak clearly in favour of the elimination of nuclear weapons at an early date, and fulfillment of the requirements of Article VI. The decisions taken at the coming NPT Review conference will literally determine the fate of the world. Only by the authority lent by the presence of heads of State or of Government can decisions be taken that will have the end result of ridding the world of nuclear weapons and fulfilling the mandate of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty over the last thirty years. Signed...etc. (2) Sample letter to president Putin and Foreign Minister Ivanov of Russia, cc'd to Clinton. SAMPLE LETTER FOR EVERYONE TO SEND TO PRESIDENT PUTIN AND FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV. RE: NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY REVIEW CONFERENCE APRIL 24-MAY 19 2000 - - GETTING RID OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO: PRESIDENT PUTIN +7-095-205-4330, FOREIGN MINISTER IVANOV +7-095-244-3276, +7-095-244-2203 RUSSIAS UNITED NATIONS AMBASSADOR + 1 212 628 0252 cc PRESIDENT CLINTON +1-202-456-2461 Dear President Putin and Foreign Minister Ivanov, I am writing to urge Russia's government to fulfill its obligations under Article VI of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, and to commend your ratification of the START-II agreement. It is vital that we negotiate their nuclear weapons stockpiles down to zero sooner rather than later. The International Court of Justice reaffirmed in 1996, in a unanimous judgment, that this is indeed a legal obligation. It is now vital that the Russia and the US fulfill their clear obligations under Article VI of the nonproliferation treaty. While arms reductions have occurred since the 1980s, this process of reduction has now stalled and may be going into reverse. The US and Russia are both signed on to a treaty, article VI of which demands that you negotiate to eliminate your nuclear arsenals. The binding nature of Article VI was reaffirmed by the 1996 unanimous advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Russia and the US together, as well as China, the UK and France cannot forever refuse to fulfill their clear legal obligations under the NPT while expecting that other countries will continue to fulfill theirs. The credibility of the NPT will disappear if the nuclear weapon states - yourselves - do not fulfill your obligations. The eventual result of that is likely to be much wider acquisition of nuclear weapons, with a vastly increased likelihood of nuclear war. While Russia may have been given reasons to distrust US and NATO intentions, the stakes in getting rid of nuclear weapons are literally ultimate. No political goal, no matter how central it may seem to the interests of either Russia or the US, can justify the possible destruction of human civilisation and life worldwide. Public opinion in both your countries is strongly in favor of negotiating to eliminate nuclear weapons. Global public opinion is overwhelmingly in favor of this and indeed demands it, as do the overwhelming majority of governments. A successful outcome at the coming NPT Review Conference, would explicitly commit parties under Article VI to the elimination of nuclear weapons at an early date, and a global regime banning nuclear weapons, and would outline the process for that to occur. The ratification of START-II by the Russian Duma is a move in the right direction. However, it would be terrible if the conditions that you have attatched to that ratification were to prevent further progress due to the intransigence of the US Congress. We urge on both sides the importance of actually implementing the treaty and of moving beyond it to START-III and the elimination of nuclear weapons. In this context, it is especially vital that the Russian and US Presidents be present at the proceedings of the NPT Review Conference, and be ready to negotiate to eliminate your nuclear arsenals as you are obliged to do under Article VI. The decisions taken at the coming NPT Review conference will literally determine the fate of the world. Only by the authority lent by the presence of heads of State or of Government can decisions be taken that will have the end result of ridding the world of nuclear weapons and fulfilling the mandate of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty over the last thirty years. Signed...etc. (3)Sample letter to Alexander Downer (foreign Minister) and Prime Minister Howard of Australia SAMPLE LETTER TO ALEXANDER DOWNER/JOHN HOWARD ON THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY REVIEW CONFERENCE RE: NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY REVIEW CONFERENCE APRIL 24-MAY 19 2000 - - GETTING RID OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO: JOHN HOWARD, PRIME MINISTER 02-6273-4100, 9251-5454 ALEXANDER DOWNER, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, 02-6273-4112, 08-8370-8166 PENNY WENSLEY, AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, 0015-1-212-351-6610 Dear Foreign Minister Downer, Ambassador Wensley, and Prime Minister Howard, I am writing to urge the Australian government to take a strong position at the upcoming Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in New York April 24 to May 19, 2000. It is vital that Mr Downer makes a strong statement in favour of the elimination of nuclear weapons as legally required under article VI of the NPT, at that forum. The Senate on Thursday 9 March 2000 has made the same request, and asks that the government base its policy on the reccommendations of the Canberra Commission. The New Zealand and Canadian parliaments have passed similar resolutions unanimously. It is vital that the Australian government does its utmost, as the March 9th Senate resolution asks, to pressure the nuclear weapons states, especially the US and Russia, to do more to fulfill their obligations under Article VI of the NPT, and negotiate their nuclear weapons stockpiles down to zero sooner rather than later. The International Court of Justice reaffirmed in 1996, in a a unanimous judgment that this is indeed a legal obligation. The nuclear weapons states are currently making very little movement toward fulfilling this obligation. Instead there have been many developments in the opposite direction. These developments lead many including the Secretary General of the United Nations and ex-President Jimmy Carter, to predict a difficult review conference, and to call for new initiatives to break the logjam. The ratification of START-II by the Russian Duma, while hopeful, is highly conditional and depends on the US taking steps on the ABM treaty which it has for far been unwilling to take. A successful outcome would explicitly commit parties to the elimination of nuclear weapons at an early date and to a global regime banning nuclear weapons, and would outline the process for that to occur. Australia has had a good reputation in the nuclear disarmament field. It is important that Australia use its position to push the nuclear weapon states and particularly our allies in that direction during the coming NPT Review Conference. In doing so it should follow the practical steps laid out by the Canberra Commission which this country initiated. Signed...etc. ****************************************** TIME'S UP! - http://www.times-up.net ****************************************** There are over 36,000 nuclear weapons on the planet. More countries are building bombs while unsecured nuclear stockpiles are a target for terrorists. Stop nuclear madness! Send a message to the people who can prevent nuclear havoc. ******************************************* Join millions of people and send a message to our elected leaders to tell them TIME'S UP! for nuclear weapons. FORWARD THIS MESSAGE FAR AND WIDE!! On April 24, the nations of the world will assemble at the United Nations for a four week conference to review the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The 1970 NPT was a pledge from the whole world not to acquire nuclear weapons in return for a promise from the five nuclear states (United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France and China) to eliminate nuclear weapons. Instead, we now have over 36,000 nuclear bombs on the planet -- 5,000 of them poised on hair trigger alert in the U.S. and Russia. India and Pakistan joined the nuclear club two years ago and Israel admitted it had the bomb last year. Currently, American efforts to build a "son of Star Wars" violates the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. This blatant violation has resulted in new nuclear saber rattling in Russia and China. The world is at a critical crossroads. Either the Millennial NPT review will keep the promises made to rid the world of nuclear bombs or a new runaway nuclear arms race will proliferate around the globe. In one quick step, you can make a difference. Send a message to the people who can prevent nuclear havoc by telling them TIME'S UP! for nuclear weapons. ****************************************** WHAT YOU CAN DO: ****************************************** 1. Sign our petition and send a message to elected leaders: U.S. Residents - go to http://actionnetwork.org/add.tcl?domain=TIMESUP Non-U.S. Residents - http://www.gracelinks.org/gracelinks/timesup/nonusresidents.html 2. Enroll your organization in Abolition 2000 - a global network to eliminate nuclear weapons - at http://www.napf.org/abolition2000/orgendorse.html ******************************************* PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO YOUR FRIENDS WORLDWIDE! ******************************************* To learn more about nuclear proliferation, the NPT and what you can do to help, visit the following web sites: Abolition 2000 - http://www.napf.org/abolition2000 GRACE Nuclear Abolition Project - http://www.gracelinks.org/gracelinks/nuke/index.html Reaching Critical Will - http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org John Hallam Friends of the Earth Sydney, 17 Lord Street, Newtown, NSW, Australia, 2042 Fax (61)(2)9517-3902 ph (61)(2)9517-3903 nonukes@foesyd.org.au http://homepages.tig.com.au/~foesyd - - 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, 19 Apr 2000 08:31:45 -0400 From: Ellen Thomas <prop1@prop1.org> Subject: (abolition-usa) NucNews 00/04/19 - - --=====================_135163069==_.ALT Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable April 19, 2000 Washington Times Daybook http://www.washtimes.com/national/daybook-2000419215732.htm GENERAL AGENDA=20 Vieques news conference =979:30 a.m. =97 The National Day of Solidarity with= the People of Vieques group holds a news conference on legislation pending in Congress on the continued bombing at the U.S. Navy base in Vieques, Puerto Rico. Location: Holeman Lounge, National Press Club, 14th and F streets NW. Contact: 703/867-8502. ALSO: Noon rally in Lafayette Park. ___________________________________________________ NucNews Archives: http://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm Today's Newspapers: http://prop1.org/nucnews/links.htm Submit Letter/Notice/Article: mailto:prop1@prop1.org (NucNews-Editor) About NucNews: http://prop1.org/nucnews/nucnews.htm E-Mail Archive: http://www.onelist.com/archive/NucNews Subscribe: mailto:prop1@prop1.org (NucNews-Subscribe) Here are excellent e-mail news resources (free, by subscription, for educational purposes, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107.): DOE Watch - doewatch@onelist.com | http://members.aol.com/doewatch=20 Downwinders - downwinders@onelist.com | http://downwinders@onelist.com=20 EnviroNews - environews@envirolink.org|http://www.envirolink.org/environews= =20 Planet Ark - mailto:anna@planetark.org|http://www.planetark.org/news/ Radbull (Radiation Bulletin for Activists) - mailto:rogerh@energy-net.org Distributed without payment for research and educational=20 purposes only, by subscription, and archived for the use of all, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107. - --=====================_135163069==_.ALT Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><div>April 19, 2000 Washington Times Daybook</div> <div><a href=3D"http://www.washtimes.com/national/daybook-2000419215732.htm"= EUDORA=3DAUTOURL>http://www.washtimes.com/national/daybook-2000419215732.ht= m</a></div> <div>GENERAL AGENDA </div> <div>Vieques news conference =979:30 a.m. =97 The National Day of Solidarity with the People of Vieques group holds a news conference on legislation pending in Congress on the continued bombing at the U.S. Navy base in Vieques, Puerto Rico. Location: Holeman Lounge, National Press Club, 14th and F streets NW. Contact: 703/867-8502. ALSO: Noon rally in Lafayette Park.</div> ___________________________________________________ NucNews Archives: <a href=3D"http://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm"= eudora=3D"autourl">http://prop1.org/nucnews/briefslv.htm</a> Today's Newspapers: <a href=3D"http://prop1.org/nucnews/links.htm"= eudora=3D"autourl">http://prop1.org/nucnews/links.htm</a> Submit Letter/Notice/Article: <a href=3D"mailto:prop1@prop1.org" eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:prop1@prop1.org= </a> (NucNews-Editor) About NucNews: <a href=3D"http://prop1.org/nucnews/nucnews.htm"= eudora=3D"autourl">http://prop1.org/nucnews/nucnews.htm</a> E-Mail Archive: <a href=3D"http://www.onelist.com/archive/NucNews"= eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.onelist.com/archive/NucNews</a> Subscribe: <a href=3D"mailto:prop1@prop1.org"= eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:prop1@prop1.org</a> (NucNews-Subscribe) Here are excellent e-mail news resources (free, by subscription, for= educational purposes, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107.): DOE Watch - doewatch@onelist.com |= <a href=3D"http://members.aol.com/doewatch" eudora=3D"autourl"><font= size=3D2= color=3D"#0000FF">http://members.aol.com/doewatch</a><font= size=3D2> Downwinders - downwinders@onelist.com |= <a href=3D"http://downwinders@onelist.com/" eudora=3D"autourl"><font= size=3D2= color=3D"#0000FF">http://downwinders@onelist.com</a><font= size=3D2> EnviroNews - environews@envirolink.org<font= size=3D2>|http://www.envirolink.org/environews<font= size=3D2> Planet Ark - <a= href=3D"mailto:anna@planetark.org%7Chttp:%2F%2Fwww.planetark.org%2Fnews%2F"= eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:anna@planetark.org|</a><a= href=3D"mailto:anna@planetark.org%7Chttp:%2F%2Fwww.planetark.org%2Fnews%2F"= eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.planetark.org/news/</a> Radbull (Radiation Bulletin for Activists) - <a= href=3D"mailto:rogerh@energy-net.org"= eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:rogerh@energy-net.org </a> Distributed without payment for= research and educational purposes only, by subscription, and archived for the use of= all, in= accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107. </html> - --=====================_135163069==_.ALT-- - - 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. ------------------------------ End of abolition-usa-digest V1 #293 *********************************** - To unsubscribe to $LIST, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe $LIST" 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.