Some Scenes from International Day of Peace in Philadelphia, September 21, 2011

Wayne Jacoby of GEM, and Jocelyn Vorhees, PNA (right), with Bodine International High School Students, International Peace Dialogue, University of Pennsylvania, on Philly Peace Day

Jacqueline Reich, Chestnut Hill College, Ed Aguilar, Project for Nuclear Awareness, Bill Hartung, Center for International Policy Panel on Peace Visions in International Affairs, Peace Day at Drexel University

Ryan Potoff and Jocelyn Voorhees, PNA Interns

Temple University, September 23^rd : Stopping Nuclear Threats—Dissent in America Series

Presented by PNA and College of Liberal Arts

Germantown Friends High School students before their “One Day, One Goal” Peace Day event, with students from public and private schools in Philadelphia, September 21^st

Evening Musical Program, Philadelphia Ethical Society Ballroom

Performing Group:  Intercultural Journeys

United Nations Sept. 19^th Visit– Charlie Lumpkin, PNA Advisor (far rt.) with Manisha Patel, UN Association of G’tr. Phila. (center), Lisa Parker (rt.), with several members of Philly Peace delegation

Heidi West, Drexel University Office of International Programs and the Peace Day Dove, Sept. 21, 2012

On Monday of this week, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Ranking Republican, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, was interviewed by the National Journal Weekly online.  His discussion is significant, because the new START and all arms reduction treaties cannot pass the U.S. Senate without at least 8-10 Republican votes.
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Sen. Lugar is the senior Republican on these issues, and the former Chairman of Foreign Relations.  Dick Lugar also has a distinguished record in his own right.  He is part of the now-historic “Nunn-Lugar Team” who paired with Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA), on the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program with Russia, which prevented “loose nukes” after the Cold War.  Nunn is now part of the famous “Gang of Four” statesmen who have supported a world free of nuclear weapons, breaking the logjam and encouraging hundreds more leaders to come out in support.
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Senator Lugar understands the threat of nuclear weapons, and has done more than most, to help reduce it.  The interview is worth reading, and we hope will inspire many more members of the Senate GOP Caucus to support the new START Treaty.  Here are the links, to the interview, and to a petition to support the Treaty.

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-Ed Aguilar, Project for Nuclear Awareness

The Project for Nuclear Awareness proudly invites you to join us for the opening night screening of Countdown to Zero, this summer’s newest film about the global nuclear threat at the Ritz Theatre.

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Stay afterwards for a discussion and Q/A with advocates and experts on the nuclear disarmament issue, including:

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Todd Fine, Nuclear Weapons Policy Scholar, Researcher for Countdown to Zero
Mary Boardman, Assistant Director of the Project for Nuclear Awareness
Kim-Thao Nguyen, Co-Founder and Producer of DisarmTV

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When: Friday July 30, 2010  |  Screening begins at 7:45 sharp, with discussion to follow

Where: The Ritz at the Bourse Theatre, 4th and Chestnut., Philadelphia, PA 19106

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This event is full.  Thank you for your support!

Join PNA, our partners and supporters to for this great event!  This is a great opportunity to share your opinions and reactions to this major educational tool.

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ABOUT THE MOVIE

Countdown to Zero traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs: nine nations possess nuclear weapons capabilities with others racing to join them, with the world held in a delicate balance that could be shattered by an act of terrorism, failed diplomacy, or a simple accident. Written and directed by acclaimed documentarian Lucy Walker (The Devil’s Playground, Blindsight), the film features an array of important international statesmen, including Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf and Tony Blair. Countdown to Zero makes a compelling case for worldwide nuclear disarmament, an issue more topical than ever with the Obama administration working to revive this goal today. The film was produced by Academy Award® winner and 2009 nominee Lawrence Bender (Inglourious Basterds, An Inconvenient Truth) and developed, financed and executive produced by Participant Media, together with World Security Institute.

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SPEAKER BIOS

TODD FINE developed and established the “Global Zero” campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons as a Program Officer at the World Security Institute in Washington, D.C. He worked to create the core branding and policy positions of the campaign and helped co-produce Countdown to Zero, with Lawrence Bender and Participant Media, the same team that made An Inconvenient Truth. He is amagna cum laude graduate of Harvard University and holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He has written articles on nuclear weapons for diverse journals and magazines.

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MARY BOARDMAN has worked in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation for thirteen years.  She began her work in the field as a youth advocate, speaking about the importance of creating a security paradigm that does not rely on nuclear weapons.  Over the course of her career, she worked for the Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, the Global Security Institute, the Women’s Health and Environment Network and the True Majority Network.  Mary completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science with a concentration in Security Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and currently serves as assistant director with the Project for Nuclear Awareness.

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KIM-THAO NGUYEN graduated from The University of the Arts, where she studied Advertising and Professional Writing, while pursuing independent studies in illustration, graphic design, and social marketing.  Before joining the PNA team, she was the Creative Communications consultant for FAIR Fund (DC), where she worked on campaigns, branding, and copywriting for anti-human trafficking and sexual exploitation issues.  Her creative work has been published and performed for numerous national corporate businesses and nonprofit organizations.  At PNA, Kim offers innovation, insight and style in the supervision of programs development and execution, event planning, and artistic and cultural outreach.  Kim is also the co-founder of PNA’s youth disarmament network, Ban All Nukes Generation- USA, and produces the citizen-journalism web channel, DisarmTV.

The Non-Proliferation Treaty Final Document was released by the United Nations on May 28, 2010.

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This document has both an excellent summary by the Conference Chairman, Philippine Ambassador Libran Cabactulan, and some revealing comments from the Conference Representatives from various states –both nuclear powers, and also many from non-nuclear weapons states.  This also includes members of the NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) which played an increasing role in the Conference, and from other independent countries such as Japan, Australia, Canada, and Austria.

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Below you will a link to the Final Document, with PNA’s notes on several points.  While the Conference can be called a qualified success, it is only one step forward  in a journey of a thousand miles.

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However, some would argue that it was a giant step in that consensus was achieved among numerous parties who have never sat down and agreed with each other on substantive issues of this importance before.  And it is certainly a needed step, before the next steps can be taken toward the ultimate goal of a world free of nuclear weapons.  Finally, while several states such as Iran, Cuba, and Austria dissented in several points, none were moved to break the overall consensus on the three pillars of the conference, as described in the Final Document.

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On Tuesday, May 18, the Project for Nuclear Awareness presented the inaugural Global Stewardship Award to Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, CEO of Common Cause and life-long advocate for the sustainability, protection, and preservation of the global community. The evening featured an impressive array of speakers who discussed Rev. Edgar’s work as an advocate for peace, social justice, and good government.

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Rev. Bill Gray, former U.S. Congressman and longtime friend of Rev. Edgar’s, presented the award and discussed the ways in which their careers as ministers and elected representatives have run parallel to each other. Rev. Gray, a highly distinguished public servant and minister who remains the highest ranking African-American Congressman in the history of the House of Representatives, went further to note that his career and inspiration had, in fact, followed Rev. Edgar’s over the course of their long friendship.

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Rev. Gray was joined by Dr. Matthew Schwartz, John Grant, Craig Eisendrath, John Haas, Thomas Paine Cronin, Patricia Harner, and Rev. Bob Moore in honoring Rev. Edgar’s work. In addition to those community leaders offering remarks, the reception was attended by a diverse group of Rev. Edgar’s friends and colleagues from his time in Congress, at the Claremont School of Theology, at the National Council of Churches, and at Common Cause.

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The event offered these friends, colleagues, and activists an opportunity to re-connect and reflect on the intersections between environmentalism, peace advocacy, and social justice work. Rev. Edgar offered concerned citizens a list of five simple actions they could take to stand shoulder to shoulder with him:

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1.  Campaign for the development of a flexible plan for military disengagement from Afghanistan by Congress and the White House. 
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2.  Insist that your Senators stand up now in support of the New START Treaty, which reduces the number of high alert missiles in Russia and the United States.
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3.  Urge your Senators to support the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which is the next step for US leadership in global nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. 
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4.  Call attention to the gross distortion of our budget and wasteful military spending. 
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5.  Work with NGOs like Rev. Bob Edgar’s Common Cause, in passing the Fair Elections Now Act to ensure that the representatives in Congress speak for the people and not corporations and other special interest groups.  To learn more, read Bob Edgar’s recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about the eletorate’s frustration with the status quo.

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Please honor Rev. Edgar’s work and join the Project for Nuclear Awareness and Common Cause in these important initiatives.  To find out more about how you can take action, please contact the Project for Nuclear Awareness at infopna@gmail.com.

Check out more pictures from the Global Stewardship Award Reception on our Flickr page!