“NUCLEAR SKIES: A Vision for a Nuclear-Free World”
 
Thursday, March 29, 2012 at the WHYY studios in downtown Philadelphia, Helen
Caldicott, MD will be honored for her lifetime dedication to creating a world free
of the threat of nuclear weapons. Her tireless education around the globe, her
aggressive advocacy and her practice of reminding us of the deleterious health effects
of a nuclear explosion have been an inspiration to us all. Dr Caldicott, a pediatrician,
is the former president of Physicians for Social Responsibility, co-recipient of the
Nobel Peace Prize, together with the International Physicians for the Prevention of
Nuclear War.
 
Dr. Caldicott will be joined in dialog by Trudy Rubin, Foreign Affairs Columnist for the
Philadelphia Inquirer, where both parties will contribute to an energized discussion
concerning “A Vision for a Nuclear-Free World” and what will it take to end conflict
and insure peace and security around the globe in our lifetime and for generations to
come.
 
The 1st Annual Eisendrath Award for Youth Advocacy in Nuclear Disarmament will
be presented in honor of Craig Eisendrath, PhD, co-founder and chairman of Project
for Nuclear Awareness, to a person between the age of 18 – 29 who has exhibited a
commitment to achieving a peaceful world, free from the threat of nuclear weapons.
 
This program is presented by Project for Nuclear Awareness and Physicians for Social
Responsibility who share a commitment to a peaceful, nuclear weapons free world.
Through our combined efforts, we have a unique opportunity to promote alternatives
to violence both in our local and global communities. This event is co-sponsored by
WHYY.
 
Dr. Caldicott will host a private reception for students at 5pm and the event will be
from 5:30 to 8:30pm with dialog, discussion, award ceremonies and dinner.
Register on-line.

The Dissent in America Teach-In Presents:

U.S. Militarism: Costs and Consequences

And Preventing Permanent War

A Presentation by Johns Hopkins Professor

Melvin Goodman

Division Chief and Senior Analyst at the Office of Soviet Affairs, Central  Intelligence Agency 1976-1986; intelligence adviser to the Strategic Arms  Limitations Talks; author of Permanent War (2012), & Bush League  Diplomacy (2004)

When: Friday, Feb 24^th, 3:00-4:30

Where: 821 Anderson Hall,

Temple University

12th and Berks Streets, Philadelphia

CAN we prevent a war between Iran and Israel?  HOW do we use smart power to navigate tides of change in Syria, Egypt, Iran, and the Middle East?  How do we prevent the spread of nuclear weapons?  Bring your questions and comments.

This event is open to the public.  821 Anderson is the lounge on the 8th floor, just sign in on the ground floor of Anderson Hall, Twelfth and Berks Streets.  Please RSVP to infopna@gmail.com.

Sponsored by the Department of History & CLA /   Info: Call 215-546-3030

Brought to you by   www.ProjectforNuclearAwareness.org

2009 Haas Award recipient and former Secretary-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Dr. Hans Blix recently attended a preparatory conference for the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, South Korea. Dr. Blix is 4^th from left, below, behind former president of India, Abdul Kalam (foreground center), and the conference host, President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea (right).

Dr. Blix attended the conference as a member of the Eminent Persons Group for the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Summit. The purpose of the summit is to strengthen international commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. Dr. Blix accepted PNA’s Haas Award for International Peace and Social Justice in October, 2009 (below). The 2012 Haas Award will be presented to Dr. Helen Caldicott on March 29^th.  Keep checking our website for details!

Dr. Hans Blix with PNA’s Chairman Craig Eisendrath, Executive Director Ed Aguilar and PNA staff at 2009 Haas Award Ceremony

November 9, 2011
3:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Location: Friends Center, 1500 Cherry Street, Room 21, Philadelphia, PA 19102

PNA and PSR invite you to join us for another important phone banking opportunity to call friendly Pennsylvania voters and encourage them to call Sen. Pat Toomey and Rep. Chaka Fattah about the nuclear weapons budget. Next Wednesday, November 9, we will be hosting a phone bank pizza party at the Friends Center in Room 21 (1500 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102 – parking across the street, and only a block from SEPTA trains and buses at Suburban Station) for everyone who would like to participate in this campaign against wasteful nuke spending. You can join one of two sessions, or both:

Session A: 3:30-5:30 PM
Pizza Break!
Session B: 5:30-7:30 PM

Bottom line: We can save some $200 billion, over ten years, by reducing various aspects of the nuclear arsenal– whether by cutting new nuclear submarines, 200 new missiles, or spending for new, totally unneeded warheads. In fact, the government’s nuclear “modernization” program flies in the face of our New START Treaty, which promises cuts of 30% of the arsenal, and this is totally unnecessary for our defense, even some leading generals have noted.

Please join us for this great opportunity to get engaged in supporting cuts to our nuclear weapons budget and have your voice heard. To confirm your participation, message the PNA Group, email infopna@gmail.com or call (215) 546-3030. When you confirm, please note which session you will attend, a phone number and email, and whether or not you can bring a cell phone to use. At the session, you will receive a copy of our Phone Banking Toolkit, and a list of friendly voters from PNA and PSR. We hope that you will take advantage of this great opportunity to make a difference at this critical time before Congress votes on the 2012 budget.

PNA invites supporters and friends to commemorate the 66^th Anniversary of the Hiroshima & Nagasaki Bombing with the Coalition for Peace Action in Princeton, NJ on Tuesday, August 9. The Coalition for Peace Action will be sponsoring a picnic at the Woodrow Wilson School Plaza from 6:00pm to 9:00pm complete with an intriguing program of speakers and performers that will educate, enlighten, and entertain the public. The suffering and horrific devastation witnessed at Hiroshima & Nagasaki in 1945 at the hands of nuclear weapons only strengthens PNA’s goal of nuclear weapon abolition.  For more information, please visit their website.

Come join PNA at UN Cafe for open discussion about nuclear non-proliferation.

Place: Grey Social Club & Bar (132 Chestnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19106)

Date: Thursday August 4, 2011

Time: 6PM

Topic: Nuclear Non-Proliferation

On Wednesday, September 21, 2011, we at PNA urge Philadelphia citizens, communities, and organizations to join the world’s citizens in observing and celebrating the 30th anniversary of the International Day of Peace.  The United Nations’ theme for the 2011 International Day of Peace is: Let Your Voice Be Heard! We hope you will become involved and make your voice heard in the name of peace.

Do something, large or small, that is meaningful to you- in your home, in your community or in your world– and let us know, so we can let others know!

The Project for Nuclear Awareness is teaming up this year with the UN Association of Greater Philadelphia, and many allied groups to do joint activities for Philly Peace Day.

Drexel University’s Office of International Programs and the Project for Nuclear Awareness

Present:

Peace Visions: A World Free of Nuclear Threats & Small-Arms Menace

3:00-4:30pm

Speakers:

Dr. William H. Hartung, Center for International Policy
Dr. Jacqueline Reich, Chestnut Hill College

Location:                    

Creese Student Center, Drexel University

3210 Chestnut Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104

Cost: This event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Hartung, an international expert on world arms trade, will discuss current arms policy/issues as well as the nuclear dilemma facing the world.  Dr. Reich will present “The Vision of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty– How Can We Make It a Reality?”

William Hartung is the director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy and a Senior Research Fellow at the New America Foundation.  He is an expert on weapons proliferation, the politics and economics of military spending, regional security, and national security strategy.  His most recent book, Prophets of War, is an exposé of America’s largest military contractor, Lockheed Martin.

Jacqueline Reich is a professor of political science at Chestnut Hill College.  The courses she teaches at Chestnut Hill have focused on International Relations and American Foreign Policy.  She specializes in international relations theory, international conflict and cooperation, and security studies.

*William Hartung’s Prophets of War will be for sale at the event. CHECKS AND CREDIT CARDS ONLY. Cash will NOT be accepted.

The U.S.-Russian deal should get bipartisan support.

By Joseph Cirincione

Last week’s election threw everything up in the air, including President Obama’s national security strategy, right? Well, no.

There is a surprising bipartisan consensus on key national security issues that has been obscured lately by election campaigns and political sniping. Turning that consensus into policy will require the president to reach out – and to flex his muscle. It will also require Republicans in the new Congress to demonstrate that they are serious about national security issues.

The first test for both sides will come during the post-election Senate session later this month. The Senate has yet to approve the nuclear-arms reduction treaty Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed last April. Dubbed “New START,” the treaty would cut both sides’ weapons stockpiles by about 30 percent and reestablish a tough verification system allowing U.S. inspectors to monitor Russian nuclear forces.

Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush established these inspections with START I, which was signed in 1991 and ratified by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the Senate. But the inspections stopped in December, when that treaty lapsed. As of Monday, it will have been 338 days since U.S. inspectors were allowed in Russia.

In July, referring to New START, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress, “This treaty has the full support of your uniformed military.” Cabinet officials from every administration since Richard Nixon’s also gave their support to the treaty during 20 Senate hearings and briefings. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee gave it a bipartisan 14-4 vote of approval. With this level of consensus, Senate passage of New START would seem like a no-brainer.

But senior Republicans led by Sen. Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.) nevertheless delayed action on the treaty. They did so for two reasons: to deny the president a political victory before the election, and to get assurances about extra funding for U.S. nuclear weapons.

Now the election is over, and the president has promised to spend $180 billion on nuclear weapons over the next 10 years – more annually than George W. Bush budgeted. Still, Republicans may procrastinate.

It’s up to Obama to force the issue in this early test of how he intends to govern in the wake of GOP gains. He should aggressively and publicly reach out to Republicans, calling them now and meeting with them when they return to Washington. His top officials must speak out about the security consequences of not approving the treaty. And Obama must make it clear that there would be political consequences, too.

It should not be hard. Even for new members of Congress elected with the support of the tea-party movement, it will be tough to appear patriotic while dismissing the military’s unanimous advice. Rejecting New START would make them vulnerable to charges that they are playing politics with national security, giving Democrats a foreign-policy issue at a time when Republicans want to focus on domestic matters.

But to press that point, Obama must stay committed to getting the treaty done. As Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morell said last week, “This treaty is absolutely critical to the effectiveness of our nuclear arsenal, our knowledge of Russian nuclear capabilities, and U.S. national security overall. There’s no sense in putting off what we need now to the next Congress.”

With New START, Washington has a chance to show the American people that the two parties can act together in the best interests of the nation. To make that happen, Obama must demonstrate bipartisanship and strength; one without the other will not work. And Republicans, for their part, have to demonstrate their interest in responsible governance.

If either side of Pennsylvania Avenue misses this opportunity, our national security will suffer.

Joseph Cirincione is the president of Ploughshares Fund and the author of “Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons.”