Speaking my Truth
Speaking my Truth Author: Bluejay Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 01/10/2008 Category: Comment The continued testing of nuclear weapons is just another one in a long list of things that we should all be very concerned about [see Radioactive Weapons Testing in California in this month’s PCM]. Our world’s leaders have seemingly […]
Missing from Your Curriculum?
Missing from Your Curriculum? Author: Raymond G. Wilson Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 03/19/2007 Category: Comment My first teaching responsibilities began in 1959 in the physics course of an Illinois high school that had been the recipient of a federal grant with official U.S. Civil Defense radiation detection equipment; “Teach the kids […]
Rods from who?
A recent U.S. Air Force proposal suggests militarizing space. But why even consider opening up this can of giant, planet-orbiting, laser-firing worms?
Nuclear Dangers and Challenges to a New Nuclear Policy
Nuclear Dangers and Challenges to a New Nuclear Policy Author: David Krieger Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 01/04/2008 Category: Policy It is worthwhile asking the question: What are nuclear weapons? In some respects the answer to this question may seem obvious, but this is not necessarily the case. To some, nuclear weapons […]
A Silly Dream?
David Krieger responds to the question of many skeptics of nuclear abolition (as well as the peace movement more generally): is it all a “silly dream”?
Freeze the Nukes, Fund the Future
A letter from US congressman Ed Markey to “the super commitee”, charged with cutting government spending. Markey reasonably suggests that cuts should be made the the US government’s $50 billion/year nuclear weapons program.
Challenges to Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration: The Case of the Niger Delta
It is my contention that, desirable as it is to conduct a DDR programme in the region, there are certain critical preconditions that have to be met for it to be successful. Analysing these preconditions was the main focus of this paper and contribution to the proposed DDR in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
But it will take more than disarmament, commitment and drawn out negotiations to obtain peace in the Niger Delta.
Not only are stakeholders faced with a history of corruption and bad governance, poverty and youth unemployment, but also and arguably the biggest challenge of the future: trust. Solomon Inuwa analyses, with first hand experience, the core needs to be met before embarking on the first steps towards peace.
An Open Letter to the American People: Political Responsibility in the Nuclear Age
What follows here is An Open Letter to the American People: Political Responsibility in the Nuclear Age. It proceeds on the assumption that the core of the nuclear problem we face is the possession, development, and deployment of the weaponry, that is, with the nine nuclear weapons states. The essence of a solution is to eliminate existing nuclear weapons arsenals through a phased, verified process of nuclear disarmament as legally mandated by Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968).
The Tlatelolco Treaty at 50: The Continued Relevance of the Latin American Nuclear Weapons Ban
Latin America and the Caribbean went nuclear weapons free in 1967 with the signing of the Tlatelolco Treaty, an historic accomplishment and an important reference in contemporary International relations.
In 2013, the World Future Council, together with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, honoured the Tlatelolco Treaty with the Future Policy Award on disarmament for its invaluable contribution to advancing regional peace and security, creating a precedent and inspiration for subsequent Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and providing impetus to the global elimination of nuclear weapons.
On 13 February, OPANAL together with the Mexican Foreign Ministry will host a high-level seminar to commemorate the treaty’s anniversary and discuss its relevance in addressing current and future nuclear threats.
From Vienna to New York: Diverging attitudes and expectations among NPT members spell trouble for the 2015 NPT Review
The resurgence of Cold War style rhetoric between Russia and “the West”, ongoing concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program, a still elusive nuclear deal with Iran, and the recurrent fear of nuclear-armed non-state actors all stand as stark reminders that humanity still lives with the unacceptable risk of nuclear war. In this timely and important article, Rob van Riet reviews the promises and ambiguities of recent conferences, summits, working group sessions, legal actions, and negotiations on nuclear weapons, and evaluates the potential of the NPT review conference in May this year to make real political progress towards the goal of nuclear disarmament.