BEYOND THE Nuclear Non
Proliferation Treaty
BEYOND THE NPT
Five
years ago after the disappointing result of the Nuclear
Non‐Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Footprints for Peace members
committed to walking for 5 years in the United States and Europe to build a global resistance to the
nuclear industry.
Our vision since 2005 to 2010 was
fulfilled beyond our imagination.
On May 1st this year, four
walks from the four directions came together creating an incredibly
beautiful strong gathering of 200 people from all over the world
displaying colour, creativity, diversity, resistance and solidarity
for a nuclear free future.
On the same day, there was a
women’s walk in Australia happening in solidarity and
a walk in Scotland being organised.
With the support and help of many people we had successfully
created peace walks for five years in Ireland, Scotland, England,
France, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium and today it was a fabulous
feeling to walk over the George Washington Bridge, New York and down
Broadway with Native American people leading the walk with the
Abolition Peace Flame being carried.
I thought of all the
people we had met over those 5 years who are working so tirelessly
for a nuclear free future and more importantly for those who we are
walking for the people who are suffering daily at the hands of the
nuclear industry.
It was one of the most amazing experiences
I have had on a walk that has given me such enthusiasm to continue
our work for a world without nukes.
Just as Cesar Chavez had
said “To make a great dream come try, the first requirement is a
great capacity to dream; the second is persistence”.
Over
the 80 days on the walk from Oakridge, Tennessee where the Y12 nuclear weapons
facility overshadows the beautiful town and land and covering a
distance of 800 miles to the United Nations in New York we
had much support from the local communities who housed, fed and
hosted the walkers as we came through their towns.
We had a
great many blessings to be thankful for.
We had discovered
that at the grassroots level there is a massive peace movement
carried in the hearts of American people. The media gave us front
page news in over 20 newspapers along with dozens of radio
interviews and coverage on one of America’s largest news channel,
CNN as we walked closer to New York.
There were frequent evening
gathering that drew large numbers of people from diverse backgrounds
that left with a greater understanding about the dangers of the
nuclear industry and the connections between uranium mining, nuclear
power, weapons and waste.
Senator Scott Ludlam’s “Climate of
Hope” DVD, was screened at every evening gathering during the walk.
The DVD was met with great enthusiasm from local people who were
inspired to organise more screenings in the future, in which we gave
away all 200 copies. We distributed massive amounts of literature
from Australia through our
nightly stalls and on the streets as we walked. We spoke in schools,
community centres, churches, town halls, mayors’ offices and council
buildings, reaching thousands of people along the way.
On
Sunday May 2nd a rally was organised by Abolition 2000, and 10,000 people
marched on the streets of New York from Time Square down to
the United Nations.
Included in those numbers were 2,000 people
from Japan who had come over
for the 40th year of NPT review conference to strongly voice their
desire to rid the world of nuclear weapons.
One of the most
powerful moments of the day was the abolition flame that our walked
had carried since the beginning of the walk was met with four other
flames from Hiroshima. Together these flames
were carried at the front of the rally with the Mayor Akiba (from
Hiroshima where the flame originated), Mayor Bob Harvey (who lit the
flame from Hiroshima and took it to NZ for the start of the World
March), Kenneth Deer Secretary of the Mohawk Nation at Kahnawake,
part of the Mohawk Nation and the Haudenosaunee, Rafael de La Rubia
(World March) and Marcus Atkinson (Footprints for Peace).
At
the end of the rally two of the Abolition Flames were presented to
Sergio Duarte the UN Under Secretary and High Representative for
Disarmament and Marcus Atkinson (Footprints for Peace) from
Australia and Rafael de
La Rubia (World without Wars) had been given this honorary job.
Marcus handed Secretary Sergio Duarte not only the flame but peace
cranes with a message from Australia to stop uranium
mining.
This year again has been disappointing. Hillary
Clinton, in her opening speech declared an increase of 100 million
US dollars in funding for the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) to step up its promotion of nuclear energy. For me this
totally set the agenda for the NPT to focus more on the ‘peaceful
use of atoms’ rather than creating a serious “action plan” to
dismantle nuclear weapons. We all know that the Nations that have
nuclear weapons do not want to seriously give up their weapons of
mass destruction and want to control other Nations from getting
nuclear weapons.
This year I felt there were even more talk
and guarantees for more money to be spent on nuclear energy than I
have heard on nuclear disarmament. With this I feel a sense of
urgency to stop uranium mining more than ever. I feel that if the
Nations are serious about nuclear disarmament then they would be
putting a moratorium on mining uranium. So I decided to ditch the
talks at the NPT and get involved in the nonviolence direct action
being organised by the War Resisters League.
Marking the
beginning of the UN Nuclear Non‐proliferation Treaty Review
Conference the War Resisters League on Monday May 3rd declared
New York
City a nuclear weapons free zone at Grand
Central Station. Twenty‐ two people from all different age groups
were arrested for asserting that nuclear disarmament should begin in
the US.
As people rushed
to work, huge banners on either side of the station got hung reading
“Nuclear Weapons = Terrorism”. About 80 of us circled the
information booth and continued walking around handing out flyers
and carrying banners urging the US
government to disarm. We handed out 2000 flyers in just over an
hour. At 9.00am when most of the flyers had been handed out the
“die‐in” began and people started to get arrested in a very calmly
manner. About 40 people supported the people doing the “die-in” by
singing many great songs….including many versus of "We gunna keep on
walking forward”. It was wonderful to be a part of this action and
be inspired by many people risking arrest.
The other
inspiring event during the NPT was the Commission on Sustainable
Development that was happening at the same time. In the framework of
the 18th Session of the Commission for Sustainable Development
addressed the issues of mining and waste in its current 2 year
cycle. In relation to this the NGO group “Women in Europe for a
Common Future” organized a lunch event on “Uranium Mining
–
Clear Perspectives on a Dirty Business” where we heard stories
from a Navajo women, Bettie Yazzie whose husband died from lung
cancer in 1974 after working 10 years in a uranium mine site
operated by Union Carbide Corporation. She only speaks Navajo and
was accompanied by a translator, Gilbert Badoni who is Navajo
himself and son of uranium miner from Colorado. We
heard that Gilberts’ entire family has cancer.
We heard from
a man from the Khasi tribe of Meghalaya in India who has been
defending the rights of indigenous people in West Khasi Hills of
North East India who happen to live in an area of great biodiversity
richness but also on high‐grade uranium reserves. The Central
Government of India and State Government of Meghalaya want to cut
down 500 hectares of virgin forest to mine the uranium for nuclear
programs. Look out for a film “Where the Clouds Come Home” produced
by Chris Stone, Small Seed Films about the proposed uranium mining
in Meghalaya. You can see the trailer at http://smallseedfilms.blogspot.com/
Included in the event was a fabulous panel discussion from
the President of the NGO “Aghir in Man” who spoke on the situation
of the Tuareg tribes in Niger on uranium mining activities of French
nuclear operator AREVA.
We heard from Citizens for Justice, Malawi on the social, economic and
environmental effects of uranium mining and Malawis newly opened
uranium mine Kayelekera.
See http://www.cfjmalawi.org
for more information.
And finally with very little time
from Ulla Kloetzer from Women Against Nuclear Power, Women for
Peace, Finland on uranium mining and nuclear waste repositories in
Finland. Because she had very little time she is going to email the
detailed power point presentation she had prepared, and I will send
this forward to anyone that would like a copy.
Many
international participants in this meeting agreed that we need
something like this to happen for the NPT!! It was a fabulous
inspiring event for the many people talking about the absolute need
to have a moratorium on uranium mining. Of course we couldn’t resist
the opportunity to talk about Roxby Downs uranium mine site and
Australia’s situation as the flyer for the event had used Roxby
Downs as the picture of a uranium mine and tailings site.
Human
rights ahead of economic rights!! So as the failing of the NPT 2010
unfolds, Footprints for Peace this month will launch a campaign for
the next five years and beyond and commit to organizing grass roots
non-violence direct actions for a nuclear free future beginning from
Yeeliree,
Western Australia next
year. We will organize actions in Australia in Canada, the USA, Europe and Japan as our dedication
to creating awareness of the genocide that continues today on
indigenous peoples and their land from the nuclear industry.
Kerrie‐Ann Garlick
Footprints for Peace
For a
Nuclear Free Future
www.footprintsforpeace.net
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