This Evil Thing

Michael Mears, an award-winning performer of his own solo plays for theatre and radio, has produced This Evil Thing about conscientious objectors in World War I as a lockdown movie in six parts of around 15 mins each.

An actor and playwright, Michael has a rich career in theatre, television and film – from classical Shakespearean roles to Paddington 2 and the hotel barman who brings Hugh Grant and Andie McDowell together in Four Weddings And A Funeral.

Michael also appeared in Christine Edzard’s adaptation of The Good Soldier Schweik familiar to London filmgoers via the Sands Film Studios. Their film club screenings are cancelled during lockdown, but a new presentation is streamed live every Tuesday night at 8pm via the website or FB page.

https://www.sandsfilms.co.uk/cinema-club-and-events.html

Gensuikyo - our partners in Japan

On the occasion of a professional assignment in Tokyo, I had the honour and privilege twice to meet representatives and staff of Gensuikyo, the Japan Council Against A & H Bombs. Here are notes taken from my discussions with some of the eight permanent staff, and with supporters of Gensuikyo, notably Yayoi Tsuchida, Assistant General Secretary, and Hiroshi Taka, formerly General Secretary and now Representative Director.

From left to right: Marc Morgan, member of Haringey CND, Hiroshi Taka, formerly General Secretary and now Representative Director of Gensuikyo, Yayoi Tsuchida, Assistant General Secretary of Gensuikyo.

It is impossible to evoke the genesis and history of Gensuikyo without first considering the political background, post-war Japanese history, and the twists and turns of Japan’s relations with the US.

After world war II, Japan was occupied and did not regain its full political independence until 1952. Even then, it was independence under surveillance: Japan was expected to align with the US in its cold war against the Soviet Union and, with the provision of industrial supplies and military bases, in its hot war in Korea. Subservient Japanese governments went along with this expectation, but civil society, while accepting features of Western lifestyle and economic organization, was restless. This set a pattern of ambiguous relations with the US which, while now more muted, subsists until this day.

Matters came to a head in 1954, when the US tested its first H-bomb in the Marshall Islands. This provoked an explosion of anger amongst Japanese people, with an astonishing 32 million people signing a petition calling for the abolition of Nuclear Weapons. Gensuikyo was created in the wake of this outpouring of public concern. After preliminary discussions, the Council was officially launched at a peace conference in August 1955.

The structure of Gensuikyo has changed very little over the years: it is an umbrella organization to which large numbers of organizations are affiliated, with three very simple demands or principles:

1. Prevention of any repeat of Nuclear war, ever

2. Abolition of all nuclear weapons

3. Solidarity with victims of the 1945 nuclear bombings of Japan.

Any organization may join which subscribes to these three core principles.  Large numbers of organizations are members of the coalition: Trade Unions – the bedrock of Gensiuyo’s support and also of its financing; Religious organizations; local branches of Gensuikyo, of which there are many, and which can, unlike Gensuikyo centrally, have individual members.

Gensuikyo offices

While the core messages of Gensuikyo have changed very little over the years, it has modulated its campaigning themes to take account of changing national and international realities. Gensuikyo played an active part in the increasingly vocal campaign against US attempts to bind Japan into a more militarily explicit Treaty in the early 1960s.

In national politics, Gensuikyo has resisted the attempts, sometimes as in the early 60s induced by the US, sometimes homegrown, to water down Article 9 of the Japanese constitution. Article 9 commits the Japanese government to renounce belligerency and to avoid waging war – and in principle also to avoid preparations for war, including by renouncing the maintenance of a standard army in the classical sense. In practise Japan has a “self-defence force” equipped like most modern armies, but strategy and equipment are supposed to reflect a non-belligerent posture. Several governments including the present one under Abe have attempted to circumvent the restrictions imposed by Article 9, and to embrace conventional military doctrines under cover of strengthening the “self-defence force”. For the most part such attempts have failed, under the pressure of opposition parties and of civil society.

Campaigning in Nagasaki

In the 1960s and in the latter decades of the 20th century, Gensuikyo has teamed up with protest movements in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere to protest against French nuclear weapons in the Pacific.

Since 2000 Gensuikyo has been a vocal and active member of worldwide civil society movements putting pressure on the nuclear-armed states to engage in genuine nuclear disarmament. Japan, with Gensuikyo at the forefront, sent between 800 and 1,000 representatives to the UN, on the occasion of the NPT preliminary conferences and then the NPT Revision conferences themselves.

Those meetings revealed the duplicity of the nuclear armed states, with their repeated promises to engage in genuine disarmament in line with their commitments under Article 6 of the NPT, and their repeated and ongoing failure to honour, even to begin to honour, the said promises and commitments. 

Gensuikyo continues to participate in the NPT revision conferences, but along with other civil society movements, it is increasingly focusing its energies on promoting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. While maintaining active international links, its priority in this regard is to raise awareness in Japan itself. As the only country ever to have suffered a nuclear attack, and as -regarding civil society at least- an independent voice in a world where superpowers try to pressure allies into subservience, Japan ought to be fertile territory for support for the TPNW.

In practice things are not so simple. Although weaker than it was, and despite the unpopularity of its leader, Prime Minister Abe, the Liberal Democratic party seems certain to be re-elected in elections due later this year. Japanese society as a whole is politically and socially conservative, and apathy or ignorance of the nuclear threat, even in this nuclear-victim country, are prevalent here as they are elsewhere.

Despite this, there are signs of hope. In November 2019 Pope Francis II visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and made rousing speeches calling out nuclear weapons for the monstrous abomination they are. Further to his visit, opinion polls showed 65.9% of Japanese supporting signature of the TPNW by Japan; 10 million people have signed a petition, and 448 local councils – out of a total or 1700 – have passed resolutions, calling on Japan to sign. At a national level, though divided, the main opposition parties are also favourable.

World Conference Against A & H Bombs 2019, organised by Gensuikyo

Gensuikyo will be promoting the TPNW vociferously this year on the occasion of its main annual campaigning event, which is a Peace March, or more precisely a series of Peace Marches, taking place between June and August. The Peace March was first instituted in 1958 (just as the first Altermaston marches were taking place), and has been held every year since.

The main trajectory of the Peace March is Tokyo to Hiroshima, with teams of marchers relaying one another along the 1,000 miles which separate the two cities. But people march in other parts of Japan also, with a total of 100,000 people regularly taking part. I was due to take part myself this year, and would have been a most willing herald of solidarity between the campaigns in our two nations, but sadly the coronavirus crisis has forced me to return home prematurely. A bond is established, however, and I will definitely remain in touch with my friends in Gensuikyo, and will aim to return to take part in their campaigns another time.

Hiroshima A-bomb dome

Article by Marc Morgan, member of Haringey CND and of Abolition des Armes Nucleaires – Maison de Vigilance (France)

Greeting for London CND

Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham, sent this message to the London CND conference:

I would like to send best wishes and solidarity to London CND for a successful Annual Meeting today. I am sorry I can’t be with you in person, due to local commitments to celebrate International Women’s Day. In that vein, can I particularly send greetings to all the women with you today? We know that women often bear the brunt of the consequences of conflict and war, and are often at the forefront of opposing it.

The theme of your discussion today on ethical foreign policy and the role of Britain in the world is more important than ever. The issue of the arms trade is central to this and I have been proud to work with CND and London CND on this issue. In particular we had a great partnership in opposition the DSEI Arms event last year, where the Council hosted an inspiring Alternative Peace Exhibition. I also joined CND’s anti-nuclear events and visited the peace camp. As a campaigning council we made clear that that such an event should never come back to our Borough ever again.

Those of us leading in local government must maintain London’s historically strong commitment to peace. This is now combined with tackling climate change, developing the Green New Deal and alternatives to the arms industries through a just transition. This must remain central to our future policy agenda. We need to continue to campaign and to pressure national government over its actions, such as its part in the catastrophe which continues daily to devastate the lives of the people of Yemen.

No one should be making profits from war, and I want to commend your efforts in opposition to nuclear weapons, and to the waste of Trident in particular. We should be directing our spending priorities to our NHS, to address the crisis in housing and in adult social care, for our young people’s education and jobs, and to invest in an inclusive green economy. In Newham we have suffered from ten years of Tory austerity, with huge cuts from central government, and so we know the impact of government spending choices.

And so I am pleased to continue to support your work in opposing the waste and threat of weapons of mass destruction, and look forward to working together in the coming year.

Rokhsana.

Engaging new activists

Emily Rubino, Director of Policy and Outreach at Peace Action New York State, joined the London CND conference, sending a video message for our closing panel ‘engaging new activists’.

A message from New Zealand

Marian Hobbs, former Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control, NZ, produced this video message for London CND's 2020 conference: Ethical Foreign Policy.

International Women's Day

A text from London CND worker Hannah Kemp-Welch.

Happy International Women’s Day to all supporters of London CND! On this day, I feel it’s important to consider the nuclear issue with gender-glasses on, and so I’d like to share some conversations that I had last summer with female-identifying peace activists.

In early August, I travelled to Japan as CND’s delegate to the World Conference against A & H Bombs. The conference took place across Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where commemorations were held marking 74 years since the US dropped the first atomic bombs - killing hundreds of thousands and devastating both cities. The event was organised by the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen bombs (Gensuikyo), in collaboration with A-bomb survivors - known in Japan as Hibakusha. The organisers requested that international partners consider sending newer members as delegates, those who hadn’t been to the conference before and aren’t the ‘usual suspects’. As such, the international delegates were primarily young women, and militarism and gender was a key theme at the event. 

At the conference, I heard Japanese and Korean Hibakusha share their memories of the 6th and 9th August 1945, and the struggles of the weeks, months and years following. In these accounts I heard of tragic loss and heartbreak; of living in fear of illnesses developing in later life; and of the stigma women faced due to misinformation that radiation sickness was contagious. Toshiko Hamamako, a second generation hibakusha writes:

One of the biggest fears among hibakusha is not being able to get married. Normal Japanese people do not want to marry us because they fear our children will not be healthy. This is a stigma that we, especially women, want to avoid.

Baek Mi-sun of South Korea, gave another example of how women were specifically affected by war. She spoke about how Korean women were forced into sexual slavery as ‘comfort women’ for soldiers, and how reparations have still not been made:

The establishment of the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation has done nothing but deceive victims. The victims of Japanese military sexual slavery are aware of this cheating and have resisted. One of the victims, who is over 90- years old, is protesting and calling for the dissolution of the foundation. 

Wars across the world affect the most vulnerable in society, often women and children. Statistics for gender based violence show dramatic increases during periods of conflict. War Child documents that:

• In Yemen there has been a 70% increase in reports of sexual violence.

• In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 48 women are raped every hour.

• In Syria, orphanages are opening to care for children born of rapes perpetrated by ISIS fighters on Yazidi women.

Back home, austerity policies have hit women the hardest, with women of colour worst off. A study by the Women’s Budget Group and the Runnymede Trust shows that:

• Asian women in the poorest third of households lost on average 19% of their income.

• Black women in the poorest households lost 14% of their income.

• Black and Asian lone mothers lost 15 and 17% of their income.

Yet the Government seems to have endless money for war, whilst cutting social spending. They are replacing the Trident weapons system for the fantastical cost of £205 billion. To put this in context, £205 billion would be enough to build 120 state of the art hospitals and employ 150,000 new nurses, build three million affordable homes, install solar panels in every home in the UK or pay the tuition fees for eight million students.

Jinyoung Kim, a second delegate from South Korea to the World Conference Against A&H Bombs, comments:

In Korea, where two year long military service is mandatory for all men, militarism and patriarchy are strengthening each other. 

You only have to look to the US to see militarism and patriarchy are hand in hand. Nuclear weapons continue to be positioned as a symbol of strength by a racist and misogynist leader, and now ‘American dominance in space’ is sought, with a space force in development. 

Chloé Meulewaeter of the Centre Delàs of Studies for Peace, in Spain, writes:

Increases in the production and export of military and nuclear weapons, have an impact on the security of communities in the countries in which they are used, and generate gender-specific damages in contexts of conflict. 

And this expansion is now by-passing Parliamentary scrutiny in the UK. The UK Defence Secretary confirmed last month that it is working with the US to develop a new nuclear warhead, as part of the Trident replacement programme. Let’s not forget that the current warheads are all around eight times as destructive as the bomb which in 1945 killed between 100,000 and 180,000 people in Hiroshima alone. This secret deal for new warheads was made via the UK-US ‘special relationship’, without seeking approval from Parliament. To add to this, Johnson wants to overhaul Britain’s role in the world and has announced a review that will ‘identify the necessary reforms to government systems and structures to achieve these goals’. 

But it is possible to stop this! We must remember the successes hard won by the peace movement so far. Biological weapons are banned. Land mines are banned. Cruise missiles were sent packing. 

And so this International Women’s Day, let’s remember the achievements of those women at Greenham Common Peace Camp, some of whom are with us today. They made tremendous sacrifices to prevent Cruise Missiles being stored in the UK, and were vilified by the press on the basis of their gender in the most appalling manner. They showed immense courage and creativity, keeping hope for the 19 years the camp was open. In tribute to this, I’ve created a short audio piece from an interview I conducted with Jill Truman, who kindly shared memories of Greenham with me.

Remembering Bikini Atoll

On 1st March 1954, the US tested the hydrogen bomb. They chose a coral reef in the Pacific, the Marshall Islands, for this appalling work, in full knowledge of the devastation it would cause to this beautiful and biodiverse region. Local people were asked to vacate their island, and then abandoned with insufficient food and water on islands not fit for habitation, in an act of callous nuclear colonialism.

The bomb was 1,000 times more powerful than those dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and because of its design produced vast amounts of radioactive fallout. The entire area became contaminated and fallout rained down on the inhabited islands nearby causing intense suffering to local people, with serious radiation-linked illnesses. They developed multiple cancers, hair loss and skin lesions. Deformities appeared in babies.

The entire community and ecology of these paradise islands were devastated for miles around. A Japanese fishing boat 85 miles away was caught in this, and even at this great distance, all 23 of the crew suffered acute radiation sickness – one died.

A number of films detail the horror of this day and the years that followed this, including Lucky Dragon No. 5, and The Coming War on China. Let us make the fate of those who have suffered impossible to ignore, as we fight for the elimination of all nuclear weapons before another such terrible act occurs.

New Year Social

London CND members met at Ev Cafe, Waterloo on the 24th January 2020, to celebrate the new year.

This was a great opportunity for new introductions and sharing between groups, and a chance for members to meet our new Vice President Emma Dent Coad.

Emma gave a galvanizing speech, and offered her support with our events and activities.

Jeremy Corbyn MP sent a message to the gathering:

Sorry I can't make event. All best, never been more important time to support NPT process to save Iran deal and help to create nuclear free world. Well done peace campaigners for always being there. Thank you especially to London Region CND from one of your members.

Emma Dent Coad

We are delighted to welcome aboard Emma Dent Coad, London CND’s newest Vice President. She joins Bruce Kent, Jenny Jones and Catherine West. All four Londoners will be helping attract support and increase interest in nuclear disarmament across the capital in the months and years ahead.

Emma Dent Coad was MP for Kensington 2017-19 and is perhaps best known as the first Labour MP ever to win the seat. The Grenfell Tower fire happened only days after her election, and Emma became a nationally-recognised figure criticising Kensington and Chelsea Council for their failings which led to what she considered an ‘entirely preventable’ tragedy. A long-time opponent of nuclear weapons, Emma became Labour Vice Chair of Parliamentary CND speaking out against Trident and opposing war. She was born and educated in London, graduating from the Royal College of Art with an MA in the History of Design and continuing her studies at the University of Liverpool’s School of  Architecture. Emma has been a Kensington Councillor since 2006 and continues in that role. Westminster’s loss is London CND’s gain.

No War on Iran

CND and Stop the War Coalition organised a mass demonstration on Saturday 11th January 2020 ‘No War on Iran’.

Protesters gathered outside the BBC in Portland Place, and marched to Trafalgar Square where they were met by speakers. Tariq Ali and Jeremy Corbyn were among a number of high profile speakers at the event, which gained significant press coverage.

You can watch Jeremy Corbyn’s speech here:

Other protests took place in Chesterfield, Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool and Bristol, with many more planned.