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.
Arms Dealers Dinner
Members of Haringey and Lewisham and Greenwich CND joined the demo outside the Grosvenor House Hotel on 22nd January 2020 to protest the arms dealers dinner. This action, organised by Campaign Against Arms Trade and Stop The Arms Fair gained significant media coverage, raising awareness of the issue.
Kingston CND: Climate change film includes militarism
A group of Creative Media students from Kingston College has chosen, for their final assessment project, the climate crisis, with particular emphasis on the need for system change.
Director Neha Sunda and Production Managers Jack Pauley and Era Birka, together with their team, were out filming at the XR protest in London last October when they spotted Kingston Peace Council and Movement for the Abolition of War banners at the XR Peace site near the Ministry of Defence. They were intrigued to hear our particular message concerning the connection between militarism and climate change and decided to include it in their 24-minute filmed magazine show – devoting four minutes to a specialist interview.
We have been to their studio in Kingston for practice sessions, with the final filming scheduled for 16 January. This is an exciting project and it has been enjoyable and eye-opening to see how such a studio operates and to work with such a charming, focussed and professional team. The magazine show ‘Changing London’ features footage of the XR action plus pre-recorded interviews with Richmond Councillor Martin Elengorn and with a group of allotment holders, then live filming including KPC’s Mary Holmes participating in a debate on system change and I was being interviewed on the significance of military-related greenhouse gas emissions.
It has been a delight working with the group. We wish them well with their project and hope their important message will spread far and wide!
- Hilary Evans
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.
Bromley and Lewisham CND at the 'No War with Iran' demo
Bromley and Lewisham CND groups were out in force at the ‘No War with Iran’ march on the 20th January 2020. Marching from BBC Portland Place to Trafalgar square, they carried a banner and got a lot of attention!
They also secured press coverage, writing the below letter:
Bromley Borough CND are deeply concerned about President Trump’s decision to kill Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, and by doing so increase tensions in the Middle and Far East, and create a state of potential war, rather than preventing war.
There are now threats of retaliation from Tehran and more from the US, which has created an extremely dangerous and unstable situation, could involve many other countries and is a threat to world peace.
Rather than negotiate through the UN, which takes time, skill and patience, the US has acted irresponsibly and is putting many lives at risk.
World leaders are rightly calling for de-escalation of the situation.
A demonstration was held in Whitehall and locally by Bromley Borough CND in Beckenham on January 4th, where they were doing Nuclear Ban Treaty campaigning.
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.
