Nuclear abolition campaigners from around the world met in New York on May 11 to discuss strategies and to build cooperation amongst campaigns.
There were lively and productive discussions on nuclear risk-reduction, war prevention, nuclear weapons divestment, nuclear-weapon-free zones, youth actions, United Nations initiatives (including the Ban Treaty, UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament and the new initiative of the UN Secretary-General), engaging legislators and outreach to broader human rights, environment and faith-based communities.
The campaign meeting was followed by an event at Washington Square Park to protest against the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal).
The meeting also included an introductory round with everyone expressing a reflection on the state of the world. Anabel Dwyer penned a poem using words expressed in this reflection round (see below).
State of the World
The poem of assembled “state of the world” single words expressed by participants in the Abolition 2000 campaign meeting May 11, 2018
By Anabel Dwyer
Holy mackerel!
We’re hopefully worried in this deplorable, discouraging, treacherous, scary, chaotic turmoil;
while we’re finding ourselves unhinged in a precarious, schizophrenic, fearful, vicious time.
Hopefully we’re waking up through this lively, interesting flux,
in the culture of war.
Hopefully we are beginning a fascinating, centrifugal,
yoghurt of peace, love, respect and their entry into force.
Miigwetch (“Thank you” in the Anishinaabe language of the upper Great Lakes).
