December 2020 – Abolition 2000 Youth Network re-launched as Youth Fusion
On the 10th of December, coinciding with Human Rights Day, the Abolition 2000 Youth Network re-launched itself as Youth Fusion.
See both sessions of the event on the Youth Fusion website here.
April 2020 – Move the Nuclear Weapons (and fossil fuel) Money
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for governments and the international community to focus more on human security issues and to shift resources from military spending, especially the nuclear weapons budgets, to accomplish this. However, the nuclear weapons and fossil fuel industries have vested financial interests in maintaining the nuclear arms race and a fossil fuel economy. They are potent political forces preventing change.
Governments, cities, religious communities, universities, banks and private investors can shift these financial incentives by divesting from the nuclear weapons and fossil fuel industries and re-allocating these investments according to the UN Global Compact and ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) principals. Such actions provide political support for legislative efforts to cut nuclear weapons budgets, especially in the USA and UK.
This webinar will highlight public campaigns and legislative efforts to cut nuclear weapons budgets, along with examples of nuclear weapons and fossil fuel divestment and examine how these can assist initiatives to cut nuclear weapons budgets and support public health, climate protection and sustainable development. The webinar will include the preview of a Handbook on Nuclear Weapons Divestment which is being developed by the Move the Nuclear Weapons Money campaign and will be published later this year.
- Kehkashan Basu (United Arab Emirates/Canada), Youth Ambassador, World Future Council. Winner, 2016 International Children’s Peace Prize.
- Jennifer Blemur (USA), Director, Women Legislators’ Lobby (WiLL), a program of Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND)
- Susanna Choe (USA), Executive Director, Regeneration Fund and Move the Nuclear Weapons Money program, Investment Community Visibility Group.
- John Ingram (USA). 350NYC.org Steering Committee Member. Member of Divest NYC Coalition and Divest NY State Coalition.
- Thies Kätow (Germany), Divestment Researcher, World Future Council.
- Marzhan Nurzhan (Kazakhstan/Switzerland), Coordinator of the Abolition 2000 Youth Network. Deputy Director of the Basel Peace Office.
- Jeff Perkins (USA), Executive Director, Friends Fiduciary Corporation
- Karen Robinson (United Kingdom), Campaign worker, Conscience: Taxes for Peace not War
- Matt Robson (New Zealand), Former Deputy Leader of the Progressive Party and New Zealand Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control.
- Quique Sánchez (Spain), Global Campaign on Military Spending
Click here for more information
October 2019 – The Breakdown of the Iran Deal – Global perspectives
Following more than a decade of intense international efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear dispute, Iran and the EU3+3 (USA, UK, Russia, France, China, and Germany) agreed on a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on July 14, 2015. This multilateral agreement put in place unprecedented inspections, monitoring and transparency measures to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program remains peaceful.
President Trump’s unilateral decision last year to withdraw the USA from the agreement and reintroduce draconian sanctions on Iran has placed the future of the accord on an unpredictable path, with the risk of complete collapse.
The situation has become even more complex with increased tensions between Iran and the USA in an unstable region poised to erupt into further violent conflict.
Our webinar brings together international nuclear non-proliferation and Iran experts to decipher the fast-moving state of affairs in the region, with the hope of finding a peaceful path forward.
- Sharon Dolev (Israel), Executive Director, METO Project, The Israeli Disarmament Movement (ICAN partner in Israel) and Abolition 2000 Coordination Committee.
- Tarja Cronberg (Finland), Distinguished Associate Fellow with the SIPRI European Security Programme.
- Emad Kiyaei (Iran), Policy Advisor to American Iranian Council and founder member of the Middle East Treaty Organization (METO) Project.
- Jamal Abdi (Unites States), President, National Iranian American Council.
Click here for more information
July 2019 – Divesting from Destruction. Investing in peace and sustainability
Over the next ten years the nuclear armed countries plan to spend over 1 trillion US dollars on the nuclear arms race. Those manufacturing the nuclear weapons are making a fortune, and are actively promoting the nuclear arms race. This webinar explores strategies and actions to reverse the financial interests in nuclear weapons through actions to cut nuclear weapons budgets, end investments in nuclear weapons corporations, increase investments in peace and sustainability, and promote the economic value of peace.
- Alyn Ware (New Zealand/Czech Republic), Move the Nuclear Weapons Money.
- Laurie Smolenski (United States), Institute for Economics and Peace.
- Maevyn Davis-Rackerby (United States), Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament.
- Rob van Riet (Chile/Netherlands), World Future Council.
- Thies Kätow (Germany), World future Council/PNND.
Click here for more information
April 2019 – Nuclear Disarmament Events and Campaigns
The webinar provides an overview of nuclear disarmament processes and events happening in 2019, and the main nuclear disarmament campaigns and actions by parliamentarians, mayors and civil society. The webinar will introduce Abolition 2000 working groups, campaigns and affiliated networks, and it will provide opportunities for activists to discuss and/or join various campaigns and events.
- Reiner Braun (Germany), International Peace Bureau.
- John Burroughs (United States), Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy
- Jackie Cabasso (United States), Mayors for Peace.
- Arielle Denis (France), International Peace Bureau.
- Bruce Gagnon (United States), Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space.
- Neshan Gunasekera (Sri Lanka), International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms.
- John Hallam (Australia), Human Survival Project.
- Chris King (United States), United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs.
- Marzhan Nurzhan (Kazakhstan/Switzerland), Abolition 2000 Youth Network.
- Vanda Proskova (Czech Republic), Prague Institute for Sustainable Security.
- Tamkeen Saeid (New Zealand), The Peace Foundation.
- Aaron Tovish (Mexico), Zona Libre.
- Alyn Ware (New Zealand/Czech Republic), Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament.
- Monica Willard (Unites States), United Religions Initiative.
Click here for more information
January 2019 – Preserve the INF Treaty
On October 20, 2018, U.S. President Trump announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has stated that the US will suspend implementation of the treaty in early February
The INF Treaty is an historic agreement reached in 1987 between the United States and the Soviet Union to eliminate all of their nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometres, and to utilize extensive on-site inspections for verification of the agreement.
If the Treaty is dissolved, it opens the door for nuclear-armed missiles returning to Europe, and could further stimulate the current nuclear arms race.
In this webinar, presenters from the U.S., Russia, Germany and the UK discuss the history and significance of the INF Treaty and the importance of working to preserve it.
- Andrew Lichterman (United States), Western States Legal Foundation.
- Pavel Podvig (Switzerland/Russia), UN Institute for Disarmament Research.
- Dave Webb (United Kingdom), Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
- Regina Haagen (Germany), Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space.