2000 candles for Peace: Abolition 2000 birthday party

Wednesday May 7. 6pm-7:30pm
Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, East 47th Street and 1st Avenue

Join us for the 30th Birthday Party of Abolition 2000. We will have 2000 led light candles (tea candles) in the shape of the CND peace sign, as well as music, birthday cake and time to socialize. The party will be held in conjunction with an online social media campaign 2000 candles for abolition (see below).

About Abolition 2000

Abolition 2000 was established at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference with the launch of an appeal to the NPT States Parties (Abolition 2000 founding statement) calling on them to commence negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention and to undertake a number of other incremental measures to end the nuclear arms race, prevent nuclear war, and support the global elimination of nuclear weapons.

The Abolition 2000 network is open to individuals and organizations to join. By the year 2000, over 2000 organizations had joined.

Some of the calls in the founding statement have been achieved, such as the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion affirming the illegality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons, the establishment of additional nuclear-weapon-free zones and the achievement of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Others have yet to be realized. They form a strong basis for our collective efforts to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world.

Music: Birthday of Ode to Joy – an anthem for peace

May 7 is also the 201st birthday of Ode to Joy, the choral section of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th symphony which has been adopted as the Anthem of Europe. The Ode is a celebration of freedom, peace and solidarity – ideals we need to reinforce even more today. We invite attendees to join us in singing Ode to Joy on May 7.

Social media action: 2000 candles

The birthday party will be held in conjunction with 2000 candles for abolition, a social media action that anyone, anywhere can join. Download the social media graphic, add your photo and a quote or your title (e.g. through canva or photoshop, and post it on your social media platforms with the hashtags #2000candles,  #4NuclearFreeFuture and/or #YouthFusionForNoNukes. The social media campaign is being led by Youth Fusion.

Volunteers to help lay out the candles

We welcome volunteers from 5pm to help lay out the candles. Contact Jackie Cabasso at wslf@earthlink.net if you are able to assist.