IPB Joins in Organizing World Conference & Rally on Eve of NPT Review in New York
As we confront the twin existential threats of nuclear weapons and climate change, IPB is pushing back in its role as a lead co-sponsor of an historic movement building World Conference and rally for nuclear weapons abolition, peace, the climate and justice.
THIS EVENT HAS MOVED ONLINE
April 25, 2020 9 a.m. New York/Boston/Washington, D.C.
9 a.m. EDT, 3 p.m. Central Europe, 10 p.m. April 26 Tokyo
Register at: bit.ly/abolishnuclear
In the context of the suffering and changes being wrought by the pandemic, the two- hour world conference will focus on the continuing urgent need to abolish nuclear weapons and its relationship to stanching the climate emergency and challenging injustices which have left so many people marginalized and vulnerable. Additional sessions of the World Conference and four workshops will be for a healthier time in the future.
To accommodate people across the world the conference will be held at 9 a.m. New York/Boston time (3 p.m. in Europe, 10 p.m. in East Asia) with simultaneous interpretation. The conference will be held in concentric circles with up to 500 people in the conference itself with simultaneous live streaming so everyone can join by listening in. The conference will also be recorded and posted and made available on the worldconference2020.org and co-sponsors sites for continuing availability.
Speakers include:
• Sharon Burrows (ITUC, Australia)
• Reiner Braun (IPB, Germany)
• Joseph Gerson (AFSC/CPDCS/IPB, USA)
• Emad Kiyaei (IDG Group, Iran)
• Hiroshi Takakusaki (Gensuikyo, Japan)
• Rev. Liz Theoharis (Poor People’s Campaign, USA)
• Dr. Carlos Umana (IPPNW, Costa Rica)
• Wada Masako (Japan Confederation of A- & H- Bomb Sufferers Organizations, Japan)
Invitations pending to United Nations Office for Disarmament, the Sunrise Movement, and Marshall Islands
REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/abolishnuclear
For more information: check out the Facebook site World Conference 2020 – Moving Online or write: JGerson80@gmail.com
These events, which will bring together movement leaders, renowned policy analysts, elected officials and diplomats will be held in New York April 24-26. The conference is being organized for the eve of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference at the United Nations, and as we approach the 75th anniversaries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bombings.
Even as we have no expectations for a successful outcome of the Review Conference, we see it as a unique opportunity for movements and broader civil society to press governments and to build international and intersectional collaborations for nuclear disarmament, peace, climate and justice. The conference’s awkward working title is World Conference: Abolish Nuclear Weapons; Resist and Reverse the Climate Crisis; for Social and Economic Justice. In addition to analytical and inspiring plenary speeches and 24 forums and workshops, our closing plenary, will focus on promoting actions and movement building, including steps to promote the Treaty for Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
This will very much be a truly international conference. We expect 800 Japanese organizers and activists – including Hibakusha – to join us. Most will be from IPB’s affiliate Gensuikyo, but in something of a breakthrough Gensuikin, Hidankyo, Peace Boat and Soka Gakkai are all involved. We expect 250 organizers and activist from Europe and the Global South (IPB affiliate Mouvement de la Paix) will be sending 100. IPB Board member Stephen Staples plans to bring 50 to 100 from Canada. And up to 500 from are expected from across the U.S. the U.S. With these numbers, and to communicate the necessary gravitas, we have reserved the Riverside Church as the venue for the conference. Riverside was the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s seminal “Beyond Vietnam” speech.
April 26 Rally from Union Square and march to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, including presentation of 10 million+ nuclear weapons abolition petition signatures being organized.
Speakers include: Tadatoshi Akiba – (Gensuikin-Japan), Walden Bello – (FGS – Philippines), Oleg Bodrov (CCB -Russia), Sharran Burrow (ITUC – Australia), Jackie Cabasso (WSLF & UFPJ – US), Noam Chomsky (USA), Arielle Denis (IPB – France), Sharon Dolev – (IDM – Israel), Beatrice Finn (ICAN), Sophia (Soda) Garcia – (GBWP – Philippines), Philip Jennings (ITUC/IPB – Britain), Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner (Poet-Marshall Islands),Emad Kiyaei (IGD Group-Iran), Michael Klare (Five College PAWS/The Nation Magazine -USA), Youngdae Ko (SPARK – Korea); Andrew Lichterman (WSLF – US), Leona Morgan (NISG – Navajo/USA). Binalakshmi Nepram – (CAF-India), Setsuko Thurlow (Hiroshima Hibakusha – Canada). For bio information see worldconference2020.org
Initial Listing of Confirmed Plenary Speakers
Additional confirmed speakers from Gensuikyo, Korean A-Bomb Survivors Organization, and Nihon Hidankyo, and additional invitations are pending.
Co-sponsoring organizations include: American Friends Service Committee, Campaign for Peace Disarmament and Common Security, Gensuikin, Gensuikyo, International Peace Bureau, International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War, International Trade Union Confederation, La Mouvement de la Paix, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy, Nuclear Free Philippines Coalition, Pax Christi, PEAC, Peace Action, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, United Electrical Workers Union, Western States Legal Foundation, Women’s International for Peace & Freedom – U.S.
[Other organizations are welcome to sign on!]
In addition to plenaries 24 conference forums and workshops. Have a look at the agenda.
For more information and to register, go to www.worldconference2020.ort
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