The Nuclear Resister, Nukewatch, and the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance invite you to an international conference May 22-25 in Maryville, Tennessee.
SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons are still an existential threat; the Doomsday clock is set at 2 ½ minutes til midnight; nuclear weapons states are investing trillions of dollars to upgrade their weapons systems.
At the same time, peace movements around the world are gaining strength, bolstered by the compelling authority of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
The problem of nuclear weapons will not be solved by non-nuclear nations alone—those of us living in nuclear weapons states and under the nuclear umbrella have a primary obligation not just to work for, but to achieve abolition.
STOP THE NEW NUCLEAR ARMS RACE will bring together activists from around the world to talk about how we can use the tools available to us—the Treaty, the work of Don’t Bank on the Bomb, the merging voices of faith communities, resistance efforts at weapons sites, localized nuclear-free-cities efforts, ICAN’s report on University ties to nuclear weapons production, Back from the Brink, direct actions at military bases, and more—in collaborations that are mutually supportive and effective.
SCHEDULE
The conference begins Friday evening with a chance to hear from participants about the work being done around the globe.
Saturday, we’ll have presentations followed by in-depth workshops focusing on many of the efforts happening in the US, Europe and elsewhere.
Sunday will include time to share ideas and develop collaborative strategies. As the Ban Treaty enters into force, it will provide additional leverage to reduce the reach of nuclear weapons states; as weapons are withdrawn from foreign soil, the pressure will mount on weapons states to fulfill the promise they made in the Nonproliferation Treaty.
Monday morning—a trip to the bomb plant! We’ll go to Oak Ridge for a nonviolent demonstration against the nuclear weapons work being done at the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Complex.
LOGISTICS?
Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson airport is 10 minutes from Maryville College. We expect to provide ground transportation for participants. There will be childcare during day sessions for kids 2-12. Rooms at Maryville College are en suite—two to a room, two rooms share a bathroom.
GET MORE INFO
You can email us for information: actionfortheban@gmail.com.
SAVE ME A SPACE!
Registration is now open! Go to orepa.org/registration-form to reserve your space. You will find detailed information about housing at Maryville College, along with costs. Space is limited; beds are available on a first come, first served basis. And we have a hard deadline for registrations of April 24 in order to finalize our contract with the college.
NEXT GENERATION SCHOLARSHIPS
We expect to provide a limited number of Next Generation scholarships (age 18-30). Contact OREPA at orep@earthlink.net for information.
OH, AND ANOTHER THING…
2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the Nuclear Resister, Nukewatch, and the Plowshares movement. So plan to celebrate these anniversaries with cake, music, and fun!
WHO SHOULD COME?
New to nuclear weapons? The conference is a great place to start learning. Been here since the Freeze days? Come share your experience and learn what is happening now. The Conference will have workshops, strategy sessions, panel presentations, music, and opportunities for networking, celebration, training and action.
Everyone who wants to be part of a coherent movement, blending multiple strategies, to get rid of nuclear weapons. Whether your strategy is resistance, divestment, legal challenges, direct action, education, local organizing, political action—we are stronger when we understand and collaborate with each other.
WHY TENNESSEE?
Maryville, TN, is 20 miles from the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in Oak Ridge, TN. Y-12 is an active nuclear weapons manufacturing facility. Today, Y-12 makes highly enriched uranium cores for W76-2 warheads and is currently building a new bomb plant, the Uranium Processing Facility, to continue production for decades.
Latest US Bomb Plant, the UPF, under construction, at the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Complex, Oak Ridge, TN
YOU CAN SUPPORT THE CONFERENCE
We welcome endorsements and sponsors from organizations or individuals. Sponsors are asked to contribute 40 dollars ($1/year to celebrate the anniversaries of Nukewatch and the Nuclear Resister—what a bargain!). Sponsors will be listed in the conference program and registration packet, on a poster in the registration area, on the website and in email promotions, and will be provided table space for literature at the conference.
Endorsers will be listed on the conference web site and e-mail promotions. It’s free to be an endorser—though we’re happy to accept contributions!
Contributions will be used to defray costs of the conference and to provide modest scholarships for young activists.
Sponsor or Endorse the Conference
Contact us at actionfortheban@gmail.com to sign up!
HELP US ORGANIZE!
You can like, share and invite your friends to our event on Facebook: Stop the New Nuclear Arms Race Conference.
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