Global Zero

Thanks to you, tens of thousands of people worldwide joined the campaign calling on NATO leaders to remove US nukes from Europe — and the NATO Summit ended with what insiders are calling the “the foundation for change” for the removal of US nukes from Europe.

We also want to thank all of the partner organizations that helped us share this important message. Our support in Europe has never been so strong, and we have these organizations largely to thank.  Feel free to stop by their Facebook walls and show them some love for us.

Right now, there are 200 U.S. tactical nuclear weapons deployed in Europe (in Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, Italy and Belgium). These weapons are expensive remnants of the Cold War: the U.S. doesn’t need them deployed and Europeans don’t want them. They have no targets, no military utility and pose a serious obstacle to further US-Russian nuclear arms reductions. Even worse, they are not completely secure and are vulnerable to theft by terrorists.

It’s time to put these nukes out of commission, and we have a chance to set that possibility in motion. On May 20th, world leaders will meet at the NATO Summit in Chicago, where the future of these weapons is on the agenda – giving us a real opportunity to generate a massive public outcry for the removal of these weapons from Europe.

Sign the petition.  Go to www.nukesout.org

My name is Katrina Castaneda, and I’m a campaign intern at Global Zero. I’ve been on the team for about a month, though my interest in nuclear weapons began much earlier, when I saw the documentary Countdown to Zero in my international relations class at UCI.

Terrorism is a topic that can get old for students. We’ve been saturated with terror talk, especially in the news, since middle school. But this film heightened my interest in nuclear weapons and nuclear terrorism. If you haven’t seen it I encourage you to get your hands on a copy!

I grew up believing that we can conquer our goals, however insurmountable they may seem. My goal – far-fetched to many – is world peace. And one giant step toward that goal is nuclear arms control and, eventually, Global Zero: a world without nuclear weapons.

Global Zero, hm? I sometimes get criticism for this view. A few weeks ago, a peer laughed when I told him that I’m interning for an organization that advocates for a world free of nuclear weapons. He proclaimed he was a “realist” and that it wasn’t going to happen.

Words like this can be discouraging, but fall short of “realism.”

Ridding the world of nuclear weapons isn’t going to happen overnight, and it’s not going to be easy. Leadership and action are necessary. And Global Zero is active on both fronts, recruiting leaders around the world and building public pressure to put the Global Zero plan into action. They work in new and exciting ways to influence nuclear policy and bring the topic to people at the grassroots as well as the grasstops.

My 10-week stint is halfway complete. When I walk through the Global Zero doors, I know what awaits me: a team of passionate campaigners working to change the world.  I have learned so much about nuclear energy, regional attitudes on nukes and the challenges ahead – and have enjoyed taking on my responsibility as a global citizen.

I was in search of an internship that could offer me experience in foreign policy and the nonprofit sector. Global Zero was a wonderful choice, and gave me the chance to work for the organization that inspired me to enter the world of nukes.

I urge you all to learn more and help share the message. This interactive map is a great starting point for information on nuclear dangers and the Global Zero solution:

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you in the field!

Hello Friends,

Just thought I would share a few reflections having completed 3 months as the European Campaign Fellow.

In the short amount of time that I’ve been with Global Zero, it has become clear to me that its presence is increasing worldwide. From the very beginning in early January, it has been “all go” working on a host of growing student groups here in the UK. During my first few weeks, Global Zero launched an eye-opening NATO-Russia commission report at the Munich Security Conference. It turned out to be a big success with international media endorsing Global Zero’s vision as the movement for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Very soon after, I headed off to New Haven for the hugely successful event held at Yale University. It brought together over 300 students from around the world along with a host of renounced world leaders. Seeing such diverse leaders - in careers, country of origin and culture - agree on the same fundamental issue was deeply heartening on a personal level. These kinds of events typically bring together people who harbor differences, but in this case, they put discrepancies aside and stood together for a common cause.

Now we are turning our gaze to the removal of tactical nuclear weapons from Europe. It has been an interesting switch from talking about the big picture to focusing on one piece of the puzzle. My feeling is that many Europeans realise there is little merit in these weapons, or worse, they are not aware of their existence. Now is the time to inform the public of their presence and work to expel them! Please help me and the rest of the Global Zero team spread our message.

- Sam Pearse
European Campaign Fellow

Today we remember the speech President Obama gave in Prague on this day in 2009.  It was a great step toward getting to zero, and we appreciate the leadership he took on this issue.

Here are some of our favorite quotes:

“The existence of thousands of nuclear weapons is the most dangerous legacy of the cold war.”

“In a strange turn of history, the threat of global nuclear war has gone down, but the risk of nuclear attack has gone up.”

“Just as we stood for freedom in the 20^th century, we must stand together for the right of people everywhere to live free from fear in the 21^st century.”

Returning inspired and with great enthusiasm from the wonderful “Reaching Zero” Summit at Yale University, Global Zero student leaders have been working very hard on setting up more chapters at universities all over Europe. They have used a variety of outreach methods including writing newspaper articles for the German newspaper “Die Tageszeitung”, Global Zero introductory meetings and local Global Zero blogs to get their message out to their peers.  Students also had their first virtual reunion through two European Skype calls that will now take place on a monthly basis.

We recently had our first international Global Zero student reunion with students from Yale visiting London and Berlin as part of their university trip. Furthermore, Global Zero ran a screening and discussion of Countdown to Zero as part of the nuclear festival at Tricycle Theatre in London, and held several presentations at youth organizations and universities in Germany.

All of us here in Europe are very excited about the upcoming campaign on the removal of tactical nuclear weapons from European soil and especially the upcoming video “Dirty little secrets” on the subject, which some of our students have participated in.

If you are in Europe and are interested in setting up a chapter, please send an email to europe@globalzero.org.

-Marion Doßner
Regional Organizer, Germany 

[PHOTO: Global Zero Student Leader, Phil Grinsted of 

From a Global Zero Student Leader at Cambridge University, Sumiko Hatakeyama:

This week, I will be sailing on the Mediterranean Sea with various prominent experts and activists on nuclear and disarmament issues who will gather to discuss the possibility of nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East. This series of meetings is part of a wider project called “Horizon 2012”. I hope to use this opportunity not only to acquire in-depth knowledge about this topic but also to share the message of the Global Zero movement with the other participants.

The series of meetings is called Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and All Other Weapons of Mass Destruction (MENDWMDFZ), and it takes place in two parts. In the first part, key civil society actors from Middle Eastern countries, international experts from the UN and IAEA, disarmament campaigners, and representatives of major peace and disarmament global networks will get together in Italy for two days and they will begin with strategy and the possibilities of their initiative. The second part consists of Participants from the Middle East continuing discussions onboard Peace Boat for another three days of strategic coordination, and planning for future campaigns in the region. This twofold series will bring together some 50 participants from Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, Gulf countries, and Turkey. It will also have participants from the US, Japan, and several EU countries.

The wider initiative, Horizon 2012, is a creative and comprehensive program of multi-track strategy-building, advocacy, and diplomacy in the Middle East. The goal is to build upon the decision by the 2010 NPT Review Conference to convene an international conference in 2012 on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, through building confidence and understanding within the region.

Launched at the 11th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in November 2010 in Hiroshima, Japan, the Horizon 2012 project has since received positive feedback and support from regional and global actors, including high profile international figures such as Nobel Peace Laureates Mairead Maguire and Jody Williams, as well as former Head of UNMOVIC and Chair of the Weapons of Mass Destruction, Dr. Hans Blix.

As a Global Zero student leader, I very much look forward to meeting all the prominent figures in the field and hearing discussions on the feasibility of establishing a nuclear-free zone in such a sensitive region. I also aim to actively seek a bridge between Global Zero and Horizon 2012. I hope to discuss activities and campaigns of Global Zero with the participants and cast shared vision for a nuclear weapon free future.

For three years we’ve been working diligently to build a grassroots movement on college campuses around the world, and we’ve seen a groundswell of support, especially in the United States. Global Zero student leaders have been at the forefront of this movement and have proven to be talented mobilizers. They have shown commitment to educating their peers by screening our film, Countdown to Zero, they gathered petition signatures, and have initiated meetings with and members of congress and the senate.

As our college movement grows we see increasing interest among high schools as well, and we are elated. We believe encouraging high school chapters will help cultivate future leaders, bring a different type of creativity to the table, and inject some electricity into our campaigns. These students have already shown enthusiasm for civic engagement and a thirst for making a difference.

This past February at Reaching Zero, we officially launched our High School Program in the United States. Teachers and students from 5 schools were chosen to attend the Summit and to participate in focused sessions to develop a foundation. They brought some brilliant ideas along with them, and we are very excited about what the future holds.
 

Are you ready to join the ranks? Email us at field@globalzero.org to get your school involved.

Three hundred students gathered at Yale on February 18-19 for Reaching Zero, a Student Summit for the elimination of nuclear weapons. Want to get a sense of what it was like to be part of that motivated group of student activists?

Here’s an excerpt from Alex White’s blog, a Reaching Zero attendee:

Earlier this year, the global doomsday clock ticked one minute closer to midnight. This doomsday clock measures how close we are to nuclear conflict. With the increasing risk of conflict between the US, Israel and Iran over nuclear weapons programs, there is an urgent need to campaign for disarmament.

The Reaching Zero conference has a fairly impressive line up of speakers, including Hans Blix and Valerie Plame. As the two-day conference progresses, I’ll try to blog some updates…

After an introduction from Yale President Richard Levin, Global Zero founder Matt Brown argues that the world is at a sensitive time, with elections in both the US and Russia that could derail progress on nuclear stockpile reductions. He also mentioned the recent leak from the White House that Obama will be asking the Pentagon to plan reductions to as few as 300 deployed nuclear weapons. (Last night I was watching Fox News where Republicans like John Bolton and Liz Cheney were complaining that the US was at risk through these proposed reductions!)

Matt Brown also points out that of the 1000s of nuclear weapons in the US, 100s are aimed at, not only Russian cities, but also cities in former Soviet Bloc that are now members of NATO! The problem is compounded when polls show that most Americans think the US has only 200 nuclear weapons.

Read more notes from Reaching Zero on Alex’s blog. You can also capture some the summit zeitgeist by searching Twitter for #ReachingZero.

Thanks to everyone for making the summit a success and dedicating your weekend to Global Zero!