Ploughshare - Christian CNDccnd.gn.apc.org/pdf/Feb 2015.pdfBishop, sent a video message to...

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Ploughshare The journal of Christian CND February 2015 Christians working and praying for a nuclear weapons-free world In this issue: Wrap up Trident Monitoring the press Marshal Islands Court Case Faiths Against Nuclear Weapons Embassies Walk 2015 Plus news, events and prayer diary Trident: The Churches Speak Out Church quote banners in the Dick Sheppard Chapel, St Martin-in-the-Fields, London Feb.qxd 06/02/2015 09:24 Page 1

Transcript of Ploughshare - Christian CNDccnd.gn.apc.org/pdf/Feb 2015.pdfBishop, sent a video message to...

Page 1: Ploughshare - Christian CNDccnd.gn.apc.org/pdf/Feb 2015.pdfBishop, sent a video message to par-ticipants to express his deep solidar-ity and support for ICAN’s civil soci-ety forum

PloughshareThe journal of Christian CND

February 2015 Christians working and praying for a nuclear weapons-free world

In this issue:Wrap up Trident

Monitoring the pressMarshal Islands Court Case

Faiths Against Nuclear WeaponsEmbassies Walk 2015

Plus news, events and prayer diary

Trident: The Churches Speak Out

Church quote banners in the Dick Sheppard Chapel,

St Martin-in-the-Fields, London

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Ploughshare is published by Christian

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament,

Mordechai Vanunu House, 162

Holloway Rd,

London N7 8DQ,Tel 020 7700 4200,

fax 020 7700 2357

[email protected]

Web: http://ccnd.gn.apc.org/

Editorial team: Claire Poyner, Michael

Pulham and Patricia Pulham

Opinions expressed in signed

articles may not correspond to

CCND’s official position.

Copydate for next issue:

1 April2015

Christian CND Executive:

Co-chairs: Caroline Gilbert and Martin

Birdseye.

Treasurer: Neil Berry

Executive Council Members:

Kelvin Gascoyne, Mike Gilbert,Angela

Rayner Michael Pulham and Patricia

Pulham.

Office worker: Claire Poyner

Members can be contacted via the

office.

Contributions to this issue from:

Michael Pulham, Patricia Pulham, Hilda

Joy-Jones, Martin Birdseye, Dave Pybus,

Kelvin Gascoigne.

Page 2

Contents of this issue

Page 3 Editorial

Page 4 -5 Wrap up Trident

Page 6-8 Faiths United against Nuclear Weapons

Page 9 CCND AGM - photos

Page 10 Embassies Walk 2015

Page 11 Burghfield Lockdown

Page 12 Press Monitoring

Page 13 Marshall Islands Court Case

Page 14 Testing & Indigenous Populations

Page 15-16 Members’ Pages

Page 17 Prayer Diary

Page 18-19 Events

Page 20 Photos and membership form

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AAs I write this we are busy re-organising the 90 metres of

pink scarf that was entrusted tous by our French colleagues foruse at Aldermaston/ Burghfieldin August, now to be redeployedfor the Wrap-Up-Tridentdemonstration in Westminsteron Saturday next. It is inspiringto see that this is not ‘just knit-ting’. A vast effort of personalcreative work (and love) hasgone into it. I hope the finalrecipients will somehow sensethe love of the knitters as well asthe warmth of the blankets.

And this 90 metres is only 1% of thewhole project, much of it to reappearnow in Whitehall. Let’s hope that, ifthey are not moved by our prayersand the proclamations of churchstatements at St. Martin’s, the belli-cose denizens of Westminster will be(not quite literally) smothered in thisemphatic tide of pink non-violence.

Trident and all nuclear weapons canbe wrapped up forever.

How forever? Because the world willsee that the doctrine of nuclear deter-rence is morally indefensible - therecan be no justification, ever, for con-triving the means for mass destruc-tion of humanity.

In this Ploughshare you can read theappeal for religious wisdom and lead-ership put by ChristopherWeeramantry, former vice-presidentof the International Court of Justice,at the ICAN Civil Society Forum inVienna. The theme of moral condem-nation of nuclear weapons by variousfaith communities was taken forwardinto the inter-governmental confer-ence that followed. An uncompromis-ing message from Pope Francis andan appeal to “profound moral andethical questions” in the Findings ofthe Conference presented by Austria,leaves no doubt that humanity as awhole is at last beginning to face upto the evil that is nuclear weaponry.

Page 3Editorial

From the archivesChester Cross, 1984. Rev Alf Willetts(green socks) and Meg Pendlebury(blue placard) are sadly no longer withus, but 20 years on, the rest of us arestill campaigning on Trident - but nowwe have a better chance of getting rid ofit.

The white placard says ‘To rememberthe act of commissioning the aggressiveTrident submarines, last Thursday’.

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TThanks to all who helpedmake this event such a

resounding and rewarding suc-cess!

To Richard Carter for all his sup-port, both in and out of St. Martin’s,(and for the large box of ‘Peace’chocolates which we handed outwith the leaflets on the street), toAngela Rayner for preparing theService (very positive commentsabout this), to Pax Christi for theirhelp with publicity and for joining inso whole heartedly, for the readerswho made sure the messages of theChurches were heard by all thetourists in Trafalgar Square, and toall who came, made placards andbrought banners.

Here is the Press Report which fol-lowed up the initial Press Release:

So many members of Christianpeace groups turned up for ‘prayerand protest’ at St. Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square (11am, 24 January) that the prelimi-nary Service had to be transferredfrom the Dick Sheppard Chapel tothe main church.

After the service, led by Rev.Richard Carter, more than 100 par-ticipants took part in a vigil on thesteps outside facing the Square, dur-ing which statements againstTrident from the leaders of all themain Christian denominations wereread out via the church’s publicaddress system. Ten large placardswere used to display the variouscondemnations.

The open air witness was alsocolourful, because along the wholelength of the steps, participants held

Page 4

News

WRAP UP TRIDENT - Prayer and Protest.

CCND Exec Member Kelvin with some of the pink scarf

Photo: Barbara Forbes

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up a length of the 9 mile long PinkPeace Scarf (this a section broughtby Christian CND from France toadd on to the rest of the scarf -which more than reached betweenthe bomb factories at Aldermaston

and Burghfield).

Afterwards, everyone processed withthe placards down Whitehall to theMinistry of Defence and then on toParliament Square.

News Page 5

Wrap up Trident

The procession arrives in Trafalgar Square

Photo: Pulhams

Some of the banners on the steps of St

Martin-in-the-Fields

Aldermaston Advent Vigils

We had only 3 AldermastonAdvent Vigils this year,

with about 5 people on eachoccasion. John Prangley led thefirst, the Revd David Paterson,(ret) did the second, he does doyou a very good liturgy, &Caroline Gilbert the last.

Alison came from nearby, Kelvinfrom Didcot, Hazel all the way fromMere, and the rest of us fromOxford, one person via Witney, realdedication that. We witnessed &prayed for an hour at the Tadley

Gate of the Aldermaston AtomicWeapons Establishment where ournuclear weapons are assembled. Thebest bit was going off to the pubafterwards to warm up, hot choco-late!

The Revd David Paterson has putChristian CND leaflets up on thenotice board of his church, StMichael & All Angels, Marston,Oxford.

Caroline Gilbert

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Page 6 News

Faiths United Against Nuclear Weapons

By Julia Rainer

VVIENNA, Dec 10 2014 (IPS) -“Never was there a greater

need than now for all the reli-gions to combine, to pool theirwisdom and to give the benefitof that combined, huge reposi-tory of wisdom, to InternationalLaw and to the world.”

The words are those of ChristopherWeeramantry, former judge at theInternational Court of Justice (ICJ)and its vice-president from 1997 to2000, who was addressing a sessionon Faiths United Against NuclearWeapons at the civil society forumorganised by the InternationalCampaign to Abolish NuclearWeapons (ICAN) on Dec. 6 and 7 inthe Austrian capital.

Weeramantry strongly criticised theargument of those who claim thatnuclear weapons have saved theworld from another world war in thelast 50 years.

He pointed to the ever-present dan-ger represented by these weaponsand said that on many occasions ithad been luck that had preventedcatastrophic nuclear accidents or thebreaking out of a devastatingnuclear war.

Noting that nuclear weapons “offendevery single principle of religion,”

Weeramantry was joined on thepanel by a number of different reli-gious leaders, including MustafaCeric, Grand Mufti of Bosnia andHerzegovina, Ela Gandhi, grand-daughter of Mahatma Gandhi andpeace activist, as well as AkemiBailey-Haynie, national women’sleader of the Buddhist organisationSoka Gakkai International-USA.

Although there often seems to be agap between the positions of differentfaith communities concerning differ-ent issues, all panellists were veryclear in pushing the moral imperativeand declaring the similar values thatare inherent to all religions.

According to Mustafa Ceric, it “isnot the question of whether youbelieve, it is the question of whetherwe are going to wait and see thedestruction of our planet.”

Ceric also stressed that the goals andvalues of humanity are defined bycommon moral and ethical stan-dards and that the role of religiouscommunities today is greater thanever. Faced with fear and mistrust insociety, he said, they also have theresponsibility to care for peace andsecurity in the world.

Akemi Bailey-Haynie continued withan emotional statement from first-hand experience - her own motherwas a survivor of the Hiroshima

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bombing in 1945.

“When nuclear weapons are consid-ered a deterrent or viable option inwarfare, it seems from a mind-setthat fundamentally denies that allpeople possess infinite potential. Noone has the right to take away a pre-cious life of another human being.”

For Bailey-Haynie, nuclear weaponsserve no purpose other than massdestruction. They have devastatingeffects on human beings and theenvironment, and the possibility ofnuclear accidents or potential ter-rorism cannot be ruled out, she said,adding that dialogue between peopleof different or opposing opinions isthe beginning to achieve changeregarding this issue.

“As a second generation survivor, Ideeply feel the sorrow, as well as theoutrage, born of not being able toyet live in a time when the mostinhumane of weapons, nuclearweapons, have been banned,” sheconcluded.

Desmond Tutu, Nobel PeaceLaureate and former AnglicanBishop, sent a video message to par-ticipants to express his deep solidar-ity and support for ICAN’s civil soci-ety forum initiative.

He argued that the best way to hon-our the victims of the incidents inHiroshima and Nagasaki was to

negotiate atotal ban onnuclearweapons toensure thatnothingcomparablecould everhappenagain.

Two of thesession’s speakers, Ela Gandhi andMustafa Ceric, also attended theDec. 8-9 Vienna Conference on theHumanitarian Impact of NuclearWeapons.

There, Ela Gandhi delivered aspeech in the spirit of her grandfa-ther who, she said, would havejoined the movement to abolishnuclear weapons if still alive.

Related IPS Articles

l Civil Society Support for MarshallIslands Against Nuclear Weapons

l U.N. Urged to Ban Nuke StrikesAgainst Cities

l Hiroshima, Nagasaki Cast ShadowOver Nuclear Conference inVienna

As Gandhi had dedicated his life toteaching humanity that there is anon-violent way of dealing with con-flict, he even condemned nuclearweapons himself in 1946 when he

News Page 7

Former ICJ judge

Christopher Weeramantry.

Credit: Henning Blatt,

Wikimedia

Faiths United Against Nuclear Weapons

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Page 8 News

Faiths United Against Nuclear Weapons

said: “The atom bomb mentality isimmoral, unethical, addictive andonly evil can come from it.”

Pointing out that the mere existenceof nuclear weapons leads to similararmament of rival countries, ElaGandhi warned that these nucleararsenals could destroy a chance forfuture generations to survive andhave a prosperous life.

The Conference on theHumanitarian Impact of NuclearWeapons was the scene of intenseand often emotional discussionsamong official representatives fromover 160 countries, victims and civilsociety participants. Notably, boththe United States and the UnitedKingdom were officially representedfor the first time at a conferencewhere their nuclear arsenals weresubject to debate and criticism.

Religion played an important role atthe conference, where many lobby-ing groups had religious back-grounds, and the opening ceremonywas addressed by Pope Francis.

“I am convinced that the desire forpeace and fraternity, planted deep inthe human heart, will bear fruit inconcrete ways to ensure that nuclearweapons are banned once and forall, to the benefit of our commonhome,” said Pope Francis, express-ing his hope that “a world without

nuclear weapons is truly possible.”

In a statement on behalf of faithcommunities to the final session,Kimiaki Kawai, Program Directorfor Peace Affairs at Soka GakkaiInternational (SGI), said: “The elim-ination of nuclear weapons is notonly a moral imperative; it is theultimate measure of our worth as aspecies, as human beings.”

He said that “acceptance of the con-tinued existence of nuclear weaponsstifles our capacity to think morebroadly and more compassionatelyabout who we are as human beings,and what our potential is. Humanitymust find alternative ways of dealingwith conflict.”

CCND adds: Dr Shirin Shafaie, whospoke at our AGM, is writing anarticle for the next issue ofPloughshare about Muslimapproaches to disarmament. Photo above: CCND Co-chairMartin Birdseye with Shirin.

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News Page 9

AGM

Martin, Patricia, Michael, Caroline & Mike and Bruce

Three CCND supporters during a coffee break

There was a report in the lastPloughshare Plus. So here’s a coupleof photos. Full minutes available on

request (financial summary enclosedwith this mailing).

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JJoin us to walk round theEmbassies in London to ask

“What will your country do atthe April/May 2015 ReviewConference of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty to achieve‘the elimination of all nucleararsenals’?”

Ask the 5 Nuclear Weapon States:“How do you justify your keeping &replacing your nuclear weapons withyour obligation ‘to pursue in GoodFaith negotiations leading to com-plete nuclear disarmament’?”

Ask (some) of theRest of the World:“How are you get-ting on withachieving a Treatyto Ban All NuclearWeapons?”

Meet at 10 am, theCafe, or at 11amDick SheppardChapel,St Martin-in-the Fields, Trafalgar Square.

You don’t have to be an Expert!Briefings on the policy of each coun-try whose Embassy we visit will beprepared in advance; they will be onour website shortly with other usefuladdresses.

We go in small groups to eachEmbassy and there is likely to besomeone in your group who has

done it before!

Contact the office 020 7700 4200 [email protected] with yourcontact details and we will makesure you have the necessary infor-mation in advance. Extra copies ofbriefings will be available on the dayfor those who just turn up (you’d bemost welcome!). If you have anyspecial expertise or knowledge on aparticular country do let us know,you could be very useful...

The event will go ahead whateverthe weather so come prepared. You

don’t need to bea committedwalker, busesbetweenembassies aretaken wherevernecessary, andyou could join usfor just one ortwo visits if youlike.

Note that some embassies havestrict rules on having names of thosevisiting in advance, so if you do turnup on the day you may not get in tosome of the premises but we will doour best to ensure that if you reallywant to visit a particular embassy,that your name is put forward, if youlet us know in advance.

Page 10

Campaigns

Embassies Walk 2015

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Campaigns Page 11

AAmajor blockade of AWEBurghfield — Burghfield

Lockdown! — will start onMonday 2nd March 2015 at7.00am. The event is intendedto be open-ended as it launchesa month of sustained dailyaction at the AWE’s Burghfieldsite in the lead up to the UK2015 General Election.

Pax Christi is coordinating a ‘faith-based’ presence/ blockade andCCND will be involved. The plan isto disrupt government plans for therenewal of Trident. The faith gatewill be at at the North end of TheMearings. Are you free and willingto come along - perhaps take part inthe blockade/ join a time ofprayer/maintain a presence duringthe day?

If so, please contact Pat Gaffney atthe office on 0208 203 4884 [email protected]

An excellent preparation packBurghfield-Lockdown-Briefing:http://paxchristi.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Burghfield-Lockdown-Briefing.pdfor ring Pax Christi for a copy.

There will be a training event on theafternoon Sunday 1st March at theFriends Meeting House in Reading,2 Church St, Reading, RG1 2SB.

Please notify organisers if you planto take part in training 0845 4588362 or [email protected]

Burghfield LockdownMonday 2 March, Lockdown at AWE Burghfield, near Reading

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Page 12 Campaigns

We know that some of you read theweekly Christian papers regularly oroccasionally.

You can help us spread our messagethrough them in some of the follow-ing ways:

For every one you read:

Please send us their postal addressand email address and letters pageaddress so we can send out lettersand press statements.

Let us know details whenever yousee a nuclear related story or letterpublished.

If you get a letter or news story pub-lished, please send us a copy.

If you would like advice on letterwriting to the press please let usknow.

We are interested in knowing aboutChristian media that only appear online too.

Remember you can also followChristian CND on Facebook andTwitter.

In a crucial period leading up to theTrident Renewal Decision in

Parliament after the next election,we are keen to reach moreChristians than ever before.

Michael Pulham is the press link onthe Christian CND Executive.

Read All About …Disarmament?

What do you read?

The Christian Media?

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Page 13Campaigns

Court Case

BBetween 1946 and 1958, sur-face detonation of 67 atom-

ic and hydrogen bombs tookplace in the Marshall Islands.The “Bravo shot” at Bikini Atoll(see pic) was 1000 times morepowerful than the Hiroshimabomb. It spread radioactivedebris across all the numerousislands. Many still suffer andmany were displaced due to thecontinuing contamination.

The Republic of the Marshall Islandsis now suing the nine nuclearweapon countries at theInternational Court of Justice, argu-ing that they have violated theirlegal obligation under Article VI ofthe NPT. Their court documents say,“The long delay in fulfilling the obli-gations enshrined in Article VI ofthe Non-Proliferation Treaty consti-tutes a flagrant denial of human jus-tice.”

Their case draws attention to thefact that the nuclear weapon statesare in the process of modernisingtheir weapons. The case against

Britain, which is in the process ofreplacing its submarine launchedarsenal, states “The UK has not pur-sued in good faith negotiations tocease the nuclear arms race at anearly date … instead is taking actionsto improve its nuclear weapons sys-tem and maintain it for the indefi-nite future.”

More: http://nuclearzero.org/learn#otherhere

http://thebulletin.org/import-marshall-islands-nuclear-law-suit7143

http://www.wmdawareness.org.uk/who-are-the-marshall-islands-and-why-are-they-suing-the-world/

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Page 14 Campaigns

DDo you remember thenames of Sister Rosalie

Bertell and Hilda Murrell?They were concerned about thelong-term damage of low-levelradiation on human beings; inother words, humanitarianeffects from nuclear explosionsor from work with nuclearmaterials.

I’m sure most of us have seen myri-ad particles of dust in a sunbeam.Should a particle emitting just theweakest type of radiation (alpharadiation, which a sheet of paper can

block) be inhaled, it can lodge inintimate contact with body tissue.

After several years of constant irra-diation, cancer can arise. Of course,by that time it is hard to prove adirect link.

Fall-out from nuclear tests is often alittle more obvious. For example,Australian Aborigines were delugedby the British bomb tests atMaralinga.

For more, google ‘nuclear tests andindigenous populations’ and ‘Britishnuclear tests at Maralinga’.

II t sounds so obvious, doesn’tit? That our government’s

first duty is to protect us andthat is why the UK has to keepa nuclear deterrent.

Many people accept this explanationwithout further thought. However,for nuclear deterrence to be credible,any aggressor has to be convincedthat our nuclear weapons would beused against them. (Also we do nothave a policy of ‘No First Use’.)

This means that we live with theintention to kill and dreadfully harm

very many innocent people, sincenuclear weapons are indiscriminate.It is not a good way to live. Ourmoral integrity is downgraded, notprotected.

So what should be done? Let usmake sure our parliamentary candi-dates are aware of our concerns. Askthem what their priorities are. Usethe accompanying election briefing.

Over the problem of the US/Cubamatter, Pope Francis worked in thebackground to assist. Constructivediplomacy can work.

Nuclear tests and Indigenous People

A Moral Dilemma

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Page 15Members’ Pages

Campaigning in Charlbury

WWhen we first came toCharlbury we were

delighted to find it had a smallpeace group, as we had been inone in London.

This group would stand on the cornerof the crossroads at the town centrefor half an hour and hold placardscalling for peace and an end to cruisemissiles, followed by a coffee and achat. We had evening meetings anddiscussions once a month, publiciseda small newsletter and went on a fewdemonstrations. This was in the1980s and 1990s. One of the thingswe took part in was to take hot mealsto the Peace Camp at Upper Heyford,and a few brave souls took hot meals

to Greenham. We lobbied DouglasHurd (our MP) about nuclearweapons and selling torture imple-ments to the Saudis. Also, on thenearest Sunday to Hiroshima/Nagasaki we left a bouquet of whiteflowers outside every church in thetown (five of them) to remind peopleof the horrors of nuclear war.

As time passes, people move away orpass on and now we are a tiny groupof 6 - 8. We still do the flowers andthe odd demo in the town centrewhen governments start to invadeother countries, etc. We are small buteveryone plays their part.

Hilda Joy-Jones

TThe members’ pages are par-ticularly dedicated to our

members to exchange and cele-brate their news. Christian CNDwould of course like new mem-bers, but I think it is rather agood idea to cherish the mem-bers we have already.

We hope to get more with our newleaflet; so we want local contacts,groups or whatever, to use them. Wehave just had a great success with ourmeeting together in St Martin’s to gotogether to the Wrap Up Parliamentdemonstration on the 24th January,see photos & reports, but all thisarose from the simple idea that our

members would like to meet togetherand go together to a big demo.

I live part of the time in Hounslow,partly in Oxford, so I would like tolook up members in either of thoseplaces, & occasionally meet. Memberscould also act as initiators, pleaselook at the bit for the MarchBurghfield Blockade; Pax Christi willbe there, does anyone from ChristianCND intend to be there? That personcould act as a sort of magnet for otherChristian CND people, so please letus know. I want to build a living net-work; together we are strong. Be intouch.

Caroline Gilbert.

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IIn this Ploughshare you willfind 2 leaflets to help in cam-

paigning - one is specificallyrelated to the General Electionand the other our bright newmembership leaflet.

1) Election briefing: Many of you will be going to ‘hus-tings’ - maybe held in your ownparish hall - to hear what your candi-dates have to say. This leaflet givesyou some facts about our nuclearweapons and some suggested ques-tions to ask. We can send you moreleaflets on request, or you are wel-come to photocopy them. They couldbe pinned on church notice-boardstoo. (Best ask your minister first.)Many members of congregations areunaware of what their own ChurchLeaders have said about the immoral-ity of Trident.

2) Membership leaflet:As you will see from the accompany-ing financial statement, as many ofour members grow older, our num-

bers slowly decrease. We hope thatthis new leaflet will a) let peopleknow we exist, and b) that CCND isworth joining.

Can you think of any event or meet-ing you are going to, where theycould be distributed?

Could you put some in your churchporch? At our AGM, Bruce Kent saidhe had never seen CCND material ona church noticeboard! Let us showhim we can do this. (If you can getsomeone to take a photo of you pin-ning one up, and send it to us, we willbe able to use it to encourage others.)

We will send you as many copies asyou think you can use, free, thoughshould you send a large enough s.a.e.it would be gratefully accepted. Abequest from our late member andfriend, Jean Kaye, financed thisleaflet. We are grateful, too, to ValerieFlessati for the time and skill she hasgiven for this design and to PaxChristi for their help in getting it pro-duced quickly.

Page 16 Members’ Pages

Things to do

There was a letter accompanying thelast Ploughshare Plus informingmembers of our forthcoming sub-scription price rise.

Many thanks to those of you whoimmediately sent in your subcrip-tions - even if they weren’t due yet

(we have updated the database toinclude any extra payments). It alsoseems some standing order mem-bers have sent subs as well. We willbe in touch in due course to check ifyou want any extra paymentsbanked or returned. Thank you toall our members!

Subs and Donations

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18 February: Pray for the Annualwitness of Repentance andResistance to nuclear war prepara-tions at the Ministry of Defence.

23 February: Pray for peoplepreparing for the AWE BurghfieldLockdown.

2 March: AWE BurghfieldLockdown. Pray that nobodyinvolved will suffer physical harmand that the lockdown and blockadewill be non-violent and be carriedout in good humour. Pray that thepeople who work at AWE Burghfieldwill think about why their work isbeing disrupted.

18 March: Embassy Walk. Pray forthe those visiting Embassies inLondon. Pray for the countries ofthe embassies visited, some workingto ban nuclear weapons and somepossessing nuclear weapons.

5 April: Easter Sunday. Celebratethe fact that Jesus rose from thedead. Traditional time of year tocampaign for nuclear disarmament;also pray for nuclear disarmament.

7 April: Pray for ourcountry in the run up tothe General Election.

13 April: Global Day ofAction on MilitarySpending. Give thanks forthe people across theworld taking part in thisaction. Pray for our governmentbecause the UK’s military spendingis among the highest in the world.

27 April - 22 May: NPT ReviewConference in New York. Pray forthe CCND representatives attending.Pray that the NPT will fulfil itsobjective of eliminating nuclearweapons or at least progress towardsthat goal. Pray for other initiativeslike humanitarian consequences andan international treaty to bannuclear weapons.

7 May: General Election. Pray forthe candidates, the voters and thenew government.

24 May: Pentecost. Pray for coun-tries to unite to ban nuclearweapons, not to develop new ones.

Page 17Prayer diary

A note from the officeWe had a complaint from a women who says her direct line at work has beeninundated with CCND supporters thinking they were getting in touch with ouroffice. I strongly suspect that our correspondence listing our phone number as020 7700 4200/2393 is confusing some people, so we’re stopping that. You canget in touch with CCND at 020 7700 4200 (our direct line) or via CND (ifurgent) on 020 7700 2393. But combining the two numbers somehow results insome poor woman in some office somewhere getting your phone calls!Meanwhile, we don’t get your calls. So if you’ve rung and left a message and gotno response, please try again. 020 7700 4200. Thank you!

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Every Friday: No More Fukushimas!Weekly vigil outside the JapaneseEmbassy (10am – 12.20pm), and theTEPCO (Tokyo Electric PowerCompany) offices (12.30-1pm) in soli-darity with Japanese anti-nuclear pro-testors.Info David, 020 7607 2302 orwww.januk.org

Second weekend of the month:Aldermaston Women’s Peace Camp. Wearrive at camp on Saturday morning orsometimes on Friday evening (pleasering to check we are there if you plan tocome Friday evening). We stay untilSunday lunch-time. 07946676761. Thisis the camp mobile, used during thecamp weekend in case women need tocontact us to ask for a lift from the sta-tion or with other immediate enquiries.www.aldermaston.net/camp/

2 March: Burghfield Lockdown. Massnonviolent blockade at AWE Burghfieldto peacefully disrupt the construction ofnuclear weapons, and get in the way ofpreparations for Trident [email protected] [email protected] 01547520929www.actionawe.org

7 March: Time to Act! The Time to Acton Climate Change march will bringpeople together again on the streets ofLondon to demand real change and tellpoliticians seeking election that there isno mandate for climate-wrecking busi-ness as usual. Meet at Lincoln’s InnFields / Malet Street, setting off at 1pm.http://www.campaigncc.org/

Sunday 29th March: Turning theTables on Trident Palm Sunday Prayersfor Peace. Join us for a vigil for peace atAldermaston Atomic Weapons

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18 March: 11am DickSheppard Chapel, St Martin-in-the-Fields, TrafalgarSquare, for liturgy & lunchthen join our annualEmbassy Walk round theEmbassies in London to askthem what progress they areplanning to make towards‘the elimination of all nucleararsenals’ at the ReviewConference of the NuclearNon-Proliferation Treaty inMay this year.

18 February: AshWednesday Witness atMinistry of Defence 3 pm -4:30 pm. Annual witness ofRepentance and Resistanceto nuclear war preparations.Meet in the gardens offHorseguards Avenue, nearthe Ministry of Defence at3.00 pm to start our act ofworship. Procession intoHorseguards Avenue forprayer and reflection at anumber of stopping points. Ajoint Pax Christi/ChristianCND event.

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Establishment. People of any faith ornone are invited to join us a vigil forpeace. 11.30am: Gather, and sharing oflunch (please bring some food to share)12.30pm: Service of Peace for PalmSunday 2.00pm: Stations of the Cross(A walking liturgy around the outside ofthe base, come prepared for a long walkin any weather) 5.00pm: Approximatefinish Time. Info: [email protected] @put-downthesword putdownthesword.wordpress.com

13 April: GDAMS. Global Day ofAction on Military Spending. The UK’smilitary spending is among the highestin the world. Take action with peopleacross the world to challenge militaryspending. Contact Pax Christi for ahelpful resource for faith groups. 0208203 4884. http://demilitarize.org.uk/

27 April - 22 May 2015 2015: NPTReview Conference in New York.http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/resources/calendar/event/9473-2015-npt-review-conference

15 May: International ConscientiousObjector’s Day. 12 Noon event inTavistock Square, London.http://www.wri-irg.org/http://www.ppu.org.uk/coday

16 May: Levellers’ Day - Education –the key to Democracy. Learning the les-sons of history from the pioneers of1649 to the challenges of today. Burford,Oxon.http://levellersday.wordpress.com/whats-happening-2015/

16 May: Faith Activism: Does it Work?Organised by Anabaptist Network of

Organisations and ChristianPeacemaker Teams. There’s a morningpanel discussion, with well-knownactivists. The afternoon will be anopportunity for attendees to discusstopics of importance to them using anOpen Space format. The evening will bean open mic Ceilidh with music, poetryand performance. Union Chapel,Islington, London N1 2UN. The event isfree though ticketed and tickets can bebooked at eventbritehttp://tinyurl.com/qdkkere

17 - 19 July: ‘The Things That Make forPeace’. National Justice & PeaceNetwork Annual Conference. Speakersinclude Prof Paul Rogers from BradfordSchool of Peace Studies and Fr EduGariguez, who works on mining andenvironmental issues in the Philipines.Info from NJPN, 020 7901 [email protected]

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CCND goods

Pack of 24 A4 sheets of Interfaith quo-tations £1 a pack. CCND stickers 10stickers for 50p, 50 stickers for £2.Legacy Guide (Free). Churches’ Guide(Free). T-Shirts (£12), cotton bags (£3).Picasso greetings cards. £2.50 for six.Christmas cards, £2.50 for six.Church porch A4 poster of churchquotes on Trident (free), badges (30p),enamel brooches (£1.50), window stick-ers (50p), pens (£1) and a history ofCCND (£2.50). See your membership insert for detailsand an order form. Send orders to Christian CND, 162 Holloway Road, London N7 8DQ.

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Page 20

How to join CCND

Annual membership subscriptions are:

Waged, individual: £18 (£22 household) Unwaged individual £9, (£12 household)Group affiliation: from £20

I/we wish to be a member of CCNDI enclose a cheque/PO (payable to CCND) toinclude the following: Membership: £.................. Donation: £................... (Thank you!)

TOTAL: £.................. Or Please send me a standing order form

Name.......................………...................................................

Address...............................................................................Postcode..................

Telephone/email.................................................................

Please return (or photocopy) to: Christian CND 162 Holloway Rd, London, N7 8DQ

Denomination/church position:......................(Optional)

To help with local campaigning, Iagree that my contact details can bepassed on to other CCND members.

CCND will never pass members’ detailsto anyone who is not a CCND member.

Pax Christi supporter at the

‘Wrap Up Trident’ demo

Photo: Pax Christi

CCND leaflets in Wesley Memorial

Church, Oxford (pink ones in the middle)

Photo: Caroline Gilbert

CCND banner Wrapping up Trident!

Photo: Pulhams

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