International

Letter delivered to the UN, Endorsed by experts in the nuclear field: Hiroaki Koide; Mitsuhei Murata; Akio Matsumura; Robert Alvarez; Masashi Goto (credentials below). Signing organizations: 72 Japanese organizations as of 30 April 2012. Signatories of the letter to the UN – Shut Tomari, Hokkaido and Green Action, Kyoto.

Labor and immigrant groups were joined by Occupy demonstrators nationwide on Tuesday in May Day rallies for economic injustice and humane immigration reform. In New York City, a long day of separate actions converged in a rally at Union Square and then a march down to Wall Street, where the Occupy movement began last year.

The Green Path of Hope is the name of the movement inspired by Iran’s Mir Hossein Mousavi that took effect after the heavy-handed crackdown organised by the Ahmadinejad government against the Iranian people after the disputed 2009 presidential election. The Coordinating Council of the Green Path of Hope issued the following statement: [Pressenza emphasis of final paragraph]

There is a lot of noise coming out of different quarters about the “imminent collapse” of the UN observer mission in Syria. “Dead on arrival,” says one American commentator. “Failure to uphold truce,” accused the White House and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, pointing fingers at the Syrian government. (See Al Akhbar website, link below)

Once again states parties, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations are meeting in Vienna to start another review cycle of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Unlike in 2007, however, we are returning to this first preparatory committee with a final document and an action plan adopted by consensus from the last Review Conference.

By Neena Bhandari

With India and Pakistan testing nuclear-capable ballistic missiles this April, close on the heels of North Korea’s unsuccessful test launch of a long-range rocket, a new report by the Sydney-based Lowy Institute for International Policy says it is Asian strategic mistrust that is holding back nuclear disarmament.

The United Nations (UN) urged the eight countries that remain outside the Chemical Weapons Convention to adhere to this instrument and advance in the destruction of such artefacts.
The call was made by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon in a message marking the Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Weapons, which anniversary is next Sunday.

by Ter Garcia

The 15M movement in Spain has faced repression from the very beginning: 24 young people were arrested and beaten by police in the demonstrations organized by Democracia Real Ya on May 15 last year, which is a large part of why several dozen people decided to camp that night in Sol square, turning the demonstration into an encampment.

International humanist organisation World without Wars and Violence will be present at the upcoming NPT Preparatory Committee that will take place from 30 April to 11 May 2012 in Vienna, Austria. The PrepCom and related civil society events will be attended by members of World without Wars and Violence from the Czech Republic.

The “Mayors for a Nuclear Power Free Japan” network will be officially launched in Tokyo on April 28, 2012.
This network was initiated by mayors and local municipal leaders attending the Global Conference for a
Nuclear Power Free World held in Yokohama in January 2012.
66 mayors from 34 prefectures throughout Japan have declared their participation in this
network.