North America

The United Nations nuclear watchdog’s board has approved an almost €25 million increase in the agency’s 2010 budget.
The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will receive over €318 million in its regular budget next year, with the biggest funding boost going to work in nuclear security and safety, technical cooperation, nuclear power and nuclear applications.

To mark the start of the second half of the Secretary-General’s 100-day “WMD-We Must Disarm” countdown campaign to the International Day of Peace on 21 September, the United Nations has launched a competition to find the best short film on the issue of nuclear disarmament and/or non-proliferation.
Winning films will be shown at UN Headquarters.

The World March for Peace and Nonviolence commemorates Hiroshima Day, August 6, in New York City by launching roving celebrity billboards throughout Manhattan featuring the faces of presidents, Hollywood actors, Nobel Laureates and many others who endorse the March and feel deep worry for the nuclear threat. All will converge in Times Square for a closing ceremony.

In 1969, Yoko Ono and John Lennon staged a Bed-In for Peace during their honeymoon to protest the Vietnam War. 40 years later, the organizers of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence will re-enact the Bed-In near the famous “Strawberry Fields” to warn how nuclear weapons pose the most dangerous threat to humanity and demand they be abolished.

Here we publish the complete image of the demarcation map of the world regarding the nuclear weapon free zones, the nuclear weapon free status and the nuclear weapon free geographical regions.

The zones in red correspond to the land territory covered by nuclear weapon free treaties.
The zones in blue correspond to the sea territory covered by nuclear weapon free treaties.

In Washington state, a Quaker pacifist has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the US government of discrimination for not recognizing his status as a conscientious objector on military draft forms. Conscientious objectors refuse to participate in wars because they are propped up by racism and dehumanization and set the stage for never-ending wars and occupation.

No child should be afraid to attend school because of the threat of sexual abuse, corporal punishment, or bullying. But every year 350 million children face violence in schools worldwide – and with devastating effects.

Children who face school violence often experience ongoing psychological trauma and are less likely to continue their education.

During the 91st anniversary of the former South African president activists around the world pledge 67 minutes of community service and non-discrimination events. The Nelson Mandela Foundation and the 46664 campaign will promote tomorrow, on July 18th, the Mandela Day Celebration in New York. One of the objectives is to institute an official worldwide activist day.

According to the UN World Food Programme the economic crisis is adding four million hungry people per week.

Although Obama and Medvedev pledged to work for a nuclear weapons free world this spring, they failed to take meaningful steps at their July summit to put the world on the proper path to nuclear abolition.