10

10 log in or sign up to start earning Butterfly Credits today!
learn more »
earn credits for web search

community & fun

groups

get together & make a difference

Groups > MAYORS FOR PEACE > Discussions > Topic: Awareness of this project.
Topic: Awareness of this project.

powered by Care2.com • Care2 Home • E-cards & Fun • Shopping • Healthy Living • News Network • Petitions • Click to Donate

This thread is displayed with the most recent posts first.


Jouni Y.	The Mayors of Santa Fe and Espanola protest against new nuclear warhead plans March 04, 2008 9:42 AM http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/issues/2008_3_3.html#C7C35D1A Mayors Protest Warhead Pit Production at Los Alamos The mayors of Santa Fe and Espanola, N.M., on Saturday protested U.S. Energy Department plans to manufacture more nuclear warhead “its” at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported (see GSN, Nov. 16). “Nuclear weapons production is not consistent with the kind of future we want in Northern New Mexico, which is sustainable and peaceful,” Santa Fe Mayor David Coss said at a meeting of officials and activists opposing increased production of the plutonium cores that serve as the triggers of nuclear weapons. On Wednesday, the Santa Fe City Council passed a resolution challenging federal plans to increase pit production at Los Alamos. [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	American and Russian Publics Strongly Support Steps to Reduce and Eliminate Nuclear Weapons * November 10, 2007 6:25 AM Dear Mayors for Peace, The Center for International and Security Studies (CISSM) at the University of Maryland and its Program on International Policy Attitudes have just released a new WorldPublicOpinion.org <http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/index.xml> poll of American and Russian attitudes toward nuclear weapons and the future of disarmament. The poll finds robust support for a series of cooperative steps to reduce nuclear dangers and move toward the global elimination of nuclear weapons. To view and download a copy of the full report of the study, please click here: http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/432.php?lb=hmpg1&pnt=432&nid=&id= American and Russian Publics Strongly Support Steps to Reduce and Eliminate Nuclear Weapons * November 9^th , 2007 College Park, MD—A new poll, conducted in the United States and Russia, finds robust support for a series of cooperative steps to reduce nuclear dangers and move toward the global elimination of nuclear weapons. Large majorities of Americans and Russians favor taking nuclear weapons off high alert, sharply cutting the numbers of nuclear weapons, banning the production of weapons-grade nuclear material, and—once advanced methods of international verification are established—undertaking the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. These steps correspond to key elements of a plan for “A World Free of Nuclear Weapons,” developed by a bipartisan group that includes two former secretaries of state (George Schultz and Henry Kissinger), a former defense secretary (William Perry) and the former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (Sam Nunn)—sometimes called the “Reykjavik Revisited” plan.^^[1] <#_ftn1> Some have been included in recent legislation, such as a bill introduced by Senators Chuck Hagel and Barack Obama (S.1977). A systematic, global endeavor to eliminate nuclear weapons has also been endorsed by former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, then-British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, and US Presidential candidates. The goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons, established in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, is endorsed by 73 percent of Americans and 63 percent of Russians. Seventy-nine percent of Americans and 66 percent of Russians want their governments to do more to pursue this objective. Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans agree on these points, although the Democratic majorities are larger. Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org, comments, “In contrast to the growing tension between their governments, publics in the US and Russia show enthusiasm for dramatic cooperative steps to reduce the nuclear threat.” John Steinbruner, director of CISSM notes, "Current US security policies do not reflect underlying public opinion." The UN Disarmament Committee recently voted 124-3 in favor of total de-alerting with the United States, France and Britain opposed. Most Americans (92%) and Russians (65%) believe that an international body, such as the United Nations, would need to monitor and verify compliance with such deep reductions. Americans and Russians also favor concrete steps to increase the transparency between the nuclear powers. Majorities in both the United States (75%, with 22% opposed) and Russia (52%, with 24% opposed) favor an agreement among all nuclear powers to share information about the number of nuclear weapons and the amount of weapons-grade nuclear material they each have. Support is strong for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits nuclear explosive testing and thus makes it more difficult for countries to develop or improve nuclear weapons. Eight in ten Americans and Russians approve of their country’s participation in this treaty. Indeed, 56 percent of Americans believe—incorrectly—that the United States is already a member of the treaty. Russia ratified the treaty in 2000 but the US Senate voted against ratification in 1999. Funding for this research was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ploughshares Fund, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Executive Advisor ----------------- Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign International Secretariat City Hall Grote Markt 34 8900 Ypres, BELGIUM Phone: +32-57-38 89 57 Mobil: +32-495-28 02 59 Fax: +32-57-23 92 76 E-mail: pol@2020visioncampaign.org Skype: poltanner Website: www.2020visioncampaign.org [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	61 new member cities October 06, 2007 12:26 PM 44 Italy Ucria Dott. Giuseppe Lembo 45 Italy Valderice Dr. Ssalucia Blunda 46 Italy Venice Mr. Massimo Cacciari 47 Netherlands Bergen op Zoom Drs. J.M.M. Polman 48 Netherlands Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht Mr. H. H. Jonker 49 Netherlands Maastricht Mr. G.B.M. Leers 50 Netherlands Veendam Mr. Ab Meijerman 51 Portugal Estarreja Mr. José Eduardo Alves Ｖalente de Matos 52 Canada Bridgetown Mr. Art Marshall 53 Canada Cumberland Mr. R Keith Hunter 54 Canada Lunenburg Mr. Jack Wentzell 55 Canada Pictou Mr. Allister MacDonald 56 Costa Rica Mora Mr. Gilberto Monge Pizarro 57 U.S.A. Chicopee (MA) Mr. Michael D. Bissonnette 58 U.S.A. Fairfax (CA) Mr. Larry Bragman 59 U.S.A. North Adams (MA) Mr. John Barrett III 60 U.S.A. Richmond (CA) Ms. Gayle McLaughlin 61 U.S.A West Springfield (MA) Mr. Edward Gibson [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	61 new members - Italy been most active October 06, 2007 12:23 PM 61 new members Mayors for Peace in September 2007 - support needed During September 2007 Mayors for Peace welcomed 61 new member cities and municipalities. On October 1st the network involves 1,793 cities in 122 countries and regions around the world. The latest member cities are from Australia (1), Belgium (1), Canada (4), Costa Rica (1), Cyprus (1), Czech Republic (1), Estonia (1), France (1), Italy (40), Netherlands (4), Portugal (1) and US (5). This means an average of 2 cities have joined Mayors for Peace every single day during September 2007. This average doubled compared to the previous months, and will need to increase further to reach our goal of 2,020 members by the end of the year. Support needed: 2,020 members before January 1st 2008 With renewed efforts we want to reach our capacity-building target set for the 25th anniversary of the Mayors for Peace: before the end of 2007 our aim is to have 2,020 members united in their call for the elimination of all nuclear weapons by 2020. We call upon Mayors and civil society to support us. Make it a priority to reach out to Mayors in your region and country and assist us to welcome another 227 Mayors to join the 2020 Vision campaign before January 1st 2008. We encourage Mayors of member cities to invite their sistercities and mayors in their region to join. We call all concerned citizens and especially the members of the Abolition 2000, the global network of over 2000 NGO's, to ban nuclear weapons, to increase efforts and reach out to local authorities. Please consider using a cross-party letter of Mayors member of Mayors for Peace to invite their national colleagues to become part of our fast-growing network. Don't hesitate to contact the campaign office if you need some advise or support. We can mail you a membership recruitment letter from the Mayor of Hiroshima and President of the Mayors for Peace, Mr. Tadatoshi Akiba, which you are welcome to use when you contact Mayors. We can also mail you an example of successful cross-party letter and of course the membership registration form. Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign International Secretariat City Hall Grote Markt 34 8900 Ypres, BELGIUM Phone: +32-57-38 89 57 Fax: +32-57-23 92 76 E-mail: pol@2020visioncampa ign.org Website: 2020visioncampaign.org Mayors for Peace Gratefully Welcomes the Following New Members 61 new cities have joined Mayors for Peace . Thus, the Conference involves 1,793 cities in 122 countries and regions around the world. As of October 4, 2007 No Country City Mayor 1 Cyprus Ammochostos (Famagusta) Mr. Alexis Galanos 2 Australia West Torrens Mr. John Trainer 3 Belgium Ixelles Mr. Willy Decourty 4 Czech Láz Ms. Jitka Rihová 5 Estonia Pärnu Mr. Mart Viisitamm 6 France Rouen Mr. Pierre Albertini 7 Italy Abbateggio Dr. Antono di Marco 8 Italy Alcamo Dr. Giacomo Scala 9 Italy Alia Dr. Vincenzo Siragusa 10 Italy Aliminusa Dr. Ignazio Dolce 11 Italy Altofonte Mr. Vicenzo di Girolamo 12 Italy Bagheria Dott. Vincenzo Corso 13 Italy Belmonte Mezzagno Dr. Giovanni Salerno 14 Italy Biancavilla Dr. Mario Cantarella 15 Italy Calamonaci Mr. Guddemi Gioacchino 16 Italy Caltagirone Dr. Francesco Pignataro 17 Italy Caltanissetta Dr. Salvatore Messana 18 Italy Camastra Mr. Angelo Casciá 19 Italy Cammarata Dr. Vito Mangiapane 20 Italy Campofranco Dott. Mazzara Calogero 21 Italy Canicatti Mr. Vincenzo Corbo 22 Italy Capaci Mr. Vincenzo Longo 23 Italy Caprileone Dr. Bernardette Grasso 24 Italy Castel di Iudica Mr. Giuseppe Grasso 25 Italy Castelbuono Dr. Mario Cicero 26 Italy Casteltermini Mr. Alfonso Sapia 27 Italy Castroreale Mr. Salvatore Leto 28 Italy Cattolica Eraclea Mr. Piro Cosimo 29 Italy Cervo Mr. Vittorio Desialioli 30 Italy Collebeato Mr. Giovanni Marclli 31 Italy Geraci Dr. Antonio Spallina 32 Italy Letojanni Mr. Giovanni Mauro 33 Italy Licata Mr. Biondi Angelo 34 Italy Lipari Dott. Mariano Bruno 35 Italy Lucca Sicula Dr. Giovanni Oliveri 36 Italy Maletto Dr. Giuseppe de Luch 37 Italy Mussomeli Mr. Luigi Mancuso 38 Italy Oliveri Mr. Nicolo Bertimo 39 Italy Prizzi Dr. Luigi Vallone 40 Italy Raffadali Dott. Silvio Cuffaro 41 Italy Realmonte Mr. Giuseppe Farruggia 42 Italy Regalbuto Mr. Gaetano Punzi 43 Italy Sutera Mr. Calogero Difrancesco 44 Ita [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	34 new member cities August 31, 2007 11:44 AM Hiroshima - Ypres, August 31st 2007 - Since July 30th Mayors for Peace welcomed 34 new member cities and municipalities. On August 30th the Conference involves 1,732 cities in 122 countries and regions around the world. The latest member cities are from Argentine (1), Australia (1), Belgium (1), Canada (1), Cyprus (1), Czech Republic (4), Iran (1), Iraq (9), Italy (2), Poland (1), Portugal (2) and US (10). New membership forms are being received almost every day at the secretariat of Mayors for Peace in Hiroshima. New members are the mayors from General San Martin (Argentine), Launceston (Australia), Maarkedal (Belgium), Brampton (Canada), Kyrenia (Cyprus), Jince, Rozmitál pod Tremsinem, Stitov and Trokavec (Czech Republic), Kermanshah (Iran), Abu-Garak and Ali-Hill, Alhartha, Ali-Algharbe, Ali-Alsharqi, Alkawther, Al-Kumait, Alqaseem, Amarah and Saddah (Iraq), Cervia and Sant' Agata Bolognese (Italy), Trzebinia (Poland), Cãmara de Lobos and Mértola (Portugal), Brooklyn (OH), Coral Springs (FL), Dayton (OH), Des Moines (IA), Fayetteville (AK), Hallandale Beach (FL), Normal (IL), Oakland (CA), Oak Park (IL) and Pleasanton (CA) all in the USA. Capacity building Mayors for Peace aims to continue to expand its capacity by attracting new members and deepen its relationship with the members. We aim to have 2,020 members by the end of 2007 in as many countries as possible. Following strategic discussions in Hiroshima last week we are especially interested to expand our capacity in the nuclear weapon states: Britain, China, France, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia and US. Of course also the NATO member-states and mayors in Nuclear Weapon Free Zones will be asked to endorse the call to have the world free of nuclear weapons by 2020. We will need the help of the NGO community to make this happen. Please don't hesitate to get back to us if you can assist as. We attach the registration form for Mayors. Let us know if you need a recruitment letter from mayor Tadatoshi Akiba to your mayor(s). Warm regards, Pol D'Huyvetter Executive Advisor Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign International Secretariat City Hall Grote Markt 34 8900 Ypres, BELGIUM Phone: +32-57-38 89 57 E-mail: 2020visioncampaign@ieper.be Website: 2020visioncampaign.org [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	47 new member cities - Portugal very active July 31, 2007 4:52 AM Hiroshima - Ypres, July 30th 2007 - The past 45 days Mayors for Peace welcomed 47 new member cities and municipalities. Today the Conference involves 1,698 cities in 122 countries and regions around the world. The latest member cities are from Australia (1), Belgium (1), Bulgaria (1), Cameroon (1), Canada (7), Croatia (2), Denmark (1), Germany (6), Iraq (7), Italy (3), Netherlands (1), Portugal (8), South-Korea (1), Spain (1), UK (1) and US (5). It is worth noting that Mayors for Peace had no members in Cameroon and Denmark prior to July 30th. New membership forms are being received every day at the headquarters of Mayors for Peace in Hiroshima. New members are the mayors from Yarra (Australia), Ganshoren (Belgium), Veliko Turnovo (Bulgaria), Buea (Cameroon), Antigonish, Charlottetown, Lake Cowichan, Sault Ste. Marie, Saskatoon, Trail , Yarmouth (Canada), Nova Gradska, Rovinj (Croatia), Haderslev (Denmark), Bietigheim-Bissingen, Bruck in der Oberpfalz, Elmshorn, Köngen, Mönchengladbach, Wiesloch (Germany), Basrah, Chamchamal, Qadrkaram, Qarahanjeer, Sangaw, Takia Kakamand, Takya Jabary (Iraq), Pinerolo, Quistello, Vado Ligure (Italy), Noordenveld (Netherlans), Évora, Fafe, Ferreira do Alentejo, Lagos, Moita, Monforte, Ourique, Ovar (Portugal), Daegu (South Korea), Berga (Spain), Hebden Royd (U.K.), Corvallis (OR), Montpelier (VT), Taos (NM), Taos Ski Valley (NM) & Westlake (OH) (U.S.A.). We wish to give special mention to the excellent and promising membership-recruitment started one month ago in Portugal by the voluntary team of Ms. Sandra Benfica of the 'Conselho Português para a Paz e Cooperação' in Lisbon. The 25th anniversary year membership-drive efforts are well underway in many countries. Mayors for Peace aims to have 2,020 members before the end of 2007 to further built capacity to work towards the elimination of all nuclear weapons by 2020. The previous months the campaign secretariat has contacted an increasing number of Mayors and/or NGO's to assist in the recruitment effort, amongst others in Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Scotland, South-Africa, South-Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and US. Please contact us if your country is not listed or if you are interested to help. Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign International Secretariat City Hall Grote Markt 34 8900 Ypres, BELGIUM Phone: +32-57-38 89 57 E-mail: 2020visioncampaign@ieper.be Website: 2020visioncampaign.org [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	How many nuclear weapons do you think the United States needs July 30, 2007 1:51 PM How many nuclear weapons do you think the United States needs to deter other countries from attacking us? The median response to this question from Americans polled was 100. Unfortunately, this is a far cry from the some 10,000 nuclear weapons the United States currently has deployed or in storage. Do you think the United States should work to reduce the number of nuclear weapons on high alert? If you said yes, you’re in agreement with 82 percent of the American public. Unfortunately, the truth is both the United States and Russia each have more than 5,000 weapons on alert, able to be launched, accidentally or intentionally, within a matter of minutes. The policies of the Bush administration are drastically out of step with public opinion. In fact, the administration has asked Congress for $118 million in funding to develop the first of a series of new nuclear bombs. We need your help now to stop these dangerous new weapons and promote new policies that would lead to the elimination of all nuclear weapons. Click here to make a donation today. As a UCS supporter, you know that we’ve been at the forefront of this critical issue since our founding in 1969. UCS staff includes more Ph.D. scientists working on global security issues than any other independent U.S. organization today. With your help, UCS is combining independent scientific research and citizen action to: * educate and engage policy makers and the public about the reality and dangers of current U.S. nuclear weapons policy; * mobilize citizens and scientists who will question presidential candidates about their nuclear weapons policy plans; and * outline steps the next president should take to substantially reduce America’s reliance on nuclear weapons. Please join our efforts with a special donation today. I know that you, like me, want America to be a leader in promoting international cooperation and dialogue—not building new nuclear weapons. Please donate today. Sincerely, Kevin Knobloch President Union of Concerned Scientists Action Network https://secure.ga3.org/03/nonewnukesA/nb7AxvlK1aOtY?qp_source=axwf7gsm3 [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	Greece opts out first July 30, 2007 7:19 AM Greece opts out Greece became the first NATO nuclear "burden-sharing" country to remove US nuclear weapons in 2001, when 20 B61 bombs at Araxos Air Base were airlifted out of the country. The denuclearisation of Greece is significant as "the latest in a series of gradual withdrawals of nuclear weapons from host nation air bases over the past decade" and the first complete denuclearisation of a NATO nuclear-sharing country. Consistent with the secrecy and lack of accountability surrounding nuclear issues, the NATO meeting of December 2001 was "silent about this historic event and the implications it may have had on the principle of nuclear-burden sharing" The Greek media issued contradictory reports about its government's response. Nor would US defence officials comment on this development. Because of secrecy surrounding nuclear issues, the reasons underlying the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Greece are not fully known, but the age of the weapons (and related safety concerns) were probably a factor. Another reason might have been the unnecessary cost of maintaining the weapons, when there was "no clear danger to the East." In addition, overall democratic priorities and considerations were definitely an influential factor. There were expectations that the preferred party in the national elections would have demanded their removal, thus prompting the outgoing political party to pre-empt a more public act of defiance by quietly having the weapons removed from Greece. Anti-US sentiment in Greece has tended to run strong, and was a possible factor in the decision to remove NATO nuclear weapons. As far back as the early 1980s, then president Papandreou called for a nuclear-free Balkan peninsula and urged NATO to delay plans to put cruise and Pershing missiles in Europe. It is possible to conclude, therefore, that where public sentiment runs strong against US military interests in maintaining nuclear weapons in a European state, that sentiment can play a decisive role even where it cannot be quantified, as long as it is made visible. [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	ASEAN Charter to Create WMD-Free Zone July 26, 2007 2:29 AM http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/issues/2007_7_25.html#34595643 ASEAN Charter to Create WMD-Free Zone Nuclear, chemical and biological weapons would be prohibited from countries covered by the proposed Association of Southeast Asian Nations charter Representatives from the ASEAN member states — Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand — are scheduled to sign the charter during the group’s annual conference in November [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	the Republic of Italy a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone July 18, 2007 9:35 AM Forwarded message Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:27:44 -0000 From: Lisa Clark <lisa.clark@libero.it> The following is the text (just a quick translation from the Italian) of the Appeal launching a national campaign in Italy to declare "the Republic of Italy a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone". The campaign will use the Italian Constitution provision permitting citizens to write legislation and to submit it to Parliament for acceptance. Italian law requires us to collect at least 50.000 signatures of electors, each one witnessed by a public officer (Mayors, Chairman of City Council, Notary Public, etc.) within a period of 6 months from the date the signature collections begins. We have already established a Committee of Promoters (about 35 national associations, NGOs, local government networks, and publications). The Promoters will submit the text of the Law to the Supreme Court on July 25th. Signature collection will begin in the first week in October, which in Italy is Peace Week, culminating with the Peace March from Perugia to Assisi on Sunday 7th. Once the Law is submitted to the Supreme Court, we shall open up our website, www.unfuturosenzatomiche.org (link is not working yet), for signatures of individuals, other associations, local committees, Mayors and City Councils, Parliamentarians, political parties. The first two signatories will be the Mayors of Aviano and Ghedi, the two cities hosting the bases where the 90 nuclear weapons present in Italy are kept. __________________________ A Future without Nuclear Weapons Let us begin now. A world without nuclear weapons is an aspiration shared by humanity as a whole. On the international scene, however, some countries are increasing their research and production of new types of atom bombs. Other States are modernizing their existing nuclear arsenals. And, consequently, we are witnessing an increase in the number of countries that are trying to add nuclear weapons to their arsenals in order to increase their power on the international scene. In Italy there are 90 nuclear weapons. They should not be here. In 1975 Italy ratified the Non Proliferation Treaty, committing herself (in art. II) never to produce nor to accept on her territory such weapons. According to international law, Italy must refuse to stock these weapons. According to her alliances (Nato), she accepts them. We cannot have double standards. International negotiations to free humanity from the nuclear threat are bogged down beacuse those who possess nuclear weapons are only interested in preventing anyone else from having them. But they are willing to give them up. Yet, that was the commitment they undertook when they ratified the Non Proliferation Treaty (art. VI): to achieve total and global nuclear disarmament. Let us begin right here. Let us begin with ourselves. For this reason we are launching a campaign to collect signatures for a Law Initiated by the People. In order to declare Italy a "Nuclear Weapon Free Zone". Like Austria, we shall become one of the 106 States in the world where nuclear weapons are outlawed. We shall be the majority, in the excellent company of all States in Central and Southern America, in Africa, the Pacific, and South-East Asia. And we, too, shall walk towards a future without nuclear weapons. ____________________ Peace, Lisa [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	sounds like good news July 10, 2007 1:19 AM Nuclear Brief July 9, 2007/ United States Removes* Nuclear Weapons >From Main German Base, Documents Indicate The U.S. Air Force has removed its main base at Ramstein in Germany from a list of installations that receive periodic nuclear weapons inspections, indicating that nuclear weapons previously stored at the base may have been removed and withdrawn to the United States. Only a single base in Germany (Büchel Air base) now stores nuclear weapons, a dramatic reduction compared with the 1980s when more than 2,000 nuclear weapons were stored at dozens of facilities across the country. As a result, Germany is now on par with Belgium and the Netherlands, two other NATO countries that each hosts approximately 20 US bombs for delivery by their national aircraft. The apparent withdrawal reduces the number of U.S. nuclear weapons deployed in Europe to an estimated 350 B61 bombs, or roughly equivalent to the size of the entire French nuclear weapons inventory. The remaining bombs are stored at seven bases in six NATO countries. See story: http://www.fas.org/blog/ssp/2007/07/united_states_removes_nuclear.php Hans M. Kristensen Director, Nuclear Information Project Federation of American Scientists 1717 K St., N.W., Suite 209 Washington, D.C. 20039 Phone: (202) 454-4695 \| Fax: (202) 675-1010 Email: hkristensen@fas.org <mailto:hkristensen@fas.org> Web: http://www,fas.org \| http://www.nukestrat.com -- Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign International Secretariat City Hall Grote Markt 34 8900 Ypres, BELGIUM Phone: +32-57-38 89 57 E-mail: 2020visioncampaign@ieper.be Website: 2020visioncampaign.org [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	his first name is Tadatoshi for the nomination... June 20, 2007 11:57 PM his first name is Tadatoshi for the nomination... ... hey, anybody here today? [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	Nominations sought for World Mayor 2007 June 20, 2007 12:53 PM Nominations sought for World Mayor 2007 I suggest you take time to nominate Mayor Akiba for the "World Mayor 2007". You can do this -very easy- on-line http://www.worldmayor.com/ "The annual World Mayor project aims to raise the profile of mayors worldwide as well as to honour those who have served their communities well and who have made contributions to the well-being of cities nationally and internationally." I do not doubt that you will agree that Mayor Akiba is exactly doing this. As president of the Mayors for Peace network Mayor Akiba has been making an enormous contribution by launching the 2020 Vision Campaign and given humanity hope for a world free of WMD. ...and don't hesitate to network this message to others. thank you!!! [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	21 new cities have joined Mayors for Peace June 16, 2007 11:25 AM As of June 15, 2007 Mayors for Peace gratefully welcomes 21 new cities who have joined Mayors for Peace. Thus, the Conference involves 1,651 cities in 120 countries and regions around the world. New members are from Australia (1), Belgium (1), Canada (1), Croatia (2), Italy (11), Palestine (4) and Spain (1). The four new Palestinian members signed up while visiting the Peace City of Ypres. New members are Adelaide Hills (Australia), Herenthout (Belgium), Duncan (Canada), Gospic and Opatija (Croatia), Castelnuovo Berardenga, Cossato, Cuneo, Dimaro, Lari, Monsummano Terme, Montefalco, Nusco, Pontassieve, Riccó del Golfo di Spezia, Sarsina (Italy), AL-Zawyh, Attil, Broqeen, Illar (Palestine) and Galiffa (Spain). Membership-drive efforts are now underway in many other places. With the 2020 Vision Campaign office in Ypres (Belgium) we are making significant progress to launch cross-party membership-drives. We are hopeful to have such efforts with Mayors and/or NGO's in Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, France, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Palestine, Scotland, South-Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. If your country is not listed, and you are interested to make this happen, inform us at the Ypres' office. -- Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign International Secretariat City Hall Grote Markt 34 8900 Ypres, BELGIUM Phone: +32-57-38 89 57 E-mail: 2020visioncampaign@ieper.be Website: 2020visioncampaign.org [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	Get Involved - but not in trouble, ok ;-) April 13, 2007 11:37 PM http://www.2020visi oncampaign. org/pages/ 122/Get_Involved _With_the_ 2020_Vision_ Campaign CLIK HERE [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	New Cities Joined Mayors for Peace April 13, 2007 11:33 PM Dear Friends, Between March 8th 2007 and April 10th 2007 thirty new Mayors have joined the Mayors for Peace network. That's one new member per day! Today the Conference involves 1,608 cities in 120 countries and regions around the world. The new members are municipalities in Iraq (3), Turkey (1), Austria (2), Croatia (12), Belgium (1), Italy (3), The Netherlands (1), Spain (1), UK (1) and USA. (5). The new members are Balisan, Shekhan and Koya in Iraq, Diyarbakir in Turkey, Mühlen and Weitensfeld im Gurktal in Austria, Etterbeek in Belgium, Biograd na Moru, Glina, Ivanic-Grad, Koprivinica, Kraljevica, Kutina, Mali-Losinj, Nin, Sibenik, Sisak, Virovitica and Vodice in Croatia, Poggibonsi, Rovigo (P) and Vigodarzere in Italy, Ameland in The Netherlands, Manrese in Spain, North Tyneside in the UK and finally 5 cities in the USA with Charlottesville (VA), Gloucester (MA), Louisburg (NC), Salem (MA) and Salt Lake City (UT). We hope many of you will help us reach the target of 2020 members before June 24th 2007. Visit our website and find the tools how to make it happen. http://www.2020visioncampaign.org/pages/ 122/Get_Involved _With_the_ 2020_Vision_ Campaign Kind regards, Pol 2020 Vision International Campaign Secretariat Mayors for Peace City Hall, Markt 34, 8900 Ypres, BELGIUM Phone +32-57-38 89 57 Mobile +32-495-28 02 59 E-mail : 2020visioncampaign@ieper.be Web : www.2020visioncampaign.org [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	March 08, 2007 6:14 AM Dear friends, Check our new website for latest news on new members of Mayors for Peace. http://www.mayorsforpeace.org/english/topic/list/34.htm The Mayor of Taverny is amongst the new members. Taverny, just outside Paris, is mostly known for its Air Force base (Base aérienne 921). The base of Taverny hosts the headquarters of the French Nuclear Air Defense. More information on www.2020visioncampaign.org Anyone willing to help with the Mayors for Peace membership drive can contact us. Also inform us if you are now working on the membership drive so we don't duplicate efforts. We wish to have 2020 members for the 24th anniversary of the Mayors for Peace coming up June 25th 2007. Membership stands now at 1572. The past 3 months 148 new members were welcomed. We can do even better with your support. We are very eager to assist you in your efforts. Best wishes, Pol D'Huyvetter 2020 Vision International Campaign Secretariat Mayors for Peace City Hall, Markt 34, 8900 Ypres, BELGIUM Phone +32-57-38 89 57 Mobile +32-495-28 02 59 E-mail : 2020visioncampaign@ ieper.be Web : www.2020visioncampa ign.org [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	Baghdad ja Basra joined July 26, 2006 3:16 AM Mayors for Peace Gratefully Welcomes the Following New Members As of July 21, 2006 No Country City Mayor 1 Iraq Al Najaf -Al Ashrf Mr. Asad Sultan 2 Iraq Baghdad Mr. Hussein Mohammed Ali Al Tahan 3 Iraq Basrah Mr. M. M. Mohammed Habeeb 4 Iraq Diala Mr. Raad Rashed Mulajwad 5 Iraq Kirkuk Mr. Abdul Rahman Mustafa Fatah 6 Iraq Najnawa Mr. Durayid N. Krashanler 7 Iraq Sardasht Mr. Saddy Radmanesh 8 Iraq Sulaymaniyah Mr. Dana Ahmad Majeed 9 Korea Jeju Mr. Kim Yung Hoon 10 Thailand Kanchanaburi Mr. Prasit Ophattiphakorn 11 Mauritania Boghe Mr. BA Adama Moussa 12 Senegal Rufisque Mr. Ndiawar Toure 13 Belgium Tielt Mr. Michiel Van Daele 14 Ireland Drogheda Mr. Michael O' Dowd 15 Italy Pantigliate Mr. Ottavio Carparelli 16 Italy Roncadelle Mr. Michele Orlando 17 Poland Plonsk Mr. Andrzej Jozef Pietrasik 18 Spain Abanto-Zierbena Mr. Manu Tejada Lanbarri 19 Spain Aranga Mr. Manuel Branas Abad 20 Spain Santa Coloma de Gramenet Mr. Bartomeu Munoz Calvet 21 Canada Comox Strathcona (D)Mr. Jim Abram, Chair 22 Canada Revelstoke Mr. Mark McKee We have not been taught that we could actually make simple actions of peace that make a difference. We have been taught to be passive waiting somebody else to make decisions; we have been taught to do things routinously, and waiting for a reward or recognition given to us by someone superior to us, or punishment... ...yet, there is a cubic meter of chance that we could act without any expectations and get our cities to join Mayors for Peace and show solidarity and affection to each other (there is always also a possibility to contact local peace organisations anonymously if you are afraid or tensed to contact directly authorities)... ...what do you think? [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	July 10, 2006 2:56 AM Mayors for Peace Gratefully Welcomes the Following New Members As of June 23, 2006 No Country City Mayor 1 Turkey Eskishehir/Tepebasi Dr. M. Tacettin Sarioglu 2 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Aizaria Mr. Issam A. Faroun 3 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) AL-shyoukh Mr. Yousif Halayka 4 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Alzahra Dr. Tareq Hajjo 5 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Assamou Mr. Jamal A. Tadayel 6 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Al-Zawaideh Mr. Hassan A. Mezyed 7 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Beit Leed Mr. Salameh Dreidy 8 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Beita Mr. Arab Naser Shorfa 9 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Bethlehem Dr. Victor Batarseh 10 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Doha Mr. Sami Kamel Mrowwa 11 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Jabaa Mr. Zeimel Allawni 12 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Jabalia-Nazla Mr. Issa S. Thaher 13 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Qalqilia Mr. Wajih Qawas 14 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Seilat Alharthiya Mr.Adnun Tahaina 15 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Taybeh Mr. David Khoury 16 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) Um Al-Naser Mr. Zeyad Abu Fraia 17 The West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestine) West Bani Zaid Ms. Fatheya Barghouthi Rimawi 18 New Zealand Far North Ms. Yvonne Sharp 19 New Zealand Oamaru Mr. Alan McLay 20 Belgium Westerlo Mr. Guy Van Hirtum 21 France Choisy-le-Roi Mr. Daniel Davisse 22 France Montpellier Ms. Helene Mandroux 23 Spain L'Hospitalet Mr. Celestino Corbacho i Chaves 24 Spain Muskiz Mr. Gualberto Atxurra Perez 25 Canada Elkford Mr. Dean McKerracher 26 Canada Lions Bay Mr. Max Wyman 27 Canada Princeton Mr. Randy McLean 28 U.S.A. Chapel Hill (NC) Mr. Kevin Foy 29 U.S.A. Milwaukee(WI) Mr. Tom Barrett 30 U.S.A. New Haven (CT) Mr. John DeStefano, Jr 31 U.S.A. North Olmsted (OH) Mr. Thomas O' Grady Please, some applaud, will you? Wouldn't you and your city like to join this movement? Aren't we all Mayors? [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	June 29, 2006 4:16 PM Contact Persons General contact For all matters connected with the Good Faith please make contact with the International Secretariat of the 2020 Vision Campaign (Mayors for Peace) Campaign Manager: Aaron Tovish (English), Skype: tovron; mobile: +1 917 345 1960 Assistant: Boris Toucas (French), Skype: boristoucas; boris.toucas@gmail.com, Secretariat Office: Tel/Fax +32 57 38 89 57 ; Email: 2020visioncampaign@ieper.be, Local contacts London and Reading: Stewart Kemp (Manchester, VP city): +44 161 234 3244, skemp@nuclearpolicy.info Councilor Jenny Jones (London): +44 207 983 4391, Jenny.Jones@london.gov.uk The Hague and Leidschendam: Karel Koster (NGO): +31 30 2722594, k.koster@inter.nl.net Hans Metzemakers (The Hague): +31 70 353 2986, j.j.h.m.metzemakers@bsd.denhaag.nl Cok Bekkering (L’dam): +31 70 300 9105, pcj.bekkering@leidschendam-voorburg.nl Brussels and Ieper Nele Hasenbos (Brussels): +32 2 279 44 16, Nele.Hasenbos@brucity.be Kris Gysler (Senate): +32 2 501 7401, +32 479 323387, gysels@vld.polgroups.senate.be Filip Deheegher (Ieper): +32 9-242 87 04, Vrede_Ontwikkeling@ieper.be If you want to know more about the Wall to Protect International Law, “Law Wall” for short, you should go to their website: www.a-vr.org See the Mayors for Peace website, www.mayorsforpeace.org , for the list of almost 1400 members worldwide, and biographical information on Mayor Akiba. Mayor Akiba is a leading figure in global effort to eliminate nuclear weapons, not only because of this position as Mayor of Hiroshima since 1998, but also because of his lifelong commitment to the cause. [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	June 29, 2006 4:13 PM PRESS ADVISORY, 29 July 2006 Mayor of Hiroshima in Europe to issue “Good Faith Challenge” on nuclear disarmament Good Faith Delegation marks the 10th anniversary of historic World Court legal judgment Tadatoshi Akiba, the Mayor of the Japanese city destroyed by atom bomb attack in 1945, will lead an international delegation of city mayors to three European capitals, July 3-6, 2006. In the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Belgium the delegation will meet with government officials and hold public meetings. The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of The Hague, Wim Deetman, and the Representative Mayor of Brussels, Faouzia Hariche, will host events for Mayor Akiba and his colleagues. A Good Faith Challenge will be formally issued at the Peace Palace in The Hague on July 5. The Peace Palace is the seat of the International Court of Justice Ten years ago the ICJ gave an advisory opinion on nuclear weapons in which they concluded that all nations are under an obligation “to pursue negotiations in good faith and bring to a conclusion measures leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects.” “If, throughout the last ten years, good faith had been shown by the nuclear-armed states we would be well on our way to a nuclear-weapon-free world today. Instead we see efforts to acquire new nuclear weapons systems, and wider threats to use nuclear weapons. It is no wonder the nonproliferation regime is in crisis,” asserts Mayor Akiba, President of Mayors for Peace. “We must cultivate consistent good faith by our governments,” adds Belgian Senator Patrik Vankrunkelsven, who is also a mayor and a Vice President of Mayors for Peace. “How can you say you are in favor of negotiating disarmament, when in the next breath you declare your intention to rely upon nuclear weapons ‘for the foreseeable future’?” he asks, referring to NATO nuclear policy. The final meeting of the “Good Faith” Delegation will be at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. The Good Faith Challenge is the unifying theme of the second phase of the 2020 Vision Campaign of Mayors for Peace. (The 2020 Vision foresees a nuclear-weapon-free world by the year 2020.) The Challenge applies not only governments, but all citizens. For their part, mayors will take on the challenge of shaking off the spell of the Cold War. For decades, nuclear policy was based on the direct targeting of cities, or industrial sites and transportation hubs near cities. It was an immoral and illegal policy then, and with the end of the Cold War it has lost any conceivable justification. Mayors will be demanding assurances from nuclear-armed states that the use of nuclear weapons in lethal proximity to cities has been explicitly ruled out. “The U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting in June adopted a resolution upholding the principle that cities are not targets. My fellow Ohioan, Mayor Donald Plusquellic, advanced this resolution in his capacity as a Vice President of Mayors for Peace,” said North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O’Grady. U.S. Conference of Mayors represents the one thousand largest cities in the United States. Mayor Plusquellic joined Mayor for Peace when he was serving as President of the USCM (2004-05). The Cities Are Not Targets project will be officially announced at a public meeting in the Council Chamber of City Hall following the Peace Palace event. Press Conferences July 5, 13:15: Hague City Hall with Mayor Haersma Buma of Leidschendam July 6, 11:30: Brussels City Hall with Representative Mayor Faouzia Hariche Photo Opportunities July 2, 15:15: outside the gates at the Atomic Weapons Establishment July 3, 12:15: outside London City Hall, Queen’s Walk, with Mayor Livingstone July 5, 11:30: outside the Peace Palace, at the youth’s Wall to Protect International Law July 5, 13:55: outside Hague City Hall with Mayor Deetman of The Hague July 6, 12:25: outside the Brussels Public Library with the Wall to Protect Int’l Law July 7, 20:00: Laying of a wreath at the memorial to gas warfare victims, Menen Gate, Ieper Public Meetings at which Mayor Akiba is speaking July 3, 19:00: “End Nuclear Hypocrisy” House of Commons, London July 5, 14:00: Launch of Cities Are Not Targets Project, City Council Chamber, The Hague 7 July, 14:15: Conference at European Parliament, Brussels: “Freedom from Nuclear Weapons through Legal Accountability and Good Faith” Other events of Mayor Akiba’s Tour 2 July, afternoon: Visit to Reading City Council and the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, UK 4 July, 17:00: Opening of an exhibition on the bombing of Hiroshima in Leidschendam, Netherlands 7 July, 19:00: opening of the International Secretariat of the 2020 Vision Campaign in Ieper (Ypres), Belgium. Members of the Good Faith Delegation (Mayors for Peace) President, Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba, Hiroshima, Japan Vice President, Mayor Senator Patrik Vankrunkelsven, Laakdahl, Belgium Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka, Dhaka, Bangladesh Mayor Gerhard Lemm, Radeberg, Germany Mayor Philippe Mahoux, Gesves, Beglium Mayor Hilmy Mohamed, Matale, Sri Lanka Councilor Brain Fitch, Brighton-Hove, UK, President of IAPMC (f) Mayor John Kityo, Wakiso, Uganda Mayor Thomas O’Grady, North Olmsted (OH), USA Mayor Luciano Monticelli, Pineto, Italy Governor Dana Ahmed Majed, Suleymania, Iraq [ send green star]
Greenpeace U.	power plants too April 25, 2006 12:53 PM In addition to the threat of nuclear weapons, we must remember the threat of nuclear power plants as well. There is a big push in the federal government to revive the dormant US nuclear power industry. Read text and follow petition link below: Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of the worst commercial nuclear accident the world has ever seen: Chernobyl. But if you think it can't happen here, or now, think again. In the last 20 years since Chernobyl, nearly 200 "near-misses" have occurred at U.S. nuclear power plants. Has one of these happened at a nuclear reactor near you? We've just released a report that documents these near misses. Despite the claims of the nuclear industry, an American Chernobyl is possible. Earlier this year, President Bush announced plans to build a new generation of nuclear power plants. The government is planning a nuclear renaissance, and they're footing the bill with your tax dollars. But is nuclear energy any safer today than it was 20 years ago? The answer is a resounding NO. Take Action >> Sign our petition against nuclear energy I've been campaigning against nuclear power for almost 20 years now,and I can tell you that no matter what the nuclear industry says about safety, there are fundamental problems with nuclear energy that will never go away. Let me share a few examples with you: During one year of operation, a nuclear reactor produces as much long-lived radioactive poison as that released by 1,000 Hiroshima bombs. And there is still no way to safely dispose of it. Did you know that a nuclear accident in the United States could cost as much as $15 billion and like Chernobyl, leave large areas of land uninhabitable for generations? Radiation causes cancer. Government studies have repeatedly found that there is no such thing as a safe dose of radiation. Even today, the impact of the Chernobyl meltdown is still being felt. Experts predict as many as 200,000 cancer cases related to the Chernobyl accident and many believe that the number of cancer deaths could reach as high as 93,000. If we want to avoid nuclear disasters here at home, we have to avoid nuclear energy. There are much safer, renewable energy sources available today. Please, take a moment to reflect on the consequences of Chernobyl, and another moment to prevent the same sort of tragedy from occurring here at home. [ send green star] [ accepted]
Jouni Y.	Mayors for Peace New Member Cities February 08, 2006 3:26 AM Mayors for Peace Gratefully Welcomes the Following New Members As of January 27, 2006 No Country City Mayor 1 Turkey Duzce Mr.Mehmet Keles 2 New Zealand South Wairarapa Ms.Adrienne Stales 3 Estonia Viljandi Mr.Peep Aru 4 Finland Varkaus Mr.Martti Reijonen 5 France Salaise-sur-Sanne Mr.Jackie Crouail 6 France Seiches-sur-le-Loir Mr.Andre Lainard 7 France Venissieux Mr.Andre Gerin 8 Greece Rhodes Mr. Giannopoulos 9 Italy Besana in Brianza Mr. Cazzaniga 10 Italy Borzonasca Mr.Ivo Pattaro 11 Italy Castenedolo Mr. Salomoni 12 Italy Cefalu Ms.Simona Vicari 13 Italy Fara Olivana con Sola Mr. Nespoli 14 Italy Galliera Veneta Mr. Sabbadin 15 Italy Ghedi Ms. Guarneri 16 Italy Iseo Mr.Marco Ghitti 17 Italy Paganico Sabino Mr. Dominici 18 Italy Polla Mr.Massimo Loviso 19 Italy Ponte San Nicolo Mr.Giovanni Gasparin 20 Italy Pozzallo Mr.Roberto Ammatuna 21 Italy Rocca Grimalda Mr.Fabio Barisione 22 Italy San Giuseppe Vesuviano Mr. Ambrosio 23 Italy Taormina Mr.Enrico Buda 24 Italy Trebaseleghe Mr.Paolo Lamon 25 Italy Tremestieri Etneo Mr.Salvatore Giuffrida 26 Italy Valle di Cadore Mr. Matteo Toscani 27 Italy Zafferana Etnea Mr.Filadelfo Patane 28 Luxembourg Bettembourg Mr.Roby Biwer 29 Spain Calella Mr. Pinatelli 30 Spain Castellbell i el Vilar Mr. Biosca 31 Spain Sabadell Mr. Garrido 32 Spain Santa Margarida de Montbui Mr. Hernandez 33 U.K. Chepstow Mr. Armand Watts [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	January 08, 2006 12:34 AM - having access to materials (CD´s, leaflets and others) that we might use in Portugal to develop our campaigns and in general we really need to get - new ideas and motivation, also contacts and get in touch with "peace working" experiences. One of the most important aspects would also be to collect important elements for the organisation of our Peace and Non-Violence Forum, occurring probably in January 2007 (as the month of Peace -1^st of January and Non-Violence 30^th of January), and for some international workshops during 2006 we would like to organize four or five workshops during the year (on April, May, June and July), both in Oporto and in Lisbon, and maybe also at the Portuguese Social Forum (in which we are trying to plan our presence so that we can be more independent and not suffering much influence from the communist party, learning from the experience of the last Forum). So, we will be expecting suggestions and are very receptive to new ideas. Oceans of peace and love, From GAIA - Portugal Inês Vieira and Pedro Pereira "If you think you are too small to make a difference try sleeping with a mosquito" The Dalai Lama Release Date: 5/01/2006 Voor Moeder Aarde vzw, lid van Friends of the Earth International K. Maria Hendrikaplein 5 9000 Gent - Belgium Tel +32-9-242 87 04 Skype "poltanner" GSM +32 495 28 02 59 Fax +32-9-242 87 51 mailto:pol@motherearth.org>pol<mailto:pol@motherearth.org>@moederaarde.be http://www.motherearth.org/?lang=nl [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	Mayors for Peace goes to Portugal :-) presentation of GAIA - Portugal January 08, 2006 12:30 AM - Anna, here is an idea for yr campaign 2006... [eu-abolition2000] Brief presentation GAIA - Portugal Dear Pedro, Thank you very much for taking the time to introduce GAIA Portugal to the network. This is helpful for many of us I am sure. Concerning Mayors for Peace we wish to support you as much as we can. Next Monday January 9th we will be meeting here in Brussels with your colleagues Joana Suares and Diana Henriques and discuss with Aaron Tovish, the international Mayors for Peace campaign manager, possible ways forward. We will especially discuss the best ways possible to get the Portugese mayors -and people- involved in the 2020 vision. Initial proposal is to have cross-party group of mayors from the major Portugese cities publically announce their membership, while inviting -through a mailing- all their colleagues in Portugal to do the same. This of course supported with a letter from Mr. Akiba Tadatoshi, the mayor of Hiroshima and one of the mayors appointing a civil servant to do all secretarial work. This is the model we used successfully both in Belgium and Luxembourg where today almost half of mayors joined the network. In Flanders we are now also finalizing a "Campaign kit" with over 20 suggestions for actions useful for localactivists and mayors how to follow up once a mayor became a member. We'll keep you updated! Regards, Pol At 00:17 8/01/2006, you wrote: Dear All Peace Work Friends, Perhaps it’s finally time to introduce ourselves. We are GAIA (Grupo de Acção e Intervenção Ambiental Action and Intervention Environmental Group), from Portugal, basically a young grassroots group formed mostly by students and young activists. We are developing campaigns on several different fields like Eco-Consuming (which includes an old campaign anti-OGM), Desertification (including another old campaign on Permaculture), Non-Violence, Animal Defence and Ecological Debt (including some Immigration issues). We also take part on the organisation of a system similar to LETS System and Critical Mass. Our reality in the activist point of view is quite difficult. In spite of trying to establish a professional structure, we are mostly volunteers on a free time basis and operate with very small resources. Therefore the scale of our campaigns and actions tends to be limited. Nevertheless, we have now two full-time worker-activists in order to make GAIA take a new direction, but they are not particularly focused on the Non-Violence campaign. On the other hand, Portuguese reality is particularly difficult as we are among a very passive and indifferent population and with most of young people oriented for consumerism and other modern forms of alienation. In spite of all these circumstances, our approach is of hope and optimism. The need for developing a campaign focused on Peace and Non-Violence emerged recently and in a very natural way. Almost at the same time, two activists from our group in Lisbon, (Peace and Non-Violence campaign, now, is mostly based in Oporto) joined For Mother Earth and through this way we got to know about Abolition 2000, and almost immediately joined the network. It’s quite difficult for us to develop actions on the "Mayors For Peace" campaign, as we are not experienced at all on lobbing. Although it’s not usually our aim, we would like to learn more about that issue! Nevertheless, we started some activities. We organised an action about Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs giving a workshop about Origami. We produced some press releases related for example, with the realeasing of the weapons embargo to China and on the Nobel Price issue. Apart from that we are one of the founding groups of a Peace and Non-Violence platform, together with "Campo Aberto" association, from Porto and "Paz Pazes" project, expecting the cooperation of several NGO`s in Portugal and abroad, which one of the main focus is to organise a Peace and Non-Violence Forum. In general it’s a very "fresh" issue in Portuguese reality and there’s still a giant work to do. Atomic issue is somehow far from our reality because there’s no nuclear energy in Portugal and, on the other hand, there are no North American military basis in Portugal, except on the Azores Islands. So, there isn’t definitely much information on this subject in Portugal, but we are starting some investigation about it (at the national as at the international level, and tending to focus on the connection between nuclear energy and civil and military aims). So, through this presentation we mean to say that we are very happy to learn with this Network and with the experiences of all of us, especially all peace working experiences. In that perspective, we are very interested in the possible meeting during Summer to get to know all activists and try to get as much as possible from their experiences. We are particularly interested in: - direct action strategies and actions (we lack a lot of that around here), non-violent civil disobedience - nuclear energy and armament information - conflict resolution and meditation (we intend to set the focus of our [ send green star]
Waken U.	Mayors for Peace resolution November 23, 2005 12:38 PM I belong to the Union County Peace Council, here in NJ, USA. We recently sent out letters to all the mayors in our county to sign on to the Mayors for Peace resolution. Only one mayor signed on – the mayor of Springfield! We were surprised at the low response, but we will resend the resolution next year. [ send green star] [ accepted]
Waken U.	Care2 has trimmed the letter my group sent out to Union County mayors... November 23, 2005 12:16 PM We, the Union County Peace Council, invite you to join an exciting and important initiative that began in 1982 when then Hiroshima Mayor Takeshi Araki proposed a new program at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The initiative is called the Program to Promote the Solidarity of Cities toward the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons. We are pleased to inform you that the Union County Freeholders recently endorsed a Mayors for Peace resolution. THE MAYORS FOR PEACE MISSION To build solidarity and facilitate coordination among cities that support the Program to Promote the Solidarity of Cities toward the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, Mayors for Peace works internationally to raise consciousness regarding nuclear weapons abolition. Mayors for Peace is also formally committed to pursuing lasting world peace by working to address starvation, poverty, refugee welfare, human rights abuses, environmental destruction, and other problems that threaten peaceful coexistence. In April 2004, a mayoral delegation attended a conference at UN Headquarters, during which they reaffirmed their goal of a nuclear-free world. They established ties with representatives of international NGOs as well as concerned citizens, and mourned those who died at Ground Zero, pledging to prevent any more Ground Zeros like Hiroshima, Nagasaki, or New York City anywhere in the world. The Honorable Takatoshi Akiba, current Mayor of Hiroshima, has said: “The world is losing sight of the vision of a nuclear-free world. In its place, a hellish vision of nuclear proliferation, counter-proliferation wars, and nuclear terrorism looms before us. The extraordinary danger this poses…can hardly be exaggerated. In this age of homeland security and civil defense against weapons of mass destruction, the threat to our cities from nuclear weapons is something that we as mayors have a responsibility to do whatever we can to prevent.” The Sixth General Conference of Mayors for Peace took place in May 2005. This was the sixtieth anniversary of the atomic bombings and the year of the NPT Review Conference. WHAT CAN YOU DO? 1. Find out more about Mayor for Peace and the NPT Conference by visiting their Web site at http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/mayors/english/index.html. 2. Join Mayors for Peace by sending a letter to the Conference Secretariat stating that your city supports the Program to Promote the Solidarity of Cities toward the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons and would like to join. You will receive a certificate confirming you [ send green star] [ accepted]
Pradeep K.	HI FRIENDS October 28, 2005 2:12 AM Hi friends thanks for inviting me to this group especialy Jouni Y from finland . I'm new to this group but not to the activities for acheiving peace. Ya, its good idea to use the message abt peace in the signatures of our mails so tht it is sent as an awareness to everyone . regards Pradeep karumanchi INDIA [ send green star] [ accepted]
Jouni Y.	October 02, 2005 3:48 AM Dear Friends, The joint statement by mayors and members of parliaments/congresses calling on governments to initiate negotiations to abolish nuclear weapons is now available in five languages: English, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. Statement As mayors and legislators we have a role to protect the security of citizens living within our jurisdictions and to protect our localities for future generations. Such security is not advanced when there remain 30,000 nuclear weapons, many of which are deployed and ready for use at short notice. The risk of nuclear weapons use - by accident, design or miscalculation – is increasing due to the proliferation of nuclear weapons to new States, the possibility of non-State access to nuclear weapons and bomb-building materials, and the expanded nuclear weapons use doctrines of the nuclear weapon States. Regardless of where nuclear weapons are targeted or detonated, or whether they are used by terrorist organisations or State militaries, no-one would escape the calamitous consequences of a nuclear attack. Even cities that are not the direct brunt of an attack would feel the global economic, social and medical repercussions, which would dwarf those of 9/11. Any nuclear weapons use would cause unimaginable devastation requiring massive aid, global effects from nuclear fall-out and a rise in refugees seeking to escape the most contaminated regions. The only way to prevent nuclear weapons use is to eliminate all nuclear weapons as mandated by Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the 1996 International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons. Mayors for Peace have provided a vision for the achievement of a nuclear weapons free world by 2020. Therefore, we the undersigned mayors and parliamentarians, call for the commencement of negotiations which would culminate in the comprehensive abolition and elimination of nuclear weapons and the international control of nuclear materials to prevent clandestine bomb-making. If a small number of States continue to prevent such negotiations being initiated at the Conference on Disarmament and also at the NPT Review Conferences, then governments should be encouraged to find an alternative track to nuclear disarmament as was done with the Landmines Convention. The overwhelming majority of citizens in our cities, countries and around the world support the abolition of these ultimate weapons of mass destruction, and we mayors and legislators have a responsibility to use our authority to ensure the implementation of this imperative. To date the statement has been endorsed by 80 mayors and 120 legislators from Aotearoa-New Zealand, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, the European Parliament, France, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Latin American Parliament, the Marshall Islands, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Sweden, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Mayors for Peace has proposed that the United Nations General Assembly establish a sub-committee or sub-committees to start multilateral nuclear disarmament deliberations and negotiations. It is expected that a draft resolution along these lines will be introduced to the UN General Assembly at its Disarmament Committee meeting this month (October). In order to support this initiative the statement will be presented to the United Nations General Assembly Disarmament Committee and circulated to all countries represented at the meeting. Please encourage your mayor and your member of parliament to endorse the statement by October 20 in order to include their name in the presentation of the statement to the United Nations during Disarmament Week. Yours truly, Alyn Ware Parliamentary Network for Nuclear Disarmament -United Nations Office 211 East 43rd Street, #1204 New York, NY 10017 Phone (1) 212 818-1861 Fax: (1) 212 818-1857 Cell (1) 646 752 8702 alyn@pnnd.org http://www.gsinstitute.org/pnnd/ [ send green star]
David J.	Hello September 09, 2005 6:44 AM Thank you for inviting me to this group. I will read your posts. It's always good to meet people like everyone here. [ send green star] [ accepted]
Jouni Y.	July 11, 2005 3:51 AM I would like to thank Michael Badgett to bringing this to our attention at Care2. Please, thank him and join his group as well. I just ordered this free DVD. It will be easy to arrange local meetings and view this DVD along with Mayors for Peace DVD, and to get the attention of local authorities to this important subject. Last Best Chance There has been little public awareness of the global threat of nuclear terrorism, and we need public pressure for action. The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) has released a new docudrama called Last Best Chance. Last Best Chance is based on facts about the lack of security for nuclear weapons and nuclear materials around the world and builds a fictional, yet plausible, scenario about terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons. The film is followed by a conversation about nuclear dangers with Tom Brokaw, former Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA) and Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN). Last Best Chance was produced with support from the Nuclear Threat Initiative, with additional funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. View trailer: http://easylink.playstream.com/ctsg/progressive/nti/lbc_trailer_lg.wvx Get a free DVD: http://www.lastbestchance.org/ TAKE ACTION: Visit Michael Badgett's group Abolishing Nuclear Weapons: http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=760&pst=118762 [ send green star]
Edward L.	Gainesville FL - number 503 on the list July 07, 2005 10:35 AM Yes, it appears that we are the first city in Florida to have signed! I'm so proud! But I don't know anything (yet) about how this happened. I will dig through the city's public document archive to see what I can find. Thanks also for sending the abolitionnow.org link. DVD found! [ send green star] [ accepted]
Jouni Y.	happy news July 07, 2005 10:26 AM Edward, thank you for this very happy and inspiring news... ...please, could you tell some more details how all this started/happened. Is Gainesville then the first city from Florida to endorse the 2020 Vision Campaign of Mayors for Peace? I think we all are curious to hear more about this... ...I prune this thread a bit... ... so I let you know this old news that Mayor Akiba has sent invitation letter to the Mayor of Raisio. I received Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign DVD. It has 45 minute, 5 minute version and 2 minute version. I'm going to ask our local library to show it during the week of memorial day of Hiroshima, 6th of August, there is a small theater for it, let's see what they say, they have approved for a small exhibition from their own material, books etc. they asked me if i could bring a poster but i'm afraid i don't have one... ...The DVD is very good quality. Edward, maybe we should let them know that they have more information about campaign material on this site http://www.abolitionnow.org/mayors.html than their own site? It would be good that if they had it there too. The address of the Mayors for Peace site has changed a bit... http://www.mayorsforpeace.org/english/index.html [ send green star]
Edward L.	Where can I find the DVD July 07, 2005 9:50 AM I have visited the web site, but didn't see any mention of the DVD. On the other hand, I am very happy to report that after some investigation I have discovered the mayor of my city - Pegeen Hanrahan - has signed the Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign statement. I immediately sent her an email thanking her and praising her for her good judgment. [ send green star] [ accepted]
Greg M.	Great Info! June 25, 2005 1:47 PM Thank you John this is very helpful. I had hernia surgery last week, but I will begin pursuing my mayor and members of the Chicago City Council as soon as possible. [ send green star] [ accepted]
Jouni Y.	more information and material June 25, 2005 12:16 PM Greg, Jackie, All! here we can find a lot of material and help. I didn't know they have even a video and DVD available!!! http://www.abolitionnow.org/mayors.html The Mayors for Peace Emergency Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons - 2020 Vision Campaign, led by the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is enrolling mayors across the globe in an urgent call for a nuclear weapons free world. The Mayors for Peace Campaign has proposed that negotiations begin in 2005 and conclude by 2010 for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons, with global nuclear disarmament implemented no later than 2020. Abolition Now! seeks your active participation in enrolling your Mayor and other civic leaders in this unprecedented Campaign. Act today – enroll your mayor in the Mayors for Peace Emergency Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons. 1. Meet with your mayor and ask him/her to sign the Mayoral Statement in Support of the Commencement of Negotiations on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons Download: International Mayors Statement [HTML] [DOC] US Mayors Statement [HTML] [DOC] Return the statement to: Abolition Now! 215 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1001 New York, NY 10016 2. Invite your mayor to become member of Mayors for Peace. To request that your city be issued an invitation letter from Mayor Akiba of Mayors for Peace, send an e-mail to mayors@pcf.city.hiroshima.jp and monika@abolitionnow.org. Resources For Activists Mayors for Peace Emergency Campaign Checklist Request a Mayors for Peace video and arrange public showings in your city Request the Mayors for Peace video or DVD Send your name, address, telephone and fax numbers to: Mayors for Peace C/O Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation 1-2 Nakajima-cho Naka-ku Hiroshima 730-0811 Japan or Fax: 81-82-242-7452 or E-mail: mayorcon@pcf.city.hiroshima.jp Please specify preferred format (VHS, DVD) and preferred types (NTSC, PAL, SECOM or others) Sign up for the Mayors for Peace mailing list. To do so, send an e-mail to mayorcon@pcf.city.hiroshima.jp For more resources and information, visit the Resources Page. For more information on Mayors for Peace, please visit the official website. [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	chilling and activating June 22, 2005 2:07 PM Greg, I suggest that you read all relevant information here at discussion board, request to connect with Jackie Rook, and our hosts Ross Jaynes and Aisha who have been elaborating this in their cities too. Is every citizen in Chicago eligible to make proposals to the city council? it would be great if our US members who know more about processes locally would contribute here, if not, then i guess we just have to learn about it. Could we invite somebody who knows a lot about city councils and how do they work? or do we have already in the group members who know?? In my hometown everything was quite new to me. I just started to learn how the city functions actually. In fact, it is exciting to learn and act locally and be in touch globally, and to learn and raise one's awareness. [ send green star]
Greg M.	Activate! June 22, 2005 12:51 PM John, Yes I would be willing to contribute in what ever way I can. Give me some pointers on how to get started. [ send green star] [ accepted]
Jouni Y.	Chicaco activating June 22, 2005 11:25 AM Gregg, great! I sent yesterday and today copied and sent a message to Jackie Rook from Chicago. She is in this group. I don't remember right now more members from Chicago. Sorry, the group management console doesn't yield for complete information. We can see 50 members at one time. Would you like us to recruit more interested members for Chicago? would you join that action too? [ send green star]
Greg M.	Chicago June 21, 2005 12:12 PM Has anyone from Chicago who is a member of this group approached the Mayor or the City Council about joining Mayors for Peace? If so let me know what help you need. If not I will do what I can to get the ball rolling. Anyone else from Chicago want to get this going here? [ send green star] [ accepted]
Jouni Y.	pruning threads June 21, 2005 7:14 AM In addition to this campaign, Akiba, a former university professor, is working hard to get Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study courses established in colleges and universities around the world. The atomic bombings have never received the academic analysis they deserve, and with the average age of the A-bomb survivors (hibakusha) now over 72, finding new ways of passing on the A-bomb memory is an urgent task. Akiba has recently traveled to India, Pakistan, England, France, Germany, Russia, the U.S., Canada and China to make personal appeals to university presidents and professors. In nearly every case, he has successfully aroused interest in the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study Project. Several institutions of higher learning (many universities in Japan; American University in Washington, D.C., Tufts University in Boston, where Akiba taught, and Illinois Wesleyan University in the U.S.; Berlin Technology Institute and Paris Institute of Political Studies in Europe) have already begun offering courses or seminars, and many more are in the planning stages. Mayor Akiba is a respected leader in the most critical movement of this decade: the campaign to eliminate nuclear weapons. The survival of our civilization may well depend on his success. The City of Hiroshima/Official Homesite in English http://www.city.hiroshima.jp/e/index-E.html Atomic Bomb: Decision http://www.dannen.com/decision/ A- Bomb WWW Museum http://www.csi.ad.jp/ABOMB/ This online exhibition features a selection of photographs from Hiromi Tsuchida's "Hiroshima" work dealing with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. The work consists of three subjects: monuments, people, and articles which were present during the atomic blast at 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945. The photographs are accompanied by texts (originally including maps, too). Tsuchida has devoted himself to this Hiroshima project over the last two decades since 1975. He has been back to the photographed sites in the City of Hiroshima to update this visual record. http://www.lclark.edu/~history/HIROSHIMA/ This report describes the effects of the atomic bombs which were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively. It summarizes all the authentic information that is available on damage to structures, injuries to personnel, morale effect, etc., which can be released at this time without prejudicing the security of the United States. http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/abomb/mpmenu.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	pruning threads - moving this information here June 21, 2005 7:07 AM Mayor of Hiroshima determined to make his city a symbol of peace /prosperity For 59 years the city of Hiroshima has been warning the world about nuclear weapons, but five years ago, with the election of Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba, Hiroshima finally became a player on the international stage. Having graduated from both Tokyo University and MIT in Boston, and having lived nearly 20 years in the U.S., Akiba is a rarity among Japanese politicians: bilingual, and thoroughly cosmopolitan. Equally rare are his commitments to peace, the abolition of nuclear weapons, environmental protection, and open, transparent, democratic government. Since becoming mayor in 1999, Akiba has been working hard to help Hiroshima live up to its image as the International Peace Culture City. He has been fighting to make Hiroshima’s rivers clean enough to swim in. He has overseen a great improvement in waste management. Today, the people of Hiroshima divide their trash into eight categories, and Hiroshima discards less waste per capita than any other city of similar size in Japan. Akiba has also been fighting to make city government more transparent and evenhanded. He has been dismantling the back-room machines that have for years been making certain types of city decisions. By implementing a fairer and more effective bidding system for public works projects and by instituting a referendum system for direct citizen participation, he has made municipal decision making more democratic. Meanwhile, he has greatly reduced gang activity among youth. Mobilizing the police and training volunteers to walk the streets at key times and places, he has enforced discipline, but he has also sought to go to the roots of gang activity. Hiroshima now offers various forms of individual guidance, counselling, and assistance that help many angry young men find more productive ways to relate to their families and the broader community. As a part of this campaign, last April Akiba led a delegation of 19 mayors and deputy mayors from 12 countries to the NPT Preparatory Committee Meeting at UN Headquarters in New York. By speaking to national delegates, taking part in NGO lobbying activities, and meeting with Parliamentarians for Peace and the New York City Council, this delegation contributed enormously toward making the nuclear threat an urgent issue. The next goal of the campaign is to bring 100 mayors to New York for the NPT Review Conference in May 2005, and to facilitate anti-nuclear demonstrations in New York and hundreds of cities around the world. [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	your question June 15, 2005 12:19 PM Hi Oskar, I'm very sorry that we have missed your question at this thread. Have you read more information now about Mayors for Peace. what do you think? I remember that Stockholm and Malmö are member cities, but i don't know if new cities from Sweden have joined. Have you checked? would you like to give a try in your hometown to introduce the idea to them? In Norway, it is quite the opposite, Oslo, is not a member city but 30 smaller cities are members at the moment. And, Finland, a bit sleepy here, as Mariehamn which is not in the mainland, but located on an Island between Finland and Sweden is only member city so far. [ send green star]
Oskar T.	June 02, 2005 7:36 AM Wow, this group is awesome! Thanks for the invitation, but I'm not sure how I can help you out. I will introduce myself. Im a student, forestry/tourism as my main subject. Living in the peaceful country Sweden no war since 1809, if Im not mistaken). Living in a small town, or village as I like to call it with a population of 40 people. I was raised with the forest and animals all around me and know alot about it and wish to preserve the nature for future generations. With the preservation of the nature I'm much against nuclear weapons/power and wish it will one day be no more nuclear plants in the world. Someone said something about hunters, I'm a hunter and trying to tell people we do more than killing animals. We (as true hunters) are constantly trying to create safe enviroments for all animals. //: Oskar Torneus [ send green star] [ accepted]
Aisha M.	Hello Mena: May 27, 2005 1:44 PM to the group. I had a similar experience. As the cold war ended we gradually stopped being worried about nuclear weapons. So this movement was a real eye opener for me too. Thanks for your enthusiasm and don't ever be discouraged, change happens one person at a time (meaning each of us)! Love and light, Aisha. [ send green star] [ accepted]
Mena B.	Thank you May 27, 2005 1:02 PM Thank you for the invitation to this wonderful group. I must say, I thought I knew alot, but wow, I was way off. I have learned so much in just a matter of minutes. I live in New York, don't know how many people are from here in this group. I would definately sign a petition as was being suggested in earlier posts. I will be asking some friends who are socially aware but not part of the care2 network to get involved. The more people we have that are informed and willing, the easier it will be to see positive outcomes. I think we definately need a new face to the US government. Things have kinda fallen apart in the last few years with this War and current "bigwigs". I think the biggest problem is that right after 9/11 people started getting totally into what was going on around them (this was good). But, as time has passed, I think more and more people are becoming discouraged that we can make things change. Thank you for this site and information, I believe all of working together, we can get good things done. [ send green star] [ accepted]
Naomi K.	amazed May 25, 2005 2:08 PM Wow I can't believe how much I didn't know. This site is awesom in letting people llke me know what is going on. Thanks for all the enlightment. Now I feel like I must get more active and informed. Thanks for everything Naomi [ send green star] [ accepted]
Jouni Y.	feelings May 18, 2005 8:32 AM Hi Deb and JoK, thank you so much for sharing your threads and feelings and gratitude... ...isn't it awe that there are so many things going on different levels that it is very challenging to track the energy, threads, the challenging thing of these times is how we as individual level as decision-makers, making choices and also choices for action, ngo-level, political level and company level could contemplate for the best for us all, and saving nature and energy, more happy feelings and laughter... Best States of Being for all! please, continue sharing your threads, feelings, thoughts, ideas... [ send green star]
Jo K.	Mayor of Hiroshima May 18, 2005 7:29 AM Wow, what a truly remarkable person. It is sad and frustrating that this is the first I have ever heard of him and his efforts. [ send green star] [ accepted]
Jouni Y.	is it possible May 17, 2005 11:45 PM Is it possible with the same petition to show gratitude for more people? something empowering... [ send green star]
Jouni Y.	to be more accurate May 17, 2005 11:29 PM thanks Deb... ..yes, it is Mayor Aguire Gabino who has been "The Activist". I don't have any information about how Governor S. would have been involved, but still "his" state, or i should say mayors in your state has been most active to be involved in M&P, dear members and friends who live in California. About petition: it could be of encouragement and gratitude, maybe it could contain a story, anecdote/s (from the movie???), something empowering, something what we hope for etc. Deb asked about city councils. Is here members who know more about how city councils function? Deb, how about approaching Mayor directly in San Antonio. You told something about elections? It is possible request the invitation from M&P office. They will send it directly to Mayor's office. Maybe the simplest thing is most effective. Feel free join the discussion, and make your city part of the M & P movement. Have a Great and Inspiring Day! [ send green star]
Deb H.	May 17, 2005 5:16 PM The Governor of California has been in office less than two years. Giving him credit for all 70 cities might be a stretch of the imagination, but we could still thank him and ask him to relay our gratitude to the mayors and citizens of California. (The Governor is a registered Republican, but tends to lean liberal on social issues. I'm not certain where he would come down on this issue.) I found a website that might prove useful. Frankly, there is so much information I haven't had a chance to wade through it all yet! City Mayors: Running the World's Cities Keep the conversation flowing, folks. That's where the ideas begin! Could a city council vote to have their community join the group? [ send green star] [ accepted]
Jouni Y.	May 16, 2005 10:40 AM Thank you for bringing this idea of governors for peace here. I would like to keep you all fully informed what we are doing as individuals, as a group and co-operation with Peace Think Tank. I decided to consult Eric S. from Peace Think Tank (please, do check that wonderful group). I told him about new thread discussing about governors. I went to M&P site and checked which state is most active in M&P. There are 17 cities from California (alltogether US 70) including key major cities like San Franciso and Los Angeles participating Mayors for Peace. So would it be possible that governor Arnold Scharwezenegger is aware of this project? what could we do? Would it be possible with a positive petition (50-100) signatures to thank him that "his" state and mayor Aguire Gabino, Santa Paula has been so active to recruit 70 mayors to this movement (I'm not quite sure if he has done all that but it is possible, actually i know very little about him)? A petition could be just first stage to charge our group working specific goal and starting to create awareness and get governor's and administration attention at state level to this thing for the first time or just more. On my mind thanking about something is usually always something positive even if governor Schwarzenegger would not know about the whole thing. We could thank both with the same petition. Does governor has children? what do you think? Eric told that he would shoot for more signatures. He could market a petition to 10,000 people on his network. We should be able to get at least 500 or more signatures. With our help perhaps even more. Since we have not done this before, we do not know however. Eric suggested to take this idea to the co-hosts at The Petition Center and ask them. They are experts at this petition writing stuff. They can even help us write one up... but first i would like to ask all members suggestions what kind of things you would like to bring in this petition, it is a petition to express concern about situation of US nuclear weapons (there are thousands of them left), nuclear weapons of Russia and China that are targeted against US cities (there are thousands of them left)... ...but also being thankful that, well, of course the thing that we are still alive and kicking , yes, but what else, please, all suggestions are now precious, we discuss about this petition idea here, and then we will bring the ideas and thougths to Petition centre... [ send green star]
Aisha M.	Thank you John and Deb: May 16, 2005 10:09 AM For the wonderful posts, it helps me to understand the U.S. System a bit better. Also, thanks for the humour John. Love and light, Aisha. [ send green star] [ accepted]
John V Bessa V.	Knowing how state government works May 15, 2005 8:33 PM If you get Red govenor, then you get a bunch of red mayors in the process since they are so dependant on each other. That was my origianal suggestion somewhere else, that got me sucked back in. As you can see, I like to live in our political past, the present is really f*n scary. [ send green star] [ accepted]
Deb H.	Actually... May 15, 2005 8:16 PM I should have said "Congress does" as the power to declare war rests with congress. [ send green star] [ accepted]
Deb H.	Red (Republican) States in the US May 15, 2005 8:13 PM Unfortunately, the majority of Governors in "Red" States are Republican. Although they are elected on a statewide basis, not appointed by the president, they depend upon the political and financial support of the national party (aka the RNC & Bush Administration). Urban population centers in traditionally republican states are more likely to support Democratic candidates and ideals. In Texas, we'll have a better chance working with Mayors than the Governor. San Antonio is a problem due to the military bases here. Neither the mayor nor the governor control the military; the president does. [ send green star] [ accepted]
John V Bessa V.	A little more off topic May 15, 2005 4:21 PM Eleanor Roosevelt was a truly amazing person, as FDRs wife, she implemented a lot of social reforms and structured the womens defense effort portrayed by Rosie the Riveter. They had a basically open marriage, though I dont think it was her idea. The site link above says: America's most influential First Lady blazed paths for women and led the battle for social justice everywhere She might be foreshadowing Hillary Clinton, Horney Clinton's wife and Senetor from NY. She is expected to run for President in 2008. If she wins, that will be a sigh of relief for the whole planet. Clinton was popular but kinda creepy and did some odd things. But our present problems started after he left. Hillary is perceived as being more honest and is socialist in comparison w/ the present president, what is his name ?? Documenting the misdeeds of the present president (forgot his name) is going to be necessary to convince the US that the damage needs to be reveresed by bringing someone w/ some healing characteristics. Keep in mind the that KKK influence in the US lasted from 1865 to 1985, I believe it is still there. They are actually called the invisible empire, but they are pretty visible to me. I mean [ send green star] [ accepted]
John V Bessa V.	May 15, 2005 4:06 PM I wrote a long long thing for you .. and lost it !! I hate it when that happens lol I will try again: The govenor is elected from one of the parties, democratic or republican. It is a purely political position in that he is in charge of the state ruling party and works to elect all the other positions in the state. The govenor of NJ really really pleased us by stopping a bear hunt. He is an acting Govenor, the last one was bisexual and got found out. He may be a good place to start, he does not have much to lose, I dont think he wants to run for the real job. The US is divided now into states that voted for Bush and the others which Bush calls red states, meaning communist. I am not sure what the criteria would be for determining which govenors would be most ammenable, but I think a democratic state w/ a democratic govenor would be best. Nuclear proliferaton is a huge problem for the US since we have been targeted for terrorist attacks. A nuclear attack against the US might end the US democratic system, which would be a huge problem for the world, a lot worse that the effect Bush is having. About past govenors: The most famous govenor was Teddy Roosevelt who became the president. He started as police chief of NY and mayor during the infamous Tammany years. Tammany was just pure corruption. He was famous for his phrase, walk softly and carry a big stick and he led the raids on the corruption hideouts himself. As president he founded all the national parks and as govenor built the Adirondack park the biggest regional park in the world. Unfortunately he was a hunter, but we can assume if he lived today, he wouldnt be a hunter. His cousin was FDR who led the US out of the great depression and thru WWII. He made the US as powerful as it is, we are now slipping of course. He was very liberal and created all of the US social systems. Needless to say he is hated by the present president.. what is his name ?? I cant remember if FDR was govenor. But to truly understand the Govenor's office you have to look at Huey P. Long, a very very poor boy from Louisiana who led that state out of the famous bayou swamps. He built all the bridges and roads and every bridge is named after him. He was the definition of corruption, the southern good old boys network, but it worked for Lousiana. He was killed but not for political misdeeds, he was shot by a man protecting his sister's honor. [ send green star] [ accepted]
Jouni Y.	governors among other things May 10, 2005 2:17 PM Is there one governor per each state and is he elected or nominated by the president? John, who is the governor and which state you live in? So, governors influences mayors? do they meet once a month or once a year? Could we influence also governors? I would like to learn more about US and i believe that many of our members are not so familiar how the states and cities are ruled in US (maybe some good thread to learn more, please)? In Finland the population is approx 5 million and we have a president who is currently a woman, Tarja Halonen. We have a parliament that consist of 200 representatives (almost half and half both genders, little bit less women). In the city where i live approx 25 000 inhabitants and 46 elected representatives of which 24 male and 22 female. The leader of the city is not called a mayor, and he is not chosen by citizens but he is nominated by elected politicians. I guess we get along together pretty well here in Raisio but on the country level Finnish people are accused sometimes to be too silent, introvert and aggressive towards each other (we have more homicides compared to other EU countries). There is a joke that Finnish people are silent with all languages that we have learned. I just read in the news that pedagogists are worried about how people speak nowadays as there is not so much face to face communication because of media, books and newspapers, and that people don't sing so well as before. I hope music classes, karaoke, choruses and festivals become more popular and turn the tide. We are listening a lot of music, but sing in cars, in shower or at home inside. i guess this is enough lecturing about Finland and Raisio, my hometown, news and feelings. Looking forward to hear from you John and members. I wish you all best states of being, welcome all new members, and sing and laugh a lot (don't think what other people think of you but, please, behave). [ send green star]
John V Bessa V.	Governors for Peace May 09, 2005 10:53 AM Why not ?? They influence the mayors, its very political at the State level in the US [ send green star] [ accepted]
Road L.	Great stuff May 08, 2005 10:21 AM Check out Peace Think Tank for more ideas on inviting people to the peace movement. I adapted your idea for use over there. This is how we get to our common goal. Keep up the good work. Click here to join; http://passport.care2.net/invite.html?g=3626 Sending You Peace, Love and Light, Eric [ send green star] [ accepted]
John D.	Absolutely May 06, 2005 12:21 AM An excelent Idea... [ send green star] [ accepted]
VW T.	TA April 24, 2005 1:41 PM Good Idea Thank U [ send green star] [ accepted]
Aisha M.	Awareness of this project. April 21, 2005 11:01 AM Hello everyone: To help promote greater awareness of this noble project and show our support, this text and link can be included at the bottom of our personal e-mails as part of the signature. MAYORS FOR PEACE: raising consciousness regarding nuclear weapons abolition and pursuing lasting world peace by working to address starvation, poverty, refugee welfare, human rights abuses, environmental destruction, and other problems that threaten peaceful coexistence. For more information visit: http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/mayors/ If you wish to make use of this tool for promotion of our cause, just copy the above paragraph and paste unto your e-mail signature. Also, please feel free to contact any of the hosts if you have any ideas that would help promote this project. Love and light and , Aisha. [ send green star] [ accepted]