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WHAT'S NEW IN INES? |
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No.20/2001 |
Dateline: May 19, 2001 |
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This is the weekly electronic information service of the International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility
Editor: Tobias Damjanov, e-mail:
INES homepages: http://inesglobal.org http://www.inesglobal.com/
INES International Office
INES Chair: Prof. Armin Tenner [Please note that the first "1" in q18 is the number one, while the last "l" is a "L"]
CONTENTS of WNII No. 20/2001
MEMBERSHIP AND PROJECTS' NEWS"
"INES Newsletter" No. 33 out now
The "INES Newsletter" No. 33/May 2001 has the following contents:
The "INES Newsletter" is edited by Armin Tenner: A pure ASCII version is available for distribution by e-mail. Ask the "INES Newsletter" editor to put you on his distribution list. The "INES Newsletter" is also available at: http://inesglobal.org Previous issues are archived at: http://inesglobal.org/ines2.htm
USA: Request concerning "Green Energy"
INES member Tom Munsey, USA, writes: "Dear friends, I'm part of a work group tasked with coming up with a position on Energy production and use to be used in the platform of the Green Party of Washington State. Searching the web for relevant information is proving to be a Herculean task as there are thousands of web pages devoted to energy. If any of you have a favorite web site or other info sources which discuss this topic, I would certainly appreciate tapping your knowledge. Thanks, Tom Munsey"
SPECIAL SECTION
ON THE US MISSILE DEFENCE POLICY
Positions of Arab NGOs on BMD Problems
On April 30, a meeting was organized by Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity Organisation (AAPSO) in cooperation with the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and the Arab Coordination Center of NGOs on US BMD Projects. INESAP member Bahig Nassar, the coordinator of the Arab Coordination Center of NGOs and member of AAPSO Disarmament Committee, has now distributed a summary of this meeting which you can obtain either directly from B. Nassar: or from the WNII Editor as an rtf-formatted email attachment
Canada: "We're buddies with a bully" (from: Nuclear Policy Project Special Report, May 16, 2001)
In his article, Gordon Smith, director of the Centre for Global Studies at the University of Victoria and former deputy minister of foreign affairs and ambassador to NATO for the Canadian government, states that Canada should not default to agreement with a United States that flouts international rules in its pursuit of a National Missile Defense (NMD) system. Smith states that the reactions of those most affected by NMD, Russia and the PRC, will in turn affect Canadian security. He argues that while the US attests to only benign intentions, he says, "It does mean that the United States does not want to be constrained or accountable to anyone outside its sovereign borders," and that this has implications for international rules on everything from security to copyright protections. Smith concludes by calling for international discussion on the future shape of global security. The article was originally published on May 15, 2001, in Canada's "Globe and Mail." The article is available from the WNII Editor as an rtf-formatted email attachment.
Abolition 2000 homepage: http://www.abolition2000.org
Grassroots News: http://www.napf.org/abolition2000/news/
Nuclear Weapons Abolition Day, 1 October 2001: Call for action!
Join with anti-nuclear activists around the world, taking nonviolent direct action for the abolition of nuclear weapons, and to prevent nuclear war-crimes. October 1 marks the anniversary of the end of the Nuremberg war- crimes trials. The Nuremberg Principles give every citizen the right, and the duty, to act to prevent the preparation for crimes against humanity. In 1996, the International Court of Justice gave an advisory opinion that the use or threat of nuclear weapons is contrary to international law. It also stated that the Nuremberg Principles would apply to nuclear weapons. Since 1997, the Nuclear Weapons Abolition Days (A-Days) network has coordinated nonviolent direct actions against nuclear weapons. The next "Abolition Day" will be on 30 September and 1 October 2001. We are inviting activists from all over the world to take actions at nuclear related sites in order to prevent nuclear crime. Many of these actions have used the "Citizens War Crimes Inspection" as an action model. Taking a lead from the UNSCOM inspectors in Iraq, activists have entered nuclear weapons bases, and other nuclear related sites, in several countries. They have obtained important information about these illegal weapons of mass destruction, and questioned workers about their knowledge of the Nuremberg principles. A blockade is already planned at Buchel Airbase, Germany, on 30th September. Contact or visit http://www.gaaa.org for more details. Other actions will take place in the Netherlands, England and Belgium. If you would like more information on these actions, or if you would like advice on how to organise your own action, contact For Mother Earth: http://www.motherearth.org/nuke
Alterations, Modifications, Refurbishments and Possible New Designs for the US Nuclear Weapons Stockpile
A 6-page fact sheet entitled "Alterations, Modifications, Refurbishments and Possible New Designs for the US Nuclear Weapons Stockpile" is now available on the Nuclear Watch of New Mexico web page at: http://www.nukewatch.org This fact sheet is essentially a compilation of quotes and references from the FY 2002 Department of Energy (DOE) Congressional Budget Request, the FY 2001 DOE Stockpile Stewardship Plan (AKA the "Green Book") and various DOE and nuclear weapons labs documents. Just last year the US pledged to "an unequivocal undertaking" to disarm its nuclear stockpile and to take "practical steps for the systematic and progressive efforts to implement [NonProliferation Treaty] Article VI." Besides being informational, the attempt of this fact sheet is to provide indisputable evidence from relevant government documents that the US is qualitatively doing the opposite. Information like this might then perhaps be of some use during future reviews of the Nonproliferation Treaty to help further pressure the US to disarm. Alternatively, the specific URL for the fact sheet is: http://www.nukewatch.org/weaponsfactsheet.html Or if you want a Microsoft Word version (the formatting in this version is better.): http://www.nukewatch.org/weapons.doc NOTE: If any organization wishes to link to those sites, please feel free to do so. We can mail hard copy upon request if an address is sent to:
The Stakeholder Toolkit. A Resource for Women and NGOs Based on the Stakeholder Toolkit for Women website http://www.earthsummit2002.org/toolkits/women/index.htm
The British UNED Forum has published a spiral-bound, 100 page booklet which is edited by Minu Hemmati & Kerstin Seliger (March 2001). It provides information and resources for those aiming to engage effectively in implementing international agreements, impacting policy making and dealing with relevant official bodies at international and regional levels; the UN Conference processes, their issues and follow-ups; international agreements on women's / gender issues; networking. The booklet is available free of charge for women's groups, NGOs, CBOs and other civil society groups in developing countries; it can be ordered at £7.50 (plus p&p) by those in developed countries. For orders, contact Gregoire LeDivellec, Administrator, UNED Forum:
International workshop on multi-stakeholder processes
Organized by the British UNED Forum, this workshop was held at New York, 28-29 April this year. The Co-Chair's Summary is available from the WNII Editor as an rtf-formatted email attachment.
Web site address for the World Summit on Sustainable Development
The Web site address for the World Summit on Sustainable Development has changed to: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org
No new or changed addresses.
All INES e-mail addresses and homepages are available upon request from:
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