Check this video exploring the links between the climate and care crises and nuclear disarmament! Organised by London CND in collaboration with Youth & Student CND, Stop the War Coalition, Extinction Rebellion UK and De-Militarise Education.
In September 2001 United Nations GA resolution 55/282 was unanimously adopted by the General Assembly, establishing the UN International Day of Peace as an annual day of global ceasefire and non - violence, fixed in the calendar as September 21st. Peace One Day has successfully driven the initiative to establish this day in many countries throughout the world. It is marked in many different ways, for example - with real ceasefires in conflict zones, arts festivals,and educational projects in schools. The South East London CND Peace Coalition marked it on Sept 22nd this year due to organisational demands, with music, poetry, a speaker about the Gaza settlements, and film extracts about the history of the organisation and a Woodcraft Folk peace project.
00:00:00 Introduction - Gini Bevan (SE London CND groups), Richard Hart and Ann Garrett (Bromley Peace Council)
00:08:43 Music - Nick Jeffrey and The Lewisham Folk Mob
00:38:30 Film - Tracy Cleveland (Woodcraft Folk)
00:47:15 Music - North Kent and Petts Wood musician via La Dolce Vita Folk Club – Paul Steele
00:56:12 Film - Peace One Day, introduced by Hannah Kemp Welch (London Region CND)
01:02:56 Talk - The Gaza Settlements, Michael Coulston (Stop the War) + with Ang Swee Chai 01:19:28 Music - La Dolce Vita Folk Club - Curtis Savage
01:28:20 Poetry - Richard Hart. Roisin Robertson, Leon Silver, Ben Silver, Patricia Lower, Ann Garrett and Ruth Fabricant (local SE London peace poets and singers)
01:28:03 Music – a song from each of the musicians 02:05:32 Final announcements and thanks
London CND supported the London Peace Pagoda’s annual event, held this year via Zoom.
Programme
Welcome & Introduction - Shigeo Kobayashi (MC), JAN UK
Water Sprinkling & Blessing - Rev. Nagase Shonin, London Peace Pagoda
Chanting - Rev. Nagase Shonin
Chapter 16 Lotus Sutra - Rev. Nagase Shonin
Tibetan Traditional Chanting - Jamyang Buddhist Sangha －Geshe Tenzin Namdak
Christian Prayer - Rev. Alan Gadd, South London Interfaith Group
Speech - Bruce Kent, Vice-President of CND
Speech - Shigeo Kobayashi
Speech on Bradwell - Yuko Moriyama-Wiffen
Song for Peace - Brigette Bennett
Conclusion & Thanks - Shigeo Kobayashi
The ceremony ended with the live image of lanterns at the London Peace Pagoda.
This year, we held our annual Hiroshima Day commemorations online, as we were unable to meet in Tavistock Square. The event was recorded and can be viewed below.
Feedback from our guests:
Sonoda : I am a Fukushima nuclear victim. Thank you to all.
Syeda : Thank you all, 本当にありがとうございます。Great songs!
Frank: Thanks to all, from Leicester.
Min O'R: Thanks to all, from Belfast
Iliyana: Thanks from Scotland and our Peace Cranes exhibition at the Edinburgh Peace & Justice Centre
Symon, Peace Pledge Union: Many thanks to all organisers and participants.
Ziba, Raised Voices Choir in London : Thank you Hugh for all these excellent songs.
Katrina A: Thank you everyone who organised and contributed to this great event.
Tim O: Thanks very much to everyone involved.
Cordelia: Thank you to everyone who organised this important event
Gerri: Today is so important to me and this has been a wonderful, spiritual way to remember. With love
Mahzad : Thank you for commemorating this very important historical and humanitarian event
Julie S: Thank you everyone for this event!
Mariette and Jai : Thank you London CND for this event.
Paula S: Thank you for an excellent Zoom x
Ivan R: Thank you for holding this !
To commemorate Nagasaki day, we have launched an online exhibition 08:15 - 11.02, Time, Memory and Nuclear Weapons.
The exhibition will be live from 9am on 9th August 2020, with works by Graham Ashton, Peter Barton, Steven Feld, Hannah Kemp-Welch, Peter Kennard, Martyl Langsdorf, Anne Leilehua Lanzilotti.
This exhibition considers our relationship to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki today, as we mark the 75th anniversary. Drawing together artists’ responses that hold time and remembrance as central themes, works in film, photography, sound and performance invite the visitor to pause for reflection and connect with these experiences through our everyday encounters with time.
As our Hiroshima and Nagasaki events are being held online this year, we wanted to share the spirit of community so often felt at these events, that helps us to persevere in our mission.
Last year, London CND coordinator Hannah Kemp-Welch represented CND at the World Conference Against A&H bombs in Japan. There, she recorded some of the singing she heard at the conference - attended by 5,000 people from all over the world, committed to campaigning until nuclear weapons are abolished.
Listen to activitsts from around the globe singing ‘We Shall Overcome’ on 6th August 2019 in Hiroshima, and do sing-a-long from home!
We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.
We'll walk hand in hand, we'll walk hand in hand,
We'll walk hand in hand someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We'll walk hand in hand someday.
We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall live in peace someday.
We are not afraid, we are not afraid,
We are not afraid today;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We are not afraid today.
We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.
Joe Jukes from CND Peace Education has created this video to share the story behind the paper peace crane, alongside a ‘how-to’ so you can spend a refelective moment this Hiroshima Day folding your own.
Jacqui from Greater Manchester Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament interviews Sean Morris from Nuclear Free Local Authorities about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (the 'Ban Treaty') and ways that towns and cities can show their support.
Items mentioned in the video:
• CND's Ban Communities webpage and draft resolution via: https://cnduk.org/nuclear-ban-communities/
• Background on the Treaty from ICAN via: https://www.icanw.org/the_treaty
• Newsletters and briefings from Nuclear Free Local Authorities via: https://www.nuclearpolicy.info/
Michael Mears, an award-winning performer of his own solo plays for theatre and radio, has produced This Evil Thing about conscientious objectors in World War I as a lockdown movie in six parts of around 15 mins each.
An actor and playwright, Michael has a rich career in theatre, television and film – from classical Shakespearean roles to Paddington 2 and the hotel barman who brings Hugh Grant and Andie McDowell together in Four Weddings And A Funeral.
Michael also appeared in Christine Edzard’s adaptation of The Good Soldier Schweik familiar to London filmgoers via the Sands Film Studios. Their film club screenings are cancelled during lockdown, but a new presentation is streamed live every Tuesday night at 8pm via the website or FB page.
In early March, London CND held it’s annual conference – this year, titled ‘Ethical Foreign Policy’. This vibrant event had a diverse panel of speakers, and video presentations from the USA and New Zealand. We’re delighted to now make this available for you to view online.
Part one
Welcome (start - 00:06:58)
Carol Turner, London CND
Nobu Ono, SOAS Student CND Society
Amber Goneni, Youth & Student CND
Plenary 1 (00:06:58 - end)
BRITAIN’S ROLE IN THE WORLD
Catherine West MP: View from Westminster
Video link with Marian Hobbs: The New Zealand experience
Hannah Kemp-Welch: Women and nuclear
Kristen Hope: Reflections on the Calais Convey
Facilitator: Carol Turner
Part two
Plenary 2
IRAN, IRAQ CONFLICTS
Carol Turner: Breaking the Iran nuclear deal
Abbas Edalat: Iran today
Sami Ramadani: Iraq 17 years on
Emma Dent Coad
Part three
Round Table
ENGAGING NEW ACTIVISTS
Video link with Emily Rubino: View from the US
Benali Hamdache: Climate and war
Kanako Higa: US bases
Nobu Ono: SOAS Students
Facilitator: Amber Goneni
