NJPN Blog: 60 years of campaigning against nuclear weapons

Michael and Patricia Pulham

A special commemorative zoom event is planned by Christian CND to mark 60 years of its campaigning against nuclear weapons. It will take place on Monday 12 July at 7pm....

The event was originally scheduled to take place in Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, the location of the historic first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in 1946. The first resolution it passed called for the elimination of nuclear weapons!

We're delighted that we'll be joined online by Revd Dr Inderjit Bhogal OBE, a leading theologian and Methodist Minister who received the World Methodist Peace Award in 2018. He will speak about the biblical principles of nonviolence and why Christians should engage in disarmament efforts.

Pax Christi International Senior Advisor Marie Dennis, based in Washington DC, will talk about the steps the Vatican has taken for disarmament and the role of the Catholic Church in the next stage of campaigning. Marie is also a key member of the team working on disarmament efforts at the UN on behalf of the Vatican.

Memories and reflections from the past 60 years will be led by Bruce Kent and Valerie Flessati - stalwarts of the peace movement for decades - and there will be a chance to sing Let us raise Our Voice, the hymn written for our 60th anniversary by Christopher Idle and Sue Gilmurray.

Speakers will also include Ben Donaldson of the United Nations Association, Steve Hucklesby of the Joint Public Issues Team, Rebecca Johnson on the Ban Treaty and Tony Miles, Methodist Central Hall Westminster. Christian CND's Development Manager, Russell Whiting, will chair.

Breakout groups to choose from include - how to encourage your bank and pension provider to stop investing in nuclear weapons; the morality of nuclear weapons, using the Nuclear Morality Flowchart; what's next for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; and what we can learn from the experience of New Zealand.

As a specialist section of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Christian CND campaigns on key issues around nuclear weapons alongside CND and in a way which reaches the Christian community in the UK and further afield. All campaigning work is underpinned by prayer, and a monthly Prayer Diary is produced. Christian CND has a vision for a world without nuclear weapons with the UK playing its part by scrapping our weapons system Trident and cancelling the planned replacement, which is estimated to cost at least £205bn.

There will be time for prayer and discussion in what promises to be a great evening. You can reserve your free place on Zoom by registering at: www.christiancnd.org.uk/12july

Patricia and Michael Pulham are on Christian CND's Executive Committee.

LINKS

Christian CND - https://christiancnd.org.uk/

A few places are still available for the Annual Conference of the National Justice and Peace Network (NJPN) 23-25 July 2021, which is looking at ecological conversion and Care for Creation, at: www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/conference/