A message from the most bombed nation on earth

Ian Zabarte speaking at a press conference at a Nuclear Forum event he organized at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas in 2016.More than 900 nuclear tests were conducted on Shoshone territory in the US. Residents still live with the consequences.

A videotaped interview with, and written column by, Ian Zabarte, Principal Man of the Western Bands of the Shoshone Nation of Indians, published by Al Jazeera.

Learn more about the Western Shoshone, nuclear weapons testing on their land, high-level radioactive waste dumping targeted at their land, and more, at the Native Community Action Council website. Ian Zabarte serves as NCAC secretary.

8/12/20: Beyond Nuclear on Radio Sputnik's "Loud & Clear"

News, #energy, #environment, #nuclear, #regulation, #safety

Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.

Listen to the audio recording, here.

An Open Letter to the People of Japan from Concerned Peace Organizations and People of the U.S.

In observance of the 75th annual commemoration of the U.S. atombic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, Beyond Nuclear is honored and privileged to be a signatory on this coalition letter. See the full text of the letter, and full list of organizational and individual signatories, here.

The letter begins:

We, the undersigned, representing a coalition of concerned peace organizations and people of the United States, are advocating for abolition of nuclear weapons globally. We are gathering here to express our sincere regrets and apologies for our nation’s atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Although our government has not apologized officially for this war crime and crime against humanity, the members of our coalition would like to extend our deepest condolences to the atomic bomb survivors (Hibakusha) who have endured great mental and physical hardships for 75 years.

The letter is signed by 55 U.S. groups, and 37 American individuals. Additionally, 31 non-U.S. supporting organizations (from Japan, Canada, and New Zealand), as well as 99 non-U.S. supporting individuals from around the world.

8/5/20: Beyond Nuclear, and Ian Zabarte, on Radio Sputnik's "Loud & Clear"

News, #hibakusha, #hiroshima, #hiroshimaanniversary, #indianland, #nagasaki, #nagasakianniversary, #nevadatestsite, #nuclearenergy, #nucleartesting, #nuclearweapons, #shoshone, #weaponstesting, #yuccamountain

Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, and special guest Ian Zabarte, Principal Man of the Western Bands of the Shoshone Indians, the secretary of the Native Community Action Council, at NativeCommunityActionCouncil.org, and a leading voice nationally against the Yucca Mountain dump, join the show.

Towards the end of the show, Kevin speaks about three Native American leaders: Corbin Harney, Western Shoshone spiritual leader; Grace Thorpe, co-founder of National Environmental Coalition of Native Americans (NECONA); and Al Puckett, Cherokee, a nuclear whistleblower at the Paducah (Uranium Enrichment) Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky, and a founder of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability member group, Coalition for Health Concern. Thorpe's Sauk and Fox Reservation in Oklahoma was targeted for a high-level radioactive waste dump, which she put a stop to, then helped other targeted reservation communities do the same; Puckett saw nuclear wrongdoing on the job, and spoke out, at great personal cost. When Kevin asked them how they became anti-nuclear, both responded with single word answers: "Nagasaki." They were both deployed to Nagasaki shortly after the atomic bombing, as U.S. service members in World War II.

Listen to the audio recording, here.

ICAN on the 75th annual commemorations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

See the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons' website on the 75th annual commemorations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

ICAN's executive director, Beatrice Fihn, shared the stage with Hiroshima atomic bombing survivor Setsuko Thurlow at the December 2017 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway, when ICAN received the prize.