I have recently reflected that my youthful passion for disarmament originated from a black and white sense of justice, and that I have retained it through the insight that acts of logical self-interest often lead to immense risk and could ultimately lead to the destruction of civilisation. While climate change and other environmental threats arise from our corporate materialistic lifestyles, the threat of nuclear proliferation and Armageddon comes from fear, competition and the quest for power amongst elites. The injustice feels more carnal, the universal threat more outrageous.
UK
Ploughshares Fund grants ,000 to support BASIC programs
The Ploughshares Fund has awarded the British American Security Information Council ,000 to support BASIC\’s agenda of nuclear non-proliferation and transatlantic security. Ploughshares is the largest grant-making foundation in the United States focusing exclusively on peace and security issues.
New Chair Takes Over for BASIC; New Co-Executive Director Appointed in London
Paul Ingram starts today as BASIC’s new Co-Executive Director in London, soon after the launch in Washington DC of a new focus for the organisation on achieving concrete moves towards halting the spread of nuclear weapons by reducing nuclear arsenals.
Getting to Zero: Working Towards a Nuclear Weapon-Free World
Launch of BASIC’s new Getting to Zero program on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, held at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC.
Meet the authors before you read the book
Call it serendipity, but the authors of the new book I mentioned previously, which just became available here in the past couple of weeks, will be in a certain superpower capitol city in the near future.
Whoopee, it’s official – nuclear trafficking is a threat
You are not a truly significant global threat until someone significant holds a conference full of suitably distinguished people, complete with PhDs, talking about it. Thus, on that very reasonable premise, I am happy to note that the IAE is holding a junket, I mean a conference, next month, hosted by the British government.
This is, to be precise, the International Conference on Illicit Nuclear Trafficking: Collective Experience and the Way Forward, to be held November 19-22.
Syria and Dr Khan
It almost slipped by me but you will be happy to note that Dr Khan is an issue in the US presidential election; at least he is to one Republican candidate.