HTTP://www.stopthebombs.org/rss/news.xml News for Stop the Bombs. en-us Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:57:24 -0700 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:57:24 -0700 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss - http://www.cedargrovedesign.com webmaster@cedargrovedesign.com (Cynthia Sellers) renegadepathos@riseup.net (renegadepathos@riseup.net) The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance will begin the celebration of its twentieth anniversary with the declaration of a Year for Nonviolence on January 7, 2008 at a press event at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church on Kingston Pike. The announcement will coincide with a reception for the opening of Witness to History, an exhibit of documentary evidence of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki imported from the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation. In 1998, the United Nations declared the years 2000-2010 a Decade for the Culture of Peace and Nonviolence. The tenth anniversary of this declaration is also the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance. There are countless acts of nonviolent action across East Tennessee every day as individuals and organizations work to create strong, secure, healthy communities. These people and groups are often unsung heroes in a culture that is saturated by violence. During 2008, OREPA will work to raise the profile of groups, organizations and people working nonviolently for social change in our communities. For more information, including the time of the January 7 declaration, call 865 776 5050.]]> Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:09 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/2008-celebrating-a-year-for-nonviolence.htm 6ea9a78a94af085eb5382f78d148f58f157 Saturday November 1, 20083rd annual 5 mile WALK FOR NONVIOLENCE Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Kingston Pike, Knoxville registration for the walk begins at 2:30pmstep off is 3:00pmpath follows Third Creek Green way along Neyland Drive concluding at 5:30 with Awards & refreshments and Concert for Nonviolence :: 8:00pmEveryone talks about the problems of violence in our culture now you can DO something about it.Who should walk?Individuals Youth groups School groups Community groups Anybody and everybody!You can raise money for your organization and get a great T-shirt celebrating nonviolence!for more information865 776 5050organized by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance]]> Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:34 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/3rd-annual-5mile-walk-for-non-violence.htm 9791f3d333f09bd2e0cd8b865f150068167 The public hearing on November 17th will be the most important hearing in the history of Oak Ridge. It sounds crazy, but it s true. The National Nuclear Security Administration will build a new, 3.5 billion dollar bomb plant at Y12 in Oak Ridge an act likely to provoke unprecedented global nuclear proliferation unless we stop them. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009 6:30PM NEW HOPE CENTER SCARBORO ROAD OAK RIDGE Sometimes you only get one chance to change the future The November 17 public hearing for the Draft Y12 Site Wide Environmental Impact Statement will be our only chance to say NO! to continued weapons production in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Despite President Obama s commitment to pursue a world free of nuclear weapons, the National Nuclear Security Administration is proposing a new bomb plant in Oak Ridge to make thermonuclear secondaries for nuclear weapons the secondary is the fusion part of the bomb that turns an atomic bomb into a thermonuclear holocaust. Y12 is the only place in the US that makes them. We believe Y12 must not corrupt the President s vision. Y12 should commit itself to the dismantlement of nuclear weapons. There is currently a 15 year backlog of retired weapons in Oak Ridge awaiting dismantlement, with more to come. Former Secretary of State George Shultz says, We are at a tipping point. The simple continuation of present practice with regard to nuclear weapons is leading in the wrong direction. We need to change the direction. THE FUTURE IS CALLING. THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO CREATE THE WORLD WE WANT TO LIVE IN. This public hearing is your ONLY chance to say No! to the Uranium Processing Facility and YES! to a world free of nuclear weapons. You have a right to a future free of nuclear weapons. Come to this hearing and claim your right. What you need to know: Everyone can speak at the hearing. Every voice is crucial. The decision to build the new bomb plant will be a political decision; we do not need a new bomb plant for military purposes or for national security. The new bomb plant can be stopped by political power your voice joined with thousands of others. You have a right to a future free of nuclear weapons A world without nuclear weapons is possible now! UPDATED!! New detailed talking points [HERE] for more information: Ralph Hutchison 865 776 5050 for OREPA s newsletter or listserv: orep@earthlink.net Further reading: The Future of Y-12 An analysis of capacity and facility needs at the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in Oak Ridge, TN in light of declining production needs and increasing demand for dismantlement. OREPA's Statement on the Draft EIS for the New Bomb Production Facility just made available on October 30, 2009 DOWNLOAD A FLYER VIA THE LINK BELOW We need 500 people at the hearing, and 300 to speak. If you print this out, then print it again on the other side, you can cut it in half and have two fliers for the price of one! If you want hard copies, on bright yellow paper, in quantity, let me know and I'll print them and get them to you. Please forward to others who will use the flier. Thanks! peace, ralph]]> Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:12 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/action-alert-a-new-bomb-plant-in-oak-ridge-last-chance-to-say-no.htm f9ecc251ebed15532769b665c7f6b43d175 DOWNLOAD AND DISTRIBUTE THE BROCHURE TODAY The Y12 Plant in Oak Ridge is building nuclear weapons. Specifically, Y12 is manufacturing thermonuclear secondaries for the W76 warhead the secondary is the highly explosive part that turns an atomic bomb into a thermonuclear bomb. Y12 is the only place in the United States that makes them. Under the Life Extension program, Y12 is producing new bomb secondaries that will effectively make the W76-1 the first new nuclear weapon built in the United States in 20 years. TOMORROW The Department of Energy has announced plans to build a new, $3 billion bomb plant at Y12 that will produce nuclear weapons for another century; a Draft Environmental Impact Statement is due to be released in April 2009 with a public hearing to follow. President Obama has embraced the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons, but he also believes in a safe, secure, reliable stockpile and a policy of nuclear deterrence. These two visions are irreconcilable. Our action will send a message: The Change we voted for includes nuclear disarmament. The $40 billion spent every year on the USnuclear arsenal can be better spent on health care, renewable energy, housing, education, and job creation. Puppet build | March 30 - April 3 in Knoxville. If you ve ever wanted to be part of street theatre, creating giant art, or just want to help, the Puppet Build is a great place to start. Novices and veterans welcome. Come for all or part; camping space available and the community provides food. Call 865 609 2012 or email kvn792@aol.com for details. Peace Pilgrimage | March 30 - April 4, Nipponzan Myohoji will lead the 11th annual peace pilgrimage from the Peace Pagoda in Cocke County to Oak Ridge. All are welcome to walk for part or all of the pilgrimage. Contact: Sr. Denise Laffan, 404 627 8948 or atlantadojo@ yahoo.com. Nonviolence training | Friday, April 3 at Church of the Savior, 934 N Weisgarber Rd in Knoxville. 1:00 - 5:00. A basic primer in nonviolence in preparation for Saturday s action; everyone is welcome. Persons who might be considering an act of civil resistance are urged to attend. Contact 865 776 5050 or orep@earthlink.net Concert for Disarmament | Saturday, April 4, Alvin K. Bissell Park [intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge]. Music, theatre, tabling, great community. Starts 12:30pm and concludes with March to Y12. March for Peace | Stepping off around 3:00, the peace march moves us from Bissell Park to the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Plant, about 1 3/4 miles; mostly on sidewalk, but the last stretch is on the shoulder. Accompanied by Peacekeepers and police; safe and fun for families. Bring your sign! Action at the Y12 Plant | Intersection of Bear Creek and Scarboro Road in Oak Ridge. We gather at the entrance to the bomb plant. The Action is family friendly, nonviolent, but direct. There is no risk of arrest unless you intentionally participate in a direct action scenario. Action begins when we arrive from the March and tends to last an hour or less. Contact: 865 776 5050 or orep@earthlink.net. Want to help? We re glad to have help. We can use Peacekeepers (training is Friday evening, April 3 at Church of the Savior; puppetistas (contact info above), and First Aid assistants. If you have other skills, please offer them. Help us organize. We re happy to email copies of this brochure to use as you spread the word and recruit others! If you live close, contact us about having a speaker come to your group or meeting; we are organizing trips now. Contact: 865 776 5050 or orep@earthlink.net Everyone welcome. :: No drugs or alcohol nonviolent in tone and action. In the next eighteen months, the world will decide. Either we abolish all our nuclear weapons or we give everyone one. ~ Steve Leeper, Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation Yes, the United States is still building nuclear weapons in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. And they are making plans to build a new 3 billion dollar bomb plant in Oak Ridge. Yes, you can do something about it. The raw political power of people mobilized for peace is critical at this moment. Yes, this is the time for action. Barack Obama has said he wants to get rid of nuclear weapons, but he won t be able to do it unless we demand it. Yes, we need you! It will take every single one of us. No exceptions and no excuses. This is the time to build the future we seek for our children. THE FUTURE IS HERE In 2010, the world will gather at the United Nations to review the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, ratified by the United States in 1968. In the NPT, countries that had no nuclear weapons promised not to build them, and nuclear weapons states promised to disarm at an early date. If the United States does not demonstrate a serious commitment to achieving disarmament by 2010, the NPT is expected to collapse, opening the door for the widespread proliferation of nuclear weapons. The critical moment is now to build citizen pressure for the United States to keep its word and to move decisively toward disarmament.]]> Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:00:51 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/april-4-2009-non-violent-action-for-peace-and-disarmament.htm 86b077fe8ee9de87c1c7c9bc824a2d97169 Names and Remembrance Ceremony August 6, 2009 6:00am - 9:00am Y12 National Nuclear Security Complex Bear Creek and Scarboro Road Oak Ridge, TN Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. ~ George Santayana A solemn ceremony of remembrance, reading of names of victims of the bombing of Hiroshima accompanied by peace cranes. Everyone is welcomed to attend and participate. For more information contact the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance 865 776 5050 www.stopthebombs.org Never again! A Ceremony of Hope ...remembering the bombing of Nagasaki and looking forward to a future free of nuclear weapons. -Peace Lantern Ceremony -Japanese Shadow Puppets -Traditional Peace Lanterns -Buddhist Drumming Sunday, August 9, 2009 8:00pm Sequoya Hills Park,West End Cherokee Blvd (off Kingston Pike) Knoxville, TN Family-friendly. For more information contact the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance 865 776 5050]]> Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:00:38 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/august-6th-events.htm 6ce0f935e912cb8b196bce9e811d8dbd171 The National Nuclear Security Administration wants to know what YOU think of their plan to spend $3 billion on a new bomb plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The public comment period is our window of opportunity to turn the bomb plant around. It may sound crazy, but it s true: the NNSA will build a new bomb plant at Y12 in Oak Ridge an act likely to provoke unprecedented global nuclear proliferation unless we stop them. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ENDS JANUARY 29, 2010 Sometimes you only get one chance to change the future This is our chance to say NO! to continued weapons production in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Despite President Obama s commitment to pursue a world free of nuclear weapons, the National Nuclear Security Administration is proposing a new bomb plant in Oak Ridge to make thermonuclear secondaries for nuclear weapons the secondary is the fusion part of the bomb that turns an atomic bomb into a thermonuclear holocaust. Y12 is the only place in the US that makes them. We believe Y12 must not corrupt the President s vision. Y12 should commit itself to the dismantlement of nuclear weapons. There is currently a 15 year backlog of retired weapons in Oak Ridge awaiting dismantlement, with more to come. Former Secretary of State George Shultz says, We are at a tipping point. The simple continuation of present practice with regard to nuclear weapons is leading in the wrong direction. We need to change the direction. The new bomb plant is called the Uranium Processing Facility, and the plan for building it is in the Draft Y12 Site Wide Environmental Impact Statement. You can see the plan at www.Y12sweis.com. That's also where you can submit comments on the plan. THE FUTURE IS CALLING. THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO CREATE THE WORLD WE WANT TO LIVE IN. This public comment period is your ONLY chance to say No! to the Uranium Processing Facility and YES! to a world free of nuclear weapons. You have a right to a future free of nuclear weapons. You don't have to be a technical expert to submit comments. You just have to take the time to write. What you need to know: Everyone's comments MUST BE CONSIDERED by NNSA. Every voice is crucial. The decision to build the new bomb plant will be a political decision; we do not need a new bomb plant for military purposes or for national security. The new bomb plant can be stopped by political power your voice joined with thousands of others. You have a right to a future free of nuclear weapons A world without nuclear weapons is possible now! UPDATED!! New detailed talking points [HERE] for more information: Ralph Hutchison 865 776 5050 for OREPA s newsletter or listserv: orep@earthlink.net Further reading: The Future of Y-12 An analysis of capacity and facility needs at the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in Oak Ridge, TN in light of declining production needs and increasing demand for dismantlement. OREPA's Statement on the Draft EIS for the New Bomb Production Facility just made available on October 30, 2009]]> Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:15 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/call-to-action.htm 0d0801cc6de3f4c79d319091dbaf0ae9177 Celebrate!hope & peace peace lantern ceremony japanese shadow puppets traditional peace lanterns buddhist drumming Saturday, August 9, 20088:15pm Sequoyah Hills Park,West End Cherokee Blvd (off Kingston Pike)Knoxville, TN A ceremony of hope remembering the bombing of Nagasaki and looking forward to a future free of nuclear weapons family friendly for more information: 865 776 5050 Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance]]> Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:00:05 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/celebrate-hope-peace.htm 0b178414bfe871d711ee367a0022a459164 BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Here's what Karrar Haider, a 10-year-old Shi'ite boy at a school in eastern Baghdad, told Santa he wants this year for the holidays: "I have one wish to ask Santa Claus. Please bring peace to my country. Stop the bombs so I can play with my friends again."]]> Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:00:15 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/dear-santa-please-stop-the-bombs-abc-news.htm 0ff4c8f0845b26acda5b951551c44058158 ]]> Sat, 11 Nov 2006 00:00:31 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/doe-announces-may-release-y12-draft-eismass-public-resistance-to-new-bomb-plan.htm 9f57a0f82d20a5c798c9953946d1c0c4146 OREPA celebrates 20 Years of Working for Peace! The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance turns 20 this year, and we re celebrating with a series of events starting with Helen Caldicott s visit in October and concluding with a concert for nonviolence on November 1. Please mark your calendar now for these important events, come join us as we travel through time, looking back on twenty years, and forward to the abolition of nuclear weapons and the establishment of a culture of peace and nonviolence! Helen Caldicott comes to Knoxville! The Medical Implications of the Nuclear Age Friday, October 17, 2008 8:00pm The Great Hall St. John s Episcopal Cathedral 413 W Cumberland Avenue downtown Knoxville Widely regarded as one of the most articulate and passionate advocates of citizen action to remedy the nuclear and environmental crises, Dr. Helen Caldicott has devoted the last 30 years to an international campaign to educate the public about the medical hazards of the nuclear age, and the necessary changes in human behavior to stop environmental destruction. A longtime friend of OREPA, Helen comes to join in the celebration of our 20th birthday and to speak on the perils of nuclear weapons in the 21st century. In 1971, Dr. Caldicott played a major role in Australia s opposition to French atmospheric nuclear testing in the Pacific, and in 1975, worked with the Australian trade unions to educate their members about the medical dangers of the nuclear fuel cycle, with particular reference to uranium mining. While living in the United States from 1977 to 1986, Dr. Caldicott co-founded Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), an organization of 23,000 doctors committed to educating their colleagues about the dangers of nuclear power, nuclear weapons and nuclear war. She has helped start similar medical organizations in many other countries. The international umbrella group for PSR, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985. She also founded Women s Action for Nuclear Disarmament (WAND) in the U.S. in 1980. In 2003, Helen won the $350,000 Lannan Prize for Cultural Freedom. She has written for numerous publications and has authored several books exploring nuclear and environmental issues, the most recent of which is entitled War in Heaven; The Arms Race in Outer Space (2007). Other books include: Nuclear Power is Not The Answer (2006), The New Nuclear Danger: George W. Bush s Military-Industrial Complex (2002, New Press.), Nuclear Madness (1979), Missile Envy (1984, Bantam), If You Love This Planet: A Plan to Heal the Earth (1992, W.W. Norton) and A Desperate Passion: An Autobiography (1996, W.W. Norton). Helen has been the subject of several documentary films, including Eight Minutes to Midnight, nominated for an Academy Award in 1982, and If You Love This Planet, which won the Academy Award for best documentary in 1983. Dr. Caldicott founded the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic at the Adelaide Children s Hospital in 1975 and was an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, specializing in cystic fibrosis, and on the staff of the Children s Hospital Medical Center, Boston, Mass., until 1980, when she resigned to work full time on the prevention of nuclear war. She divides her time between Australia and the United States. Frida Berrigan Comes to Knoxville! The Campaign for a Nuclear Free World Friday, October 24 7:30pm Church of the Savior 934 Weisgarber Rd Knoxville, TN Frida Berrigan is a senior program associate with the New America Foundation s Arms and Security Initiative and a member of the Campaign for a Nuclear Weapons Free World. Frida grew up in a house deeply committed to peace; the daughter of Phil Berrigan and Liz McAlister; she is a living legacy, taking the work for peace into the corridors of power in think tanks and Congress as well as into the streets. She comes to Knoxville to help OREPA celebrate its 20th birthday and to speak on the challenges facing those who work for nuclear abolition in 2008. Frida s Arms Trade Resource Center publications educated a generation of activists; her recent articles continue to provide critical information that equip everyone working on issues of violence and militarism with the facts we need to speak the truth to power. A graduate of Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, Frida spent two years working with the Latin American solidarity movement before moving to the World Policy Institute s Arms Trade Resource Center. Frida doesn t leave the work to others, though. She serves on the National Committee of the War Resister s League and her work can be found at www.alternet.org. and is a member of the Campaign for a Nuclear Free World (along with OREPA). On August 6 of this year, Frida and Susan Gordon, director of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, published Honor Our Vow To Ban Nuclear Weapons, an oped in the Albuquerque Journal, which says, The Department of Energy plans to build new or upgraded facilities at all of the nuclear weapons-related sites. This proposal builds on the Bush Administration s quiet surge in nuclear weapons spending The United States must commit to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons. As we recall the terrible mushroom clouds incinerating Japanese cities 63 years ago, that work is the only fitting memorial. Frida has traveled to Cuba as part of a witness against the illegal detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and was subsequently arrested with 34 others at a protest of torture at the US Supreme Court; you can find Google images of her lying on the street at a die-in during the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City. The evening with Frida will also feature a reprise of a memorable OREPA celebration of life first presented at our 2005 Convocation of People of Faith in Knoxville. Walk for Nonviolence Saturday, November 1, 2008 2:30pm Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN The third annual Walk for Nonviolence is for everyone! It s a fundraising event; it s great exercise; it s a chance to do something worthwhile with a great group of people; it s a way to raise the profile of nonviolence in our community! The 2008 Walk for Nonviolence will: raise awareness in our community about efforts to build alternatives to the violence that saturates our culture connect you with other people who believe in nonviolence and are working for social change celebrate the powerful history of nonviolence movements raise funds to support organizations and groups working for nonviolent social change in our community Why Walk? Nonviolence is, too often, an orphan in our society. The Walk is an opportunity to raise awareness about the history and power of nonviolence and to show our community that we are serious about working on many issues in our community to bring about nonviolent social change. And it s an easy fundraiser for your group or project. How Can You get Involved? Contact us at 865 776 5050 or orep@earthlink.net. We welcome individuals or groups, and we are hoping to build a large base of co-sponsoring organizations. Deadline for co-sponsors is September 15, 2008. What do co-sponsors do? At a minimum, you help publicize the walk and encourage your members to participate. Beyond that, we d be delighted to have all kinds of help with the walk and the events surrounding it. We will have a Walk Celebration at the end of the walk and we are planning to have a Concert for Nonviolence the evening of November 1. How Does The Fundraising Work? We provide sponsor sheets which you can use to ask people to sponsor you in the walk (for $2/mile, for instance). You bring your sponsor forms and any money you collect in advance to the walk. OREPA, as walk organizers, collects the money and returns a percentage to your group or project. You can raise money for any organization or project you want to last year students at Greenway raised money for Hope for Haiti, a school project, and the Episcopal Peace Fellowship raised money for its work throughout the year. How much do you keep? Your group/project will get a percentage of the money you raise in the walk. Here s the breakdown: 75% Cosponsors which actively help with planning and organizing (a person on the planning committee and some help on the day of the Walk) 60% Cosponsors who help publicize and get members to walk 50% Non co-sponsoring groups and individuals 80% The Group raising the most money * Every walker who has $40 or more in sponsors receives a free T-shirt celebrating nonviolence. We ll be glad to talk with you or your group about participation. Call OREPA at 776 5050 or email us at orep@earthlink.net for information, flyers or sponsor forms. OREPA 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT CELEBRATE NONVIOLENCE Saturday, November 1, 2008 8:00pm Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Knoxville, TN We re celebrating OREPA s 20th birthday with music, a walk down memory lane and lots more. Musicians who have been part of OREPA s work for the past twenty years will join us to play, including Sean McCollough, Nick Boulet, Mary Johnson, Ga-Na-Si-Ta, Larry Osborne and more! Ticket prices are $20 for adults; $5 for students. Adults, wear your T-shirt from the Walk for Nonviolence and get in for half price students, your T-shirt gets you in free! You ll enjoy great music and have a chance to recall the work OREPA has done over the past twenty years. Concert starts at 8:00, but doors will open by 7:00 to allow time for a leisurely stroll down memory lane several exhibits in the TVUUC fellowship hall will celebrate OREPA s last 20 years.]]> Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:00:58 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/fall-calendar-of-events.htm 9d06b5bb95a7f8f725cedcb82131e9de168 ]]> Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:53 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/february-stop-the-bombs-newsletter.htm 03728fb85427b2458695a833948a85f5160 courtesy of Kim Joy Bergier and the Michigan chapter of Stop the Bombs]]> Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:18 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/flyer-for-april-protest-event.htm 0473b84c860b02753cdf165720cf779e163 Events at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 10:00am Forum 5:00pm Peace Vigil at Y12 Nuclear Weapons Plant 7:30pm Reception Takashi Teramoto was 10 years old in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 when the United States destroyed the city with the first atomic bomb. Teramoto is an official witness of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation. Hibakusha (survivors) bring to the world a unique perspective on the power of the bomb. They tell their stories in the hope of preventing further use of nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Takashi will be a guest at TVUUC and will be the speaker at the 10:00 Forum on Sunday, January 13, 2008, in the Lizzie French Crozier Room at the Church on Kingston Pike in Knoxville. Takashi will also visit Oak Ridge for the weekly Sunday vigil of the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance at 5:00pm at the gates of the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Plant. Y-12 enriched the uranium for the Little Boy bomb which destroyed Hiroshima. An evening reception for Takashi-san will be held at TVUUC at 7:30pm on Sunday, January 13. Takashi s visit coincides with the presentation of Witness to History, a poster exhibit from the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation at TVUUC from January 7-28, 2008.]]> Sun, 13 Jan 2008 00:00:58 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/guest-speaker-takashi-teramoto-survivor-of-hiroshima-bombing.htm 8e8c0d1888e979dbec0186b9fa6fa3d2155 International Peace Walk Towards A Nuclear Free Future Oak Ridge TN to the UN building NY February 11th to May 1st, 2010. Please be prepared for cold weather FootPrints for Peace would like to invite all to join in a journey of walking in solidarity for a nuclear free future. The walk will begin on February 11th in Oak Ridge TN at the Y12 Nuclear Research Facility and finish at the UN building New York in time for the Nuclear Non Proliferation Meetings. We aim to raise awareness and to learn ourselves about alternative energy and sustainable lifestyles while exposing the deadly effects of the nuclear industry. This is an open walk accessible for all and focused on creating a family friendly atmosphere. We walk on average 15 miles per day. Please bring music, banners & good humor. Please walk with us for as long as you can a single step or for the entire walk. This will be a drug and alcohol free event. ALSO: Friday, February 12 6:30pm Potluck and Circus with One World Circus benefit for International Peace Walk Oak Ridge to New York City The Birdhouse 800 N Fourth Ave Knoxville Saturday, February 13 9:00am Send off for International Peace Walk Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex Scarboro Road Oak Ridge For more information on what to expect on the walk please visit the FootPrints for Peace event info page: http://footprintsforpeace.tripod.com/E10/NPT/npt_walk.htm]]> Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:16 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/international-peace-walk-towards-a-nuclear-free-future.htm 0fd0607db9ffc60b288aa643aafb24d8181 Download: Update-1-19-2010.pdf Contents of the Update: Reminder regarding final comment period on the y-12 bomb plant SWEIS ending January 29,2010. Synopsis of OREPA's participation in briefings in D.C. in an event organized by the ANA. Comments regarding the Obama Administration's stance on nuclear proliferation. Thanks to 2009 Donors.]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:18 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/january-2010-update.htm 343ff7c773c3f607189c36049349917d178 APRIL ACTION for a NUCLEAR WEAPONS FREE WORLD Saturday, April 10, 2010 Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex, Oak Ridge, Tennessee The Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex is Ground Zero for the Stockpile Life Extension Program. Right now, the United States is performing life extension upgrades on the W76 warhead in clear violation of our commitment to the Nonproliferation Treaty. Congress, this year, is appropriating $110,000,000 for design work on a new bomb plant in Oak Ridge. The design money is a down payment on the $3.5 billion Uranium Processing Facility. In April 2009, President Barack Obama made a speech in Prague that committed the United States to a world free of nuclear weapons. Since then, he has submitted a budget to Congress that increases funding for continued production of nuclear weapons in Oak Ridge and sets aside money for designing a new bomb plant in Oak Ridge. If we want a Nuclear Weapons Free World, we must create the political pressure that will force President Obama to match his words with action and make the United States a leader in global nuclear disarmament. The April Action will bring youth and others to the last, full-scale, operating nuclear weapons production plant in the United States. Energy is building for a Youth Brigade for Peace and Disarmament which may engage in civil resistance at the gates of Y12. This is a crucial time. US nuclear policy is being re-written right now. Whether it will break free of the past and move forward to a nuclear weapons free future remains to be seen, but we do not have to be bystanders. The weapons establishment is working every angle to maintain weapons production activities they are formulating plans for a leaner, cleaner bomb production complex and, according to Newsweek magazine, are on the verge of cutting a deal: in return for funding for new bomb plants and continued bomb production, they will allow Congress to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. This deal, which aims to make US nuclear weapons permanent, will undermine global nonproliferation efforts in return for a piece of paper. In addition, the nations of the world convene in May of 2010 to review the Nonproliferation Treaty at the United Nations. Most observers believe the Treaty will collapse if the US and other nuclear power do not demonstrate concrete steps toward meeting the commitment they made 40 years ago to pursue disarmament at an early date. IF YOU WANT A WORLD FREE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, YOU MUST SPEAK AND ACT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. The April Action for a Nuclear Weapons Free World in Oak Ridge can send a powerful message to decision-makers. Please come to Oak Ridge to stand for a future of hope. More information is available now at www.stopthebombs.org. Updates as plans are confirmed. sponsored by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance APRIL ACTION INFO Friday evening, April 9 Knoxville, TN Nonviolence Training | Affinity Group meeting Peacekeeper Training Puppetista Rehearsal Saturday, April 10 Oak Ridge, TN Concert for a Nuclear Weapons Free World Alvin K. Bissell Park, Oak Ridge, TN March for Disarmament Bissell Park to Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex Rally and Action for a Nuclear Weapons Free World Mr. President, We re Holding You To Your Word East Bear Creek Road gate, Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex intersection of Bear Creek Road and Scarboro Road Youth Brigade Action for Peace and Disarmament April 5-9 Knoxville, TN Puppet Build | Street Theatre Workshop questions, more information: orep@earthlink.net POSTER FOR THE YOUTH ACTION EVENT (pdf)]]> Sat, 10 Apr 2010 00:00:02 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/join-us-at-the-april-2010-action-event-to-stop-the-bombs.htm f736b21bfbaaf690e621700e33811f6d172 By CAROL DRIVER 29th January 2010 President Obama is planning to increase spending on America's nuclear weapons stockpile just days after pledging to try to rid the world of them. In his budget to be announced on Monday, Mr Obama has allocated 4.3billion to maintain the U.S. arsenal - 370million more than George Bush spent on nuclear weapons in his final year. The Obama administration also plans to spend a further 3.1billion over the next five years on nuclear security. The announcement comes despite the American President declaring nuclear weapons were the greatest danger to U.S. people during in his State of the Union address on Wednesday. And it flies in the face of Obama s Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to him in October for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples . The Nobel committee was attacked at the time for bestowing the accolade on a new president whose initiatives are yet to bear fruit which included reducing the world stock of nuclear arms. During his 70-minute State of the UNion speech on Wednesday, which marked his first year in office, Obama said: 'I have embraced the vision of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan through a strategy that reverses the spread of these weapons, and seeks a world without them.' However, Vice President Joe Biden today supported the increase on nuclear weapons maintenance, saying: Even in a time of tough budget decisions, these are investments we must make for our security. We are committed to working with Congress to ensure these budget increases are approved. Biden said the Obama administration had inherited a steady decline in support for U.S. nuclear stockpiles and infrastructure. For almost a decade, our laboratories and facilities have been underfunded and undervalued, he said. The consequences of this neglect - like the growing shortage of skilled nuclear scientists and engineers and the ageing of critical facilities - have largely escaped public notice. The budget we will submit to Congress on Monday both reverses this decline and enables us to implement the president's nuclear-security agenda. He added: 'This investment is long overdue. It will strengthen our ability to recruit, train and retain the skilled people we need to maintain our nuclear capabilities. 'It will support the work of our nuclear labs, a national treasure that we must and will sustain.' The Obama administration will publish its budget for fiscal year 2011 on Monday. The proposal will include a budget increase for nuclear issues while paring back other areas in an effort to control record deficits. Biden said those steps along with others to advance non-proliferation were essential to holding nations like North Korea and Iran accountable when they break the rules, and deterring others from trying to do so . Barack Obama's State of the Union speech: Even as we prosecute two wars, we are also confronting perhaps the greatest danger to the American people - the threat of nuclear weapons. I have embraced the vision of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan through a strategy that reverses the spread of these weapons, and seeks a world without them. To reduce our stockpiles and launchers, while ensuring our deterrent, the United States and Russia are completing negotiations on the farthest-reaching arms control treaty in nearly two decades. And at April's Nuclear Security Summit, we will bring forty-four nations together behind a clear goal: securing all vulnerable nuclear materials around the world in four years, so that they never fall into the hands of terrorists. These diplomatic efforts have also strengthened our hand in dealing with those nations that insist on violating international agreements in pursuit of these weapons. That is why North Korea now faces increased isolation, and stronger sanctions sanctions that are being vigorously enforced. That is why the international community is more united, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is more isolated. And as Iran's leaders continue to ignore their obligations, there should be no doubt: they, too, will face growing consequences. That is the leadership that we are providing -- engagement that advances the common security and prosperity of all people. The budget is higher than that allocated by George Bush who was seen by many as a warmongering president in the wake of the Iraq invasion in 2003 during his premiership. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1247049/Nobel-Peace-Prize-winner-Barack-Obama-ups-spending-nuclear-weapons-George-Bush.html#ixzz0eF9RkQlf]]> Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:20 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/nobel-peace-prize-winner-barack-obama-ups-spending-on-nuclear-weapons-to-even-more-than-george-bush.htm b3ebc3a16db855aad0f3f532421cdb49179 When: Wednesday, March 3, 6-8pm Where: Nashville Peace and Justice Center 4732 W. Longdale Dr., Nashville, TN 37211 Ralph Hutchison, Coordinator of the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, will give an update on this year's Federal Budget proposal for a new nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge Tennessee, on the ongoing upgrading of nuclear weapons in our state, and what we can do to stop it. He will tell about the peace activities planned for this April in Knoxville and Oak Ridge. This will be the 7th annual OREPA potluck and presentation at the Peace and Justice Center. Everyone is welcome! Sponsored by: Veterans for Peace and the Nashville Peace Coalition For further information, contact: Joey King, Chair, Veterans for Peace jbkran...@aol.com]]> Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:24 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/nuclear-nonproliferation-begins-at-home-7th-annual-orepa-presentation-potluck-npjc.htm 41a40c3d3890369918d10ae18d1f8382182 Immediate release October 27, 2009 DOE ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR NEW BOMB PLANT IN OAK RIDGE, TN LONG AWAITED DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT INCLUDES PLAN FOR $3.5 BILLION URANIUM PROCESSING FACILITY TO BUILD THERMONUCLEAR WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AT Y12 NATIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX The National Nuclear Security Administration is slated to release the long-awaited draft of the Y12 Site Wide Environmental Impact Statement with a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register by October 30, 2009. Copies of the Y12SWEIS were sent to the NNSA s distribution list earlier this week and posted on the web at www.y12sweis.com. Among the alternatives considered in the draft EIS is the siting and construction of the Uranium Processing Facility, a new facility which would produce thermonuclear secondaries out of highly enriched uranium, lithium deuteride, beryllium and other materials.* The New Bomb Plant The Draft Y12SWEIS embraces a full-scale nuclear weapons production facility capable of producing 50-80 secondaries a year, or enough capacity to double the size of the US arsenal every 20 years, and to maintain an enduring nuclear stockpile. The preferred alternative, called the Capability-sized UPF would lead to an initial increase in construction employment but the eventual downsizing of nearly half the Y12 workforce and fails to address increased mission requirements for dismantlement and disposition of retired nuclear weapons. NNSA out of touch The idea that the United States should invest two or three billion dollars to build more bombs when the President has declared a firm commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons is as preposterous as it is perilous, said Ralph Hutchison, coordinator of the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance. Who s making policy in the United States these days? What we need in Oak Ridge is a realistic plan to maintain our nuclear arsenal in a safe and secure manner while the stockpile is reduced to zero. Building a new bomb plant now, under the guise of modernization, corrupts the President s vision and negates all our efforts to constrain nuclear proliferation. It will place the US at the forefront of a new global nuclear arms resurgence. That s not modernization, it s throwback and it s clearly the wrong direction for the country. The Draft SWEIS examines five alternatives for Y12 in the coming decades, but Hutchison said it is clear that NNSA wants to build the UPF. They ve been after this new bomb plant for more than 20 years the fact that the full-blown UPF alternative is in here at all represents a failure to come to grips with reality. NNSA is positioning itself to try to look reasonable with the Capacity-based Alternative. Public misled about hearing process Public hearings have been scheduled on the Draft document for mid-November, two and a half weeks after the release of the inch-and-a-half thick document. The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance was surprised and deeply dismayed to see that the NNSA expects us to digest and comment on such a voluminous technical document in two weeks. Last May we were told we would have thirty days to review the document before the hearing, and a 90 day comment period. If DOE is serious about meaningful public participation, they will keep their word and fix the schedule. Right now, all we know is they are looking into it. said Hutchison. A reasonable alternative not considered OREPA advocates a future scenario for Y12 in keeping with the vision of President Obama and the security needs of the country. Over the next ten years, we will see the production mission decline rapidly, Hutchison said. New stockpile numbers have already been announced and will be formalized in December when we renew the START Treaty. Obama said last April the ceiling would be 1,695 warheads, and he promised that would be only a starting point for deeper cuts in the arsenal. So it stands to reason that production requirements will go down, and the demand for dismantlement, storage and disposition capacity will be increasing. A dedicated, single-function dismantlement facility, with safeguards and transparency designed in, is what we need at Y12. Call it Alternative 6. The Draft SWEIS proposes in its fifth Alternative, the No Net Production/Capability-sized UPF Alternative, a UPF with limited production capacity, approximately 10 secondaries/year. If they were serious about this alternative, Hutchison said, they would have developed it more, especially in terms of increasing dismantlement capacity. Instead, it is a placeholder while they try to push through the Capacity-based UPF. At first glance, there are at least four significant problems with Alternative 5, said Hutchison. As soon as the US invests new money in new production facilities, we send the symbolic message we re building a new bomb plant when Iran can t even enrich uranium. Second, in this economic climate, we should not waste money on new equipment that will likely not be needed by the time the UPF would open in 2020, especially when NNSA already plans to spend $100,000,000 to upgrade current facilities. Third, by 2020, when this plant comes on line, the US will have already modernized more warheads through the Life Extension Program than our current treaty obligations allow we won t need any more bombs. And finally, if the US builds a dual-use facility, we complicate verification of treaty compliance, and verification is going to be a huge issue in the future. The US should not set a precedent and raise doubts at the very moment we are trying to persuade other nations to get with the program. DOE mind-reading falls short Hutchison noted the scoping hearing for the current Draft SWEIS was four years ago, in December of 2005. We asked DOE if they thought the document needed to be re-scoped, since a lot has changed in four years. They said they had talked about it, but decided not to. They decided they could be responsive to our concerns in 2009 without actually hearing them, and this document is the result. Not surprisingly, they are not as psychic as they think. Site-wide means site-wide OREPA believes the Y12 SWEIS not only fails to consider all reasonable alternatives, it fails to provide a comprehensive, site-wide evaluation of the ongoing activities at Y12. The purpose of a site-wide EIS is to take a wide-angle look at everything that is going on and assess the environmental impact. It allows everyone to see what the trade-offs may be between certain activities, and it makes sure we are not working at cross purposes. Such a look is critically important at a site as complicated and contaminated as Y12, where different agencies and different contractors work side-by-side but have little cross-communication. Cleanup is managed by one contractor, defense programs by another. DOE oversees some activities, NNSA others. The Site-Wide EIS is the one place it is supposed to come together and make sense. Instead, the draft says, We looked at the Steam Plant here, the Purification Facility there, and there are a lot of CERCLA studies and an agreement with the state. The NNSA has treated this Site-Wide EIS as though it is just a decision-making document for the UPF this is not only short-sighted, it falls short of the spirit and rule for Site-Wide EISs. Not to mention DOE s own regulations required it to be done in 2006. Y12 SWEIS tests NEPA process The National Environmental Policy Act, the law which governs Environmental Impact Statements, envisions a decision-making process that takes seriously the input of an informed public. This process will test NEPA, said Hutchison. The Alternative that OREPA will put forward is essentially a modification of NNSA s Alternative 5. Our Alternative will be more responsive to future mission requirements, more protective of the nation s security, and more supportive of nonproliferation efforts. In short, it will be the most reasonable alternative. I think it may have the added virtue of being the best for the community economically, and I know it will be scrupulously protective of public and worker health and safety. Whether the DOE and NNSA will modify their Final SWEIS in response to our comments remains to be seen, but when we see it, we ll know whether NEPA really can work to bring about the best decision. * The secondary is the thermonuclear part of a nuclear weapon. Warheads in the US arsenal are triggered by a relatively small fission bomb, the primary, which in turn ignites the massive thermonuclear fusion reaction in the secondary. The Y12 National Security Complex has produced the secondary for every nuclear weapon in the US arsenal. for more information: Ralph Hutchison 865 776 5050 | orep@earthlink.net]]> Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:22 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/orepa-statement-on-y12-draft.htm be5bf6fd69f8b48c1a8db326180a9700174 OREPA's Hiroshima/Nagasaki commemoration will take place over several days this August. The mass peace rally, march to the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Plant and Action for Abolition will take place on Saturday, August 4. The Rally for peace, with music, speakers and puppetistas, will begin at 10:00am at Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge, TN. A March to the Y12 Nuclear Weapons plant will depart Bissell Park at 12:30pm. ***Preparations for Saturday activities, including peacekeeper training for volunteers, affinity group meetings, and puppet rehearsal, will be Friday, August 3 at Church of the Savior, 934 Weisgarber Rd in Knoxville, beginning at 6:00pm. Annual Names/Remembrance ceremony will begin at 6:00am, Monday, August 6 at Y12 Plant in Oak Ridge. Trial for Erik Johnson, Pam Beziat and Tom Lumpkin on charges from 2006 Hiroshima Day action scheduled for Wednesday, August 8 in Clinton, TN. Annual Peace Lantern ceremony in Knoxville will be held at 8:15pm on Thursday, August 9. A brochure will listing event will be posted soon.]]> Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:00:26 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/peace-rally-march-action-for-abolition-in-oak-ridge-tn.htm 8fd09a8f8273392158fc5d86395e3ef4145 Bill Nickle, Bob Grimac and John Nolt will be awarded the 2009 Peacemaker Award by The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA) on Saturday, February 14, at 7:00 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Cathedral on 413 W. Cumberland Avenue in Knoxville, TN. These peacemakers are being recognized for their lifetime commitment to the work of building peace and demonstrating and teaching environmental responsibility. Bill Nickle, is the founder of Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center in Washburn, TN. Bob Grimac is the catalyst behind People for Peace who have witnessed against the Iraq War with monthly vigils on Kingston Pike; John Nolt is a professor, author, and activist who helped to found OREPA. Admission to the Peacemaker Award ceremony is $15 per person, and donations to honor the award recipients can be made to OREPA, P.O. Box 5743, Oak Ridge, TN 37831. Please join with us in body or in spirit in celebrating the lives and work of these men of peace.]]> Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:00:57 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/peacemakers-to-be-honored-this-saturday.htm d42e8024875dd3af4c559055a5bd26b7170 As many of you know, the big event for Stop the Bombs has been moved from August 06 to April to enable more local students to attend while the colleges are in session. For those traveling here from outside the area, Kim Joy Bergier of the Michigan Chapter of Stop the Bombs has prepared a list of area accommodations.]]> Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:41 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/preparing-for-the-big-event-lodging-options.htm 76815c469be122a2f2f93f1869608140162 Stockpile Life Extension Name "Complex 2030" has been changed to "Complex Transformation" Tuesday, February 26, 2008 11:00am-3:00pm | 6:00pm-10:00pm New Hope Center, 602 Scarboro Road (Corner of New Hope and Scarboro Roads)| Oak Ridge, TN [outside gates of Y12 Plant] Public Comments on Draft (PEIS) Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement All four proposals in the draft envision the continued production of nuclear weapons and the maintenance of an enduring stockpile. The only question appears to be how many weapons to build and where to build them. It is crucial that the public show up to this hearing and make their standpoint known on the record. However, if you are unable to attend, the link below and attached document (pdf) contain information regarding where to send your public comment.]]> Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:46 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/public-hearing-on-using-y-12-for-building-nuclear-weapons.htm 124fda1ade29c70ae9a1d2555d1de5b6159 Friends, Want to see what young people had to say at the DOE hearing on nuclear weapons in Oak Ridge? Check it out at www.knoxtube.com peace, ralph]]> Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:28 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/recap-young-people-speak-out-at-doe-hearing.htm c1c10f323bd2a1c2497681c6c0996aea161 Remembering Hiroshima names and remembrance ceremony August 6, 20086:00am - 9:00am Y12 National Nuclear Security Complex Bear Creek and Scarboro Road Oak Ridge, TN Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. George Santayana A solemn ceremony of remembrance, reading of names of victims of the bombing of Hiroshima accompanied by peace cranes. Everyone is welcomed to attend and participate. for more information the oak ridge environmental peace alliance 865 483 8202 www.stopthebombs.org]]> Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:41 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/remembering-hiroshima.htm 6632fb33764175f1401f9e49d138822c165 Even before the dust had settled, we began getting calls. From Baton Rouge, Shelley s parents called to find out if she was in jail. There was a picture in the paper here, and an article. From Toledo, Ali reported to Betty and Larry, I heard it on Michigan public radio. When Tom arrived for his trial on Tuesday he said, It was in all the Detroit papers. First time it was in all of them. They were talking about the celebration of peace that marked Hiroshima Day in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on Saturday, August 4; it was one of a half dozen events stretching over nearly two weeks and involving hundreds of people in the work for peace. This report will try to do the impossible: to tell you what happened, briefly. People began arriving earlier in the week to build puppets and help prepare for the Saturday events; by Friday evening there were thirty or forty people at the nonviolence workshop/ peacekeeper training/puppet rehearsal at Church of the Savior in Knoxville. When it was over, we were ready for Saturday. We have grown spoiled at our actions in Oak Ridge by our amazing puppetistas whose performances have become a centerpiece of our peace actions; once again, they did not disappoint. A crew assembled at the Riverside Nonviolent Community house in Knoxville for a weeklong puppet build. The result? A Japanese folk tale was spun into an allegory starring elaborately costumed mice entertainment and message rolled into one. After two and a half hours of music punctuated by some speakers Ralph Hutchison on the morality of nuclear weapons; Motoko Huthwaite on the current national nuke scene; Shelley Wascom on what s happening at the Y12 plant in Oak Ridge today and a recognition of the peace walkers, runners and bikers who converged on Oak Ridge for the peace rally, we set out on a hot march to the bomb plant. Police stopped traffic as we made our way along Oak Ridge s main drag in the blazing August sun, nearly two hundred intrepid peace marchers, led by Buddhist chanting and followed by a giant dove, cloth wings flapping high above our heads. Along the way, we spread sunflower seeds international symbol of the movement to abolish nuclear weapons the hope of peace; next year we may see Mother Nature herself offering her dreams of peace. When we arrived at the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Plant, we found the road barricaded. Demonstrators tied peace cranes to the fence and scattered sunflower seeds, massed in the road and sang and chanted, stood at the barricades and witnessed to life in the face of death. And four protesters began to chain themselves together and, eventually to the fence where they were joined by a fifth. After half an hour, police cleared the road except for the five at the barricade. Mary Dennis Lentsch was the first to be arrested. She was hauled to the police van while the others were being cut out of their cables. Then it was Mary Ellen Gondeck, Beth Brockman, and Bill and Billie Hickey. One from Tennessee, three from Michigan, one from North Carolina. By the time it was all over, we were worn out and headed for the jails. Mary Ellen was released on her own recognizance; Beth and Mary Dennis were held because of prior offenses; Bill and Billie refused to sign papers and stayed in jail in solidarity with the other two. Charged with obstructing a highway, they were taken to Anderson County Jail to wait for their day in court. Meanwhile, as the news of Oak Ridge s events rolled off printing presses around the world (we got a report from Britain of articles in the paper there), Saturday rolled into Sunday in Tennessee. Bishop Tom Gumbleton arrived fresh from a trip to Haiti to join us for the Sunday vigil and a larger-than-usual crowd gathered to hear him and to join in the vigil. He offered words of encouragement and optimism as we celebrated the work of peace together. The vigil ended with our traditional singing of Keep Your Eyes on the Prize we sing it whenever members of our community are in jail. Monday was August 6, the date of Hiroshima s bombing. We assembled quietly in the pre-dawn hours at the bomb plant. As workers arrived they passed by a circle of readers and listeners the names of Hiroshima victims were being broadcast over the loudspeaker. They drove past barbed wire fences dancing with peace cranes. First hand accounts of the destruction of Hiroshima were read. The bell tolled after each name and each reading, and another crane was tied on the fence. The Names and Remembrance ceremony keeps the spirit and message of hibakusha before us: Never Again. On Tuesday we went to court. Our criminal friends came before Judge Murch in General Sessions court in Oak Ridge. Judge Murch accepted pleas of best interest, from Mary Ellen, Bill, Billie and Beth. He fined them each $25 and court costs (total $232); he sentenced Beth to five days in jail; she d already served three. The others got no jail time, though Bill and Billie had been in jail since Saturday. Mary Dennis asked for a bench trial in order to make a statement to the court. After her brief trial, she was sentenced to twenty days in jail; her statement was entered into the record. It was Mary Dennis The nun? They put her in jail? that seemed to particularly capture the media s attention. She has accumulated a bit of a following with her multiple arrests, and the idea that our justice system finds itself required to incarcerate her in the name of of what? public safety? rehabilitation? justice? punishment? has captivated some in the media. This is how nonviolence works. So the Associated Press in Tennessee put the story on the national desk thanks to arrestees from Michigan and North Carolina! and from there it went out on the international wire. Local coverage was unusually good as well TV covered three events, there were four articles in the paper covering activities and trials, there were radio interviews with several stations. We ended Tuesday evening with a Festival of Hope for the Wednesday jury trial; good food, music and quiet, serious talk on the front porch at Riverside. Wednesday we traveled back in time three of last year s August civil resisters had their day in court a jury trial in Clinton, Tennessee. Pam Beziat, Erik Johnson and Tom Lumpkin all testified to their opposition to nuclear weapons before a jury which eventually found them guilty of blocking a road that the government had already barricaded. They were fined $50 and will have a sentencing hearing on October 5. The wheels of the court system grind slowly, but they do grind people, lives, hopes all this and more is crushed under the relentlessly punitive system we call justice. Thursday was our finale peace lanterns to mark Nagasaki. In the waning daylight we gathered on the bank of the Tennessee River in Knoxville four year olds, eighty year olds and just about everything in between. We held in our hands a piece of melted, twisted glass from Nagasaki. We watched an amazing shadow puppet presentation that told us the story of Oban, the Japanese lantern festival that has been adopted and adapted to mark Hiroshima and Nagasaki s destruction. The shadow puppets delighted everyone (especially Utsumi Shonin who was seen later with a flashlight in his mouth, sitting behind the screen manipulating the puppets.) As darkness fell, we began to slip the lanterns into the water, encouraging them with a bamboo pole, watching as they slowly drifted to the middle of the river and began to move downstream, a choreographed troupe of dancers on the water, light and hope and prayers for peace illuminating the night and the world, and for a moment, in the stillness of the evening, watching them pass, we knew peace. This report prepared by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, sponsor of the August events in Oak Ridge and Knoxville,TN You can be part of the work of OREPA and stand in opposition to continued nuclear weapons production in Oak Ridge, TN with a tax deductible contribution to OREPA P O Box 5743 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 for more information, contact us at 865 483 8202 orep@earthlink.net [See photos in attached pdf]]]> Sun, 19 Aug 2007 00:00:37 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/report-on-hiroshimanagasaki-peace-events-in-oak-ridge-and-knoxville.htm ceaea977c7cc7071a46fe6d4366954e9148 The Future of Y-12 (286kb pdf) An analysis of capacity and facility needs at the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in Oak Ridge, TN in light of declining production needs and increasing demand for dismantlement.]]> Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/the-future-of-y-12.htm 56d3ba524219cde29baa023f179e1530176 Download: update-1-31-2010.pdf Contents of the update: Vice-President Biden promised in the Wall Street Journal this week a massive increase in funding for nuclear weapons production: Our budget devotes $7 billion for maintaining our nuclear weapons stockpile and complex, and for related efforts. This commitment is $600 million more than Congress approved last year. And over the next five years we intend to boost funding for these important activities by more than $5 billion." The new momentum for bomb plants and new warhead production requires action on several fronts. Find out what you can do to help turn the tide.]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:54 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/update-january-20th-2010.htm 497e23f50158c6a700d0f1c288d52264180 2nd annual 10k WALK FOR NONVIOLENCE Saturday, November 10, 2007 9:30am Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Kingston Pike, Knoxville concluding at Noon with Awards, refreshments and A Celebration of Nonviolence Everyone talks about the problems of violence in our culture now you can DO something about it. The 2007 Walk for Nonviolence will: raise awareness in our community about efforts to build alternatives to the violence that saturates our culture connect you with other people who believe in nonviolence celebrate the powerful history of nonviolence movements raise funds to support organizations and groups working for nonviolent social change in our community Who should walk? Individuals Youth groups School groups Anybody and everybody! You can raise money for your organization and get a great T-shirt celebrating nonviolence! for more information: 865 483 8202 or 865 466 5915 organized by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance]]> Sat, 10 Nov 2007 00:00:20 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/walk-for-non-violence.htm 8b8f682fadd155d23ee33d15563b2dff149 SUPPORT AND CELEBRATE NONVIOLENCE The fourth annual Walk for Nonviolence is an opportunity for your group or organization to raise money for the work you are doing in these tight economic times and to help raise the profile of nonviolence in our community. The Walk is a 5-mile trek along the Third Creek Greenway. It will be held on November 7, 2009, 2:30-5:30pm. The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance is the primary sponsor. How do you raise money? OREPA provides forms for you to solicit sponsors for you as you walk. How much can you raise? There is no limit it depends on the amount of sponsors you get and the amount of work you are willing to do. Even though OREPA does the logistics and organizing work, your group keeps 50-80% of the money you raise. See the flyer for more details. What do you need to do? Contact OREPA immediately with questions or to get sponsor forms and information flyers to get your group involved! Ralph Hutchison, OREPA s coordinator, can be reached at 865 776 5050 or orep@earthlink.net. Downloadables: 2009 Walk for Non-Violence (flyer) (sponsor form)]]> Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:29 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/walk-for-nonviolence.htm c7214e1aac8ff4abc52568e25e57aabd173 7:00pm, Beck Cultural Center, Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville The second annual community conversation sponsored by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance in celebration of the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. This year s symposium, cosponsored by other organizations in the community, will be a panel presentation focusing on the economic, moral and human costs of militarism to our communities. The panel presentation will be followed by a community discussion. For more information, contact OREPA at 865 776 5050.]]> Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:34 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/what-militarism-costs-our-communities.htm 82b82b70a7cb9ef782bedf81ff2bf1f3154 White Light Black Rain Stephen Okazaki s Hiroshima documentary includes never before seen footage kept secret more than 60 years by the US government Thursday, September 20, 2007 7:00pm Barley s Taproom 200 E Jackson Ave knoxville, tn presented by the knoxville voice]]> Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:00:25 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/white-light-black-rain-viewing-at-barleys-taproom.htm a39848c92c2badc1deb17a4880a2c261151 Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church The Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation has prepared an exhibit of posters which document the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in August 1945; the exhibit will be mounted in two locations in each of the fifty United States during 2008. Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church will host the poster exhibit from January 7-28 in the Lizzie Crozier French room at the Church. A special reception will be held on Sunday, January 13 at 7:30pm in conjunction with a visit from Takashi Teramoto, who was 10 at the time of the bombing and is an official witness for the Peace Culture Foundation. Teramoto s Knoxville visit is sponsored by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance; he will be accompanied on his Knoxville visit by Steve Leeper, Chairman of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation. The exhibit is available for classroom visits by arrangement with TVUUC. To discuss arranging a visit for your class, contact Ted Lollis at 865 609 8742 or at geovisual@comcast.net.]]> Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:04 -0700 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/witness-to-history-hiroshima-peace-culture-foundation-poster-exhibit.htm 969e65e25d2716f1824b6337a63073ac156 7:00 - 9:00pm St. John s Episcopal Cathedral downtown Knox ville Dr. Peter Van Den Dungen Bradford University, England one of the world s leading experts on the history of peace, nonviolence, and the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. Van Den Dungen s presentation will be followed by an open discussion everyone welcome co-sponsored by Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance | Episcopal Peace Fellowship]]> Sun, 23 Sep 2007 00:00:49 -0600 http://www.stopthebombs.org/news/women-peacemakers-past-and-present.htm 4538e8ce25303c97aca80b5415473903150