CND Campaigns Director Sara Medi Jones writes about how you can get involved in the urgent campaign to stop the nuclear arms race.
There is no doubt we are living through a nuclear arms race. Last week’s announcement by United States President Donald Trump that the US plans to restart nuclear testing is the latest development which should set off alarm bells: we need to change course and prioritise a different kind of international dynamic before we accidentally stumble into nuclear war.
In the face of the current reality, CND is calling on governments across the world to come to the table and get serious about creating the conditions for peace. We need new treaties setting out the way for nuclear de-escalation and disarmament; a push for states to abide by the agreements to which they have already signed up, such as the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT); and for the nuclear states to support the only international treaty which bans outright the possession of nuclear weapons – the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
We also need to change the narrative. The reality is that real security will not be guaranteed by more military spending, whatever the Prime Minister Keir Starmer tries to say. Take the government’s decision to expand its nuclear capabilities by buying fighter jets that can drop nuclear bombs on behalf of the United States. Britain already has over 200 of its own bombs that could kill millions and destroy our planet. Does anyone realistically believe that adding more to the mix will defend us from an unspecified attack? Or is this ‘game’ of nuclear brinkmanship more about appeasing Donald Trump and the far-right, militaristic movement emerging in our society?
CND has long maintained that true security comes from making sure everyone in our society has a good standard of living, a home to live in, food on the table, and access to education. The climate crisis is a true threat, but consensus is breaking down on taking action to reverse disastrous temperature rises and mitigate the impacts we’re already seeing.
As a movement for peace and campaigners for a world without nuclear weapons, we of course should be pointing out the dangers of taking the world to the brink of annihilation. But that’s the easier part. We also need to be working out what the alternative looks like and present an idea for a different kind of future that doesn’t push us to the nuclear brink.
Therefore it could not be more urgent to bring together all those who want to stop these nuclear dangers and reverse the wider war drive. That’s why CND is organising a day of debate and activism in London on Saturday 22nd November. ‘Stopping British nuclear expansion – how to reverse the government’s war drive’ offers a powerful line up of speakers from across the peace, environmental, student, and trade unions movements. We will be sharing information, discussing practical ways forward, and making new connections. And we need you to come along. Click here to register.
While the Trump administration has stepped back from testing with nuclear explosions ‘for now’, it is undeniable that the need for international nuclear disarmament has never been more urgent as global arms control infrastructure crumbles.
As nuclear weapons states modernise and increase their nuclear arsenals, let’s never lose sight that the consequences of a nuclear war would be the destruction of huge sections of the planet, a devastated ecosystem, and a global famine for the survivors.
Join us later this month. It’s urgent.