Notice from the Secretary and Annual report - 2019

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Grateful thanks to those of you who are officers, attend meetings, campaign, give donations and pay their subs. As usual the newsletter has been reduced to one per year mainly recording our campaigning. Subs of £5 are now due - please send them to Tahrir Swift [use tear-off slip at end of newsletter ].

CND still very much needs support especially with plans for the US to withdraw from the INF treaty , the challenges of climate change exacerbated by pollution caused by continued conflicts and civil wars, the resultant refugee crisis, the campaign to get UK to sign up for the Nuclear Ban Treaty , the selling of arms to Saudi Arabia and the bombing of Yemen. There are also concerns regarding UK's plans for Trident renewal, the use of drones and the dangers from nuclear power pollution from the Fukushima fall out. It would be really supportive if local Bromley Borough CND members could also join National CND, if they don't already belong. Please also visit our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/Garrettcnd

Secretary's Annual Report

Acknowledgements Grateful thanks to those who supported demonstration on May 3rd 2019 outside Westminster Abbey opposing the service to celebrate the Trident missile system, the monthly Close Guantanamo demos, campaign stalls for the Nuclear Ban Treaty , The Bowie Oddity Festival in Croydon Rd recreation ground, Fukushima rally, march and regular vigils outside the Japanese Embassy and TEPCO office, Conscientious Objector's Day ceremony on May 15th, also for help at last year's Chernobyl Day and Bromley August Bank Holiday Monday stalls. Richard Hart asked 3 questions at a Bromley Council meeting on April 8th 2019 about the dangers nuclear waste trains travelling through the borough. Grateful thanks as always to Brian Phillips and his son Bryan for photocopying our newsletter each year. Our press officer Tahrir Swift has covered all our events regularly, and the local papers have given us good publicity as a result. She is also our hard working treasurer and membership secretary.

Hiroshima/Nagasaki Events 2018 Leaflets were distributed in Bromley, signatures collected on the petitions. Then we had a silent march through Bromley and walked to the lake in the Library Gardens where we scattered white chrysanthemums. We read poems and made statements. As usual a very moving occasion, and the silent march was well respected by members of the public. A ceremony was held in the Archbishop Tutu Peace Garden in Chinbrook Meadows, Grove Park followed by food at Scots Care nearby, on August 9th to mark Nagasaki Day. This was supported by Orpington Wilpf and Lewisham and Greenwich CND. We sent our photos to the Archbishop Tutu Foundation.

National CND AGM 2018 National officers were elected : including Kate Hudson as General Secretary, Dave Webb as chair and Linda Hugl as treasurer.

White Poppy Ceremony 2018 It was heartening to have the attendance of about 20 people - with support from Forest Hill and Sydenham and Lewisham and Greenwich CND groups. The wreath made by Ruth Fabricant was again bio-degradable - Ruth also sang peace songs. Poems were read by Patricia McKinnon, Roisin Robertson, Geraldine Cowan and Ann Garrett. Speakers included Richard Hart and Denis Cobell. The ceremony ended rather chaotically as the civic march arrived early due to The Armistice anniversary and we were forced to splitting into two groups.

London Region AGM January 14th/ 2018 The following officers were elected - Carol Turner [ Chair], Tim Wardle [Sec] and Phil Sedler [Treasurer].

Campaigning Activities We have leafleted in Bromley, Beckenham and Penge, collecting signatures on the Preventing Trident Replacement and Nuclear Ban petitions and outside Bromley South Station against Nuclear Trains. We supported Lewisham and Greenwich CND's Aug 6th Hiroshima event at Charlton House where the Blackheath folk club members sang and the Bromley Peace Poets read. Our banner has also been present at the London anti austerity actions. We marked the anniversary of Chernobyl on April 26th and also the 8th anniversary of Fukushima with a stall in Bromley Market Square. The public response was encouraging and we collected donations for the Chernobyl Children's Project. Bromley Peace Council has regularly attended the Stand Up to Racism demonstrations in London and visited the The Lewisham Islamic Centre to pay their respects after the Christchurch shootings.

Nuclear Power/Waste Update NTAG [ the nuclear trains action group ] and Kick Nuclear have been focusing on campaigning at Brixton, Wembley and Willesden, and also supported us at Bromley South station where the trains still travel through from Dungeness on their way to Sellafield. We did actions at Bromley South on Nov 3rd/18 and May 4th/19. NTAG/Kick Nuclear/ Japanese Against Nuclear have issued statements about their concerns about the staging the Olympics in Japan in 2020 with the torch ceremony beginning in Fukushima Prefacture. A parliamentary meeting was held on March 19th to mark the anniversary of the Fukushima disaster chaired by Caroline Lucas and Dr Ian Fairlie. Three Japanese mothers spoke of their difficult experiences since having to leave their homes in Fukushima. We joined CND's protest against thanks giving service for nuclear weapons on 3rd May.

International Peace Day Event -2018 This was held again on Sept 21st at Bromley Parish Church Rooms and was organised by Bromley Peace Council. Mark Dunk spoke about Stand Up to Racism. Stalls from local groups were present and Richard Hart chaired the evening. Bromley Peace Council is supported by people who aren't all members of CND, so it still functions as an umbrella group for different organisations. Meetings continue to be held at The Therapy Centre, 96 Martins Rd, Shortlands - thanks to Paula Lloyd. [ October 27th/2019 at 3.00 pm ]. Sept 21st/2019 Peace Day will again be at Bromley Parish Church Rooms, Church Rd, Bromley - 7.30 - 10.00 pm

Condolences To the families and friends of Joanna Bazely of Wimbledon CND and Walter Wolfgang of Labour CND - two dedicated campaigners who devoted their energies over many years to working for peace and justice.

Comment The decision by the US to withdraw from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty which has kept nuclear missiles out of Europe for 3 decades, has resulted in increased tensions. Meanwhile negotiations continue on the international treaty to ban nuclear weapons. The UN gave the go-ahead for the talks after a resolution was adopted in October 2016 supported by 123 member states. It is appalling that the UK has still not signed up. Our support will be needed at the Stop the Arms Fair demonstrations in September. Bromley Borough CND will be there at the ExCel Centre on Sept 11th. There are also Stop The Arms Fair campaigning events from Sept 2nd - 13th.

Click here for Regular Local events and peace directory

Speech at Lewisham Islamic Centre - 21/3/2019

I am here this morning to speak on behalf of Bromley Peace Council and Lewisham, Sydenham and Bromley CND groups, and bring a message of solidarity.
We are deeply saddened and shocked by the Christ Church shootings in New Zealand.
There is no place in this world for Islamophobia and those of us who work for peace
in our communities, welcome the richness that diversity brings from different cultures
and beliefs.

We have and will continue to stand up to fascism and racism, and do what it takes - 
being here today, going on marches and enjoying communicating, especially with the
friendly members of Lewisham Islamic Centre.
Hopefully we can all work together for greater understanding, peace and unity.

Ann Garrett

Nuclear Waste Trains Questions [Bromley Council Meeting – April 8^th 2019]

By Richard E. Hart.

1. Under the Borough's nuclear waste transportation plans , what emergency measures will be put into action in case of an accident?

2. How often is nuclear waste transported through the Borough, and are you concerned that nuclear trains pass close to the public?

3. Are you aware there is residual radiation from the trains and are there any plans for a risk assessment?

I was not impressed by Councillor Huntington-Thresher. In fact the Tory Group for the most part seem arrogant.

Question 1.

Nuclear waste transportation & emergency measures.

H-T said there was a major emergency plan which included co-operation & coordination with the emergency services. He was not particularly forthcoming. So I put a supplementary asking where it could be seen. He said he would 'get back to me.'

Question 2.

 Frequency of nuclear waste trains & are you concerned they pass close to the public. Very near the civic centre in fact. H-T said : this information not notified to the council. They relied on advice of experts. Colin Smith, the Council leader said the trains in question went through other boroughs.

I asked whether the information is readily available? Angela Wilkins Labour Group Leader backed me up on this. We were advised to look on the Council website under 'Emergency Planning'.

Question 3

Residual radiation & plans for risk assessment. Advice was to look at the 2017 public health England report. One of the Councillors said there was an extremely low risk.

This is the report the Councillors were referring to. It says nothing about the unique possibility of releasing radiation into the atmosphere and its ramifications. Next time we ask the Councilors this is the report they mentioned in their reply and we should ask them to point out which section of the report is relevant to our queries?

https://cds.bromley.gov.uk/documents/s50066067/Enc.%203%20Publications%20-%2010.26%20A%20Councillors%20Guide%20to%20Civil%20Emergencies.pdf