New This Week (June 26, 2017)

100+ countries are negotiating a global ban on nuclear weapons right now at the UN, and you can watch it happen.

You can read the updated draft of the #nuclearban treaty, hot off the press; and follow the next steps via live-tweeting at #nuclearban on Twitter.

How mainstream is the global #nuclearban treaty effort? The International Committee of the Red Cross has stepped forward to say: everyone needs to confront the real truth about nuclear weapons and implement a ban now.  (Click the image below to see their video.)

"From the 1st second, to 70 years on: here’s what could happen
to you and your city if a nuclear bomb is dropped. #nuclearban"
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

How widespread is the global #nuclearban treaty effort? I've spent recent months encouraging people to delve into the stories of the many countries that are leading the ban effort -- countries ranging from Indonesia to New Zealand to Mexico and many more.

SO GRATEFUL for 100+ countries making the #nuclearban happen at @UN!
http://joescarry.blogspot.com/2017/04/133-is-lot-of-nuclearban-supporting.html
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

How fast is the global #nuclearban treaty effort growing? Just two cool examples from the last couple of days:

More and more prominent cultural figures support the ban. I had always hoped that the great Chinese artist and activist and social media user Ai Weiwei would help promote #nuclearban. Now . . .  check THIS out:

"Ai Weiwei, renowned artist, lends support to ban"
(See Ai Weiwei's video message on the International
Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) website.)

And at Sunday's PRIDE parade in NYC . . .  THIS:

@IQAN - International Queers Against Nukes
"We're here! We're queer! Ban the bomb, don't live in fear!"
#pride2017 #nuclearban #disarmhate
(Please share this message on Twitter.)

The picture is emerging clearly: #nuclearban is unstoppable . . . .


More to come . . . . 


 . . .  AND . . . in the US . . . there are now thirty-eight (38) co-sponsors on Rep. Ted Lieu's House bill to rein in presidential first use of nuclear weapons. (And eight (8) co-sponsors on the corresponding bill in the Senate sponsored by Ed Markey.) Will support continue to grow in the rest of June and through the summer?

Please use this script to call and get YOUR representative on that list!