By Any Means Necessary: Using a Graphic Novel to Get More People Talking About Drones

I'm digging into Verax: The True History of Whistleblowers, Drone Warfare, and Mass Surveillance by Pratap Chatterjee and Khalil.

(Shoutout to Eastwind Books of Berkeley for featuring the book and inviting the authors to a public event in February.)

I've decided to read a chapter a day and share some some comments.

Get a copy and read along with me!


Chapter One

Aha! Putting two and two together. The author Pratap Chatterjee is (at the time the book begins) with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism -- the prime source of information on what's really happening with drone warfare -- especially civilian victims of drone attacks.

Main takeaway for me from Chapter One: the number of outlets of all different types that need to work together to get the word out to the general population about the carefully crafted hidden nature of modern warfare!

(Very "meta"! Verax itself is a demonstration of that fact!)

Bonus reading: search for content on mainstream media response to the problem of drones


Chapter Two

Remember when everyone was up in arms about the NSA?

Main takeaway for me from Chapter Two: I've been paying attention to how out of hand surveillance and information technology are getting ... in theory ... but I (and all of us) need to start to deal with it seriously as part of our daily routine. Starting right now ....

Bonus reading: another tale of scientists who did work for the government and then expected the government to be grateful for their warnings: Unfinished Business in Chicago (Nuclear disarmament, that is)

Chapter Three

True, true, true . . .

Main takeaway for me from Chapter Three: I flashed back to CODEPINK's 2012 "Drone Summit: Killing and Spying by Remote Control" in Washington, DC. That's where I saw Shazad Akbar speak, and it was after that that I came home determined to Make Drone Killing 100% VISIBLE!

Bonus reading: There was a period in 2014 when it seemed as if members of Congress might succeed in getting the US government to come clean with the facts on drone killing.


Chapter Four

It's all about software? That makes it hard for most ordinary citizens to get interested in. (And that's exactly the way the government likes it . . . . )

Main takeaway for me from Chapter Four: I know a little bit about tech . . . AND . . . every day I crawl a little further away from it, because it is so "boring." We need to do anything we can to get people to care about how technology is being used.

Bonus reading: Give science fiction a chance . . . These classics are painfully relevant today ("science fact"): 1984 . . . I, Robot . . . Ender's Game . . . Hunger Games . . . .


Chapter Five

Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. Go directly to watch CITIZENFOUR.


Chapter Six

Well this was supposed to be a paced read of a chapter a day but it's now getting into the breaking of the Snowden revelations (per CITIZENFOUR) and pretty un-put-downable . . . .

(Oh, and a line spoken by Snowden in CITIZENFOUR that made me feel sheepish about my book recommendations two chapters back: "It's not science fiction. It's happening right now . . . . ")


Chapter Seven

Reading this chapter (and watching CITIZENFOUR) brought back memories of when the Snowden story first broke. At that time, it felt to me as if he was living what Jesus experienced -- the risk, the fear . . . . (I called him "The 365-Day Man.") We're coming up on Holy Week this year and I think it is worth reflecting on what it means in today's world to go up against Empire.

By the way, I thought Khalil's illustrations in this chapter were a great example of how comics can be used to convey the spatial and temporal relationships between a complicated combination of events.

About to break the Snowden story . . . in Verax . . . .

Chapter Eight

As someone who has spent a lot of time in hotel rooms in Hong Kong, the main feeling I had reading this chapter (and watching CITIZENFOUR) was, "The world is so small. You think you're a world away from them catching up with you, but when they decide to, they can pounce on you in an instant . . . . "

I also thought: "Hong Kong isn't home but at least I can imagine hiding out in Hong Kong. What I can't image is . . . where do you go from there?"


Chapter Nine

How well I remember Edward Snowden's arrival in Russia:

Edward Snowden's Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena

Do you remember the story about Snowden's lawyer and the Dostoevsky novel? I wrote "Edward J. Snowden's lawyer didn't give Snowden a copy of Crime and Punishment to help him better understand himself. He gave it to him so he could try to understand where he came from." (See Reflecting on America's Split Personality (Moscow Airport Summer Reads). )

That was in 2013. In a way, it was the gift that kept on giving. Here I am on Crime and Punishment again, in 2016: Crime Without Remorse: A USA Specialty.


To be continued . . . .


Please share this post . . . .

Twitter Community for Activism: What Do We Understand?

The power of Twitter

If you are like me, you breathe a little sigh of relief every time you see some big New Media guru admit that no one really understands how Twitter works.

I spend a lot of time on Twitter, but there's still a lot about it that's mysterious to me.

So why do I use it? Because one thing that is clear to me is that the way community forms on Twitter bears the closest resemblance to the characteristics of community formation that we, as activists, need to work with from now on.

What I see on Twitter is: high autonomy (with low affiliation), personality, reciprocity, spreadability, and habit/practice.

Herewith some amplification on those characteristics, and some questions.


High autonomy (with low affiliation)

Well ... er ... some Twitter accounts are
even more "autonomous" than most. :-)
(Shown: @OpPinkPower)

The most significant characteristic of Twitter communities, I believe, is that they are made up of highly autonomous individuals. In other words, people are (in general) not readily recognizable as affiliated with the community(s) with which they meaningfully participate.

At first, this may seem untrue. "But what about the many people who identify themselves as belonging to a group, or supporting a cause?"

I believe that, while there are a very small number of clearly-affiliated activists on Twitter engaging in highly influential activity, there is a group of people that is larger by a factor of 100 who are also influential (or potentially influential) Twitter activists who are not clearly affiliated. Our job is to connect with them and encourage them!

This is supported by years of activity on Twitter, and countless examples of being led astray by the affiliation that I thought was important to people, only to realize that their stated affiliation was not reflected in their actual Twitter activity . . .

 . . . and, conversely, examples of people whose activity made them important activists, despite their lack of explicit affiliation.

This probably holds very good lessons for us about how the real world works, as well!


Personality

@HiginiaRoig on Twitter:
"Jo també reclamo l'abolició de les armes nuclears."
["I also demand the abolition of nuclear weapons."]

(More at #HiroshimaNagasaki70 - What I Learned on Twitter.)

People like to express themselves and receive attention.

These are the factors that drive Twitter.

(Note that this is slightly different than saying, "People like to engage in conversations and/or debate with other people.")

Never underestimate the power of the ego's need for attention!

I think this is confirmed by the way in which common ideas are expressed over and over again, each time in original ways -- and sometimes hitting the jackpot of mass sharing.

What that means for my own work is that I hold the hope that some kind of organic process(es) happening in social media will build towards a critical mass for peace.

Now it's just a matter of understanding those processes, and encouraging them.


Reciprocity

V @WeManifestPeace
(Can you spot the signs of reciprocity?)

Closely related to the characteristic of high autonomy (and of personality) is the fact that social media is ruled by reciprocity:

people support each other

I think many people may be misled by the fact that there are a tiny fraction of Twitter accounts with massive numbers of followers, and those accounts succeed at being unidirectional. (They put out a tweet, and a bizillion people spread it; but they don't do the same for their followers.)

In fact, I think the much more significant activity on Twitter is that which happens between people who support each other in a reciprocal fashion: "You pay attention to and retweet my stuff; I'll do the same for you."

Now, one way of looking at it is to say, "Well, that's not very idealistic!"

But isn't the real question: how do things really work? And if reciprocity rules on Twitter, shouldn't we get with the program?


Spreadability

Read about the work we're doing to make An Alternative
Global Security System really, really spreadable.

Ultimately, our success or failure will come down to the question of whether we availed ourselves of the power of social media to spread our message.

The social media counterpart to "If a tree falls in the forest . . . " is "Think FIRST about spreadability, and only THEN about the actual content of the message."

The most productive thing any activist could do today is to carve out an hour, open up their laptop, and look at Twitter, Facebook, or some other social media app and ask him/herself "What makes certain messages get spread over and over and over?" (Notice in particular the ones that get spread even though they don't have to do with sex or celebrity or sports!)


Habit/practice

Tuesdays are #NOnukes days on Twitter: #NoNukesTuesday

People tend to think of Twitter and other social media as apps that people use randomly and ad hoc -- in other words, without much thought, whenever they have a moment.

However, I've noticed that some people use their Twitter accounts in consistent ways: it is clear that these people are thinking about how to be most effective on Twitter, are developing practices to do on a regular basis, and are gaining the advantage of habit.

I believe we will be most successful when we take seriously the work that so many activists are doing with their Twitter accounts!


Some questions

All of the above leaves me with several burning questions:

(1) Can we build mass action if people don't affiliate -- at least not in the traditional sense of affiliation?

(2) How can we better observe and learn and how people use social media -- so that we have real knowledge to apply to the work of activism?

(3) Most important of all: how can we make what we do recursive -- i.e. not just invite more people into activism, but also invite them to actually become "inviters" (and "inviters of inviters") themselves?

If you care as much about using social media for activism as I do, please get online and help me answer these questions!


TAKE ACTION

Set up a Twitter account today

and follow @scarry.

#NOwar! Please share this message on Twitter!

Related posts

I've realized that when we ask ourselves, "What is it that we hope people will do?" we must include an element of recursivity: One of the things we want people to do is to involve more people in doing it. In a way, that element of recursivity -- dare I say "evangelism"? -- defines what it means for people to really become part of a movement.

(See Invite More People into Activism! (Pass It Along!) )











On November 11, 2015, Veterans for Peace had a message about reclaiming Armistice Day that proved itself massively spreadable on social media . . .

(See What will it take to reclaim Armistice Day for peace? )












Much of my last year has been focused on the 70th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- including innumerable tweets, posts, and shares on social media. Here are some of the things I'm noticing, particularly in connection with the hashtag #HiroshimaNagasaki70 on Twitter.

(See #HiroshimaNagasaki70 - What I Learned on Twitter )

2015 is the year of nuclear disarmament. It seems like a good time to use social media to get EVERYONE on board!

(See 5 Ways YOU Can Make a Difference on #NoNukesTuesday )













I've started to organize some of the practices I've discovered, starting with the ten "guideposts" below. I'll expand on these from time to time, and hope to spur continued conversation with all of you!

(See Twitter: Scarry's Ten Guideposts )












There is an eerie similarity between events in the book Paul Revere's Ride and events in our world today. I'm thinking particularly of how a network of mass resistance springs into action.

(See American Rebellion: Just Think What They Would've Done with Twitter!)

"We can choose to abolish war" (The rest is just details)

A Global Security System: An Alternative to War from World Beyond War

On March 8, World Beyond War published A Global Security System: An Alternative to War.

This document is important to World Beyond War because it helps us speak more clearly about what we are trying to do together.

Specifically, if lifts up two distinct aspects of our effort:

* On the one hand: we recognize, together with activists working on diverse issues around the world, that we confront massive intertwined systems of oppression, and that it will not be possible to achieve a solution to the problem of violent conflict without also achieving a solution to problems of economic injustice and environmental destruction.

* And yet: we recognize the enormous power of a simple idea, the starting place that enables us to take all the necessary steps that follow: "We can choose to abolish war"

A Global Security System: An Alternative to War appears in about 60 short-to-medium length sections on the World Beyond War website. A lot of people start with the very first section -- the Executive Summary -- and then plow forward from there -- and you can do that, too, if you want.

But I think that there's a different way to read A Global Security System: An Alternative to War.

I think "A Global Security System: An Alternative to War" becomes an effective tool when people ask themselves the question, "If I really believed that it's true that 'we can choose to abolish war,' what would I do differently?"



Speech Acts

Opening your mouth to say "we can choose to abolish war"
inevitably means becoming a war myth buster.

I believe an enormous number of people will conclude that, if they really believe "we can choose to abolish war," then what's required is to speak it.

I believe large numbers of people saying out loud that "total abolition of war is possible and necessary" will have large consequences, and I think many others believe this, too.

(The only way to discover if it is true is to encourage it to happen and then observe the consequences.)

For anyone who is preparing to speak, the best part of "A Global Security System: An Alternative to War" (in my opinion) is "Debunking Old Myths about War." That's because, the minute you open your mouth and say "we can choose to abolish war," you become a magnet for pushback.

"Debunking Old Myths about War" is the gateway to all the tools available within A Global Security System: An Alternative to War for people who are unleashing the power of their voice.

Think there's no
way for you
to help? Think again.

Work

I also believe an enormous number of people will conclude that, if they really believe "we can choose to abolish war," then what's required is to do work.

I believe large numbers of people swelling the ranks of diverse peace-related initiatives will have large consequences.

(As state above with respect to the power of speech, the only way to discover if this is true is to encourage it to happen and then observe the consequences.)

For anyone who is determined to roll up his or her sleeves and really work, the best part of "A Global Security System: An Alternative to War" (in my opinion) is the Table of Contents. Scroll through the Table of Contents and within a minute you'll spot one or more section dealing with a center of effort for war abolition that fits your skills and interests, and all those sections have links to groups to get involved with.



Withholding Consent

I also believe an enormous number of people will conclude that, if they really believe "we can choose to abolish war," then they will need to put their bodies on the line.

"Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigns" compel the political
decision makers and those who make money from the killing
machine to come to the table for talks on ending war and
replacing it with a more effective alternative security system.

I believe large numbers of people withdrawing consent from the war system will have large consequences.

It is for these people, I believe, that it will sooner or later make sense to read A Global Security System: An Alternative to War front to back, absorbing it like a novel, and, when they're done, reading it all over again, slowly.

Each time, they'll end up on the final section: "Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigns."





You may not necessarily believe the same things I do. Maybe you think it will take something else to abolish war. Maybe you think there's yet another way to delve into A Global Security System: An Alternative to War. 

What's urgent is that all of us try something.

Comments welcome.


Related posts

Yesterday was the UN International Day of Peace. The day nudged me to think about what -- if anything -- I feel I really know about peace and the movement for peace. Here are 10 things that are true for me . . . .

(See #PeaceDay 2015 - Ten Thoughts on Peace)

What I'm feeling particularly energized about is the potential for the thousands of people who have already signed on as supporters of World Beyond War -- as well as millions more who are expected to do so soon -- to become active participants in spreading this good news.

(See News Worth Spreading: "There IS An Alternative to War!" )

Violence or nonviolence? If you're interested in radical change, look at the hard facts on what's worked worldwide.

(See Chenoweth on Why Nonviolence Gets Results (The "Cliff's Notes" Version))

Why I'm Proud to Be Part of the #ShutDownCreech! 2015 Mobilization

#ShutDownCreech

Creech Air Force Base is the Nevada location where drone "pilots" control the killings by U.S. drone strikes thousands of miles away in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia . . . .

Many activists are paying a high price for their work to stop these killings.

Here's Kathy Kelly's message before entering federal prison for carrying a "stop the killings" message to the commander of Whiteman Air Force Base outside of Kansas City, MO:  "Let's rehabilitate CREECH!" on No Drones Illinois

Here's John Amidon, one of the many people who have protested drone killings at the Hancock Air Force Base outside of Syracuse, NY: "Please join us March 4 - 6 to Shut Down Creech!" on No Drones New York State

So: what can the rest of us do?

TAKE ACTION:

On social media: 

tweet using the hashtags

#ShutDownCreech and #nodrones

If possible, go to Nevada March 4-6 for

the Shut Down Creech! mobilization

Wherever you are, get involved

with  your local peace group 

and organize a solidarity event

Related posts

Year after year, hundreds of thousands of people from Chicago and the surrounding area gather on the lakeshore to watch aerial displays by an array of planes. Most don't suspect that they are being subjected to an intense propaganda effort by multiple branches of the U.S. military.  The Chicago Coalition to Shut Down Guantanamo views this as a perfect opportunity to engage with the public and enlist them in the growing movement against U.S. war, torture, surveillance, and other crimes.  We will join activists from many other peace and justice groups who have had a growing presence at this event in recent years.

(See August 16-17: Protest U.S. Kidnapping, Torture, and Drone Assassinations at the 2014 Chicago Air and Water Show Protest )


With drones, people become just dots. "Bugs." People who no longer count as people . . . .

(See Drone Victims: Just Dots? Just Dirt? )

There was a lot of noise in Chicago during the NATO Summit. But one message we managed to get through -- at least to some people -- was that people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and many other places are being injured and killed in their names ... and that if that bothers their consciences they can get active and do something about it.

(See Making Drone Killing 100% VISIBLE in Chicago!)

#NoNukesTuesday, meet @PeaceAndPlanet !

Peace and the Planet Conference and Rally
April 24-26, 2015 * New York City

Great news! The 2015 mobilization for nuclear disarmament got a big boost in the last week with the establishment of a robust website focusing on the Peace and Planet Mobilization for a Nuclear-Free, Just, and Sustainable World taking place in New York City April 24-26, 2015, in conjunction with the NPT RevCon.

To celebrate, #NoNukesTuesday on February 3 will focus on spreading the word!

Please follow @peaceandplanet, share the new site with friends and contacts, and join us on #NoNukesTuesday to tell us how YOU will be participating in and supporting the Peace and Planet Mobilization!





TAKE ACTION

Visit and share peaceandplanet.org

Follow and support @peaceandplanet

Help us build the #NoNukesTuesday

twitterstorm for nuclear disarmament

Related posts

In light of the upcoming review of the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) and the fact that organizations throughout the country and worldwide are organizing to press the U.S. to substantially reduce its stores of nuclear weapons, it seems like a good time to use social media to get EVERYONE on board!

(See 5 Ways YOU Can Make a Difference on #NoNukesTuesday )

2015 "No Nukes" Mobilizations planned in the US already include New York City in April, Nevada in March, and New Mexico in August.


(See Key 2015 Events for Nuclear Disarmament Movement Organizers )












The reward for committing to spend some time every week on the issue of nuclear disarmament -- e.g. developing the habit of being part of #NoNukesTuesday every week -- is that you start to see the forest for the trees . . . and you start to see how big this movement for nuclear disarmament is really growing.

(See SNAPSHOT: #NoNukesTuesday January 20, 2015 - The Movement is Alive! )

Bibi and Boehner's Gift to the Nuclear Disarmament Movement

House Majority Leader John Boehner and
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

It may be counterintuitive, but House Majority Leader John Boehner has actually done a good thing by inviting Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress.

The biggest problem we face in the nuclear disarmament movement is getting people to pay attention to the nuclear threat. Well . . . people are paying attention now!

And they'll keep paying attention, day after day, for the next month, as the Bibi Brouhaha plays out.

We often complain about how the mainstream media doesn't give attention to the issues that really matter. (Underinflated footballs, anyone?) Well, for better or worse, this Netanyahu story is guaranteed to be in everyone's face for weeks. (Hey, John Boehner is not one to cut his losses when he finds himself in the midst of a fiasco. Expect escalation.)

Netanyhu is coming to talk about nuclear weapons. Iran and nuclear weapons.

Our job? Take advantage of every development in the story to shine the light of day on the real nuclear weapons story. We need to stress that Iran + nukes is just a sideshow . . . hell, Israel + nukes is just a sideshow! . . . the main event is the U.S. and its nukes -- and its failure (together with the other nuclear "haves") to disarm.

The press and a large percentage of the public has already picked up on the fact that the ostensible story -- "Iran bad, Israel here to save US from disaster -- with help of Republicans" -- is a joke. The press and the public are already talking about the story behind the story . . . and the story behind that. So . . . it's time for us to sweep in with the real story (and it's a heavy one)!

The Bibi and Boehner Show is barreling full steam toward the spring Review Conference on the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT RevCon) and rapidly developing nuclear disarmament mobilization in the US and Europe. Towards the world's anger at the U.S. for the nuclear threat it poses. For its broken promises. For its thermonuclear monarchy.

This story isn't going away.

Let's make hay while the sun shines.


Related posts


There are three centers of power that will impact nuclear disarmament: the President, the Congress, and the people. One of them will have to make nuclear disarmament happen.

(See Countdown to U.S. Nuclear Disarmament (With or Without the Politicians) )

Far too many people think that the NPT is about freezing the status quo, and preventing additional states from obtaining nuclear weapons. This is a fundamental misunderstanding. The NPT is based on a quid pro quo: nuclear "have-nots" agree to not acquire nuclear weapons, and nuclear "haves" agree to disarm.

(See A DEAL'S A DEAL! (What part of "nuclear disarmament" doesn't the US understand?) )

2015 "No Nukes" Mobilizations planned in the US already include New York City in April, Nevada in March, and New Mexico in August.


(See Key 2015 Events for Nuclear Disarmament Movement Organizers )












In session after session of Congress, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC) introduces a bill calling for nuclear disarmament. Here's the summary of the version from the 2013-14 Congress (the 113th), known as "H.R.1650 - Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Economic and Energy Conversion Act of 2013". What I'm wondering is: will Rep. Norton have the support of her colleagues in the Progressive Caucus?

(See "Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Economic and Energy Conversion" - the 114th Time's the Charm! )


The choices are: (a) take back the power currently held by our thermonuclear monarch; or (b) shut up and pray. Those are the only two choices, and everybody gets to choose where they stand. The people in Congress who won't step up to either of them are a nothing but a bunch of putzes.

(See Congress is a Bunch of Putzes )

As the Obama administration prepares in the days ahead to pivot from its focus on Syria to something truly startling -- talking to Iran! -- it is important that the American public devotes some time and energy to learning and thinking about Iran, the history of the U.S.-Iran relationship, and what the U.S.-Iran relationship means in the larger context of the effort to reduce the risk of war and violence in the world.

(See IRAN: 3 Reality Checks on the Emerging U.S. Narrative)

SNAPSHOT: #NoNukesTuesday January 20, 2015 - The Movement is Alive!

The reward for committing to spend some time every week on the issue of nuclear disarmament -- e.g. developing the habit of being part of #NoNukesTuesday every week -- is that you start to see the forest for the trees . . . and you start to see how big this movement for nuclear disarmament is really growing.

For instance, on Tuesday, January 20, 2015, I learned . . .

There is a real debate happening right now in the UK about eliminating nuclear forces there:

VOTE AGAINST TRIDENT

As my MP I'm asking you to vote against
Trident replacement on Tuesday 20 January.

£100bn on a Cold War relic that does nothing
to secure us could be better spent on the
NHS, education and public services.

Meanwhile, people in the U.S. are wising up to the way the "nuclear threat" posed by Iran is being demagogued:

"The end of [Iran] negotiations isn't an unintended
consequence of Congressional action. It is very much an
intended consequence."(Senator Tom Cotton)

Luckily, the nuclear abolition movement is alive in the U.S.:

Global Zero tweet for January 24, 2015,
"Say NO to $1 Trillion Nuclear Arsenal"
protest in Washington, D.C.

And people recognize the threat posed by nuclear weapons is real and urgent:

What would happen if a nuclear weapon exploded over Chicago?

What's left to do? We need you to help put the power of network to work and bring about real nuclear abolition!

TAKE ACTION:

Put #NoNukesTuesday on your calendar.

Get tips on how to participate

fully in #NoNukesTuesday.

Find #nonukes activities near you.

Related posts

In light of the upcoming review of the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) and the fact that organizations throughout the country and worldwide are organizing to press the U.S. to substantially reduce its stores of nuclear weapons, it seems like a good time to use social media to get EVERYONE on board!

(See 5 Ways YOU Can Make a Difference on #NoNukesTuesday )

It's up to those of us with networks in the U.S. to get the word out to people in this country about the what nukes do to people -- and the need for people to become active in the movement to eliminate nuclear weapons.

(See NEEDED: MESSENGERS - Americans Need to Hear the Awful Truth of Nuclear Devastation )

There is so much more to do, so many ways we can turn up the volume . . . ! Do you have ideas about how to carry #NoNukesTuesday into Tumblr . . . Instagram . . . Reddit . . . ?

(See What #NoNukesTuesday Reveals About Organizing for Nuclear Disarmament )

New Years Messages for Nuclear Disarmament: The Power of Twitter

One of the most important aspects of the Vienna conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons was that it gave voice to people from all over the world.

Living in the U.S., I need constant reminding that we are not alone: we share this planet with many other people. Everyone has a voice.

Here's just one specific example: I noticed that participants from Iran were active participants in the Vienna conference.  This was exciting for me, living as I do in a country in which Iran -- and the "threat" of Iran's nuclear program -- consumes enormous amount of space and verbiage in our media.

Yet here was Mohammad Daryaei, Tehran-based university professor and senior disarmament researcher with diplomatic engagement on official work on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation issues for 22 years, participating in the conference -- including the live tweeting!

A few days ago, I reached out to Mr. Daryaei on Twitter. "What are #Iran's hopes for #NPT RevCon in NYC in spring 2015?" I asked. And I made a point of sharing the information about the NPT-related mobilization being planned in New York City.

from Mohammad DARYAEI @mhdaryai
"#Iran hopes [for] the commencement of international negotiations to ban and
completely eliminate all #nuclear arsenal as provided by the #NPT."

I love his response: "#Iran hopes [for] the commencement of international negotiations to ban and completely eliminate all #nuclear arsenal as provided by the #NPT."

Person-to-person diplomacy!

This leads me to think: we are approaching the first day of 2015. Isn't the time right for some New Years messages and personal resolutions about achieving nuclear disarmament? From people all over the world -- especially including people in the US?

I particularly like the idea that it is the PEOPLE who must resolve and commit to make nuclear disarmament happen in 2015. For far too long, we have behaved as if it was out of our hands.

But the truth is: it's OUR decision. It's up to US.

What are YOU committed to in 2015?


TAKE ACTION:

Share your #nonukes2015 commitment for nuclear 
disarmament on Twitter and other social media.

Join the #NoNukesTuesday twitterstorm

on December 30!

Engage your friends -- ITRW and virtual --

"Do you have a resolution for 2015 on 

nuclear disarmament?"

Become a Tuesdayista!

 
Related posts

The decision about whether to live with the threat of nuclear annihilation is our decision. And that is why the entire country is mobilizing for mass action for nuclear disarmament in 2015. Are we capable of making sure the messengers -- Obama, Putin, the other agents of government -- hear their instructions from us clearly?

(See NEEDED: Heroes to Bring About Nuclear Disarmament )

The Vienna conference in December 2014 was a great start!

NOW . . . it's up to those of us with networks in the U.S. to get the word out to people in this country about the what nukes do to people -- and the need for people to become active in the movement to eliminate nuclear weapons.

(See #GOODBYENUKES: 10 Images I'll Be Sharing From #HINW14Vienna )








In the U.S., there are three centers of power that will impact nuclear disarmament: the President, the Congress, and the people. One of them will have to make nuclear disarmament happen.

(See Countdown to U.S. Nuclear Disarmament (With or Without the Politicians) )