News
News
RIP Jim Taggart from Brian Quail and Scottish CND
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- Published on Tuesday, 18 June 2019 10:28
Dr Jim Taggart was a hands-on and hard-working officer on Scottish CND's executive committee for many years. He was a well-regarded member of CND UK's Council, travelling to London for meetings regularly, and an integral part of Helensburgh CND and immensely practical supporter of the Peace Camp.
Jim’s funeral is on Saturday 6th July, at 10:30am in Craigrownie Parish Church, Cove Burgh Hall, Shore Road, Cove, near Helensburgh G84 0LY
The service will be followed by burial at the Barbour Cemetery and then refreshments by the Green Kettle will be served in the Gibson Hall, Garelochhead G84 0AT
Many years ago when Trident Ploughshares first started I stayed in Jim's house at Cove. He took me on a tour of Linn Gardens, which had been a barren wilderness before Jim transformed it into the wonderful place it became. They even made a TV programme about it.
Whenever I go to that hellish place, the North Gate at Faslane, I see the tourist signpost at the roundabout indicating the way onward to Linn Gardens. The mere sign of this always gives me a brief fluttering of hope, which is otherwise drained from me by the unalloyed evil that is the base.
Jim's gardening genius was integral to his dedication to peace. His making of a garden was the re-making of our primary home, our Eden. A myth is not a lie, but a primal truth told in a tale. Our pride and arrogance drove us into exile from Eden, our garden home. Basically, we are all trying to get back home. And a garden is the nearest place to heaven on Earth.
The last time I saw Jim, it was in the Clyde Bar, at a Helensburgh CND meeting. Jim was ensconced in the corner with the campers and CND'ers around his - Gandalf with the Hobbits. This was not long after he had received the terrible news that his son Jamie had been found dead in Vietnam. The worst news any parent could get. Some people are destroyed by grief, others grow stronger, and are thus ennobled. I admired Jim then more than ever.
It was not all sweetness and harmony; Jim was old-school Brit left, and had no sympathy for Scottish independence. But then, neither did Alan MacKinnon - and he was a giant in the peace movement. To use that most boring cliche, CND is a broad church.
Jim was exceptionally active in Scottish CND locally and on the Executive, for many years. His dedication and untiring efforts will be sorely missed by all who yearn for peace and justice.
The Global Net - Stop the Arms Trade
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- Published on Wednesday, 20 March 2019 13:45
Stephan and Magdalena from the Arms Information Centre (RIB) visited Scotland in early March 2019 to introduce us to Global Net - Stop the Arms Trade
Their mission was to remind us that International cooperation is essential if we are to limit the harms of arms trade - arms manufacturers often have operations that are global; they manoeuvre to avoid national restrictions, sometimes exporting whole factories to bypass national laws or make their legal entity to avoid reparations required by international law. National laws often make it very difficult for victims of weapons to receive any compensation. For example, a Somalian soldier who lost a leg and could identify the rifle as made in Germany would have to be in Germany to seek legal redress - you cannot file a complaint without being on German soil. They are making public, visible detailed case studies on arms manufacturers and the arms they cause on the Global Net website.
60 Years of Scottish CND
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- Published on Monday, 10 December 2018 14:45
Scotland's Nae Place for Nuclear Weapons as Campaigners Celebrate 60 years of CND - an article published in the Daily Record this week provides a snapshot into Scotland: A Peace of History which launches this Saturday 15th December at the Mitchell Library from 12:30pm.
All welcome and refreshments will be provided.
Read the article here: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/scotland-now/scotlands-nae-place-nuclear-weapons-13701677
Stop Funding the End of the World - DBOTBS
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- Published on Friday, 30 November 2018 11:26
Stop Funding the End of the World - A Guide to Nuclear Weapons Divestment in Scotland was created by Don't Bank on the Bomb Scotland, a network of individuals campaigning for Scottish organisations and financial institutions to divest from companies that are involved in the production and maintenance of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems.
Scottish CND Push for Transparency after 505 safety incidents revealed at Faslane
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- Published on Monday, 19 November 2018 15:49
Scottish CND push for transparency around the Annual Nuclear Safety Reports from the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator which have recently been censored by the Ministry of Defence.
The Ferret (an independent non-profit media cooperative in Scotland) published a letter from Stuart Andrew, defence minister yesterday revealing 505 safety incidents at the Faslane naval base in the last 12 years (over 200 in the last four years). Many of these incidents involved the Trident submarines which carry Britain's nuclear weapons.
The article states that 23 incidents were catergorised as having a 'high potential' for leaking radioactivity into the environment or within a submarine or building. Some 148 incidents were said to have a 'moderate potential for future release or exposure'.
Scotland: A Peace of History
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- Published on Thursday, 04 October 2018 14:21
We invite you to celebrate with us!
2018 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the formation of the Scottish ‘Council’ for Nuclear Disarmament. We want to use the occasion to showcase and celebrate our history, whilst also looking to our future. To this end, we are creating a timeline of important actions and events, both from within and out with our movement, spanning over eighty years! We have gratefully received funding from the National Lottery’s Heritage Lottery Fund for the timeline project. We hope the final results will be nostalgic, inspiring, and educational.
Launch Event
Sat 15 Dec 2018 12-4pm Mitchell Library, Glasgow
- 12:30pm - Informal opening ceremony with some brief speeches and some music
- 1:00pm - 4:00pm - An opportunity to view the exhibition which celebrates the 60th anniversary of Scottish CND.
Scottish CND members, supporters and people from the wider Scottish Peace Movement are very welcome to attend the opening and view the exhibition on Saturday 15th December 2018. More information can be found on the Facebook event.
Join the Nae Nukes rally, 22 Sep
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- Published on Wednesday, 05 September 2018 10:11
NAE NUKES ANYWHERE! – International Rally at Faslane 22nd September 2018
Gather at Faslane Peace Camp at 12 noon and walk from the Peace Camp to the North Gate of the base for the rally, a distance of around a mile. The rally should end between 3 and 4 p.m.
The rally will feature speakers from many countries. Confirmed to date are: Sharon Dolev (Israel), Founding director of the Israeli Disarmament Movement, Ekatrina Earsalovna (Russia), Professor of International Relation, Ural Federal University, Anthony Donovan, writer, organiser and documentary maker on peace and disarmament from New York, Emad Kiyaei (Iran), a consultant who provides political, business and civil society leaders with strategic advice in the intersection of political risk, diplomacy and technology, Maaike Beenes (The Netherlands), a young campaigner with PAX in the Netherlands, Members of the People’s Democratic Party (South Korea) who visited Scotland as part of their Peace Expedition, Allison Pytlak (Reaching Critical Will), who was awarded, along with Ray Acheson, the UN Women’s Champion for Change status this year for their advocacy in the campaign for the TPNW and Timmon Wallis (United States) – National Co-ordinator of NuclearBan.US.
If you wish to make a donation for the rally please use the "Donate" button the right side of our website, visit our crowdfunding page here or send a cheque to the Scottish CND office.
As well as the rally itself there will be other events over that weekend to take advantage of the presence of campaigners from far and wide.
Full programme, bus details and other info available here
The aim of the rally is to to highlight the strength of support from many UN member states for Scotland, a country hosting nuclear weapons against its wishes. Scotland is a significant and relatively autonomous part of a nuclear-armed state which opposes its possession of weapons of mass destruction. As things stand we cannot become a party to the new UN Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons but there are lots of ways in which we can align ourselves to the Treaty. The September rally will be a fine opportunity to mark our determination to do so.
Make a special donation for the rally on the 22 Sep
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- Published on Tuesday, 17 July 2018 13:51
To make a special donation please visit the crowdfunding page here or send a cheque to Scottish CND
Join the events at the Youth Peace Academy
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- Published on Tuesday, 17 July 2018 13:48
Events at the Youth Peace Academy open to all members & supporters +
Press/Photo calls times
You might be aware of you 3 day Youth Peace Academy. Applications are not officially closed, but we might be able to make some space for last minute registrations.
We have a number of events open to our members and supporters. While these are free (voluntary donations encouraged) we require booking. Do get in touch if you want to join any of these great parts of the academy.
Speech from Hiroshima Survivor Mr. IESHIMA Masashi
Fri 27th, 4.30 pm, University of Strathclyde Students’ Association, 90 John Street, Glasgow, G1 1JH, Vertigo Room (level 8)
Social gathering with Live Ceilidh by The McHart Ceilidh Band (finger buffet provided, drinks available at the bar)
Sat 28th, 7 pm, 35 Avenuepark St, Glasgow G20 8TS
Bus tour of the Faslane Peace Camp & Faslane Base with workshops on non violent direct action & convoys.
Sunday, 29th of July, 10 am - 3 pm
Leaving from SYHA Glasgow Youth Hostel, 7-8 Park Terrace, Glasgow, G3 6BY at 10 am, returning to Glasgow City Centre at 3 pm.
Please get in touch by email or phone (0141 3571529) if you want to book your space at any of these events!
If you want to help out as a volunteer at the academy do get in touch to let us know availability. Limited free beds available at the hostel, if any of you need accommodation. Volunteers might also get the chance to take part in some of the training and events.
Press/Photo calls times
Friday 27th of July
Testimony from Hiroshima survivor 4.30 pm, Glasgow (University of Strathclyde Students’ Association) with time for press interviews 2.30 - 4.15 pm
Mugstock festival Hiroshima speaker plus human peace logo formation, 8 pm (Mugdock Country Park). Journalists willing to cover this will have to contact Alan Govan (festival director) to arrange entrance. He can be reached at 07821077416, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sunday 29th of July
Buss trip to Faslane Base & Faslane Peace Camp
Photo call with all academy participants, 11 am, outside the peace camp
For more details visit http://www.peaceeducationscotland.org/peace-academy/
Contact:
Peace Education Scotland
Flavia Tudoreanu, 0141 3571529, 0740 5349615, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Arthur West, 07826127759
MugStock Festival
Alan Govan, festival director, 07821077416, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Photos of MugStock Festival:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1V-RY7DNkVRVO4tXCYHLgpKVa6-69xxEr?usp=sharing
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