John Ainslie was in one of a flotilla of canoes buzzing the first Trident nuclear submarine coming up the Clyde in 1992 at the start of his term as coordinator of Scottish CND. He was an activist and organiser but additionally an internationally recognised expert researcher.
Since John Ainslie’s death in 2016, Scottish CND, CND UK and many nuclear disarmament campaigners around the world continue to rely on the work he produced from the early 1990’s until his premature death in 2016. At this point, his extensive archive was given to Scottish CND.
Sixteen boxes of folders included on-going freedom of information requests, and files that have implications for expert recommendations to diplomats, politicians and campaigners. It was no surprise that many of the people in Scotland and elsewhere wanted the chance to remember and honour John Ainslie’s work with a donation towards making his archive secure and accessible.
Scottish CND is very grateful to the Nuclear Information Service (NIS) for the safekeeping of the boxes, and for the specialised work of digitising and organising this archive not only for posterity, but so that the information could be accessed and utilised for current use.
Members and friends of SCND gave generously and donations are still welcomed to allow for the completion of the archive. It is now live on the NIS website at: https://www.nuclearinfo.org/ainslie-archive
The Ainslie Archive is an ongoing project to upload this vast archive. You can already browse hundreds of documents, reports, press cuttings, de-classified UK, US and Russian government memos, dating back to the Cold War, Cuban Missile Crisis and right up to the more recent times.
A special webinar was held on 9th of November 2022 by NIS to remember the stellar contribution of John Ainslie to the anti-nuclear weapons movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npm1q0VMTvs