'Ban the Bomb butterfly effect' // UNplaza Art Fair--beauty in the park // Activists aim to oust US nuclear weapons from Germany // Afghanistan--the forgotten war // Abolish prison slavery--write prisoners // How to keep our children safe from guns // Coalition forms to tackle contamination at Bannister Federal Complex
2017 UNplaza Art Fair attracts new patrons
Jack Kleven, a new patron to PeaceWorks’ annual fundraiser, the UNplaza Art Fair, said he preferred our fair to others. Why? “Every booth is unique, with work I have never seen before, and reasonably priced. The artists are thrilled that you come in to see their work.”
Newsletter: August 2017
UNplaza Art Fair: Sept. 23-24 // Two documentaries go nuclear, close to home // Hiroshima/Nagasaki commemoration marks 72nd anniversary of bombings // A night of beauty, remembering, yearning for peace // UN treaty advocates nuclear weapons prohibition // Toxic, radioactive waste sites: in KC, St. Louis, Idaho // Sandy Hook mom to speak 10/9 at forum // Remembering Muted Voices
Hopeful News
Describing the new Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, Mary Hladky explained at the Hiroshima/Nagasaki Remembrance that the treaty prohibits the possession, development, testing, use, and threat of use of nuclear weapons. “The countries supporting this treaty … know that a crisis like the one now growing in North Korea could leap from a spark to an uncontrollable inferno in unanticipated ways.”
Lament and Sorrow. Hope for Tomorrow!
Speaking at the Aug. 6 PeaceWorks gathering to lament the US attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Jim Hannah, in his keynote, said, “I commend you for your presence tonight. You’ve chosen to face into the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki rather than look away, as our nation has mostly done for 72 years. … You are the sign that all have NOT forgotten. You are the sign that hope is stronger than fear. … And you are the voices that collectively will swell to an irresistible global chorus demanding 'No more nukes!'"
Remember Hiroshima, Nagasaki bombings and recommit to nuke-free world NOW
On Aug. 6, the 72nd anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, a Kansas City, MO, ceremony will mourn the deaths in that city in 1945 and in Nagasaki (Aug. 9, 1945) and call for a nuclear-weapon-free world. Participants will take hope from work on a United Nations treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons. Ban them. Outlaw them.
Newsletter: June 2017
Take heart! // Become Ambassadors for PeaceWorks KC // Media swarm to rally on Manning's release // Henry Stoever: 'We are instruments of truth.' // Ann Suellentrop: 'Trump calls for billions more for nukes.' // Wife says toxins at old plant caused husband's death // Depleted uranium found at Bannister complex // Is It a Good Job? // Planting Seeds of Peace // Avila will not hold science fair in 2018 with Honeywell
Is It a Good Job?
Ron Faust, speaking on Memorial Day, confronted the “reason” KC supported the new nuke-parts plant: jobs. He said people in favor of the plant were: Not thinking much about morality Or whether we are placed here To be constructive or destructive Or whether a job helps the earth Or hurts the earth.
Take Heart!
If you are of the progressive persuasion, these are disheartening times. Could our nation really go back to the worst days of Cold War mentality, environmental pollution, racial discrimination, blind nationalism, and patriarchy? … I’ve been struggling to retain a hopeful stance. … Seek the truth. Join with others. Witness for justice and peace. Persist. And above all, don’t lose heart!
Wife says toxins at old nuke plant caused husband’s death
Debbie Penniston’s husband died at 50 from an inoperable brain cancer after working 27 years as an engineer at the KC Plant, the former nuclear weapons parts plant. During the PeaceWorks Walk/Ride/Die-in on Memorial Day, she asked, “Why didn’t those who knew about the toxins and dangers in this plant tell employees they could run the risk of getting sick or dying, and allow the employees to find employment elsewhere?”