In 1968, the five countries that already had nuclear weapons made a promise: in exchange for everyone else agreeing never to develop them, they would get rid of their own. That promise is encoded in the NPT, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Fifty-eight years later, the weapons are still here. There are around 12,000 of them and the numbers are increasing. The countries that promised to disarm are spending record sums, over $100 billion in 2024 alone, making them newer, faster and bigger. And this week, those same countries are gathered in New York for the NPT Review Conference, where they will reaffirm their commitment to a world without nuclear weapons.
The Cornerstone Report is ICAN’s new publication documenting how the nuclear-armed states and their allies have spent five decades performing compliance with the NPT while not actually implementing their agreements. The report also looks at what the majority of the world’s countries, the ones that have kept their side of the bargain, can do about it.
This report talks about the ways diplomatic language is used to obscure rather than communicate, how some initiatives are substitutes for action, and how the security environment that is cited as a reason not to disarm is largely constructed by the same states doing the citing.
The report also reminds us that the security situation so often cited as a justification for inaction, now, was in many ways worse in the mid-1960s, and that actually inspired countries to negotiate the NPT as a means to stop the spread of weapons and to get rid of the existing arsenals. It spotlights the states that are attempting to reverse decades of determination to end the threat of nuclear weapons and are now the ones incentivising proliferation.
It also shows how the global majority of countries are on a different path. One that has the power to lead to the end of nuclear threats, permanently.
We welcome you to join us at this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) for International Volunteers for Peace (IVP)! It’s a great chance to catch up, reflect on what we’ve achieved, and discuss what’s ahead.
Just let us know how you’d like to attend by Wednesday 13th May.
Agenda
â—Ź Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country
● A quick recap of last year’s AGM
â—Ź Guest Speakers
â—Ź Nominations for Committee positions
● A look at what’s coming up for IVP
● Open discussion – your thoughts, ideas, and feedback!
â—Ź Any other business
Please raise agenda items and/or make nominations for Chair, Secretary, Treasurer or other Committee Members via email to secretary@ivp.org.au by Wednesday 7th May.
Dates: Sat 27th February – Thurs 11th March 2021
Where: Goulburn, NSW
Number of vols: 5
Participation Fee: $150 (AUD) (covers food, accommodation, insurance, camp leader, day trip to Canberra, sightseeing in Goulburn).
Host: Goulburn Agricultural, Pastoral and Horticultural Society began in 1880. They organise the Goulburn Show each year, showcasing the very best of agricultural produce, local creative talents, school artwork and related activities. Goulburn Show is one of the largest community events in the region. www.goulburnshow.com.au
Volunteer work: For the volunteers it will be fun and rewarding to work with local community-minded people. The Show will take place on 6th and 7th March 2021 . You will work behind the scenes and help put the Goulburn Show together, set up infrastructure for the show and pack away afterwards. The work will be approximately 6-7 hours per day with tasks as required, mostly physical with some moderate lifting. You will be working alongside local volunteers; helping erect tables, setting up displays, fencing, laying carpets, general office duties and even chasing a forklift! Cleaning up after the show may include mucking up straw. During the show you will help for a few hours, on a rotating roster, to run an information stall about international volunteering and sustainability. Your ideas are welcome for this.
Cultural activities: You will have free tickets to the Show. You will learn about agricultural issues, in particular wool growing which has an important place in the history of Australia and Goulburn. There will be a whole day sightseeing trip, possibly to Canberra, and time after work for local sightseeing / shopping.
Accommodation: The team will live together in a small building at the showground. Stretchers, mattresses, sheets, pillows and blankets will be supplied. There will be a roster for shopping, cooking and cleaning. Toilets, showers and a washing machine are in the building. The town centre is a 20 minute walk away and there you can find supermarkets, post office, cinema, nature walks and a swimming pool.
Arrival and departure: Nearest international airports are Sydney and Canberra, from there it would be train or bus to and from Goulburn Railway Station, which is conveniently located in the centre of town. Detailed information about train times will be given closer to the start of the workcamp (in case of change of timetable). Please aim to arrive in the afternoon of 27th February 2021. On arrival there will be a group welcome and orientation to get to know Goulburn, the project and your hosts. There will be a walk around the grounds to familiarise you with the surroundings. Activities will start from Monday 1st March, until Tuesday 9th March. The next day Wednesday 10th March there will be an evaluation, excursion and farewell barbeque with the local volunteers. Thursday 11th March is the final day, time to wind down, pack up, you can plan to leave any time on this day that suits you.
What to bring: Wide brimmed sun hat, closed work shoes/boots and appropriate work clothes. The weather can be very changeable, one moment very and the next, a cold snap, so bring clothes for all climates, including possible rain.
Requirement: You will be working with children during the camp, therefore the Australian authorities require you to have a Working With Children Check. Please, apply for that online here , prior to arriving in Goulburn. Keep your application number, because you will have to report that on arrival.
Attending a work camp near Ulaanbaatar gave Monica Kampfer a chance to help Mongolia’s orphans and experience the nomadic lifestyle.
After spending a day sightseeing in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s polluted and overcrowded capital, it was a relief to arrive at the camp. The campsite at Buhug was in a very remote and beautiful location, surrounded by green hills and blue sky.
The children gave us a warm welcome and the more outgoing ones wanted to talk to us straight away. They were from the government-run orphanage. During the summer the orphans stay in two summer camps. This one is a vegetable farm and houses 150 children aged from eight to 18. It grows food for the kids to eat in the winter.
