Chances to End the Nuclear Age
Workshop Report by Joanna Macy
Well, as you can imagine, with a title like
"Chances to End the Nuclear Age" our group ranged
all over the place in its discussion. Much of it had to
do with grass-roots involvement of citizens. We had
a number of people in our group that were
exemplifying in their own lives search for new ways
of engaging, and reflected at some length upon the
convergence of -- a historical convergence at this time
-- of the movement -- the peace movement, the
environmental movement and the human potential or
spirituality movement, and that this convergence, as
we've experienced it here, can lead to a revitalization
of the anti-nuclear movement.
There was as one way that we talked
about for giving people on the local level a form
of involvement and self-education on the nuclear fuel
cycle and the presence of contamination in their
neighbourhoods is the proposal of a work sheet --
which actually some of us are working on -- to
distribute, that people of all ages, including school
children, can educate themselves on the presence of
nuclear facilities and the drive-through of nuclear
transport and so forth in their communities, the
types of contamination, by filling out this work
sheet.
There were four other recommendations,
equally wide-ranging, that I'll just read, they were
written by different members of our workshop. While
we talked quite a bit about the guardianship of
nuclear waste at the back end of the fuel cycle,
emphasis was made on the need now to focus on
stopping mining.
I read:
"While we continue all our work around
the globe, let us take the time to focus our energy
and growing knowledge on preventing even further
ecological degradation. The time is short and the
potential very real to stop the massive expansion
of the high-grade-ore exploitation in northern
Saskatchewan and perhaps soon also in Australia."
Another proposal:
"That the users of uranium should be made
responsible for all the damage caused by their use of
uranium along the fuel chain. To do so would, of
course, discourage business, would also contribute
to determining the real costs of nuclear energy; that
determination to be an important contribution to
cutting down on this production."
This is a recommendation from one of our
members, and was also discussed by all, reflects on
the observations made yesterday, last night, by
Ramsey Clark on the close relationship between
militarization and nuclearization, nuclearism. This
comes from an American member: "In the United
States, an important financial resource for the
increasing population of poor people is
unfortunately the military. It will be important to
work to reform the education system, so there's a
better alternative to people than joining the army in
order to be able to get an education. And this will
involve a multi-point system including other
findings, an understanding of what's meant by
learning about who are the uneducated, and clearer
purposes of education."
The last recommendation of our group
which we actually put into effect before we broke
up at 3:30, was that there should be more dancing
at World Uranium Hearings. And the proposal is
made by this workshop that this we put
immediately into effect for everybody in the
adjoining little park here by this building tonight
after the evening events. So all who have drums,
guitars and two feet are invited to come and
join. Thank you very much.