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Order new ICAN materials - Check out our new fliers and mini-mags; T-shirts ($15).

ICAN NEWS

ICAN in Geneva. Yesterday the meeting of parties of the UN's nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty began - and we are part of it (see more below or click for NPT refresher). Tim Wright has gone to represent ICAN Australia and, in an unprecedented step, the Australian Government accepted Assoc Prof. Tilman Ruff from ICAN and Cr Jenny Farrar from Mayors for Peace onto the official Government delegation! Follow NPT events in our new blog. Other great news updates are available through: Daily news bulletins- News in Review; NPT webcast being produced by a group of dedicated young people attending the conference.

ICAN in Canberra. Prior to this NPT meeting, ICAN coordinated a consultation with the Government in which 23 organisations participated. Major church, environment, union and peace groups were represented, and DFAT was clear that nuclear weapons is an issue that many Australians care deeply about. Tim Wright also talked about ICAN at the 2020 Youth Summit; Jessica Morrison's idea made it into GetUp's top 30 idea summary distributed at the summit, and Felicity Hill who established our campaign (now WILPF international Vice-President) ensured disarmament was mentioned at the main summit (read more). ICAN is in Canberra again this week meeting with offices of key Government Ministers.

ICAN on the streets. March 16, Palm Sunday, marked the 5^th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq . ICAN spoke at a number of events around Australia and coordinated national efforts. Read More (pdf).

ICAN on-line. ICAN now has an online shop for t-shirts, mugs, bags and much more. T-shirts are also available at the ICAN Melbourne office for $15. ICAN also has a new blog as well as our MySpace page and Facebook Cause.

ICAN in the news.

• John Langmore opinion piece in The Age supports Australia 's call for a seat at the UN Security Council, with nuclear weapons work key in this.
• Dr Bill Williams ' opinion piece in the Adelaide Advertiser - "Scientists drop nuclear bombshell" (read article) - has raised a response from the Australian Uranium Association president.
• Steven Starr, a visiting scientist from the USA gave an update to the ABC about the catastrophic climate effects of a nuclear exchange (listen to story).
• Jessica Morrison had a feature published in the South Sydney Herald "Abolish the Bomb" (pg 14: read article).
• Tim Wright's attendance at the 2020 Youth Summit led to two ICAN local paper articles (see stories).

NUCLEAR WEAPONS NEWS

US held onto intelligence about Israel's bombing of a Syrian nuclear plant last year, irking the IAEA (read more). There is speculation that this reactor had military intentions, and was built from technology from North Korea , but reports appear inconclusive (read more).

France announces weapons modernisation program, while also announcing plans to reduce overall nuclear weapons numbers (read commentary).

WE CAN - New ICAN partners

Australian Education Union (Vic)

Architects for Peace

Maritime Union of Australia (Vic)

-- 
Jessica Morrison
Australian Director
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
G03 60 Leicester Street, Carlton VIC 3053
Phone: + 61 3 9347 4795	
Mob:     0431 519 577
Fax: + 61 39347 4995
______________________________
www.icanw.org 

By far the greatest single danger facing humankind - in fact, all living beings on our planet - is the threat of nuclear destruction. - His Holiness, the 14th Dali Lama