Cromarty campaigners lead celebrations on anti-nuclear campaign milestone moment; Black Isle group marks 'momentous' landmark over United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
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BELLS tolled in a Ross-shire town yesterday to mark a "momentous" occasion offering hope to peace campaigners battling the global scourge of nuclear weapons.
The initiative by Cromarty Peace Group dovetails with the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (UNTPNW) coming into force, banning them in signatory countries and increasing pressure on others - including major world superpowers - to follow suit.
Peace group member Dr Judith McDonald says that while the world has been focused on the coronavirus crisis, "the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons" remain unchanged. She said: "We know that there could be no effective emergency response. There can be no vaccine available. The only way to prevent these weapons of mass destruction being used is to get rid of them all together."
She said of the landmark occasion: "To celebrate this momentous occasion bells are going to be ringing out in Cromarty and posters will be displayed around the town to mark the event. Children have been invited to colour in pictures of doves. Similar events will be taking place in communities all over the world.While there is a long way to go to eliminate nuclear weapons, this is a huge step in the right direction."
Article 1 of the treaty states that signatories undertake never under any circumstances to develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons. That includes an undertaking not to transfer, receive, use or threaten to use nuclear weapons or allow any stationing, installation or deployment of them in its territory or anywhere under its jurisdiction.
The likely retaliation from a deployment would be millions killed and vast areas of the planet destroyed. Of 13,000 nuclear warheads in the world, 215 are stockpiled in the UK and 120 of these are operational and based on submarines operating from Faslane.
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts.
Dr McDonald said the treaty "is about countries working together to make the world a safer place - it can be done!"
Related: PICTURES: campaigners on Black Isle remember thousands killed in atomic bomb attacks
