To increase pressure on NATO members, For Mother Earth is organizing an
international peace walk next summer. The walk will mark the 60th
anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hundreds of
participants are expected. For Mother Earth urges the nuclear powers and
NATO member states to work towards a treaty for a worldwide ban on nuclear
weapons, as laid down in the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
On April 21st the Belgian Senate approved a resolution asking for the
withdrawal of U.S. nuclear weapons from Europe. This is the first time that
a parliamentary assembly has dared to ask for the withdrawal of U.S nukes.
This is the result of a long campaign of Citizens' Weapons Inspections and
the recent success of getting over 200 Belgian mayors (out of a total of
589) to join the Mayors for Peace emergency campaign spearheaded by the
mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The campaign is demanding the elimination
of all nuclear weapons by 2020.
The approximately 250 km long walk will start on Tuesday, July 26th, in the
peace town of Ypres, and will end at the secret NATO nuclear weapons base
at Kleine Brogel, passing via NATO Headquarters in Brussels. The walkers
will appeal to the mayors of towns and cities along the route, to ask for
their active support for the international emergency call of the 'Mayors
for Peace'. At Kleine Brogel, a peace camp will be held from August 6th,
the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, until August 9th, the day of the
commemoration of the Nagasaki nuclear bombing.
The NATO Air Force base at Kleine Brogel has a capacity to store up to 20
US (1) B61 nuclear bombs, each of which has a lethal power that exceeds the
power of the Hiroshima bomb by up to 14 times. In 1945 140,000 people died
in Hiroshima because of that single atomic bomb.
Practical.
We will walk an average of 25 km/day. Your luggage will be on a support
vehicle. The famous mobile dutch kitchen collective 'Rampenplan' will be
providing excellent vegetarian and vegan meals. We will camp outside, so
please bring a tent. Three organic meals, camp sites and participation
costs only 10 euro/day. A very democratic price. Because of previous
negative experiences the use of alcohol and illegal drugs is strongly
discouraged. Do not bring animals. Please register as soon as possible -
this will help us to make practical arrangements for campsites, food and
agreements with city and town councils.
Route
Tue., July 26th Ypres - Roeselare
Wed., July 27th Roeselare - Tielt
Thu., July 28th Tielt - Ghent
Fri., July 29th Ghent - Aalst
Sat., July 30th Aalst - Brussels
Sun., July 31st rest day and action training
Mon., Aug. 1st NATO (Evere)
Tue., Aug. 2nd Brussel - Leuven
Wed., Aug. 3rd Leuven - Diest
Thu., Aug. 4th Diest - Leopoldsburg
Fri., Aug. 5th Leopoldsburg - Kleine Brogel
Sat., Aug. 6th Kleine Brogel, Hiroshima commemoration actions
Sun., Aug. 7th Kleine Brogel, Peace action camp
Mon., Aug. 8th Kleine Brogel, Peace action camp
Tue., Aug. 9th Nagasaki commemoration action Ghent together with Stad Gent
(the City of Ghent)
For Mother Earth has been organizing peacewalks since 1991. Eleven For
Mother Earth walks have covered over 12.000 km in their campaign for a
nuclear test ban and the abolition of nuclear weapons.
For Mother Earth - Voor Moeder Aarde vzw
member of Friends of the Earth International
K. Maria Hendrikaplein 5
9000 Gent - Belgium
Phone +32-9-242 87 52 or 04
Mobile +32-495-28 02 59
Fax +32-9-242 87 51
.