August 12 is the United Nations International Youth Day. The theme this year is Youth Building Peace. One important way youth can help build peace is to promote the global abolition of nuclear weapons.
Leaders of nuclear-armed States – like President Donald Trump of USA, ‘Supreme Leader’ Kim Jong-un of North Korea and President Vladimir Putin of Russia – are increasing their threats to use nuclear weapons.
They need to hear from youth that nuclear weapons must never be used, and that nuclear weapons should be prohibited and eliminated.
Social media action for August 12
UNFOLD ZERO and the Abolition 2000 Youth Working Group call on youth to Reach HIGH for a nuclear-weapon-free world on August 12 with a simple social media action.
- Take a photo of yourself, or you and other young people, on a high place or reaching high, or lifting a peace sign/object up high.
- Post your photo on social media with the hastags #Youth4Peace, #YouthDay, #ReachHIGH and/or #YouthAgainstNukes.
2018 UN High Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament
The United Nations will hold a High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament in 2018. At this conference governments could end their threats to use nuclear weapons and agree to a program to prohibit and eliminate them.
On International Youth Day:
- call on your government to support a diplomatic solution to the North Korean nuclear crisis;
- call on your government to commit to attending the 2018 UN Conference at the highest level (i.e. your Prime Minister or President should go), and to pledge to do everything in their power at the conference to abolish nuclear weapons (See sample letter).
Governments should join with youth to Reach HIGH for a nuclear-weapon-free world, now and at the 2018 UN High Level Conference.
For more information, including contacts for governments, see Call on Governments: Reach HIGH for a nuclear weapon-free world or contact email@example.com
Petition to stop President Trump from starting a nuclear war
Earlier this week President Trump announced: ‘North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.’
Currently the US President has the authority to launch thousands of nuclear weapons in a first-strike attack against a potential or actual enemy, if he so decides.
Senator Markey and Congressman Lieu have introduced legislation into the US Congress restricting the authority of the President to launch a nuclear war without consulting Congress.
Sign the petition to support this legislation.