PNND Co-Presidents Senator Ed Markey and Uta Zapf to receive the prestigious Senator Alan Cranston Award. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden sends letter of commendation.
Jonathan Granoff, President of the Global Security Institute, announced the 2014 recipients of the prestiguous Senator Alan Cranston Award at a high-level, cross-party reception at the historic Kennedy Caucus Room of the U.S. Senate on February 27. The reception, held on the eve of Nuclear Remembrance Day, was organised as part of the annual assembly of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND). The award will be formally presented to the recipients at a special event in June.
Jonathan Granoff congratulating Senator Markey at the reception
The Award was established by the Global Security Institute in memory of Senator Alan Cranston, a long-time peace, disarmament and civil rights advocate who is remembered for, among other things, fighting a law suit against Hitler in 1939, serving as President of the World Federalist Association, serving in the senate for 24 years – including 14 years as the Democratic Party Whip, and setting a world record for the senior 100-yard dash at 55 years old.
Alan Cranston - Fastest Man in the Senate
Previous recipients of the award have been Jayanatha Dhanapala, 2002 (Award presented to him by Jane Goodall at the United Nations in New York), Nancy Pelosi, 2003 (Award presented to her by Pierce Brosnan at a high-level event in San Francisco) and Ted Turner, 2005 (Award presented to him by Mikhael Gorbachev at the United Nations in New York).
In announcing the 2014 Award Mr Granoff noted that Uta Zapf and Senator Markey were shining examples of the value of good leadership in key legislatures - Zapf in Germany and Markey in the United States.
Uta Zapf speaking at the Inter Parliamentary Union Assembly in Geneva
"As Chair of the Bundestag Subcommittee on Disarmament and Arms Control from 1998 until her retirement in 2013, under both Conservative and Social Democrat governments, Uta Zapf facilitated active cross-party debate in the German parliament on core security issues, helping to shape and shift German policy towards disarmament and multi-lateralism," said Mr Granoff. "She has also advanced nuclear disarmament initiatives in regional bodies, with leadership positions in the Parliamentary Assemblies of NATO and the OSCE, as well as participating in international forums such as the United Nations General Assembly and Non-Proliferation Treaty meetings."
Despite retiring from parliament at the 2013 German elections, Zapf continues to be active in the issue taking on the new position of PNND Adviser on Inter-parliamentary organisations. Later this month she will be the keynote speaker at a PNND panel held at the 130th Assembly of the Inter Parliamentary Union. Nearly 800 parliamentarians from the 160 member parliaments will attend the Assembly in Geneva March 16-20, where they will be considering a draft resolution submitted by PNND members on Toward a Nuclear Weapon Free World: The Contribution of Parliaments.
Senator Markey speaking at the PNND reception
In commending Senator Markey, Granoff noted that: “Since he was first elected to the US Congress in 1976, and subsequently to the US Senate in 2013, Edward Markey has worked to end the proliferation of nuclear weapons and to build a sustainable world. He championed the movement to freeze nuclear weapons, to improve nuclear power plant security, and to address climate change,’ said Granoff. ‘And in 2012 he introduced into the House of Representatives the Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditures (SANE) Act that would reduce our nuclear armament and cut the deficit by $100 billion over the next ten years.’
Senator Markey spoke passionately about the risks of nuclear weapons in the 21st Century and their irrelevance to meeting genuine security concerns. He received a rousing response when he announced that the following day he would introduce the SANE Act into the U.S. Senate, with a similar bill being introduced into the US House of Representatives by Congressman Earl Blumenauer.
“America faces a real choice: spend billions on nuclear weapons we no longer need or fund programs that educate our children and help find cures to deadly diseases. The security of our nation’s future will be ensured by investing in education not nuclear annihilation,” said Senator Markey. “We need to stop pouring billions into the nuclear weapons programs of the past and instead prioritize our nation’s pressing needs. The SANE Act will cut spending on outdated, wasteful nuclear weapons and related programs over the next ten years and will strengthen our long-term economic and national security.”
US Rep Mark Meadows (Republican, North Carolina), Senator Aitimova (Kazakhstan) and Tonis Koiv MP (Estonia) at the PNND reception
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden sent a letter, which was read at the event by Jonathan Granoff, commending the legislators, legislative aides, disarmament experts and others attending the PNND Assembly. Granoff quoted it saying ‘Your dedication to strengthening diplomatic ties around the world on this important issue is remarkable.’
Biden also congratulated the recipients of the Alan Cranston Award in the letter, making special mention of Markey: ‘Senator Markey – you should be proud. Your leadership demonstrates the altruistic dedication that makes the Global Security Institute what it is today.’ Biden also commended the Global Security Institute, of which PNND is a program, saying that ‘The efforts of the men and women of the Global Security Institute have made the world a safer place for everyone.’
PNND Global Coordinator Alyn Ware speaking at the reception
PNND Global Coordinator Alyn Ware, speaking after Senator Markey, praised U.S. President Obama for putting forward the vision for a nuclear weapon free world in his Prague speech of 2009, but lamented that not enough had been done to implement this vision.
‘Parliamentarians from around the world, many of them gathered here today, are thus taking action to implement the Prague Agenda,’ said Mr Ware. ‘They are doing this in their national parliaments, through joint action such as the NATO Parliamentarians’ Letter to President Obama, through regional cooperation by establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones, and in inter-parliamentary bodies like the Inter Parliamentary Union meeting next month in Geneva.’
‘Last year PNND held its assembly in Kazakhstan to highlight the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons,’ said Mr Ware. ‘This year we are in Washington D.C. to bring this message to the U.S. Congress. Next year we will be hosted by the Czech Senate to again highlight the Prague Agenda and build global support for its implementation.’
Karipbek Kuyukov, Kazakhstan Ambassador Umarov and Vikto Rogalev P (Kazakhstan) at the PNND reception
Karipbek Kuyukov, honorary ambassador of The ATOM Project, speaking after Mr Ware, spoke about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons use, as experienced by the people of Kazakhstan from the Soviet nuclear tests in their country.
Kuyukov, a second generation victim of nuclear testing, told the crowd at the PNND reception that ‘doctors were so horrified at the sight of me at birth that they suggested to my parents that I be given a lethal injection to end my life.’
Kuyukov also told of the premature deaths of his siblings and of the suffering of others as a result of nuclear weapons testing. ‘I have travelled to the United States in the hope that his story will lead to me being the last person to suffer as a result of nuclear weapons testing.’
Kuyukov, who was born armless, has become a renowned painter using his feet and mouth. Some of his evocative art was on display at the PNND reception.
Art from Karipbek Kuyukov exhibited at the PNND reception
The reception also included a powerful short film from The Atom Project on the effects of nuclear tests and on international initiatives and campaigns for a nuclear-weapon-free world.
For further information and photos about the PNND Assembly and the reception see:
* The ATOM Project, PNND Participate in Anti-Nuclear Weapons Event at U.S. Senate;
* Nuclear Fallout Colors Pro-Test Ban Artist’s Memories, Roll Call, Feb 27. Distributed to every U.S. Congress office;
* PNND Assembly: Climbing the Mountain;
* Parliamentarians call on Nuclear Security Summit process for nuclear abolition;
* Photos of the PNND reception at the Kennedy Caucus Room of the US Senate;
* Photos of the PNND Assembly.