No More Bombs, our local group on fidalgo island
Our papers: who we want to be
Identifying statement, No More Bombs, December 1, 2017
Name of group: No More Bombs
Type of organization: Nonprofit, public benefit, social welfare organization
Purpose: Nonviolent advocacy for total nuclear disarmament, including the decommissioning, dismantlement, and abolition of all nuclear weapons, and all materials and components of such weapons and their delivery systems, beginning with the US nuclear arsenal. We pledge to initiate, support, and endorse legislative action to that end, and to inform our fellow citizens about these issues, and encourage their participation in the nuclear disarmament movement. We will actively cooperate with other organizations working toward nuclear disarmament.
Geographic area: Skagit County, Washington
Activities: Research, educational presentations, meetings, contacting government officials at all levels, lobbying, letter writing, street demonstrations, etc. Maintain and update information on website www.nomorebombs.org, communicate via group email and social media. Reach out to political groups, churches, and educational institutions, to learn what they are doing for nuclear disarmament, and offering our services to them.
Organizational structure: Membership open to everyone. Leadership committee of chair, vice chair, treasurer, and secretary. We will hold monthly membership meetings, and perform other actions as may serve the cause. We will keep records of our activities, and if we are still here in a year or two, will consider applying to register with the state. We may affiliate with larger groups as appropriate.
Financial: We will open a bank account to accept donations and pay expenses. Chairperson and treasurer will be cosigners.
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No More Bombs: our goals and some of the methods to approach them
Education: We gather and compile information on nuclear weapons issues, including technical and scientific, economic, cultural, political and historical. We analyze, edit, and distribute the information via spoken word, written materials, emails, digital presentations on website and social media, and any other venues we can. Educate ourselves first, and keep updating our information so that whatever we share with others is accurate and timely.
Advocacy: We aspire to help all those who are working toward total nuclear disarmament. We understand that this goal cannot be achieved without the dedicated effort and determined patience of many people, working in concert in many different ways, in many places, for a very long time. We will try to achieve small gains, in our contacts with friends, neighbors, family, schools, churches, social and political groups, government officials at all levels, media outlets, and social interactions wherever we are.
The message we share is that the continuation of life on our planet depends, in great part, on the complete elimination and abolition of all nuclear weapons, and we must begin here in the nation that invented them, and that has already committed mass murder with them. Nuclear weapons are existential threats to life on earth, and as long as they are with us, nuclear holocaust can be started by intention, accident, or impulse.
Projects:
Education for ourselves and fellow citizens. We need to be able to explain current events to people we wish to influence, in order to effectively persuade them. This requires continual analysis and updating. Technical reports, legislation, and news stories can be difficult to make sense of, and we need to offer that assistance. Produce written statements, scripts for speakers, slideshow and video productions that are easily shared, and update them to keep information current.
Education in schools. Create cooperative relationships with school district staff, for high school level subject material to be included in Science, History, and Current Global Events classes.
Establish working relationships with other groups, local, regional, national, and global. We can learn a lot from others’ successes and mistakes, and improve our own efficiency in sharing our message.
Improve, or perhaps completely rebuild the website.
Establish communication network, facebook, or some other easily accessed and regularly updated media platform.
Train speakers, and provide them with scripts, and audio/video products appropriate for each audience.
Organize actions, from postcard and letter writing, emails, and phone calling, to protests, marches, and vigils.
Create committees of members with specific skills to tackle each project.