Cambridge City Council unanimously approved an anti-nuclear weapon resolution, aiding the national and international initiative of Mayors for Peace on January 5, 2015 and was introduced by Councillors Dennis Carlone, Denise Simmons, and Nadeem Mazen. Download a printable copy here.
MAYORS FOR PEACE POLICY ORDER RESOLUTION
WHEREAS 69 years after the U.S. destroyed the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the threat of nuclear devastation continues to threaten all of humanity; and
WHEREAS the U.S. Conference of Mayors has repeatedly and unanimously called on U.S. Presidents to convene negotiations whose purpose is the elimination of all nuclear weapons, to which in the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the U.S., Russia, China, France, and the U.K. solemnly committed themselves; and
WHEREAS far from convening negotiations to achieve the elimination of nuclear weapons, the U.S. has embarked on an enormous program to enhance existing nuclear warheads, and to build new nuclear submarines, bombers, and missiles, at an estimated cost of $1 trillion to US taxpayers by the year 2030; and
WHEREAS the U.S. Conference of Mayors has supported the anti-nuclear-weapons program of Mayors for Peace since 2003, and whereas the City of Cambridge has been a leading member city of the Mayors for Peace since 2003; and
WHEREAS the Mayors for Peace have called for taking all nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert, adopting an airtight No-First-Use policy, never targeting cities, and ending all new nuclear weapons construction programs;
Now, therefore be it RESOLVED that the City of Cambridge calls on President Obama to live up to the NPT binding commitment to engage in international negotiations for the elimination of all nuclear weapons, a commitment affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, and
Be it further RESOLVED that the City of Cambridge calls on Congress to stop the new Nuclear Complex program, and to devote the resulting $1 trillion in savings over 30 years to pressing human needs, including affordable housing, public transit, healthcare and education; and
Be it further RESOLVED that the City of Cambridge urges President Obama to take U.S. nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert, and to adopt an unconditional No-First-Use policy, both of which he is empowered to do without congressional action; and to adopt a formal policy never to target any city for nuclear devastation, and
Be it further RESOLVED that the Cambridge City Council encourage and support a representative group from Cambridge to attend the upcoming Conference on Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to be held at the UN in New York City on April 26, 2015 (which will be attended by 189 countries, including the 5 signatories to the NPT, Britain, France China Russia and US) and that it also send copies of this Proclamation to the elected representatives of this municipality, including the U.S. Congressman, the U.S. Senators, and the President, and further to the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald and the Cambridge Chronicle.
