Por Jim Haber

La Experiencia del Desierto de Nevada (NDE, por sus siglas en inglés) fue formada en 1984 para detener las pruebas de bombas nucleares en el Sitio de Pruebas de Nevada (NTS por sus siglas en inglés). NDE fue el resultado de seis semanas de la “Experiencia de Cuaresma del Desierto” que fue primeramente organizada por una comunidad Franciscana en 1982. Hacer el camino del desierto se convirtió en un acto espitirual y político significativo para sus miembros. Resos y desobediencia civil junto a una comunicación respetuosa han sido el sello de las acciones de NDE. El evitar hostilidades y la violencia ha permitido la participación de curas, mujeres religiosas, apoderados, niñ@s y ancian@s Shoshones del Oeste.

Del 12 al 14 de mayo, la feria de exposiciones de Bruselas albergó ITEC (Conferencia internacional de Entrenamiento y Formación), el evento cumbre para las empresas de entrenamiento militar y simuladores. El día de la inauguración, activistas de Vredesactie entraron de incógnito e hicieron visibles algunos vínculos controvertidos. El 13 de mayo, una delegación de políticos visitó ITEC para dejar claro que un evento como éste no es bienvenido.

Negocios explosivos

About the campaign
The Nevada Desert Experience (NDE) was formed in 1984 to stop nuclear bomb tests at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). It developed out of the six-week “Lenten Desert Experience” first organized by a Franciscan community in 1982. The Nevada Test Site (NTS) is located in about 65 miles (105 km) northwest of the City of Las Vegas. Formerly known as the Nevada Proving Ground, the site, established on January 11, 1951, for the testing of nuclear devices, is composed of approximately 1,350 square miles (3,500 km²) of desert and mountainous terrain. Many of the iconic images of the nuclear era come from NTS. Over 1000 nuclear bombs were exploded at the NTS, the most bombed place on Earth.

On 22 March 2009 Annika Spaide, Pelle Strindlund and Martin Smedjeback entered the Saab factory in Linkoping, Sweden. The aim was to disarm the Gripen fighter, the military aircraft that Sweden currently exports to South Africa and Thailand. The three disarmers were stopped by a security guard before they reached the aircrafts after having been inside the factory area for about five hours. At the trial on 14 April they were sentenced to four months in prison for "attempted sabotage".

Over the last two years the Campagne tegen Wapenhandel (the Dutch Campaign Against Arms Trade) has been campaigning against the investments of pension funds in the arms industry. Dutch pension funds are very big investors: together they have 800 milliard Euro to invest. Part of this money goes into arms production. For example in the production of Hellfire missiles by Boeing and Lockheed Martin, in development of new nuclear weapons by Lockheed Martin and BAe, and also in cluster munition.

Trident Ploughshares activists working with Bikes Block Bombs, Scrap Cars-Scrap Trident, Aldermaston Women, and Eastern-region CND have blockaded 4 gates at AWE Aldermaston today. They are protesting at the building of new nuclear weapons facilities and the lack of democratic accountability.

Locked on at the North gateThe surprise blockades have caused massive road blockages and construction vehicles have been prevented from getting into Aldermaston.

Ofog activists in the firing rangeNATO has threatened to continue a live-fire bombing exercise in Swedish Lapland despite the presence of six (6) peace activists in the bombing area. The activists, all members of the Swedish anti-militarist network Ofog, aim to disrupt the exercise and prevent NATO from practising for war.

Four peace activists are inside the live-fire bombing range currently being used for a large NATO exercise in Swedish Lapland. Their aim is to draw attention to the preparations for war crimes currently under way under the name of exercise “Loyal Arrow” and to prevent NATO from bombing the area further.