Think Outside the Bomb Youth Conference

On the weekend of October 20-22 students from California and beyond gathered at UC Santa Barbara for a weekend conference about nuclear disarmament. It was inspiring to meet so many young folks dedicated to real change and resistance.

Two weeks ago North Korea became the eighth country to effectively test nuclear weapon power. Three and a half years after the US invasion that failed to uncover weapons of mass destruction, US military forces continue to occupy Iraq. Tensions between the US and Iran continue to escalate. With no sign of interest for dialogue, negotiation, or reconciliation with North Korea, Iran, or Iraq from the Bush administration, the potential use of force and nuclear weaponry is once again a frightening possibility.

Darwin said something that moved me which I will paraphrase here: “Peace activists love to say that nuclear weapons have no use and the world will be such a better place when these monsters aren’t around anymore. But the truth is that they have a use—they are actively pointed at other countries to maintain power and oppress others… If you accept that they have a use, then you can begin to work to make life difficult for those who benefit from these tools of fear… Ethical arguments aren’t working… Direct action is. Small resistance battles won’t disarm nukes. It’s time to make things ungovernable with the use of nonviolent direct action."

In the final moments of the conference students made commitments for action by filling out pledge cards. Their pledges will be posted online on the website (see link below), and conference organizers avow to stay in touch with participants to support their work and help them realize their goals.

The hot conversation topic looming on all the UC students’ minds was the battle between the University of California and the University of Texas for ownership of Los Alamos nuclear Students are planning a large protest outside the next UC Regents meeting at UCLA.

Who’s Thinking Outside the Bomb?

The next generation.

For more info about Think Outside the Bomb, visit: http://thinkoutsidethebomb.org/