25 Years ago
(April 25, 2003) NIRS and WISE both celebrate their 25th anniversaries this year. This is the fifth article in a series, "25 years ago", comparing anti-nuclear news "then" and "now", to mark our first quarter-century of anti-nuclear campaigning.
Then
In issue 2 of WISE Bulletin we wrote about "women fighting nuclear energy": "We live in a society where the basis of government and capital power is oppression. On this strength the nuclear industry proceeds, completely ignoring the demands of the people. But for women, as for gay people, ethnic minorities and children, this oppression is too often built into the anti-nuclear movement. Awareness of this is growing. [...]
Many women choose to work in feminist anti-nuclear groups, fighting for a non-nuclear society, and one in which they will not be oppressed. These groups publish, hold workshops and conferences and work in the movements from a feminist perspective. WISE can help the information flow between these groups, by providing contact addresses". (WISE Bulletin 2, July 1978)
Now
On 11 May 1999, we published our Special issue "Women respond to the nuclear threat". This special edition of the WISE News Communique contains stories (amongst others) on a women's group fighting against the French reprocessing plant at La Hague, India's nuclear weapons program, a testimony of a woman living near the UK Sellafield plant, a health worker who studied the health of women near Indian uranium mines, women in Japan's anti-nuclear movement, women and militarism, etc.
All articles for this special issue had been written by women and most of the articles contain the contact addresses of groups working on the issue.
The Women respond to the nuclear threat special issue is still available from WISE. At our website (www.antenna.nl/wise); go to the section newsletter and look in the list for issue 509/510 (11 May 1999). The paper copies are also still available. Please contact us if you want to receive it.
Our address details: WISE Amsterdam, PO Box 59636, 1040 LC Amsterdam, Netherlands; tel: +31 20 6126368; fax: +31 20 6892179; Email: wiseamster@antenna.nl
WISE-Amsterdam/NIRS
ISSN: 0889-3411