Global Days of Action on Military Spending: Actions to cut nuclear weapons budgets & investments

Posted: 14th April 2023

Global Days of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS) is an annual period of action in April/May by civil society organizations around the world to cut military spending and reinvest in common security and human security.

The period coincides with Tax Day in the United States (April 18), Earth Day (April 24) and the annual release by SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) of their report on Global Military expenditure (See the SIPRI 2022 Report: World military expenditure passes $2 trillion for first time).

The Russian invasion of Ukraine provides a difficult environment for advocating military cuts at this time. However, GDAMS highlights the importance of supporting and financing common security mechanisms to address and resolve the underlying conflict, rather than relying solely on a military response to the invasion. Such mechanisms include the United Nations, International Criminal Court, International Court of Justice and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

In addition, the rationale for cutting nuclear weapons budgets becomes even stronger as the Russia/Ukraine conflict escalates the risks of a nuclear war, which could occur by malicious intent, miscommunication, miscalculation or accident. The modernization and forward deployment of nuclear weapons, funded by a $100 billion combined nuclear weapons budget, elevates these risks.
 

Actions for GDAMs on nuclear weapons spending

We encourage you to take one or more of the following actions during GDAMs to help cut nuclear weapons budgets, end investments in the nuclear weapons industry, and re-invest these in peace, climate protection and sustainable development:

1. Endorse Protect People and the Planet: Appeal for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World;

Protect People and the Planet is a Global Appeal to end the nuclear threat, abolish nuclear weapons and shift the weapons budgets and investments to support public health, the climate and sustainable development. It will be presented to the United Nations and circulated to all UN members in conjunction with the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (Sep 26, 2023) and the UN Summit of the Future (Sep 2024).

For further information see the Appeal, Appeal endorsers and Quotes from endorsers.
 Endorse: Protect People and the Planet2. Post your ‘Move the Nuclear Weapons Money’ meme on social media;

Move the Nuclear Weapons Money has already produced memes (a quote plus a photo) from many supporters which can be circulated by social media to promote the issue. If you would like a meme with your quote and photo, send these to us at [email protected] and we will make the meme for you.

Below are a few examples. See more at Move the Nuclear Weapons Money memes.3. Get your $1million nuke note. Use it to talk to friends, colleagues etc about the issue;

Move the Nuclear Weapons Money printed 1 million mock $1million nuclear notes for events to demonstrate the massive amount of money being used in the nuclear arms race. (See Over $500 billion of nuke money counted – and shifted to SDGs).

We have some of these notes remaining. Contact Move the Nuclear Weapons to request one or more $1million note/s (no charge) which you can carry in your wallet, casually pull out to pay your restaurant bill with it and use to chat with friends and colleagues about the campaign to Move the Nuclear Weapons Money.4. Call on your bank, university or government to divest from the nuclear weapons industry, if they have not already done so;

So far, four federal governments have adopted policies or measures to divest from the nuclear weapons industry (Lichtenstein, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland). Other governments can be encouraged to follow-suit, especially if they have joined the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) which prohibits states parties from aiding or abetting in the production of nuclear weapons. Please let us know if you convince your government to divest from the nuclear weapons industry.

There are also campaigns for states (regional authorities), cities, universities and banks to divest from the nuclear weapons industry. See Legislation | Move the Nuclear Weapons Money5. Support US legislation to cut the nuclear weapons budget

If you are a US citizen or resident, you can call on your federal legislators to support bills (draft legislation) on cutting nuclear weapons put forward by Senator Ed Markey and Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, Council Members of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament. These bills include the Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditure (SANE) Act, Invest in Cures Before Missiles (ICBM) Act and the Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Economic and Energy Conversion Act.6. Promote global nuclear weapons budget cuts at United Nations forums including the UN Summit of the Future.

Move the Nuclear Weapons Money encourages you to call on your government to promote cuts in the global nuclear weapons budget when they speak at key United Nations events including the UN General Assembly, UN High Level Meeting on the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons and the UN Summit of the Future.Yours sincerely
UNFOLD ZERO