ICBUW NEWSLETTER 2024

Dear ICBUW members, friends and interested parties,

this letter, like previous ones, is intended to provide information about the current state of affairs of our main work as well as of the development of the DU topic. Again, we cordially invite you to come up with questions, remarks or any other kind of reactions (info@icbuw.eu).

Best regards

Prof. Manfred Mohr, Co Chair
Ilia Kukin, Coordinator

ICBUW Birthday (End of 2023)

1. At the end of last year ICBUW celebrated its 20^th birthday, around November, 6, our International Action Day and the UN Day against environmental destruction through war. At the invitation of, and with organizational help form, the Munich Peace Alliance events took place in Munich – on top was the conference “Banning Uranium Weapons – where are we now”. Here, as a kind of world premiere a film by Moritz Enders was shown entitled “Toxic NATO – Sdran Aleksic’ Long Way to Justice”. In a very impressive art manner, the film shows the legal fight of our colleague and friend Aleksic in favor of DU victims in Southern Serbia, with commentaries of ICBUW Co chair Manfred. 

Before, in a preview way, the film was shown at the 3^rd International Symposium “The right to truth, justice and salvation” in Nis, September, 22-23, where it received positive reaction as did the ICBUW presentation “Environmental protection in war – banning uranium weapons”.

2. Altogether, ICBUW seems to have developed into a reliable and recognized global focal point (example for being mentioned) for the issue of uranium weapons being reflected in great media attention just around the announced US delivery of DU ammunition to Ukraine, middle of last year. We have stabilized our working structures, i.a. by starting an internship program, financially supported by a generous private donation, and shared with our partner IALANA. A very constructive and stimulating cooperation has been emerged with the DU Working Group of Veterans for Peace in the US (see article).

3. As there is still an ongoing debate about (negative) consequences of DU weapons use ICBUW has published a collection of scientific articles reflecting on the effects of DU and the assessment of associated risks. Research work in parallel, on legal and political implications of the DU issue, are under way and will be published accordingly. ICBUW also is going to set up an internet-based watch dog mechanism as to the notion of DU (weaponry).

4. After intensive work and exchange, our intern Maximilian Stimmel has completed the updated DU Weapons and Platforms List.

This comprehensive and detailed document is an important tool for both checking the development of the DU weapons issue as well as concrete scenarios of possible DU use in military conflicts. Measuring of DU effects, like radioactivity, should always be linked to looking at the concrete military, or combat, situation, starting with (acting) platforms capable of firing DU ammunition.

5. ICBUW continues to carefully monitor the DU situation in the Ukraine war context researching on if, resp. where, when and how many DU weapons were used (see also/already ICBUW Newsletter – Special Edition). Just here, the ICBUW weapons list of great usefulness containing respective hints. We still are trying to get in touch and exchange with actors in the field like demining organizations. For doing this we have developed and sent out two working tools on DU Finding and Handling (Checklist and Demining Guidelines).

Our main goal is awareness raising, informing, preventing further harm (e.g. in relation to agriculture; see article), protect Ukraine citizens, aid workers etc.

6. ICBUW expert and activist Matt Fuller from New Zealand most successfully completed his PhD thesis entitled “The Campaign to Ban Depleted Uranium Weapons: Examining the Factors and Conditions for Success”.

Although this thesis was primarily written to examine activist strategies, the findings also bolster the constructivist view of international relations, especially the idea of how a critical mass of people can change a generally accepted way of doing international relations, and the idea of a sliding scale of success for banning weapons.

Destruction in Gaza (WAFA (Q2915969) in contract with a local company / APAimages)

7. ICBUW is also monitoring the DU situation in Gaza.

We have started preparing for the forthcoming UN General Assembly, which (after 2 years) will deal with the topic of uranium weapons; see our contribution to the First Committee Briefing Book.

ICBUW together with IPPNW and ICAN has launched film events on DU and on nuclear weapons, which, combined with expert panels, turned out to be very successful. After Berlin in March 2024, there was a similar event in Bremen, August, 5. More are planned (like in Berlin on November 3rd, see this website) – strengthening our network and proving of the possibility to present the two weapon topics together: from the perspective of victims. 

All these activities are organized in the frame, and with the help of, the International Uranium Film Festival (www.uraniumfilmfestival.org) for which ICBUW has become a major partner.

We, again, are attaching two main ICBUW working documents distributed at those and other events: The Fact Sheet and the Global Action Call.

Altogether, restructured and updated compilation of major DU-related documents on our website is on the way (to be formed under "Resources"). 

More Info:

https://icbuw.eu  / mohrm@gmx.net / info@icbuw.eu 

If you are not interested in receiving newsletters, please click "Unsubscribe" at the end of the letter. Please also check if you are entering the correct email: we cannot process the request if you get this e-mail via automatically forwarded message.