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Disarming nukes like climbing Mount Everest says speakerBy Dominik KurekWhats it going to take to removethe government of Canada to engageThomson said climbers becameOAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFthe 23,000 warheads still threateningin negotiations for a nucleardeathly sick and had to return or diedus all? asked Thomson.weapons convention.in a snowstorm. He said in a similarDisarming the worlds 23,000He compared the disarmament toIt is clear that there is no turningfashion, as the climb to disarm whatnuclear bombs is as prodigiously dif-the feat of climbers in 1996, whoback. I believe this base camp, on thehe called Mount Nuclear reachesficult as climbing Mt. Everest, saidscaled Mt. Everest.ascent, is secure. However, the hard-higher peaks, the efforts will becomeMurray Thomson at a peace concertHow do you climb up rock andest part of the climb stills lies aheadtenser, during things such as politi-held in Oakville Thursday, Jan. 13.ice to more than 29,000 feet withof us. Neither the Russians, nor thecal struggles.However, with commitment andwinds blowing over 100 mph, oxygennuclear weapon states in NATO haveNo one can honestly predict theplanning, the lofty feat can bebecoming thinner and thinner,endorsed this, Thomson said.outcome of climbers and the obsta-accomplished, he added.where you can freeze or fall to yourHe said to reach the second camp,cles that face them high on theThomson was speaking atdeath in a crevice, hit by ice or snow,Canadians must persuade the gov-mountain, but there are reasons forOakvilles 24th annual Concert foror be smothered by an avalanche orernment to make the negotiationsoptimism, as well, he said.Peace in the Atrium of Town Hall,lose your way in a blizzard and befor a nuclear convention a part ofThat optimism includes thingshosted by the Oakville Communityswept over a 10,000 foot cliff. HowCanadian foreign policy.such as the Geneva Convention con-Murray Thomsonfor Peace, Ecology and Humandid they do it? he asked.Thomson said not all Canadianscerning war crimes and genocide,governments and international civilRights (OCCPEHR). The event,For starters it took commit-are convinced of the need to disarmthe statute of the Internationalsociety groups have already estab-which took place in front of nearlyment. All the climbers were fullynuclear weapons, which needs toCriminal Court and many interna-lished a base camp, Thomson said.100 people, also included music bycommitted and were literally bettingchange. tional organizations around today.He said two-thirds of nationalSheridan College students and othertheir lives on reaching the top. AndHe went on to speak about reach-The metaphor of climbing Mt.governments have voted at the UN tospeakers.they planned very carefully, leavinging camp three through the growthEverest, the highest mountain in thestart negotiations for an agreementThe event also served as the localalmost nothing to chance.of a world movement. Thomson saidworld, presented here is one of manyfor a disarmament process with ankick off event for the ICAN-OakvilleHe said the climbers knew thedisarmament is an internationalpossible scenarios of how nuclearend date. He said China, India,(International Campaign to Abolishbest climbing dates and routes andissue and it must be an internationaldisarmament may be achieved, hePakistan all nuclear powers Nuclear Weapons) petition to disarmhad the proper equipment andsolution. He said signing ICAN,said.and the European Union are com-nuclear weapons.guides. They established a base campwhich is available worldwide, is oneThomson, who resides in Ottawa,mitted to this.Thomson began by saying thatat 17,000 feet, a second camp atway for a person to express him oris a member of the Order of Canada,He said the Mayors for Peace, ofresearch reveals that the longer20,000 feet, a third one at 24,000 andherself about the issue.co-founder of the peace organizationwhich Mayor Rob Burton is a mem-nuclear weapons exist, the higher thefourth one at 27,000 before the finalThen he spoke about the finalProject Ploughshares and was anber, are calling for complete disarma-probability of their detonationtrek to the summit.camp.executive director of CUSO.ment by the year 2020.becomes, whether its intentional orI suggest to you that thisClimbers of Mt. Everest are expe-To find out more on the globalFurthermore, on Sept. 7 innot. He said there are currently ninemetaphor that applies to our effortsriencing more, not fewer, obstaclespetition, visit www.icanw.org or toCanada both Parliament and thenations with nuclear weapons in thetoday has far more significance thanas they climbed higher up the moun-sign your name to the local list con-Senate passed a motion to encourageworld, with more possibly coming.the climbing of a mountain. Bothtain, he said.tact OCCPEHR at 905-849-5501.www.oakvillebeaver.com OAKVILLE BEAVERFriday, January 21, 2011 12