remember fukushima

Feb. 14 Highbridge to Washington Square Park

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IMG_1225Thursday morning the walk set off from the Highbridge Community Center towards Manhattan. Local organizer Chauncey Young joined the walk for the first few blocks over the Macombs Dam Bridge.

Huge thanks to Chauncey for hosting the walk and providing rooms for each walker, dinner, and supplies to cook with. Thank you!

When the group started walking at 8:15 it was a cold, windy morning and for the first half hour or so we saw another snowfall.

The walk day was about 8 miles through the city.
In the evening the walk was met by frequent walker and filmmaker Melinda Holms who hosted everyone for dinner.

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Remember Fukushima

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Indian Point

For the two year anniversary of the meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi Prefecture the Walk for a New Spring & the No More Fukushimas walk gathered at Indian Point reactor for a vigil and ceremony praying for safety, sustainability, peace, and a nuclear free future.

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A local man came out screaming that it was too early for this kind of activity, and threatened to call the police.
The group continued to drum and chant the prayer softly for about a half hour and each person came up to offer peace cranes.
After the ceremony the landlord of the house came out, an older Irish man who was incredibly friendly and understanding and apologized for his tenant.
Miki, a walker, offered peace cranes and he accepted graciously.

The walkers headed back to Stony Point Center where they had a beautiful breakfast before driving forward to Manhattan to participate in another ceremony to remember Fukushima.

In the city the peace walk met up with the World Network For Saving Children From Radiation, a network dedicated to making sure no more children grow up with the threat of deformities, cancer, and death from radiation.

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There was a walk from Times Square to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza and a ceremony and vigil in front of the United Nations. Three women from Fukushima shared their stories of displacement and illness following the meltdown. They currently live in New England.
Charmaine White Face a representative from the Great Sioux Territory and coordinator of Defenders of the Black Hills sent a solidarity message which was read aloud in English and Japanese.

Activists came out from all around New York and New Jersey including activists working to shut down Oyster Creek reactor in NJ, and Indian Point in NY.

DSC05520More photos from the days events can be found on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drvonskillet/sets/72157632981462168/

March 9: Croton on Hudston to Indian Point

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Mayor Leo A. W. Wiegman comes out to support IPSEC and a Nuclear Free Future

This morning the two walks converged at Croton on Hudson for a press conference and short gathering before marching on to Indian Point Nuclear Facility.

About 50 people turned up for the event which was organized by the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition in conjunction with Grafton Peace Pagoda and the New England Peace Pagoda.

The mayor offered his support and made all participants honorary peace walkers and honorary citizens of Croton on Hudson.

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Next up was a presentation by Maurice Enis and his fiance Jamie Plym, two former Navy sailors who were irradiated in their time serving off the coast of Japan. The two of them explained what it’s like now without any insurance since they honorably separated from the Navy, and their serious health ailments.

They will be coming to Stony Point Center tomorrow afternoon after the walk to share their story during the “Fukushima Fallout” conference [http://www.ipsecinfo.org/].

After the gathering at Croton on Hudston train station the group walked down about 6 miles to the Indian Point Nuclear Reactor where they had a vigil and offered peace cranes before gathering in a circle for a short ceremony.

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Walking to Indian Point

The walk route has been changed tomorrow. Rather than beginning at Indian Point Nuclear Reactor, the walk will begin at First Presbyterian Church on 34 S. Highland Ave in Ossning, NY.
Sorry for any inconvenience, this route is much safer.

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Vigil at Indian Point

Feb. 20th Cambridge to Boston & Feb. 21st Massachuetts State House & Boston City Council

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Cambridge
DSC04900After a beautiful night in Salem walkers left Wednesday morning for Cambridge, Mass. It was about a 10 mile walk through the wind along the shore. The walk arrived Wednesday afternoon to the Cambridge Friends Meeting House where the group was met by their host for the evening John, a member of the meeting.

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Walkers arrive at Cambridge Friends Meetinghouse

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After a potluck dinner provided by the community Charmaine gave her presentation, “America’s Chernobyl”, about 30 people were in attendance.

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Feb. 21st Massachusetts State House & Boston City Council

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Thursday morning the walk left the Friends Meeting for the State House.
A few locals joined for the meeting with Representative Byron Rushing (9th Suffolk District of Mass), 2 Representative Aids from the Department of Energy, 2 Aids from the office of Governor Patrick, and 1 Representative Aid from Northampton.

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After passing along copies of the Uranium Exploration and Accountability Act and sharing information about the local nuclear reactors in Plymouth, MA (Pilgrim), Seabrook, NH (Seabrook), Vernon, VT (Vermont Yankee) and Millstone, CT the walkers went to Boston City Hall.

Every year the Walk for a New Spring has the pleasure of meeting with Boston city Councilman Charles Yancey. The Boston city council welcomes the walk warmly every year, and is an office that works diligently for their community.
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This is Councilman Yancey’s 30th year as city councilor. Their tireless dedication to working for positive change is an inspiration.

The city Councillor and a few representatives from other offices came to meet the walk and learn a bit more about the work we are doing.DSC04992

When he learned of the 3,272 abandoned open pit uranium mines on the Sioux Nation Councilman Yancey was appalled, and after he and his staff took copies of the bill they assured the walkers that they would look into the matter further.

Locally, Boston has its own toxic problem in the shape of a BioLab.

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Resources
Uranium Exploration and Accountability Act
“America’s Chernobyl”

follow @peacewalks for on the road updates
& join our facebook event page to learn when we are coming thru your community!