Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Golden Rule, a ship originally used by Quakers sailing to the Marshall Islands to try to stop the U.S. nuclear bomb testing, is now being utilized by Veterans for Peace, doing a "great loop" with a stop at Canalside in Buffalo to stand in solidarity with those against nuclear warfare.
"I've been inspired by this voyage and by the commitment of these folks and by the idea of bringing this message of peace and disarmament and the the abolition of nuclear weapons into our local communities," says Mark Colville, social justice activist and founder of the Amistad Catholic Worker community in New Haven, CT. "And why is that? Because almost all of our local communities in this country have some part in the building and construction and possession of these illegal weapons, and so the message that these brave people are carrying to this community and to communities all over this country is so very important."
Colville adds, "We are at the brink of nuclear war, we know what's going on in the Ukraine. This is not a fairy tale, this is not a TV show. This is reality. Unless we step back from the brink, we will not have a future as a human community. I would beg Buffalo to listen and amplify this message that The Golden Rule is bringing to us.
According to a press release from the Western New York Peace Center: "Nuclear weapons became illegal on Jan. 22, 2021, the date of coming into force of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. We in WNY have paid mightily for nuclear proliferation, especially from the nuclear waste at West Valley as well as leftover waste from the Manhattan Project (by Seneca and Tuscarora Reservations respectively). We need a Peaceful, NuclearFree future for the good of the next seven generations and all creation."
It is important to note that the United States has not yet signed or ratified the treaty.
At the helm of the ship is Captains Kiko Johnston-Kitazawa and Bill Goode as well as Zoe Byrd, who breaks down where they're going next in their 13-month voyage.
"We sailed to Rochester, and then to Toronto, and then to the Welland Canal, and here to Buffalo. The rest of our voyage is going to be on Lake Erie, on Lake Michigan, all the way to Chicago."
A number of events have been scheduled before the boat gets a send-off on Wednesday, August 2.
Mon, 7/31
- 1 PM @ Canalside Park: Community gathering with music (including 2:30 Drum Circle with Carolyn Zimmerman; and later folk singer Bill Moran), poetry, mural-making led by artists Keshanta & Sam, and boat rides; bring your own food
- 7 PM @ The 9th Ward (341 Delaware Ave. near Tupper): Dedicated to Bill Marx, local Catholic activist associated with Pax Christi, SSJ Sr Karen Klimczak Ctr for Nonviolence, and the WNY Peace Center; Musical performances by JJ White (blues); and Jean Dickson and Phil Banasczak (fiddle)
Tues, 8/1
- 9:30 AM @ Buffalo State TECH 240: Planning for a NuclearFree Future with the GR Crew (includes Brunch)
- 1 PM @ Canalside Park: Sailboat rides & Q&A with the GR Crew
Weds, 8/2
- 8 AM @ Canalside Park: Darelyn Spruce, Seneca, singing, leading Kayak, canoe, & paddleboard escort/send-off.
