ANN ARBOR—A community forum on the topic of nuclear weapons will be held at the University of Michigan on Oct. 8. A coalition of groups and University departments is organizing the forum to alert people to the opportunity for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

The forum will be held in the Rackham Amphitheater. Other public events will be held at the University throughout the week of Oct. 4, through Oct. 11.

The Oct. 8 forum, beginning at 1:30 p.m., will consist of a series of seminars and presentations on various aspects of nuclear weapons issues: technical, military, political, legal, and environmental. While those working to organize these events are confident of the need to abolish nuclear weapons, the forum is designed to foster dialogue open to all points of view.

The forum organizers are motivated by Jonathan Schell who spoke in Ann Arbor last fall based on his book, “The Gift of Time.” The goal is to provide the same thoughtful inquiry into the question that Schell created in his interviews with a range of people directly involved in nuclear policy and practice.

Speakers will include: Bruce Blair of the Brookings Institution, Arjun Makhijani of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER), Merav Datan of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), Bruce Bueno de Mesquita of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and a representative from the Serpent River First Nation, a people living north of Lake Huron whose

tribal land is polluted by uranium mined to build weapons.

Organizers hope this event will motivate others to become involved in a debate about whether it is now time to eliminate nuclear weapons. The forum is co-sponsored by several units within the University including so far: the College of Engineering, the Rackham School of Graduate Studies, School of Public Health, School of Education, and School of Social Work, and the Department of Philosophy. The City of Ann Arbor is also a co-sponsor as are many local organizations such as the Ecology Center, the Sierra Club of Huron Valley and Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice.

For further information, call (734) 663-1870 or visit the Peace & Environmental Coalition for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (PECANW) Web site at: www.nuclearabolition.research.umich.edu

Bruce BlairCollege of Engineeringwww.nuclearabolition.research.umich.edu