Thought streams of the day.

The #Pandemic

RantMom planned to eat breakfast and lunch as well as dinner in her retirement community's dining room today. RantWoman still cannot go visit indoors. Also even though RantMom yearns to break out and do a little shopping, she has a painful Just Take It Easy for Awhile tendon injury in her leg. So phone it is and cat photo text messages and goofy emojis still.

Media streams invite reflections on #TheMoment when the pandemic became real for RantWoman: somewhere between when RantWoman read a Seattle Times article about RantMom's debate watching buddy and the bus trip where RantWoman got the call about RantMom's positive #COVID test results. There is more to say but on the whole, the RantFamily has been VERY lucky so far. Everyone but RantWoman has gotten vaccinated. RantMom cleared the virus after a few weeks and everyone else has tested negative whenever necessary. We count our blessings.

#Nisqually20 #NisquallyQuake

Where were you when the earth rumbled? Again, the RantFamily was lucky. RantWoman and Ferrener HUsband were living in a new construction condo. Ferrener Husband was practicing driving; RantWoman initially feared he might have driven the car through the garage to the back yard, but then the second wave hit. Ferrener Husband went to work and as soon as RantWoman heard the Aurora Bridge was safe she headed out on the bus to check on siblings. The building Little Sister was living in suffered some damage that was going to need a capital campaign to repair but was still habitable. Infant Nephew rode out the quake in a stroller while Little Sister showered. 

RantWoman and RantBrother both travelled to check on Little Sister. The 3 RantSiblings hung out together and had lunch at a Chinese restaurant. The TV was on very loud in English and everyone now and then someone would explain or interpret in Chinese. The most available communication device: an alpha pager good for 500-character emails. RantWoman pinged an aunt with RantMom's work phone number to say everyone was okay; RantMom had gone home to try to call.

What RantWoman Really Means to Memorialize: Nuclear Victimes Remembrance Day the 67th Anniversary of the Castle Bravo nuclear test.

This was the largest nuclear test conducted in the Marshall Islands. 

RantWoman had the good fortune to be able to fit a commemorative Zoom event into her schedule. For the moment, RantWoman is just going to seed theconversation with the event title  to go look for the event video and then dump some speaker bios from the chat and random notes here.

Benetick Kabua Maddison is the Project Specialist for the Climate, Education and Nuclear Issues at the Marshallese Educational Initiative. He was the Keynote Speaker at the 12SL Annual Conference in 2019 about climate change and has spoken at a number of other conferences on climate, nuclear, and Marshallese youth issues. He is also an advisor for Reverse the Trend. Benetick is enrolled at NWACC and resides in Springdale, Arkansas, after having relocated with his family from Majuro Atoll. Benetick’s family lineage represents the Ralik Chain, which includes Bikini Atoll.

n 2016, H.E Ambassador Kabua was appointed as the Permanent Representative of the Marshall Islands to the United Nations. In this critical role, she represents the Marshall Islands and acts as a primary channel for communications between the Marshall Islands government and the United Nations. Prior to her appointment, in 2009, H.E Ambassador Kabua served as Ambassador to Fiji. From 2003 - 2009, she was the Field Service Consultant to RMI’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1997 - 03, she served as Ambassador to Japan.

UN Protectorate Administered by the US. UN allowed 54 tests over objection of the Marshallese people

2021 NPT Meeting

memory mourning sadness but also own rather than let it own us, uphold pursuit of justice and action for the future.

Consul-General Eldon Alik

In September 2017, Mr. Alik was appointed Consul General for RMI in Springdale, Arkansas. As Consul General, Mr Alik plays an instrumental role in promoting the socio-economic interests of Marshallese citizens in Arkansas and Midwest areas. Prior to Mr Alik’s appointment he was a leading member of the Marshallese community having participated in various areas of public life. He was an interpreter for State Courts and Federal Government agencies, Life Guide for the Center for Intercultural Organizing that organizes educational seminars for Marshallese migrants, and as an Enrollment Assister for Northwest Family Services that helps people enroll in the Oregon Health Plan programs. Mr. Alik owns 'EA Cleaning', where he employs 17 Marshallese.

MEI ‘Nuclear Legacy' webpage: https://www.mei.ngo/nuclear

MEI Nuclear Legacy Poster: https://426595d0-b8d0-474b-8711-627ff1c2b4ef.filesusr.com/ugd/503583_3cd2488704cf4cf196b2f8d9c7948a81.pdf

‘No Promised Land: The Shared Legacy of the Castle Bravo Nuclear Test’ by April L. Brown: https://426595d0-b8d0-474b-8711-627ff1c2b4ef.filesusr.com/ugd/503583_f68ab8c447a740e48c59cfa3f5eb8e12.pdf

From Julianne Walsh to Everyone:  05:34 PM

Kommol, CG Alik.

From Jim Haber to Everyone:  05:34 PM

Very heartfelt, all of you. Thank you.

jellyfish babies

Springdale AR

Dr. Ivana Hughes

Dr. Ivana Hughes is the Director of the K=1 Project, Center for Nuclear Studies at Columbia University. She is also the Director of the Frontiers of Science, and a Senior Lecturer in Discipline in the Department of Chemistry at Columbia. In her work leading the K=1 Project, Ivana combines an interest in global issues with her deep commitment to teaching and mentoring undergraduate students with different academic backgrounds on topics at the intersection of science and society. Ivana's responsibilities lie in overseeing the operations and programming of the Center.

From Emma Locker to Everyone:  05:47 PM

Hi Marsha, it is being posted on our youtube channel. We will keep attendees updated.

From Pegasus Collonge to Everyone:  05:47 PM

thank you Yout Excellency

Dr. Tilman Ruff

Dr. Tilman Ruff AM is a public health and infectious diseases physician. He is the co-founder and Australian Chair of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and since 2012, he has been the Co-President of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). Dr. Ruff has been instrumental in building momentum towards banning nuclear weapons. Specifically, he played a critical role in the negotiations on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Christian N. Ciobanu is the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. He has been an activist in the field of nuclear disarmament since 2010. He has organized events for youth and diplomats in Geneva, Vienna, and New York. He is one of the coordinators for Reverse the Trend: Save Our People, Save Our Planet.

He helped the Permanent Mission of the Marshall Islands in monitoring nuclear disarmament affairs at the 2015 NPT Review Conference, 2015 First Committee of the UN General Assembly, and 2017 UN Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, Leading Towards their Total Elimination.

How best to support the Marshallese people

safe online space for young Marshallese 

Reverse the Trend

Share testimony on why nuclear weapons should be banned