On 13 March 2010 five women aged from 37 to 69 began walking from Brisbane to Canberra to take a message to the prime minister. The message conveys the hopes and dreams of the Australian people, asking that we take steps towards a nuclear free future.
The team is over halfway to Canberra to meet original custodians at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on 24 May. The women proudly carry a message stick presented to them by elders of the Turrabul and Yuggera people of Brisbane. The message stick conveys a story of sustainability and the women of Australia ask Mr Rudd to protect our natural environment for our grandchildren's great grandchildren. “Caring for our country is important to all of us, particularly as new uranium mines and a global nuclear waste dump are being proposed”, stated Cassie McMahon. The message stick will be presented to Australia's prime minister on 25 May.
The 1400 km FootPrints for Peace walk is connecting with communities along the route. Our aim is to communicate how the whole nuclear cycle is unsafe; it will leave a toxic legacy for over 200 000 years. The world already has a range of safe and renewable energy options. Our walk is to let Mr Rudd know that Australian communities are concerned. We are listening to the stories of individuals and groups and will present their written messages to the prime minister.
With 40 percent of the world's uranium deposits, Australia is where the nuclear cycle begins. We have a moral obligation to promote a peaceable, sustainable and nuclear-free future. People feel we are on a slippery slope. The proposed global nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory is of great concern and should be stopped.
We are feeling sustained by the support and enthusiasm from individuals and communities along the way. In the Japanese tradition of hope, we will also present 1000 origami peace cranes at our meeting in Canberra on 25 May. These cranes have been folded by people along our journey and they carry the hopes and aspirations of the people who created them.
FootPrints For Peace is an international organisation and four walks in the US are converging in New York for the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty Review meetings. Their journeys can be viewed on www.footprintsforpeace.net
For more information, please contact:
June Norman footprintsforpeace@yahoo.com.au or 0438 169 414; or
Derec Davies derec.davies@foe.org.au or 0421 835 587
