Projects | bang-usa.org

With the sponsorship of Project for Nuclear Awareness and several domestic and international organizations, BANG-USA designs and hosts a wide range of programs effective for activists at any level. Contact us at kimthao.pna@gmail.com, or call 215.546.3030 to see how you can participate.

>>CURRENT PROJECTS
>>ONGOING PROGRAMS

DisarmTV

As a generation growing up long after the end of the cold war, many of our peers have little knowledge about nuclear weapons and their destructive legacy that continues today. As a response to this knowledge gap, the Bang-USA developed DisarmTV.

Disarm TV is a youth-led and produced citizen journalism project aimed at empowering young people as grassroots reporters and peer educators on the nuclear weapons issue. This web channel also serves as a forum for those who have been affected by nuclear weapons to tell their story.

For Spring 2010, DisarmTV will follow especially the grassroots disarmament movement surrounding the May Non-Proliferation Treaty conference. Local and international organizations and groups that have a project, event or campaign to share are invited to submit 4-5 minute video clips to be reviewed and posted on the Bang-USA.org site, as well as at PeaceandJusticeNow.org. If you need assistance with editing your video piece, DisarmTV will be gladly accept and edit raw footage sent via email (large files can be sent through YouSendIt.com) to Kim-Thao Nguyen at kimthao.pna@gmail.com.

>> Check out the info page

International Youth Dialogue Contact us for scheduling.

In 2009 we held our first International Youth Dialogue for Nuclear Disarmament, which linked youth from Philadelphia, PA; Santa Barbara, California; Mexico City, Mexico; and Moscow, Russia through Polycom live video-conferencing technology. Dr. Hans Blix, President of the World Federation of United Nations Associations, and Alyn Ware, International Coordinator of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, will offered keynote addresses. The core aim of the conference was to develop concrete action steps to empower activists to work together successfully in advocating for nuclear disarmament. with special attention to the upcoming NPT Review Conference in May 2010. See the event report here.

We are currently planning an Interfaith Youth Dialogue for May 18, 2010 in Philadelphia, and a Middle East Regional Videoconference for October 2010.

These conferences act to facilitate dialogue, collaboration, and strategy formation on the international level for nuclear disarmament among students, youth, and civil society leaders and experts.

>>Conference Preparatory Resources

>>Conference Summary Page

Arts and Cultural Outreach

Ban All Nukes Generation has held many events in the Philadelphia area to generate awareness and encourage on-site action for nuclear disarmament. Here is a list of past events. Contact us to find out how you can organize a similar event!

Bombs Away Summer Film Series

"Matthew Broderick Starts World War III?" Bang members held a summer-long series, screening movies from Dr. Strangelove, Wargames, and even documentaries such as Why We Fight and Einstein's Letter. At each event, attendees had the opportunity to sign petitions online, watch films created by local activists, and participate in discussions with experts on both the nuclear issue and film. On the anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, we held an all-day festival with refreshments and giveaways from local businesses, including the Whole Foods, TLA Video, GreenerSets Philly, and Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, the city's landmark venue where all of our screenings took place.

The online gallery can be found here, along with samples of the posters and ads we used. Our hit commercial, Nuclear Bombshell, drew many crowds throughout the summer! Check past scheduling here.

The Atomic Catwalk

This public awareness event took place in the most populated area of the Philadelphia Friday night scene, as a part of the Philly Fringe Festival. A team of designers and artists joined to recycle used clothing and found objects to create disarmament courture, or wearable activism that surpasses a simple t-shirt or button. Commandeering a crowded busy street alley, a live, spontaneous catwalk gave us the opportunity to distribute information from the "stage"-- especially during the encore performance.

Professional photographers Tim Moyer (photo above) and RA Friedman helped create a paparazzi feel. Click on their names for to check out the amazing designs!

The Visual Petition Project

Members of the creative community are blessed with gifts of innovation and effective communication. We have asked artists and designers to apply artistry and activism to create work for our "visual petition" to Congress. This wide-range of artwork, collected since 2008, will be compiled and distributed as a powerful voice in the call for nuclear weapons disarmament and nonproliferation.

In spring 2009, our gallery opening alone gathered nearly 200 attendees, who had the chance to view international multimedia work, from paintings to animations and even musical forms of protest.

To submit your visual protest, please email a Bang Youth Leader today.

Check out the virtual gallery so far!

Youth Congressional Education Initiative

Parent organization Project for Nuclear Awareness' combination of cogent analysis and passionate activism has earned it a position of trust and authority with key legislators and congressional staffers on Capitol Hill. As part of its ongoing Congressional Education Initiative, PNA leads trips to Washington DC to inform a number of key Senators about the importance of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the moral imperative to ratify it. The United States Senate is closer to ratification than it has been in over a decade. PNA is taking action to seize this crucial moment in history and strengthen U.S. leadership in disarmament and non-proliferation.

Discover with BANG-USA the empowering process of interacting with policy makers, and world leaders, and let your voice be heard.

>>REPORT FROM 2009 PNA POLICY BRIEFING

Classroom Videoconference Series Contact kimthao.pna@gmail.com to schedule a presentation.

In partnership with PNA and Global Education Motivators (GEM) and using state-of-the-art videoconference technology, BANG-USA youth leaders present a series of nuclear awareness and education lectures to high school and university students throughout the Philadelphia area. Beginning with a nuclear primer that provides the fundamental building blocks for an understanding of nuclear issues and concluding with a presentation that outlines the necessary steps for global nuclear disarmament, the Nuclear Education Presentation Series provides an important educational opportunity to those who wish to learn about the threat of nuclear weaponry.

Venues have include Haverford College, Temple University, and Chestnut Hill College, as well as several high schools internationally.

Share the presentation online! Contact kimthao.pna@gmail.com for credit and use.

>> Check out past programming

John and Chara Haas Award Dinner

The John and Chara Haas Award for International Peace and Social Justice recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to the fields of peace and social justice, particularly as it advances the cause of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.

In 2009 the Project for Nuclear Awareness honored Dr. Hans Blix, Chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission and one of the foremost leaders in the disarmament community. The John and Chara Haas Award Dinner provided active youth an opportunity to recognize and celebrate Dr. Blix's lifelong commitment to the cause of international peace and nuclear non-proliferation.

Read the event summary and check out photos here.