Campaign for a Nuclear Weapons Free World

Put it in Writing Action Page

Time and history have come together this year to create an opportunity to change how the world perceives nuclear weapons and their utility. At this critical moment, we are asking you to join in a nationwide effort to push the Obama administration to dramatically reduce our reliance on nuclear weapons and move us closer to a nuclear weapons free world.

Over the next few weeks and months, President Obama will write new guidance that will lead to a new nuclear war plan and new requirements for the size and structure of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. It could be his last major opportunity to shift U.S. reliance on nuclear weapons. Organizations around the country are coming together to seize that opportunity with a goal to generate thousands of petition signatures to the president by March 31st to show widespread American support for steps to eliminate nuclear weapons.

We need your help to build this groundswell. Use the petition materials below to send your supporters to Change.org to sign the petition, or collect signatures on your own and send them to us. Contact us at kheald@nuclearweaponsfree.org to join the campaign. Thank you!

Campaign Outline and Timeline

January – campaign launch

  • Petition – to President Obama asking him to Put it in Writing, and move us towards a world free of nuclear weapons
  • Community Sign-on Letter – Letter addressed to President Obama signed by community and grassroots organizations across the country

March 31st – close petition for new signatures

April 5th - petition delivery

  • Set meeting with White House to deliver petition signatures and sign-on letter
  • National Call-in Day to the White House

Petition

There are several different ways you can join the effort to collect petition signatures.

Online Petition

Paper Petition
Print this document to collect signatures on paper for the campaign, while also collecting email addresses for your own list. This is an Excel document with space to insert your organization’s logo before printing. If you need help with formatting or print settings please email kheald@nuclearweaponsfree.org.

If you collect signatures, please mail them to the Campaign at 2201 Broadway, Suite 321, Oakland, CA 94612. We will not keep email addresses for our use, but will add the total numbers, and deliver the hard copies to the White House with the rest of the petition.

Petition Text

Dear Mr. President,

Thank you for supporting the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons and for pledging to “put an end to outdated Cold War thinking.”  In the 21st century, nuclear weapons are a global security liability, not an asset. You must act now to reduce the nuclear danger and the role of nuclear weapons.

In the coming weeks, I urge you to end outdated U.S. nuclear war-fighting strategy, dramatically reduce the number of U.S. nuclear weapons and the number of submarines, missiles, and bombers that carry those weapons, and take U.S. nuclear weapons off high alert. Maintaining large numbers of nuclear forces on alert increases the risk of accident or miscalculation.

By taking these steps, you will facilitate reductions in Russia’s nuclear arsenal, encourage other nuclear-armed countries to join in reductions, and move us closer to a world free of nuclear weapons.

Signed,

Sample Petition Intro

Sample Petition Intro Text [Word doc]

Learn More

Opinion: No Need for All These Nukes
Philip Taubman, New York Times, January 7, 2012

Blog Post: Creating the New Nuclear War Plan
Stephen Young, Union of Concerned Scientists, January 6, 2012