Peace and Justice Vigil: Eliminate Nuclear Weapons

Date/Time
Date(s) - 08/01/2026
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Location
Carbondale Town Square

Categories No Categories

ELIMINATE NUCLEAR WEAPONS
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2026 NOON TO 1:00 PM
The Peace Coalition of Southern Illinois will hold the Monthly Peace and Justice Vigil on Saturday, August 1, Noon to 1 P.M. at the corner of Main and Illinois Ave., Carbondale.
Sunday, August 2, 5:30PM
Hiroshima/Nagasaki Commemoration, with Potluck, reflection and showing of the Documentary, “AN ORDINARY INSANITY” at the Church of the Good Shepherd, UCC, 515 S. Orchard Dr. in Carbondale.

The public is invited to both events.

This summer marks 81 years since the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Peace Coalition has endorsed the campaign of Back from the Brink which is sponsoring community events to honor the victims, and renew the urgent call for a nuclear weapons‑free world.
“Nuclear weapons threaten all of us, everything, our future, all we hold dear. They are inherently unjust. Their production, testing, and waste continue to disproportionately harm communities of color. The elimination of nuclear weapons is deeply linked to other pressing concerns such as racial and economic justice, militarism, preserving our democracy, and confronting climate change.”
Congress is currently deadlocked in debate over President Trump’s mind-boggling $1.5 trillion military budget request for Fiscal Year 2027 – including roughly $100 billion for nuclear weapons. Additionally, the administration recently made another $87.6 billion “supplemental request” for the current fiscal year – a third of which is for the illegal Iran war.
Meanwhile, the American Society of Civil Engineers reports that U.S. cities would need to spend $3.7 trillion for infrastructure (e.g. roads, bridges, railroads, buildings) to reach a state of “good repair.” And CDP, a global non-profit organization, estimates that climate disasters have cost the U.S. economy $6.6 trillion over the last 12 years. Climate change – like nuclear weapons – is a local issue. Our world is interdependent and for our world to survive and thrive, communities and nations must collectively respond to these existential threats. There’s no other choice.
Appropriate signs will be provided at the vigil, but all are invited to bring their own. The next monthly meeting of the Peace Coalition will be held on ZOOM, Tuesday August 18, 2026, 6pm. For information about joining, contact georgeannhartzog@gmail.com