Solidarity climbs to 85 Cities with 5000 Euro donation by Heidelberg
July 4, 2008
LATEST Today we received the news that not only Ms. Felicity-ann Lewis, the Mayor of City of Marion (Australia) will make a donation. Also two Marion councilors have decided to make a donation. We wish to thank Councillor Raelene Telfer and Councillor Irene Whennan for their solidarity.
The past weeks we welcomed the news for financial support for the campaign from the Mayor of Dendermonde (Belgium), Chetwynd, BC (Canada), Heidelberg (Germany), Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (Italy), Beek (Nettherlands), Vila-seca (Spain),
The important contribution of 5000 Euro to the 2020 Vision Campaign by the German City of Heidelberg demonstrates hard-needed solidarity with Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the global campaign to abolish nuclear weapons.
As a larger city with about 150.000 inhabitants Heidelberg joins the Swiss Cities of Geneva and Lausanne who have also made substantial financial contributions to the 2020 Vision campaign office of Mayors for Peace in Ypres. These larger cities have also used the 0,025 Euro/inhabitant as a guideline for their important voluntary contributions.
Small is beautiful
However, it is clear that without the leadership of Mayors in many smaller municipalities the campaign could not build further capacity. The past month we also received a financial commitment from the Mayor of Vila-seca (Spain), Tavernelle Val di Pesa (Italy) and a growing number of Belgian Cities who continue to demonstrate a remarkable solidarity with the Japanese cities.
The past weeks we welcomed the news for financial support for the campaign from the Mayor of Dendermonde (Belgium), Chetwynd, BC (Canada), Heidelberg (Germany), Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (Italy), Beek (Nettherlands), Vila-seca (Spain),
The important contribution of 5000 Euro to the 2020 Vision Campaign by the German City of Heidelberg demonstrates hard-needed solidarity with Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the global campaign to abolish nuclear weapons.
As a larger city with about 150.000 inhabitants Heidelberg joins the Swiss Cities of Geneva and Lausanne who have also made substantial financial contributions to the 2020 Vision campaign office of Mayors for Peace in Ypres. These larger cities have also used the 0,025 Euro/inhabitant as a guideline for their important voluntary contributions.
Small is beautiful
However, it is clear that without the leadership of Mayors in many smaller municipalities the campaign could not build further capacity. The past month we also received a financial commitment from the Mayor of Vila-seca (Spain), Tavernelle Val di Pesa (Italy) and a growing number of Belgian Cities who continue to demonstrate a remarkable solidarity with the Japanese cities.
Mayor Eckart Würzner from Heidelberg
We are happy to register the positive response of the Cities of Leihhardt, NSW and Melbourne (Australia), 66 cities and municipalities from Belgium, Duncan, BC and Chetwynd, BC (Canada), Koprivnica (Croatia), Malakoff (France), Heidelberg (Germany), Tavernelle Val di Pesa (Italy), Bloemendaal and Maasgouw (Netherlands), Riudecanyes and Vila-seca (Spain), Geneva and Lausanne (Switzerland) and Oxford (UK). Following the successful Belgian pilot-project most cities continue to use the 0,025 €/inhabitant per year, sometimes committing the city annually all the way up to 2020..
The 66 Belgian cities and municipalities committed to give financial back-up are Affligem, Amay, Antwerpen, Beersel, Boechout, Bornem, Brasschaat, Brussels, Dendermonde, Durbuy, Eeklo, Forest (Vorst), Geetbets, Gent, Habay, Hamois, Hamont-Achel, Hasselt, Hechtel-Eksel, Heist-op-den-Berg, Herzele, Huy, Ichtegem, Ieper, Ingelmunster, Ittre, Kappelle-op-den-Bos, Kapellen, Kaprijke, Knokke-Heist, Kortrijk, Kuurne, Kruibeke, Lennik, Maarkedal, Maaseik, Machelen, Melle, Mesen, Middelkerke, Mortsel, Nazareth, Nijlen, Oostkamp, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Peer, Ravels, Riemst, Rotselaar, Ruiselede, Saint-Leger, Schelle, Sint-Lievens-Houtem, Sint-Truiden, Stabroek, Staden, Steenokkerzeel, Thuin, Voeren, Waasmunster, Waregem, Wetteren, Wortegem-Petegem, Zoersel, Zottegem and Zwijndrecht.
Another important development is that the Mayor of Malakoff has also contacted many French members of Mayors for Peace to encourage them to adopt a similar resolution. In some other countries cross-party letters are being prepared to appeal to solidarity, referring to the Belgian pilot project which has aready registered financial support from 66 Belgian Cities and sees membership continually growing with now 319 member cities (54%) on a total of 598 Belgian cities.
