This is the result of our collective efforts, campaigning in coalition together since 2019 to raise awareness about the dangers of nuclear weapons and why Philadelphia should divest.

The resolution urges the City to weigh the threat that nuclear weapons pose to all of humanity and our environment in light of the Trump administration’s decision to restart testing of nuclear weapons and proposal to build a nuclear-powered submarine right here in Philadelphia. It calls on the Pension Board to invest in what our residents need such as safe and healthy homes, affordable transit, working utilities, and childcare, rather than weapons that threaten life on our planet.

The resolution was championed by the Divest Philly from the War Machine Coalition and supported by the Philadelphia Public Banking Coalition. Founded in 2019, the Divest Philly from the War Machine Coalition consists of 29 organizations advocating for nuclear weapons divestment.

The work of Divest Philly builds on Philadelphia’s legacy of pro-peace, anti-nuclear initiatives, including joining Mayors for Peace in 1985, which was founded by the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; and the City Council’s passage of resolution #190841 in 2019 that endorsed the UN Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Our work also builds on the City Council’s passage of resolution #210010 in 2021 calling on the Pension Board to adopt a socially and environmentally responsible investment policy.

Although the City Council resolution on nuclear weapons divestment is non-binding, it is a critical step to advance this campaign, showing the Pension Board that we have the support of our local elected officials behind us. Now is the time for the Pension Board to act by divesting from nukes and reinvesting in Philadelphia’s local needs.