BRUCE GAGNON BIO
Bruce Gagnon is the Coordinator of the
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. He was a co-founder of
the Global Network when it was created in 1992.
Between 1983–1998 Bruce was the State
Coordinator of the Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice and has worked on space
issues for 27 years. In 1987 he organized the largest peace protest in Florida
history when over 5,000 people marched on Cape Canaveral in opposition to the
first flight test of the Trident II nuclear missile.
He was the organizer of the Cancel
Cassini Campaign (launched 72 pounds of plutonium into space in 1997) that drew
enormous support and media coverage around the world and was featured on the TV
program 60 Minutes.
Project Censored (from Sonoma State
University, CA) named a story on space weaponization by Bruce as the 8th Most
Censored story in 1999. Again in 2005, Project Censored picked an article on
space issues by Bruce as the 16th most censored story of the year.
Bruce has traveled to and spoken in
England, Germany, Mexico, Canada, France, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Japan, Australia,
Scotland, Wales, Greece, India, Brazil, Portugal, South Korea, and throughout the U.S.
He has also spoken on many college
campuses including: Loyola University, Drake University, Syracuse University,
Cornell University, University of Michigan, Cal Poly State University,
University of Pittsburgh, California Institute of Technology, University of
Oregon, University of Alaska Anchorage, Marquette University, Brown University,
Hunter College, University of Arkansas, University of Florida, Dalhousie
University (Nova Scotia), and the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (India).
In 2003, Bruce was appointed by Dr.
Helen Caldicott as a Senior Fellow at her Nuclear Policy Research Institute.
Bruce has been featured by artist Robert Shetterly in his collection of
portraits and quotes entitled
Americans Who Tell The Truth. In 2006 he was the recipient of the Dr.
Benjamin Spock Peacemaker Award.
Bruce has led campaigns in Gainesville,
Florida and Brunswick, Maine around civil liberties and was successful in
getting the Alachua County (FL) Commission to pass a resolution opposing the Patriot Act.
His articles have appeared in
publications like: Earth Island Journal, National Catholic Reporter,
Asia Times, Le Monde Diplomatique, Albuquerque Journal,
Sekai Journal (Japan), CounterPunch, Space News, Z Magazine,
and Canadian Dimension. Bruce has a new version of his book out in 2008 called
Come Together Right Now: Organizing Stories from a Fading Empire. He is
a member of the National Writers Union (UAW Local # 1981 AFL-CIO) and writes a popular blog called
Organizing Notes.
In 2003 Bruce co-produced a popular video entitled
Arsenal of Hypocrisy that spells out U.S. plans for space domination.
His latest video, shot in 2006, is entitled The Necessity of the Conversion
of the Military Industrial Complex. Both videos have been extensively shown
on Free Speech TV. He is also host of a cable TV show called
This Issue that currently runs in eight Maine communities. (This show
can also be seen from the GN’s website.)
In 1968 Bruce was Vice-chair of the
Okaloosa County (Florida) Young Republican Club while working on the Nixon
campaign for president.
Bruce is a Vietnam-era veteran and began
his career by working for the United Farm Workers Union in Florida organizing
fruit pickers. Bruce is an active member of Veterans for Peace.
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