Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. News, and Other Relevant Links
3. Related Organizations and Resources
4. Featured Resolutions

For decades, Duluth, Minnesota has been committed to peacebuilding and cultivating strong international relationships.

Duluth’s commitment to peacebuilding, its strategic importance during the Cold War, and its dedication to cultivating strong international relationships make it a strong candidate to lead on nuclear disarmament issues. However, efforts have been met with the challenge of dueling perspectives on whether nuclear weapons are a local issue. On March 13, 2023, Duluth, Minnesota became one of the few U.S. cities to fail to pass a proposed Back from the Brink resolution. The resolution called on the federal government to join the Treaty of Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and was proposed following the passage of similar resolutions in the nearby cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Initiative for the resolution began with Veterans for Peace’s Golden Rule project, the restoration of the historic peace vessel that once sailed to protest U.S. nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands. Veterans for Peace’s “Great Loop” voyage kicked off in September of 2022 with a press conference in Duluth. Although the ship didn’t dock in Duluth, it served as inspiration for a movement to adopt a Back from the Brink resolution in the city. Supporters of the resolution emphasized the importance of encouraging local efforts to urge national action, along with highlighting the destructive nature of nuclear weapons. Opponents argued that nuclear weapons are not a local issue, nor a matter of concern for the people of Duluth. 

Five days before the city council voted on the resolution, on International Women’s Day, demonstrators took to Duluth City Hall to rally in support of the resolution. At the rally, which was sponsored by the Duluth chapters of Grandmothers for Peace and the League of Women Voters, demonstrators urged the city council to pass the resolution in support of the TPNW. Instrumental to advancing the resolution was the Twin Ports Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (TPCan), a coalition of citizens and organizations advocating for nuclear disarmament and support of the TPNW, which partners with groups such as The Northland Grandmothers for Peace, League of Women Voters-Duluth, Veterans for Peace Chapter 80, Duluth Society of Friends, Peace and Justice Hub at Peace Church, and Back From the Brink, among other organizations.

In discussion of Resolution 23-0171R, Duluth’s Cold War history and airbase were considered. Duluth is home to the Air National Guard’s 148th fighter wing, which was active during the Cold War, along with the Duluth Air Defense Sector (DUADS) and the 24th Tactical Missile Squadron. Throughout the Cold War, the wing was integrated into the U.S. Air Force’s air defense network, which was fundamental to the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) System, a project to detect incoming hostile aircrafts using two large computers contained at the base. Duluth’s proximity to major manufacturing cities made it a strategic site to monitor air activity. However, this made Duluth a target for Soviet attack and led to the development of security measures, such as the placement of missiles nearby, including nuclear weaponry. Duluth’s Air National Guard wing, along with its international port and major steel exports, cause Duluth to be viewed as a potential target for nuclear attack. 

Despite these factors, the resolution addressing nuclear disarmament failed to pass due to a tied vote. Councilors who voted against the resolution cited a lack of public interest, as well as the absence of input from potential targets of nuclear attack, such as the shipping port. Ultimately, multiple councilors viewed nuclear weapons as an issue of federal concern that doesn’t necessitate the inclusion of local governance.

Nonetheless, Duluth has worked for decades on peacebuilding practices through strong international relationships. Since 1986, the city has formed five influential sister city relationships. Of these sister cities, its relationships with Petrozavodsk, Russia and Ohara Isumi, Japan are of particular note. Duluth’s relationship to Petrozavodsk has fostered a rich exchange of collaborative youth, adults, arts, culture, and medical initiatives. These exchanges have included important programming to support at-risk children and families, focusing on the key areas of sex trafficking, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, domestic abuse, child abuse, and raising emotionally healthy children. The relationship with Ohara Isumi, Japan began decades before the relationship was officially established, when the U.S.S. Duluth was stationed outside of Ohara Isumi during World War 2. At the end of the war, the unit brought a temple bell from Ohara back to San Francisco, which eventually found its way to Duluth. In 1951, when a group from Chiba University in Tokyo saw the bell on display at Duluth City Hall, they requested its return, and the mayor of Duluth honored their request. In 1993, four years after becoming sister cities, Ohara Isumi gifted Duluth with a replica of the bell, signifying the strength of their relationship. Further building its reputation as a peacemaking city, Duluth hosts a peace walk. This walking tour takes individuals through sites such as the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials and the Center for Non-Violence, to emphasize the role of individuals and communities in promoting peace. The peace walk project covers numerous other issues, from sister cities, to racism, to domestic violence.