The nuclear order can still be rebuilt
[The following letter to the editor, by IPPNW co-founder Dr. James Muller and Dr. Henry Abraham, was published in The Washington Post on 19 August.]
It was with a glimmer of hope that we read that the world is sleepwalking into a new nuclear arms race in the Aug. 17 editorial “The old global nuclear order is dead. What comes next?” The wake-up call is welcome, but the editorial advocated only limited attempts to confront the increasing danger. Incremental arms-control measures, while useful, are not an adequate response to the escalating nuclear threat.
Another danger not mentioned in the editorial is the use of artificial intelligence in nuclear weapons systems, which increases the risk of miscalculation. Ironically, Americans’ safety depends on the quality of the AI systems used in the nuclear weapons systems of North Korea and other adversaries.
As the editorial noted, in the 1980s President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev came tantalizingly close to agreeing to eliminate all nuclear weapons. Their attempt was made possible by organized public opinion in favor of the abolition of all nuclear weapons. A mass movement is needed again. One hundred nations — a majority of the world’s countries — have now signed or joined the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which is the only long-term solution to the nuclear dilemma.
In a world in which nuclear weapons were outlawed, the United States, with its excellent conventional forces and protection offered by two oceans, would have little to fear. The first step toward safety, as advocated by the editorial, is for the public to awaken from its slumber and find its voice.
Taking Forward Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations
What was the United Nations “Open-Ended Working Group”?
The United Nations first established an Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) entitled “Taking forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations” in 2012. This UN subsidiary body was characterised by its open and interactive format, making space for deeper participation by members states, experts and civil society organisations.
Read more…Ten years on: History in the making
Landmark report recommends to the UN to negotiate a nuclearban
On 19 August 2016 a UN Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) fell into disarray, as one country insisted on taking a vote. The translators had gone home and the delegates had to move into a smaller room as the larger one was no longer available. The clock had been stopped, to allow the OEWG to reach a conclusion. I myself had cancelled my flight to stay to the end. This is what happened.
Read more…How society can build the culture of humanitarian disarmament
Humanitarian disarmament is often described through treaties, legal obligations, technical measures, and field operations. Yet through decades of volunteer‑driven campaigning, I learned that behind every treaty, every campaign, and every clearance activity lies something deeper: a culture.
A culture of humanitarian disarmament exists when humanitarian values become shared narratives, collective memory, social expectations, and community practices that reject weapons that cause unacceptable harm and affirm the protection of human life and human security.
Read more…Thirty years on: The Canberra Commission
In its report, presented on August 14, 1996, the Canberra Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons examined nuclear deterrence. It also proposed a series of concrete steps to immediately begin the process of nuclear disarmament. The report received significant international attention. Thirty years after its publication, opinions on its conclusions remain divided. None of the recommendations have been implemented.
Read more…When physicians diagnose war: Rudolf Virchow and the public health logic of humanitarian disarmament
Rudolf Virchow’s story first drew my attention through an unexpected detail: as a young man preparing for the clergy, he was told that his voice was not strong enough for preaching. The redirection seemed small, almost incidental, yet it changed the course of his life. I found myself returning to that moment, the quiet disappointment, the reconsideration, and the humility of accepting a limitation, and reviewing his profile and achievements with greater care.
The voice that could not carry in a pulpit would later speak with unusual clarity about the forces that shape human suffering. In that transformation lies a human story: a physician whose authority came not from volume, but from evidence, moral seriousness, and the courage to confront the social conditions that produce illness.
Read more…The following remarks were delivered by Dr. Dirk Hoogenkamp at the Hiroshima Monument in Groningen, Netherlands on August 6, 2026.
I am Dirk Hoogenkamp, a physician and a board member of the NVMP-Doctors for Peace, the Dutch affiliate of IPPNW. And today I would like to talk to you about a small tree on my balcony.
That might sound strange, but there is a reason for it. It is currently still a very small seedling, too fragile to take with me today, but it is a special tree. It is a Ginkgo biloba, a giant that can live for centuries. I picked up the tree’s seed from the sidewalk when I was in Hiroshima last September. I was standing just 1,130 meters from the hypocenter, the place where the atomic bomb was detonated at 8:15, today 81 years ago. The tree burned to the ground, the temple behind it collapsed, and the priest and his family perished. The temple would not be rebuilt for fifty years. But after a few years, the scorched tree suddenly grew green leaves again.
Read more…Hiroshima’s medical witnesses and the Red Cross legacy: humanitarian testimony and nuclear prevention
On 6 August 1945, Hiroshima became the first city in history to experience the effects of an atomic bomb used in war. Within seconds, thousands of people were killed, health facilities were destroyed, and medical workers faced a catastrophe beyond any previous experience.
Many physicians and nurses died immediately. Those who survived confronted thousands of injured people with limited supplies, damaged hospitals, and no established knowledge of radiation injury. Yet they continued their work. They treated the wounded, documented symptoms, and created a medical record that would become essential for future generations.
Read more…The rulers of the nuclear powers are slow learners
Although 81 years have passed since the atomic bombing of Japan in August 1945, the rulers of major nations continue their reckless march toward a nuclear holocaust.
The nine nuclear powers (the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea), possessing some 12,100 nuclear warheads, are all busily upgrading and expanding their nuclear weapons arsenals at an accelerating pace. Nuclear weapons spending rose to an all-time high of $119 billion in 2025―a 19 percent increase over the preceding year. The U.S. government alone, which accounted for more than half of this spending, is embarked on a $1.7 trillion, decades-long nuclear weapons buildup.
Read more…Volunteers and the culture of humanitarian disarmament in the International Year of Volunteers 2026
Volunteerism is one of the most enduring expressions of human solidarity. It is a culture built on responsibility, dignity, and the belief that individuals can protect one another even in the most difficult circumstances. In humanitarian crises, volunteers are often the first to act and the last to withdraw. Their work is quiet, local, and rooted in trust, yet it forms the backbone of civilian protection. In the International Year of Volunteers 2026, it is time to recognize how deeply volunteerism shapes the culture of humanitarian disarmament.
Read more…
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