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…Nuclear bombs at Lakenheath
Accidents and deployment at an Air Force base in East Anglia, UK
RAF Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force (RAF) base, but to all intents and purposes it is a US Air Force (USAF) base, hosting only US units. It is located in Suffolk, United Kingdom, about 140 km north-west of London. During the Cold War, US nuclear weapons were stored at Lakenheath, as part of NATO nuclear sharing. These were withdrawn in 2008. There are indications that US nuclear weapons have recently been redeployed at the base. However, these have not been officially confirmed.
Read more…“Humanity…must summon the moral courage to prevail against the danger the fusion of AI with nuclear weapons creates”
The following remarks were delivered by Dr. James Muller, IPPNW Co-Founder, at the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear War at Castel Gandolfo, Italy on 14 July, 2026
Thank you. Nobelists, your Eminence Cardinal Baggio and Your Eminence Cardinal Tomasi, Enzo, Alessio and your great team. Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
The fusion of AI with nuclear weapons creates an immediate, worldwide danger – a threat that cannot be countered by individual nations consumed with their geopolitical disagreements. A worldwide agreement and collective action is needed.
My hope is that this Vatican Assembly, with its phenomenal participants, can help humanity find the common voice required for survival.
I am speaking as a co-founder of International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War, or IPPNW, which was built on agreement between adversaries in 1980 as our governments talked of winning a nuclear war, we contacted our Russian medical colleagues to create IPPNW. We worked across Cold War barriers against the concept that nuclear war could be won. In 1985 the Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize to IPPNW for alerting the world to the medical consequences of the use of nuclear weapons. This helped generate a world-wide popular movement, that, together with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, led to a decrease in the number of nuclear weapons from over 60,000 in 1980 to approximately 12,000 today.
Read more…[The IPPNW Executive Committee has sent the following open letter to the leadership of the Israel Medical Association, regarding the treatment of Palestinians detained by Israel, with particular concern for the condition of Dr. Abu Safiya.]
14 July 2026
Professor Zion Hagay, President
Adv. Leah Wapnerm Chief Executive Officer
Israel Medical Association
Dear Prof Hagay and Adv. Wapnerm:
Since October 2023, Physicians for Human Rights–Israel (PHRI) has published extensive documentation alleging serious violations of medical ethics and the right to health in relation to Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons, military detention facilities, and civilian hospitals. These reports describe prolonged denial or delay of medical treatment, inadequate access to specialist care, treatment under conditions of prolonged restraint and blindfolding, failures to investigate suspected abuse, and ethical concerns surrounding the field hospital established at Sde Teiman.
Read more…Global Nobel Laureates call for the abolition of nuclear weapons, noting risks of AI integration
A Global Assembly of Nobel Laureates called Thursday for rapid action to bring about the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. The Assembly was initiated by IPPNW and the Nobel Laureates Assembly for the Prevention of Nuclear War and was hosted by the Vatican at Castel Gandolfo, the Pope’s summer residence.
Read more…
Bimal Khadka
Bjorn Hilt
Charles K. Johnson
Dr. Ghassan Shahrour
Gunnar Westberg
IPPNW
John Loretz
Lawrence Wittner
Maria Valenti
mollymcgint
Sue Wareham
Tilman Ruff
Tim Wright
Xanthe Hall
IPPNW peace and health blog 