Pay enough attention and nuclear weapons condemn themselves
The city of Hiroshima lay in ruins after the US atomic bombing on August 6, 1945—69 years ago this week.
Each year, in August, we are reminded, to our sorrow, about nuclear weapons, the horrors they unleash, and the shame they bring to humankind—first, for having created them at all, and then for having tolerated their existence this long. The US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which we commemorate this week, put the world on notice almost 70 years ago that war had reached a point of no return. We woke up to discover that we had weapons powerful enough to end humanity itself. Our response to that dilemma, as we realized even then, would determine for all time whether humanity had been worth the bother. Sadly, the jury is still out. Read more…
I believe in a just peace
An open letter to the IPPNW community
by Alex Rosen, IPPNW-Germany
Dear friends in Israel and Palestine,
When I say that I believe in a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians you say that I am naive; that I do not know what I’m talking about; that I don’t know the reality on the ground. Read more…
Unimaginable pressure and wind
Many of us have experienced strong winds. On the coast of Norway we often have storms and also hurricanes now and then. They can be scary and it seems incredible when roofs are blown off houses and big fishing boats are washed ashore. Along with the blast, the heat, the electromagnetic pulse, and the ionizing radiation, the detonation of a nuclear weapon creates unimaginably strong and destructive winds. Read more…
IPPNW responds to Gaza crisis
The following statement has been issued by the IPPNW Executive Committee:
IPPNW calls for an immediate cease fire between Israel and Hamas. We call on Israel to stop its air strikes and ground invasion of Gaza, and we call on Hamas to stop all rocket attacks on Israel We also call on both sides to allow full access to medical care for all those wounded in the fighting.
IPPNW statement on crisis in Ukraine
[The IPPNW Executive Committee has issued the following statement addressing the conflict in Ukraine:]
IPPNW calls call for an immediate cease fire to the fighting in Ukraine and for all states to refrain from any military intervention in Ukraine. We further call on Ukraine to reaffirm its historic decision to renounce nuclear weapons and for Russia to reaffirm the guarantee of Ukraine’s territorial integrity that accompanied that decision. We further call for urgent UN mediation to achieve a diplomatic solution to the issues involved in this conflict.
Putting an end to war
[This article originally appeared on the Oxford University Press blog.]
Guest Editorial
by Barry S. Levy and Victor W. Sidel
War is hell. War kills people, mainly non-combatant civilians, and injures and maims many more — both physically and psychologically. War destroys the health-supporting infrastructure of society, including systems of medical care and public health services, food and water supply, sanitation and sewage treatment, transportation, communication, and power generation. War destroys the fabric of society and damages the environment. War uproots individuals, families, and often entire communities, making people refugees or internally displaced persons. War diverts human and financial resources. War reinforces the mistaken concept that violence is an acceptable way of resolving conflicts and disputes. And war often creates hatreds that are passed on from one generation to the next. Read more…
Things could always be worse…a lot worse
There’s more bad news from the climate scientists. Not about global warming, where the news is never good, but about the impact nuclear weapons would have on the atmosphere, our climate, and food production if even a very small number were used in a limited, regional conflict. Read more…
Doom from the depths
The US has commissioned 12 new Ohio class replacement submarines, each equipped with 16 Trident nuclear missiles capable of annihilating millions of people. (US Naval Institute graphic)
Ever since the horrors of submarine warfare became a key issue during World War I, submarines have had a sinister reputation. And the building of new, immensely costly, nuclear-armed submarines by the US government and others may soon raise the level of earlier anxiety to a nuclear nightmare.
This spring, the US government continued its steady escalation of research and development funding for the replacement of its current nuclear submarine fleet through one of the most expensive shipbuilding undertakings in American history — the phasing-in, starting in 2031, of 12 new SSBN(X) submarines. Read more…
Enough harm
The city of Hiroshima lay in ruins after the US atomic bombing on August 6, 1945.
In addition to the indelible scenes from Hiroshima and Nagasaki and from other cities that have been terror bombed during wartime, with heavy losses of civilians, two pictures are impossible to get of my mind. One is from what happened in New York on September 11, 2001, and the other is from Oslo on July 22, 2011. Read more…
Doctors and Parliamentarians Address Health Impact of Gun Violence at the United Nations
Dr. Okolo speaks at UN panel BMS 5
“On an average day in the United States 86 people are killed by guns,” was one of many alarming facts presented by Dr. Bill Durston, a passionate IPPNW speaker at a June 17th panel conducted by IPPNW, the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms and Light Weapons and IANSA at the United Nations (U.N.) in New York City. The panel focused on how guns affect health and development around the world, and was a well-attended side event at the U.N. Fifth Biennial Meeting of States to Consider Implementation of the Programme of Action (PoA) on Small Arms and Light Weapons. 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
