Say NO! to Nuclear Weapons

INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO ABOLISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS (ICAN)

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is a global campaign coalition working to mobilize people in all countries to inspire, persuade and pressure their governments to initiate and support negotiations for a treaty banning nuclear weapons. They call on states, international organizations, civil society organizations and other actors to:

• §  Acknowledge that any use of nuclear weapons would cause catastrophic humanitarian and environmental harm.
• §  Acknowledge that there is a universal humanitarian imperative to ban nuclear weapons, even for states that do not possess them.
• §  Acknowledge that the nuclear-armed states have an obligation to eliminate their nuclear weapons completely.
• §  Take immediate action to support a multilateral process of negotiations for a treaty banning nuclear weapons.

Their campaign brings together humanitarian, environmental, human rights, peace and development organizations in 98 countries to seize the historic opportunity that exists to outlaw and eliminate nuclear weapons. Prominent individuals such as anti-apartheid leader Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Yoko Ono and Martin Sheen have lent their support to the campaign.

INTERNATIONAL PHYSICIANS FOR THE PREVENTION OF NUCLEAR WAR (IPPNW)

IPPNW is a non-partisan federation of national medical groups in 64 countries, representing tens of thousands of doctors, medical students, other health workers, and concerned citizens who share the common goal of creating a more peaceful and secure world freed from the threat of nuclear annihilation. IPPNW affiliates are national medical organizations with a common commitment to the abolition of nuclear weapons and the prevention of war. Affiliates range in size from a handful of dedicated physicians and medical students to tens of thousands of activists and their supporters. As independent organizations within a global federation, IPPNW affiliates engage in a wide variety of activities related to war, health, social justice, and the environment. Awarded the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize for performing “a considerable service to mankind by spreading authoritative information and by creating an awareness of the catastrophic consequences of atomic warfare”.

IPPNW works on a broad range of issues as they pursue their mission to create a more peaceful and secure world freed from the threat of nuclear annihilation. IPPNW has described and documented the medical and humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons explosions, and has shown that prevention of nuclear war is a medical and public health imperative. IPPNW recognizes that the catastrophic health and environmental consequences of a nuclear war are at the extreme end of a continuum of armed violence that undermines health and security. IPPNW is committed to prevent war and to addressing the causes of armed violence and conflict.  IPPNW has a long record of accomplishment in promoting international dialogue and cooperation.  IPPNW physicians, health workers and medical students come together as healers – regardless of nationality, ideology or religious orientation – in pursuit of a more peaceful, healthier world without the threat of nuclear destruction.  This work is taking place in some of the most volatile regions of the world.