International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War was based in Boston, MA and was formed in 1980.[1]
About
Founded in 1980 by a group of Soviet and American doctors, IPPNW was an inspiration born of the Cold War. Their stated reasoning for the initiative were a common interest in survival, and that their obligation as physicians included a common commitment to the prevention of nuclear war. They organized a team to conduct meticulous scientific research based on data collected by Japanese colleagues who had studied the effects of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And they drew upon their knowledge of the medical effects of burn, blast, and radiation injuries.
The doctors stated that nuclear war would be the final epidemic; that there would be no cure and no meaningful medical response. In the words of former New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange, "IPPNW made medical reality a part of political reality." Physician activists were instrumental in the campaigns to ban atmospheric and underground nuclear test explosions and in helping to shut down nuclear weapons testing sites and production facilities.
From uranium mining to nuclear testing and production, from Nevada to Moruroa and Hanford to Chelyabinsk, IPPNW and its affiliates collected and analyzed data that provides the public with "a frightening assessment of the health and environmental costs of pursuing security through nuclear weapons."
The organization held its first congress near Washington, D.C., in March 1981. Soviet government involvement with International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War is overt: large high-level Soviet delegations attend conferences and IPPNW's three co-chairmen are Yevgeny Chazov, Soviet Deputy Minister of Health; Sir Douglas Black, president, Royal College of Physicians; and Bernard Lown, a Harvard cardiologist.[2]
IPPNW membership overlaps that of Physicians for Social Responsibility.
IPPNW's role was described by Ann Zill of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation as:
- "To coordinate all the [anti-nuclear] Physicians groups that have sprung up in countries such as Canada, Sweden, Finland, Germany, England, Switzerland, Norway and Australia."[1]
As the Cold War came to an end, IPPNW had grown to comprise some 200,000 physicians, health care workers, and concerned citizens every region of the world.[2]
IPPNW was awarded the UNESCO Peace Education Prize in 1984 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.
Personnel
Co-Founders
The following were co-founders of the organization:[2]
- Dr. Bernard Lown, U.S.
- Dr. Jim Muller, U.S.
- Dr. Eric Chivian, U.S.
- Dr. Herb Abrams, U.S.
- Dr. Evgueni Chazov, Soviet Union
- Dr. Mikhail Kuzin, Soviet Union
- Dr. Leonid Ilyin, Soviet Union
- Dr. Paul Hutchison, MP, New Zealand[3]
Board of Directors
From 2010 - 2012, the following served on the Board of Directors for the organization:[4]
Co-Presidents:
- Sergei Kolesnikov, Moscow, Russia
- Robert Mtonga, Lusaka, Zambia
- Vappu Taipale, Helsinki, Finland
Regional Vice Presidents:
- Daniel Bassey, Jos, Nigeria - Regional Vice President, Africa
- Lars Pohlmeier, Bremen, Germany - Regional Vice President, Europe
- Antonio Jarquin, Managua, Nicaragua - Regional Vice President, Latin America
- Ahmed Saada, Egypt - Regional Vice President, Middle East
- Ira Helfand, Massachusetts - Regional Vice President, North America
- Shizuteru Usui, Hiroshima, Japan - Regional Vice President, North Asia
- Armais A. Kamalov, Moscow, Russia - Regional Vice President, Russia/CIS
- Asoka Hettiarachi, Sri Lanka - Regional Vice President , South Asia
- Tilman Ruff, Victoria, Australia - Regional Vice President - Southeast Asia/Pacific
At Large Directors:
- Vladimir Garkavenko, Moscow, Russia
- Bjørn Hilt, Chair of IPPNW Board, Trondheim, Norway
- Andrew S. Kanter, New York, NY, USA
- Arun Mitra, Ludhiana, India
- Andi Nidecker, Basel, Switzerland
- Wenjing Tao, Goteborg, Sweden
International Medical Student Representatives:
- Leila Moein, Iran
- Ogebe Onazi, Nigeria
Ex Officio Members:
- Michael Christ, Executive Director, Massachusetts, USA
- Herman Spanjaard, Speaker of the International Council, Halfweg, The Netherlands
- Kati Juva, Deputy Speaker IC, Helsinki, Finland
- Jiro Yanagida, 2010 World Congress Organizing Committee President, Hiroshima, Japan
Staff
As at August 10, 2011, the following worked for the organization:[5]
- Michael Christ, Executive Director
- Douglas Kline, Director of Administration and Finance
- John Loretz, Program Director
- Maria Valenti, Campaign Coordinator, Aiming For Prevention
- Aki Morizono, Communications Associate
- Garrett R. FitzGerald, Development Associate
IPPNW Student Movement
The following are leaders of the Student Movement of IPPNW. The Governing Body consists of the National Student Representatives and is presided over by the two International Student Representatives.[6]
- Ogebe Onazi, International Student Representative
- Leila Moein, International Student Representative
- Tarninderjit Singh, Student Liaison
- Semih Kucukcankurtaran, Student Liaison
Project Coordinators:
- Arashdeep Singh, ePulse
- John Ogwu Ikwuobe, ePulse
- Ahmed Saada, MedEx
- Niloufar Rahim, NWIP
- Arohan Sapkota, NWIP
- Misha Byrne, NWIP
- Rasha Athamni, Pen Pals for Peace
- Ursula Völker, Pen Pals for Peace
- Barbora Kusinova, ReCap
- Tova Fuller, Webmaster
- Marcus Yip, Webmaster
- Craig Levoy, Webmaster"
Regional Representatives:
- Homsuk Emmanual Swomen, Africa
- Michael Mwachiro, Africa
- Alix Schou, Europe
- Saima Akhtar, Europe
- Nidia Rodríguez, Latin America
- Cesar Alemán, Latin America
- Jessie Duvall, North America
- Manjinder Raju, South Asia
- Marcus Yip, South East Asia Pacific
- Ryoma Kayano, North Asia
- Fateme Bahmaee, Middle East"
National Representatives:
- Fali Kahina, Algeria
- Angela Wilson, Australia
- Sarah Gardiner, Australia
- Alexa Kuenberg, Austria
- Emma Husar, Austria
- Nahid Haque, Bangladesh
- Eline Scheire, Belgium
- Adnan Papovic, Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Tatiana Turassa E, Brazil
- Nelson Rodríguez, Chile
- Paola Ortiz, Colombia
- Daniela Zuñiga, Costa Rica
- Nidia Rodríguez, Ecuador
- Alexandra Schou, Denmark
- Alexandra Naranjo, Ecuador
- Mohamed Geneid, Egypt
- Ademar Guardado, El Salvador
- Meelis Tasur, Estonia
- Anne-Lorraine Bouquiaux, France
- Svea Kleiner, Germany
- Timothy Moore-Schmeil, Germany
- Sofia Tzouvara, Greece
- Carolina Ramírez, Honduras
- Álvaro Donaire, Honduras
- Arashdeep Singh, India
- Soumya Shree, India
- Fateme Abdollahnejad, Iran
- Luca Astarita, Italy
- Ryoma Kayano, Japan
- Stella Rakama, Kenya
- Vesa Këpusk, Kosovo
- Carlos Gomez, Mexico
- Imane Illebar, Morocco
- Ajay Uprety, Nepal
- Lori Postema, Netherlands
- Sudhvir Singh, New Zealand
- Cesar Alemán, Nicaragua
- Chinenye Okpala, Nigeria
- Ochanya Otowo, Nigeria
- Sofie Paus, Norway
- Saima Akhtar, Norway
- Mohammad Rauf, Pakistan
- Mahmoud Abu Issah, Palestine
- Eduardo Ríos, Panamá
- Jessica Valeria Tang Herrera, Perú
- Beverly Lorraine Ho, Philippines
- Mariana Pinto da Costa, Portugal
- Carlos Ferreira, Portugal
- Karina Heleniak, Poland
- Andra Corbu, Romania
- Vilena Dyakova, Russia
- Samahir Hussein, Sudan
- Andreas Tolf, Sweden
- Roman Sandoz, Switzerland
- Zihni Mert Duman, Turkey
- Semih Kucukcankurtaran, Turkey
- Kiggundu Reuben, Uganda
- Salma Kamaledeen, UK
- Craig Levoy, USA
- Jessie Duvall, USA
- Andrés Sosa, Venezuela
- Monica Bowa, Zambia
External Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The War Called Peace: Glossary, published 1982
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 IPPNW: History (accessed on August 10, 2011)
- ↑ Paul Hutchison's website: Profile (accessed on Aug. 9, 2011)
- ↑ IPPNW: Board (accessed on August 10, 2011)
- ↑ IPPNW: Staff (accessed on August 10, 2011)
- ↑ IPPNW Student Movement website: Contacts (accessed on Aug. 10, 2011)