Sixty years ago this month, renowned intellectuals Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell issued their famous manifesto in London calling for the complete abolition of nuclear weapons. “We appeal as human beings to human beings: remember your humanity, and forget the rest,” they wrote.
To mark the anniversary of this historic document and to build momentum for negotiations on a treaty banning nuclear weapons, ICAN organized a meeting at the Amnesty International action centre in London from 6 to 7 July, bringing together campaigners from across the United Kingdom, Europe and further afield.
We heard inspiring updates on campaign activities, and discussed the principles that should underpin a ban treaty and the kind of process that will be needed to achieve it. We also shared practical tips for raising public awareness, engaging parliamentarians, and attracting media attention.
Douglas Hern and Don James from the British Nuclear Test Veterans’ Association provided first-hand testimony on the ongoing suffering inflicted by the United Kingdom’s nuclear test programme at Kiritimati, an atoll in the Pacific Ocean that is now part of the Republic of Kiribati.
The meeting was lively and cooperative. “I for one am inspired and determined after the campaigners’ meeting, and hope that you are also feeling ready to ban nuclear weapons,” said Rebecca Sharkey, coordinator of ICAN in the UK, who co-organized the meeting with Laura Boillot and Holly Lubran.