8/29/2014
CoExist, Baby!
ASTANA – The 21st World Congress of Physicians Against Nuclear War (IPPNW) on Thursday rejected the superpowers’ argument that the possession of atomic weapons is justified as a way to contain potential enemies.
“We have to help them (the politicians) realize that if nuclear weapons have not been used (in wars), it is only because we have been very lucky,” said Ira Helfand, president of IPPNW USA, during the second day of the congress being held in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan.
Helfand warned that frequent arguments about the need for nuclear weapons to prevent major wars would, ironically, eventually thrust the planet “into a nuclear war.”
“It’s just a matter of time,” he said.
In the same tone, Bayguenzhin Abai, President of the IPPNW World Congress, told Efe that “it is only an illusion that nuclear weapons are a containment factor.”
He reiterated the willingness of his country, as expressed repeatedly by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, to “sign any document that seeks to ban nuclear weapons or halt their proliferation.”
Over 500 delegates from 50 countries are attending the congress that ends Aug. 30.
“The purpose of this meeting is to draw attention to the nature and threat of nuclear weapons from the perspective of doctors,” UK delegate Frank Boulton said.
He added that “the main goal is to reach an agreement on a ban signed by all nations of the world as soon as possible.”
“I feel that as long as there are countries whose people and whose leaders feel secure without nuclear weapons, then it is progress, progress to which we should aspire,” he said.
On the contrary, “as long as there are people and leaders who feel safe only if they have (weapons), then we have a problem.”
source
CoExist, Baby!
ASTANA – The 21st World Congress of Physicians Against Nuclear War (IPPNW) on Thursday rejected the superpowers’ argument that the possession of atomic weapons is justified as a way to contain potential enemies.
“We have to help them (the politicians) realize that if nuclear weapons have not been used (in wars), it is only because we have been very lucky,” said Ira Helfand, president of IPPNW USA, during the second day of the congress being held in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan.
Helfand warned that frequent arguments about the need for nuclear weapons to prevent major wars would, ironically, eventually thrust the planet “into a nuclear war.”
“It’s just a matter of time,” he said.
In the same tone, Bayguenzhin Abai, President of the IPPNW World Congress, told Efe that “it is only an illusion that nuclear weapons are a containment factor.”
He reiterated the willingness of his country, as expressed repeatedly by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, to “sign any document that seeks to ban nuclear weapons or halt their proliferation.”
Over 500 delegates from 50 countries are attending the congress that ends Aug. 30.
“The purpose of this meeting is to draw attention to the nature and threat of nuclear weapons from the perspective of doctors,” UK delegate Frank Boulton said.
He added that “the main goal is to reach an agreement on a ban signed by all nations of the world as soon as possible.”
“I feel that as long as there are countries whose people and whose leaders feel secure without nuclear weapons, then it is progress, progress to which we should aspire,” he said.
On the contrary, “as long as there are people and leaders who feel safe only if they have (weapons), then we have a problem.”
source
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