International Campaign Involving Kiwis to Abolish Nuclear Weapons Wins Nobel Peace Prize

The Peace Foundation worked to realise the New Zealand Nuclear Free zone in 1987, and has since worked with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) to inspire others to realise a nuclear-free world.

Through Laurie Ross we promoted the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) in Auckland in public peace education events, at Auckland University NZIIA in 2013, and in 2015 featuring the ICAN Australasian Director Tim Wright. The Peace Foundation has pursued its work effectively in partnership with the ICAN initiative to produce the UN Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty.’

The Peace Foundation is therefore delighted with this prize to International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. We acknowledge and congratulate Peace Movement Aotearoa as the the ICAN Convener in New Zealand, and we congratulate the full ICAN network on this achievement. It is an award for
dialogue, diplomacy and peoples working together, a collaboration between civil
society and governments to make nuclear weapons history.

“ICAN is receiving the award for its work to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and for its ground-breaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition of such weapons”, stated the Nobel Committee.

Beatrice Fihn, the Executive Director of ICAN said, “This prize is a tribute to the tireless efforts of many millions of campaigners and concerned citizens worldwide who, ever since the dawn of the atomic age, have loudly protested against nuclear weapons, insisting that they can serve no legitimate purpose and must be forever banished from the face of our earth. It is a tribute also to the survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – the hibakusha – and victims of nuclear test explosions around the world, whose searing testimonies and unstinting advocacy were instrumental in securing this landmark agreement.”

Just recently, we organised the Nuclear Free New Zealand 30th anniversary event in Auckland
Domain on 11 June 2017 with a giant human peace symbol in support of ICAN and the global movement to ‘Ban the Bomb’ in the Treaty negotiations.’

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, one of 7000 'Mayors for Peace' around the world calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons, speaking at the June 11 event said it was “a time to reflect on the horror of war and to learn lessons from the past. New Zealand is proudly nuclear-free and we must continue to strive for a peaceful world free of nuclear arms.” Four New Zealanders from The Peace Foundation and Disarmament Security Centre travelled to the United Nations to participate in the Nuclear Ban Treaty and campaign with ICAN.

The Treaty was adopted by 122 countries at the United Nations in New York in July 2017 and opened for signature in September 2017. New Zealand as a peacemaker nation, was amongst the first to sign the new Treaty, and at the signing ceremony at the United Nations. Already 53 countries have signed it. ICAN was a driving force behind this treaty.

At a time when global tensions are high and two nuclear powers are sabre-rattling, alternative approaches such as the Nuclear Ban Treaty and global collaboration across borders are needed. The Peace Foundation will continue to collaborate with ICAN to put pressure on more countries to sign and ratify the Treaty, to have the Treaty enter into force as soon as possible across the globe.

ENDS

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