Items include:
1. Webinar on nuclear weapons and the Ukraine- 14th December
2. Video of September’s webinar
3. Memorial service for Dr Christopher Watson
4. Rodney Fielding, former member of British Pugwash
5. Recent articles and reports of interest
6. Student and Young Pugwash update
…
1. December webinar: Nuclear weapons, the Ukraine conflict and beyond
Join us for our webinar on Wednesday 14th December at 1500. British Pugwash Secretary Dr Tim Street will discuss nuclear threats and doctrine concerning the Ukraine conflict, nuclear weapons modernisation, the prospects for nuclear arms control and ideas on nuclear risk reduction.
To attend, please register here.
2. Video recording of September’s webinar
On 29th September British Pugwash hosted a webinar on the outcome of the latest Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference. The UK Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, Aidan Liddle, and Dr Rebecca Johnson were the speakers. A video recording of the event can be found on our YouTube channel for British Pugwash members.
3. Memorial service for Dr Christopher Watson, former Chairman of British Pugwash
Dr Christopher Watson’s memorial service will be held on 28th January 2023 at 3pm, at Merton College chapel, Oxford. Any British Pugwash member wishing to attend will be welcome. Please notify viveleswatsons@gmail.com about your wish to attend as far in advance as possible.
Dr Watson’s obituary may be read online here.
4. Rodney Fielding, former member of British Pugwash
Rodney Fielding, a member of British Pugwash in the 1970s and 1980s, passed away on August 7th 2022, aged 91. His sons Alex and Stuart write: “Rod, to his friends and family, had a long academic career in International Relations. After study at Ruskin College, LSE and Sussex University, he became a Senior Lecturer at Lanchester Polytechnic (Coventry University) then at Trent Polytechnic (Nottingham Trent University) where he was Dean of the Faculty of Modern Studies, and then at the University of Warwick.”
5.Recent articles and reports of interest
British and International Pugwash’s assessments of the risk of nuclear weapon use in the context of the war in Ukraine can be found at: www.britishpugwash.org.
Below are a selection of news items and updates, focusing on the policies of the five NPT nuclear weapon states:
- China
Antiwar.com, China reaffirms no first use nuclear weapons policy at UN
- France
Le Monde, Macron comment raises doubts on French position in case of Russian nuclear strike in Ukraine
- Russia
Russian Government, Statement of the Russian Federation on preventing nuclear war
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Strategic Procrastination: What’s Russia’s Game With Nuclear Signaling?
- USA / NATO
Federation of American Scientists, The 2022 Nuclear Posture Review: Arms Control Subdued By Military Rivalry
Federation of American Scientists, NATO Steadfast Noon Exercise And Nuclear Modernization in Europe
- Other
Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy, University of Hamburg,
Negative Multiplicity: Forecasting the Future Impact of Emerging Technologies on International Stability and Human Security
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Why the AUKUS Submarine Deal Is Bad for Nonproliferation—And What to Do About It
6. Student and Young Pugwash update
Webinar: The Pugwash Nobel Peace Prize 27 Years On: Reflections and Outlook
On December 10th 1995, Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs and Sir Joseph Rotblat, the youngest original signee of the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo “for their efforts to diminish the part played by nuclear arms in international politics and, in the longer run, to eliminate such arms.”
The first Nobel Peace Prize jointly awarded to an individual and an organisation, their success reflected the optimism in post-Cold War Europe about the future of nuclear arms control and the imperative of the need to end nuclear weapons testing. Today, that optimism is in short supply.
To commemorate their recognition 27 years ago, three speakers who knew Rotblat personally will share their intimate stories of his life: from a young scientist, to an influential Pugwashite, to a champion of student and young Pugwash voices. They will share rare videos and first-hand accounts from the ceremony and offer messages of hope about the future, particularly on the role of Pugwash, the need for dialogue across divides in times of international tension, and the importance of engaging a new generation of scientists and arms control advocates.
A short audience Q&A will follow.
Please join us virtually on December 9th at 12:00 EST / 17:00 GMT / 18:00 CET by registering here.
To receive the Student Young Pugwash newsletter please register here.