The Oakville branch of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons hosted a discussion Jan. 22, outlining the need to reconsider the use of atomic weaponry as an aggressive deterrence to nuclear war.
The evening began with an online presentation by Dr. Rebecca Johnson, director of the Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy. The video outlined the development history of nuclear weapons and the consequences of their use on humanity.
The video also called for more governmental responsibility in acknowledging the issues with nuclear arms acquisition-including the costs incurred to make and maintain such weaponry-while outlining the elusive tendency of governments to avoid treaties enforcing arms reduction.
Photo by Kate Davis
Following the video a discussion took place amongst the group. Hosted by Mervyn Russell, Chairman of the Oakville Community Center for Peace, Ecology and Human rights, and moderated by Dr. Barbara Birkett of Physicians for Global Survival, the panel considered the environmental trauma activated by nuclear weapon use, including atmospheric changes, temperature drops, and sustained radioactive energy in the soil and air.
Though progress has been made locally, such as Oakville’s Mayor Rob Burton signing on as a Mayor for Peace, the group outlined that there is still much to be done in getting this subject into the public sphere.
The group plans to have more talks in future.
