About Us
Find out more about the Nobel Peace Laureate who inspired the programme.
Watch the video below to see Sally Milne, who worked closely with Professor Rotblat, interviewed by student, Celia Demarchi. A film for young people made by young people.
In 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Sir Joseph Rotblat had become increasingly concerned about developments in nuclear weapons policies that he felt were putting the world in increasing danger of a nuclear conflict. The most recent developments had been driven by the US administration, though other countries appeared to support these major policy changes. The general public did not seem to be aware of these increasing dangers.
In order to raise this awareness, he gathered together leaders of different Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) working in this field and the WMD Awareness Programme was created. Although Professor Rotblat died on the 31st August 2005 we honour his memory by continuing the programme he inspired.
The programme was launched in 2004 by the two Nobel Peace Laureates, Professor Sir Joseph Rotblat and President Mikhail Gorbachev. Speech by Joseph Rotblat. Speech by President Gorbachev.
The web site shows what a weapon of mass destruction is, who has them, where they are, what the effects of them are and will encourage everyone to get involved.
The WMD Awareness Programme was created to ensure that reliable information on WMDs is available to all, information that can help to bring honesty, transparency and accountability into this field.
We urge all nuclear weapon states to enter serious discussions aimed at achieving the ultimate abolition of all nuclear weapons worldwide. In the interim, action should be taken by the UN aimed at creating a full inventory of WMD and to place all WMD sites under UN guardianship.
The UN must create an inspection and verification regime to monitor compliance with existing international treaties and law on Chemical, Biological and Nuclear weapons. The inspections must be intrusive, systematic and even handed, with ALL states being subjected to the same regime.
The following groups make up the WMD Awareness Programme:
Abolition 2000 UK Website: www.abolition2000uk.org
Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy: www.acronym.org.uk
BASIC (British American Security Information Council) Tel: 020 7234 4680 Website: www.basicint.org
British Pugwash Group Tel: 020 7405 6661 Website: www.pugwash.org/uk
CND Tel: 020 7700 2393 Website: www.cnduk.org
Greenpeace UK Tel: 020 7865 8100 Website: www.greenpeace.org.uk
Medact Tel: 020 7324 4739 Website: www.medact.org
Movement for the Abolition of War Tel: 020 8347 6162 www.abolishwar.org.uk/home
Oxford Research Group Tel: 01865 242 819 Website:www.oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk
Quaker Peace and Social Witness Tel: 020 7663 1000 Website: www.quaker.org.uk/peace/
Young/Student Pugwash Website: www.student-pugwash.org/uk/
Associate Groups:
Nuclear Information Service Tel: 023 80554434 Website: www.nuclearinfo.org
Pax Christi Tel: 020 8203 4884 Website: www.paxchristi.org.uk
Scientists for Global Responsibility Tel: 01303 851965 Website: www.sgr.org.uk
VERTIC (The Verification, Research, Training and Information Centre) Tel: 020 7065 0880 Website: www.vertic.org
World Court Project Tel: 01323 844 269 Website: www.wcp.gn.apc.org/
World Disarmament Campaign Tel: 0131 447 4004 Website: www.world-disarm.org.uk
