Three beliefs have guided, motivated and propelled the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) from its creation in 1982 to the present.
First, peace is an imperative of the Nuclear Age. In an era when any war could become a nuclear war, peace is not only desirable; it is essential. In this regard, we have developed a program to teach Peace Literacy in schools, churches and social service organizations. The initiator and director of this program, Paul Chappell, gives lectures and workshops on Peace Literacy throughout the US and abroad. More information on the Peace Literacy Movement can be found at www.peaceliteracy.org.
Second, nuclear weapons must be abolished before they abolish us. The only way to be secure from a nuclear war,by accident or design, is to abolish these monstrous weapons. In this regard, the Foundation has initiated and provided leadership for many international coalitions and projects,including Abolition 2000, the Middle Powers Initiative, and the International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility. NAPF has been a partner organization in the Nobel Peace Prize winning coalition International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). The Foundation has also been a major critic of reliance on nuclear deterrence for security. More information on the Foundation’s efforts for abolition can be found at www.wagingpeace.org.
Third, change will come about by extraordinary ordinary people leading their leaders to choose peace and a world free of nuclear weapons. It seems clear that the political leaders of the nuclear-armed countries are not likely to fulfill their obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to negotiate in good faith for an end to the nuclear arms race and for total nuclear disarmament. None of the nuclear-armed states have indicated support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was adopted by the United Nations in 2017. It will require ordinary citizens to demand that their leaders take action to rid the world of nuclear weapons. To learn more about what you can do to help change the world, visit www.wagingpeace.org,and sign up to be an NAPF member and receive our Sunflower e-newsletter and periodic Action Alerts.
The Foundation’s work is aimed at changing the world, person by person, community by community, and nation by nation. Our work is a matter of the heart, of doing the right thing for the children of the world and all generations to follow.
David Krieger is a founder of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and has served as its president since 1982.
