(Poland.pl)
THESIS
Joseph Rotblat, a brilliant, socially conscious physicist, took a powerful stand in history against the proliferation of nuclear weapons and war and the future uses of nuclear weapons. Rotblat was the only scientist to leave the Manhattan Project on moral grounds. He later founded the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, an organization that continues to work towards a world free of nuclear weaponry and one that facilitates dialogue extending across national boundaries. Through Pugwash, Rotblat brought together opposing sides during the Cold War to discuss diminishing nuclear weaponry. Rotblat’s efforts established the foundation for an international movement that continues to seek a safer world.
"Above all, remember your humanity and forget the rest."–Joseph Rotblat
"The work on the Manhattan Project...has had an enduring effect on my life. Indeed, it radically changed my scientific career and the carrying out of my obligations to society." |
Main gate, Los Alamos
(Atomic Archive) |
"Group photo of participants at the Second Annual Pugwash Conference. Lac Beauport, Canada. 1958"
(Linus Pauling and International Peace Movement: A Documentary History website) |
"Pugwash seeks a world free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. We create opportunities for dialogue on the steps needed to achieve that end, focusing on areas where nuclear risks are present. Moving beyond rhetoric, we foster creative discussions on ways to increase the security of all sides in the affected regions." |
"Joseph Rotblat had a deeply held conviction that the scientific approach to tackling problems–based on a free exchange of ideas, intensive study, and solid research–was the way through the dense and sometimes deliberate governmental obfuscation of Cold War nuclear dilemmas." |
"Joseph Rotblat at Nuclear Non-Proliferation Conference, New York, 1995"
(Joseph Rotblat: Visionary for Peace) |