IPPNW Canada
“Our mission since 1981 is to build a peaceful world. We are committed to the abolition of nuclear weapons, the prevention of war, the promotion of non-violent means of conflict resolution and social justice in a sustainable world.”
Our History
We are the Canadian affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW).
The global organization, IPPNW, and the Canadian affiliate, Physicians for Social Responsibility were founded in 1980 to bring together physicians from the Soviet Union and the United States to raise the alarm that in the event of a nuclear war, medicine has nothing meaningful to offer.
The organization quickly grew worldwide, was recognized by UNESCO, and in 1985 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Canadian and Soviet doctors participated in exchanges during the Cold War. Physician delegates from the group have met with Prime Ministers, Heads of State, as well as the Pope.
An organization named Canadian Physicians for Research and Education in Peace (C-PREP) was formed as a charitable organization. New charities legislation now allows us to become a single organization. We chose to assume the name: International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Canada (IPPNWC).
We are a partner organization with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). ICAN was founded by IPPNW in 2007 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 for its work to bring about the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, known as the Ban Treaty.