Presidents’ Reflection : Doomsday Clock

While presenting to some high school students recently on the impact of violence on health and the importance of working toward alternatives, I noted that before the class begun, they put their smart phones into a wall covering with numbered pockets. We reflected that everyone in the room, except the teacher and me, were born in the first quarter of this century. Technology has shaped this century. The ubiquitous smart phone exemplifies this. With computing power far in excess of that which put man on the moon, we have almost immediate access to information and, if properly evaluated, knowledge about the world in which we live. Our challenge is to sift through the maelstrom of information to determine the priorities by which we will live our lives.

Indeed, the press of quotidian concerns is all consuming, it is difficult to lift our heads to view global prospects. The recent conflagration in southern California reminds us that the global agenda demands attention whether we like it or not. Out of sight, out of mind can lull us into complacency.

Such is the case with the nuclear threat. Later in January the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists will publish its iconic Doomsday Clock. An assessment of the amalgam of the challenges we face that could lead to nuclear war. I am not sure whether it will be changed, ten second ahead, perhaps. It is a metaphor. We have not hit midnight yet. We hope and pray that we never will.

But it is unquestionable, that the nuclear threat is omnipresent and looms ever greater with the recent acceleration of the nuclear arms race and the dissolution of various agreements, treaties and other mechanisms that reduced the threat.While hope and prayer are useful, they need to be accompanied by concern and action.

A most useful vehicle to express our concern about nuclear weapons is the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). It intends to add nuclear weapons to the ban on chemical and biological ones, landmines and cluster munitions. Canada has not joined this treaty yet for a variety of reasons that hold less and less water.

There is a meeting of states parties (MSP) for the TPNW in New York, March 2024.

It is vital that Canada attend to be a part of the discussion. Canada’s perspective as a country that currently supports the use of nuclear weapons is vital. A nuclear weapons ban is an important step in the journey to nuclear disarmament. We hope that this journey eventually brings us to a place where violence is no longer a legitimate means of managing conflict. Universal ratification and implementation of the TPNW is essential. Canada can be on the right side of history

I would encourage you to contact your parliamentarian to request that Canada send a delegation to this MSP for the TPNW.