Nuclear weapons affect your life and threaten your community. So what can you do about it?
Until the arms race stops, until we have a world with peace and justice, we will not go home and be quiet. We will go home and organize.
Dr. Randall Forsberg addressing a disarmament rally, June 13 1982
The common argument in favor of nuclear weapons—that they keep us safe—perpetuates a dangerous system, one that allows unstable dictators to hold whole nations hostage. Many people around the world have decided that they’ve had enough. But what can citizens do to take action?
Pathways to Action
Educate yourself
Most people don’t think about nuclear weapons very much. But you can—and you should. Learn about the issue. Understand it. Discuss it with the people in your life. Follow the conversation.
Here are some places to start:
- Nuclear Weapons | Nuclear 101
- The Threat of Nuclear Terrorism | Stanford Online
- Living at the Nuclear Brink | Stanford Online
- Nonproliferation and Disarmament | EU ELearning Course
Get organized
In the early 1980s, the grassroots Nuclear Freeze Movement opposed the Reagan administration’s proposal for a massive buildup of nuclear weapons. The movement’s pressure helped push Reagan to begin arms limitations negotiations with the Soviet Union.
Today, groups like Global Zero and ICAN are building new grassroots movements and activating the international community to work together and create change. In 2017, ICAN won the Nobel Peace Prize for their role in advocating for the United Nations Nuclear Ban Treaty. Regular citizens are the heart of their efforts, and the more people participate, the stronger and louder the movement will be. Think about getting involved as a volunteer, or consider donating money.
About 750,000 demonstrators marched in New York City for a massive Nuclear Disarmament Rally in June 1982.
Lee Frey/Getty Images
A young girl holds a sign during a demonstration protesting nuclear weapons.
Anthony Casale/NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images
Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts addresses pro-freeze demonstrators on Capitol Hill. Under public pressure, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a resolution calling for negotiations with the Soviet Union on a nuclear weapons freeze.
Getty Images
The biggest anti-nuclear march in a generation took place in London in February 2016.
Janine Wiedel Photolibrary/Alamy
A crowd of well-wishers celebrates ICAN’s Nobel Peace Prize win in Oslo, Norway.
ICAN
Setsuko Thurlow and Beatrice Fihn jointly accept the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of ICAN. Thurlow survived the Hiroshima bombing and has been a peace advocate for decades. Fihn is ICAN’s executive director.
ICAN
Talk to your elected officials
Contact your representatives in Congress. Write them, call them, email them, fax them, tweet them… there are many ways to be heard. Many U.S. representatives receive donation money from powerful companies that make nuclear weapons, like Northrop Grumman and Boeing. Tell your official to represent your best interests, not those of nuclear lobbyists. Flex your democratic muscles—they can make a difference.
Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland has testified about his constituents’ concerns about the rules governing the President’s authority to order the use of nuclear weapons.
Ben Cardin Senate Webpage
Of late, I’ve been getting more and more questions about, ‘Can the president really order a nuclear attack without any controls?’ That question is asked more and more by the American people.
U.S. Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, November 2017
These websites make it easy to reach out to your representatives:
- USA.gov | How to Contact your Elected Officials
- MSNBC.com | How to write a letter to your congressman
- Union of Concerned Scientists | Take Action Online
Vote
When deciding whom to vote for, learn about candidates’ stances on nuclear weapons. Make it a factor in your vote—even on the local and state level. If a candidate doesn’t have a public stance, write or call their office to see where they stand. Show them it’s an issue the public cares about.
Money
Nuclear weapons are more embedded in our economy than many people realize. Personal investing is complicated, and many people can’t name every company they (or their bank, or their 401k) invests in. You can make sure your own investments are in socially responsible stocks or in socially responsible funds that screen for nuclear weapons.
You can also donate money to organizations that work towards nuclear arms reduction. Here are some to consider:
Make art. See art. Talk about art.
Art can bring the horrors of nuclear war to life. Films and novels about nuclear weapons and their effects have likely reached far more people than academic papers have. Sculptors, novelists, poets, painters, filmmakers, and musicians have used their work to spread the message of nonproliferation. If you’re an artist, use your platform to educate and empower the public, and to take back the conversation about nuclear weapons. If you’re an art enthusiast, look into work that touches on the issue—and tell your friends about it, too.
Stanley Kubrick’s classic film satire “Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” gave Americans a new lens for considering the Cold War and remains a cult classic today.
The familiar “peace symbol” was originally designed as a logo for the British nuclear disarmament campaign.
Andrew Spiers/Alamy
Musician Tom Lehrer used his satirical songwriting style to promote discussions of the absurdity of nuclear war.
Jan Persson/Getty Images
The Day After aired on television in 1983. Even President Ronald Reagan was affected by it, saying, "It's very effective and left me greatly depressed…”.
ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images
Also in 1983, Matthew Broderick starred in WarGames. He plays a teenage hacker who unwittingly brings the world to the brink of nuclear war.
Alamy
People are still making art about nuclear weapons. In 2016, Filmmakers Smriti Keshari, Kevin Ford, and Eric Schlosser created an immersive film experience called The Bomb.
The Bomb Experience
Make it your job
If nuclear issues are your passion, consider dedicating your career to it. Lawyers, scientists, and people working in the nonprofit sector can help advance the elimination of nuclear weapons. Academics in fields like sociology and political science can focus their work on nuclear weapons policy. Journalists and teachers can educate and spread knowledge to motivate more people to get involved. If you’re still a student, consider one of these career paths. If you’re a working adult, consider your professional platform: can you use it to effect change?
