Breaking the Nuclear Chain is a campaign, of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), IKV Pax Christi and Peace Boat, that aims to give the debate on the consequences of all components of the nuclear chain a human face. The campaign will inform, motivate and activate people to help us prevent the looming humanitarian catastrophe represented by nuclear energy in all its forms.

Although the problems with different components of the nuclear chain are often seen as only being an issue for some, they actually affect us all, everywhere in the world. Overall, the problems they pose can be categorized in three ways:

  • Safety & Security – No part of the nuclear chain is truly safe. Nuclear accidents or incidents might not happen often, but when they do, their effect is devastating, uncontrollable and unpredictable.
  • Contamination – The entire nuclear chain – uranium mining, nuclear reactors, the testing, developing and deploying nuclear weapons – has an impact on the environment and leaves a radioactive legacy damaging peoples’ lives and livelihoods.
  • Costs – The entire chain is hugely expensive.  Yet discussions on both are surrounded with controversy and lack of information.

That is why the Breaking the Nuclear Chain campaign will attempt to; Educate people that nuclear weapons, nuclear waste and nuclear energy are all tied together. You cannot have one without the others, and they all leave a legacy of contaminated communities; Convince people – Governments and populations – of the urgency to create a nuclear free world; and begin the process by calling for the immediate start of negotiations to make nuclear weapons illegal for everyone, setting the stage for future negotiated processes to end the nuclear legacy.

To realize these goals, the campaign will provide information both through its website – www.breakingthenuclearchain.org – and through its different social media tools – @breakingnuclear and facebook.com/breakingthenuclearchain. But in addition to this several on- and off-line activities will be organized in the course of the coming months.

To kick-off the campaign a launch event will be organized on Monday 22nd October from 6-8 pm at the Beekman Tower Hotel Ballroom at 3 Mitchell Place (a half block north of 49th Street between First Ave and Beekman Place).

For reservations contact Alexandra Hiniker at Hiniker@ikvpaxchristi.nl or 917 618 2330.

For more information www.breakingthenuclearchain.org