Looming nuclear devastation unites global youth

Recent research estimates a 20-50% chance of nuclear war in the next 100 years, youth from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan were told at a recent summit in Winnipeg.

“There is no bigger threat to human civilization and to all life forms on planet Earth than nuclear weapons,” said Canadian Senator Marilou McPhedran.

According to McPhedran, the world currently holds 12 times the nuclear weapons needed to kill every living being on earth, “and yet governments are continuing to acquire nuclear weapons.”

She sounded the warning to youth gathered at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in November at the 4th annual Youth Nuclear Peace Summit.

More than 170 people explored nuclear war and peace through presentations, activities, and discussions aimed at allowing them to take their future into their own hands.

High school and post-secondary students presented on topics including uranium mining, peace education, economics of nuclear weapons, and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

“I think any organization, group, or entity that does not have a young person focus is misaligned in their goals,” said Rooj Ali, nuclear disarmament activist from the University of Toronto. Youth will be taking up important positions in the future, she said, and we, as a species, need to make sure they have the practical experience to back the expertise they’ll need.

Organizers and presenters at the summit echoed this concern, emphasizing its relevance under heightening global tensions and conflict. 

Canada has “refused to engage at all “and will not even send an observer to the UN meetings that are developing the implementation of this treaty,” said Senator McPhedron. “So it’s a real kind of, like, cover your eyes, cover your ears, pretend it’s not happening, and maybe it’ll go away. Maybe it’ll be okay.”

Selkirk high school student Amelia Macfarlane said “We never know what world leaders can do, and if nuclear war breaks out … it doesn’t just affect the country that is being bombed, it affects everyone.”

For many students, this is not acceptable. “I don’t think we should be capable of killing all these people so easily,” said Winnipeg student Nathan Perkins, whose biggest takeaway from the event was that the most essential part of the fight against nuclear weapons is understanding.

Niverville student Eddy Paez said that while disarmament is the goal, the first step is awareness. Paez said we have a collective responsibility as people who will inherit the earth “to learn as much as possible, to leave no doors closed, and leave no stone unchecked.”

For more information on nuclear disarmament and next year’s summit, head to youthnuclearpeacesummit.org.