ICAN won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its involvement in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. ICAN was instrumental in this landmark agreement that makes it illegal to develop, test, buy, use, or threaten to use nuclear weapons.
At this conference Cesar was speaking about ICAN鈥檚 win and the need for the Canadian government to be the leader in nuclear disarmament it once was.
鈥Canada continues to embrace NATO鈥檚 overt nuclear deterrence policy as a valid security doctrine, effectively legitimizing the weapons held by its nuclear-armed allies,鈥 - Cesar Jaramillo
Joining Cesar at the conference was Setsuko Thurlow, who through her campaigning efforts and experience as a Hiroshima survivor played a pivotal part in the negotiations around the treaty. She has lived in Toronto since 1955.
ICAN is a coalition of non-governmental organizations against nuclear weapons and the complete devastation they bring. Project Ploughshares, a Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement (CPA) Core Collaborator, is an institutional member of ICAN through Abolition 2000 and the International Peace Bureau. Additionally, several Project Ploughshares staff are a part of ICAN. For example, Jaramillo is a member through Sehlac, a group of Latin American international activist sitting on ICAN鈥檚 steering board.
Cesar recently released an open letter to Canada鈥檚 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau imploring the government to get on board with the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Through similar advocacy work and providing expertise on security issues, Project Ploughshares helps shape government responses that prevent war and armed violence.
* Photo from 2015